《I Have Yet to Become a Doll Today》


 Chapter 1 - 1: 1 The Tortoise and the Hare

    Chapter 1 - 1: 1 The Tortoise and the Hare


    Trantor:Nyoi-Bo StudioEditor:Nyoi-Bo Studio


    May of 2119, humans started to turn into dolls.


    Those walking on the street, eating in restaurants, or half-dressed in changing rooms; the unfortunate ones¡¯ movement paused in the moment of transition, their smiles frozen on their faces, as they all became motionless human-shaped dolls.


    Without warning, without identifiable cause.


    People were perplexed, terrified, driven to madness, and filled with despair.


    They marched in protests challenging the suspected terror attacks of mysterious organizations, spread rumors of extraterrestrial invasions on the inte, and some even evacuated to the countryside¡­ They did everything they could but still, the people around them kept turning into dolls one after another.


    Gradually, people became numb.


    Those who should go to school, went to school. Those who should work, went to work. Life continued as usual.


    But there was a new segment on the daily news broadcast-


    After reading the news, the television newscaster would announce in a standard tone: ¡°If you notice someone around you has turned into a doll, please call the emergency hotline at 123, the relevant departments will handle this promptly¡­¡±


    ¡°Handling¡± meant sending the dolls off to research institutions.


    If the scientists found something significant, that was good. If they didn¡¯t, the rtives would be notified to im the dolls, whether to bury or ce them in their homes was up to them.


    Bai Youwei watched the news for a while, then noticing the time, she took the remote and turned off the television. She then pressed a button on her wheelchair and headed towards the dining room.


    She had a disability in both legs, her parents divorced in her early childhood and they both started new families. Perhaps due to guilt, they never held back on expenses for Bai Youwei. They let her live in the most luxurious vis and hired expensive caretakers, but they never seemed to have time to spend with their daughter.


    But Bai Youwei didn¡¯t mind it.


    She was long ustomed to being alone.


    The dining room clock ticked on, with the minute hand pointing to 12:10. Bai Youwei ate lunch precisely at noon every day, neverte, but now, there was no food on the table.


    With silence all around, the ticking of the clock emphasized the tranquility of the luxurious vi.


    Bai Youwei waited for a bit, then noticed the smell of burnt fooding from the kitchen.


    She adjusted her direction and rolled over in her wheelchair. The caretaker was standing with her back towards her, frozen beside the gas stove, with her hand still holding the pose of stirring food, but she didn¡¯t move.


    The caretaker had be a doll, just now.


    Her face was the same, but the material had wholly changed, from fresh flesh and blood to stic skin, ss eyes, synthetic hair¡­.


    The previous caretaker had fled back to her hometown, and this one had only been here for two days. Bai Youwei hadn¡¯t even memorized her name yet. Now, the woman had be like this.


    She gazed at the sight for a moment, then rolled her wheelchair over, turned off the stove, and as advised on the news, dialed the emergency hotline 123.


    The line was busy.


    Bai Youwei thought for a moment, then decided to call her mother. Since the caretaker was hired by her mother, she should be able to contact the caretaker¡¯s family.


    Once the call connected, she was surrounded by the sounds of conversations,ughter and music¡­ all entuating her solitude.


    A real nuisance.


    She exined the situation briefly and then hung up the phone.


    The house was silent, as was outside. The scorching sun was baking the earth. The pond in the garden reflected the glittering light. A hibiscus drooped its purple petals under the intense sunshine. Everything seemed normal, but Bai Youwei knew that the world had already be abnormal.


    ¡­


    At two in the afternoon, the sound of a car engine echoed outside the vi.


    Through the window, Bai Youwei saw a tall man ringing the doorbell.


    After a moment of thought, she went to the kitchen to get a folding fruit knife, and then wheeled towards the door.


    Through the iron gate, she could see the man standing tall, with a stern look on his face, and a pair of deep and quiet eyes under his thick eyebrows.


    He looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn¡¯t recall where she had seen him before.


    ¡°Are you Weiwei?¡± His voice hesitated slightly, bearing the unfamiliarity of their first meeting. ¡°I¡¯m Shen Mo, your mother heard about what happened here and asked me to pick you up.¡±


    Bai Youwei was startled.


    Shen Mo? No wonder he seemed familiar, he was Uncle Shen¡¯s son. He looked a bit like his uncle.


    To rify, Uncle Shen is her mother¡¯s good friend, as well as her business partner. In Bai Youwei¡¯s opinion, ¡°fall-back option¡± would be a more appropriate description of Uncle Shen¡¯s role.


    After a moment of silence, Bai Youwei put her fruit knife back in her pocket and opened the door-


    Shen Mo looked at the girl in front of him.


    With pale skin and soft long hair, her light blue dress covered her from neck to feet. Just like her name indicates ¨C Bai (white), You (young), Wei (tiny) ¨C one can¡¯t help but associate her with words like pale, young, delicate, weak, and so on.


    She looked very well-behaved, not at all difficult to get along with, contrary to what her Aunt Wang had described.


    ¡°Pack your things. I¡¯ll drive you to Yangzhou,¡± said Shen Mo concisely.


    Bai Youwei shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡±


    Shen Mo was surprised and raised his eyebrows, ¡°It¡¯s unsafe in the city now. Those who could have already evacuated, if you stay here with nobody to take care of you, you¡¯ll die.¡±


    Bai Youwei lowered her head to look at the exquisite pattern on her dress, ¡°I¡¯m not going. No matter where I go, with my condition, I¡¯ll die.¡±


    Shen Mo had not expected such obstinance.


    He wasn¡¯t good at persuading people and even worse at cajoling children. Without a word, he walked into the house asking, ¡°Which room is yours?¡±


    Watching Shen Mo, Bai Youwei asked suspiciously, ¡°What are you trying to do?¡±


    Ignoring her, Shen Mo went into the house. After walking around, he found her bedroom with certainty and started to pack her clothes and necessities.


    The girl followed him, her expression somewhat forlorn.


    After packing the clothes, Shen Mo stood in the room, looking around and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the medicine?¡±


    Bai Youwei permanently resided in a wheelchair, and medicine was a necessity.


    She stayed silent.


    He didn¡¯t bother asking again.


    Soon, the room was all in disorder.


    Sitting in her wheelchair, Bai Youwei watched him rummaging through her things, gripping her hands tightly. With a low voice, she said, ¡°Do you¡­ do you think you¡¯re amazing and noble for saving a poor, helpless girl?¡­ Have you ever thought about the consequences of taking me away forcefully?¡­ Once we reach Yangzhou, how am I, a physically-disabled woman, going to survive? You know, I need help even to eat and go to the bathroom. I have to wear adult diapers for long journeys. You¡­,¡±


    She took a deep breath, ¡°You don¡¯t understand anything! I¡¯m not going with you!¡±


    At the end of her words, her voice was hoarse, bearing suppressed sobbing.


    Shen Mo looked at her, stayed silent for a moment, and then he lowered his voice, ¡°You¡¯re right. I don¡¯t understand. But at least there¡¯s one thing I understand ¨C if you stay here, you¡¯ll die faster. If you leave, there might be hope.¡±


    Hope?


    A chill ran through Bai Youwei¡¯s heart.


    Even her own parents no longer wished to see her. She was living life like a zombie, without the intention of continuing, even if the world remained normal.


    She was a hopeless wreck!


    Shen Mo approached Bai Youwei, his dark eyes heavy with intensity, speaking in a calm and steadfast voice, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will safely get you to Yangzhou.¡±


    Bai Youwei bit her lip.


    She had no choice.


    Shen Mo pushed Bai Youwei out of the vi, towards an off-road vehicle parked by the road side.


    He lifted her from her wheelchair. She was lighter than he could ever imagine, frail but not making his arms ufortable. The girl in his hold was soft and weak.


    Her face against his chest, a faint fragrance intertwined with a scent of dairy-infused rose, along with a whiff of medicine. It formed a peculiar aroma, inducing a feeling he couldn¡¯t quite describe.


    Looking at her tense face, he softened a little, reassuring her again, ¡°I¡¯ll drive faster. We will get there in an hour and a half. There is someone at the other end to take care of you. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Apparently bearing a grudge against him for his coercion, Bai Youwei turned her face away, refusing to respond.


    Shen Mo gave a faint smile, closed the car door, and sat in the driver¡¯s seat to start the car¡ª


    But it didn¡¯t take him long to realize he had miscalcted.


    The situation was more serious than he had imagined. Dolls had appeared on almost every road. While the reason for people turning into dolls was unknown, it wasmon knowledge that areas with a high density of dolls were dangerous, and everyone tried to avoid such roads.


    Shen Mo began detouring. After more than an hour, he finally arrived at the motorway entrance.


    But even the motorway wasn¡¯t peaceful.


    As far as the eye could see, there were cars, about sixty or seventy of them, haphazardly stopped right in the middle of the road. Some of the cars were crashed, with no sign of the passengers¡¯ survival.


    At the end of the line, there were many people like them who had just reached the motorway. These people stood outside their vehicles, craning their necks to get a better view, hesitant about whether to move forward.


    Shen Mo got out of the car to ask about the situation.


    Bai Youwei was leaning against the car window, listening to people¡¯s conversations:


    ¡°What should we do? Should we still go?¡±


    ¡°Go? There are dolls all over the front, how can we pass?¡±


    ¡°If we don¡¯t go, do you want to wait here to die? The nearest city, only Yangzhou and Taizhou don¡¯t have anyone turned into dolls!¡±


    ¡°What about other roads, are there dolls on other roads?¡±


    ¡°If this continues, we are all going to be trapped here and die¡­¡±


    ¡°Honey, what should we do?¡± A woman with long hair was sobbing, ¡°It must be the end of the world¡­ we¡¯re all going to die¡­¡±


    Her husband seemed to have no ideas as well, smoking anxiously, without uttering a word offort.


    After listening for a while, Bai Youwei lost interest, closed the car window, and enjoyed her own tranquility.


    Shen Mo got back into the car. Bai Youwei asked him, ¡°Will we turn into dolls if we pass this road?¡±


    Shen Mo pondered, ¡°Let¡¯s see the situation first. If it doesn¡¯t work, we will find another road.¡±


    Bai Youwei didn¡¯t have much trust in him, and muttered under her breath, ¡°There are dolls on other roads too.¡±


    At that moment, there wasmotion up ahead.


    Everyone was surprised. Looking up, they saw a blue pickup truck slowly moving forward, apparently testing the waters. Several other cars saw this and followed cautiously, maintaining a safe distance.


    It seemed some people were getting impatient.


    After all, there was no safe ce in the city. Almost every road was filled with dolls, and to leave the city would require risks.


    The driver of the blue pickup truck was a bald strong man. He steered the car carefully past several vehicles filled with dolls. Seeing no abnormality, he unconsciously sped up.


    Once he reached the open area that was safe, he leaned out of the car, waving to the people behind him: ¡°This road is passable!¡±


    The atmosphere was uplifted by his words and the cars behind started moving forward.


    Some peopleughed and made casual conversation with the bald man, ¡°Buddy, we owe you big time this round!¡±


    The others also rxed, their faces lit up with smiles.


    ¡°Seems like there¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± Shen Mo started the car, following the convoy.


    Bai Youwei responded indifferently with an ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡­


    On the motorway, the cars advanced at a snail¡¯s pace, each person was exceedingly careful and cautious.


    Bai Youwei quietly leaned against the car window.


    As the car moved ahead, she saw one human-like doll after another. They stood like window-disy mannequins from a clothing store, their eyes hollow, their poses rigid¡­


    Turning her head, she saw two dolls in a red car opposite them. The male doll was driving, and next to him sat a female doll. The woman¡¯s stomach was noticeably bulging, obviously she was pregnant.


    Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help thinking: Had the child in her belly also turned into a tiny doll? Was it also made of stic skin, ss eyeballs, and fiber hair? What exactly had they experienced at the moment they turned into dolls? Was it possible that their bodies could not move, but their consciousness was still clear?


    This thought sent shivers down her spine.


    She withdrew her gaze and stopped looking.


    ¡°Ding! Wee to the Doll Game! The theme for the game is ¡®Tortoise and the Hare¡¯. The rules are as follows:


    First, those who refuse to participate in the game will turn into dolls.


    Second, those who lose in the game will turn into dolls.


    Third, those who sessfullyplete the game will be rewarded with a doll! ¡­¡±


    A strange voice resounded by her ear. Its tone was beautiful enough to be divine. For a moment, Bai Youwei was stunned.


    ¡°Hey, did you hear¡­¡± she was about to ask Shen Mo in front of her. But her vision blurred, and in the next instant, under the clear blue sky was a vast stretch of green grasnd.


    What was happening ?!


    Bai Youwei was dumbfounded by the scene in front of her.


    Just a second ago, she was sitting in Shen Mo¡¯s car. The next moment, she was sitting on the greenwn.


    And so were their fellowpanions! Everyone, with a look of astonishment, was staring at the racetrack outside thewn. On the track hung a banner with four exaggerated characters that were hard to miss¡ª


    Tortoise, Hare, Race, Run!

 Chapter 2 - 2: 2 The Strange Situation

    Chapter 2 - 2: 2 The Strange Situation


    Trantor:Nyoi-Bo StudioEditor:Nyoi-Bo Studio


    What on earth is happening?!


    Bai Youwei clutched onto the grass beneath her, her fingers digging into the soil. The touch came with a cool, damp sensation ¨C a reality she couldn¡¯t deny.


    This wasn¡¯t an illusion, and it certainly wasn¡¯t a dream!


    They had truly been transported from a highway to this unknown location in an instant!


    What was that voice talking about a game earlier? Could this be the reason why people were transforming into dolls? Would they turn into dolls if they couldn¡¯t leave this ce?


    A shudder of fear crawled into her heart, her previously calm heart started to pound abruptly. Holding onto her numbing legs, Bai Youwei was breaking out in a cold sweat.


    Shen Mo stood not far in front of her, alert and observing their surroundings. His face looked just as unsightly.


    The warm sun shone upon thend, fluffy white clouds stretched out across the sky, a gentle breeze carried the faint scent of grass. In this beautiful weather perfect for outdoor pics, everyone was too terrified to make a move.


    ¡°Where are we¡­¡± A long-haired woman looked up in horror, ¡°Weren¡¯t we just in the car? Honey, I want to go home. Let¡¯s just go home¡­¡±


    The woman¡¯s husband pushed her away, his face filled with anger: ¡°Where¡¯s the bald guy? Didn¡¯t he say it¡¯s all safe?!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he said we could leave, which is why we followed him!¡±


    ¡°Damn it! I knew there was something off about him! Otherwise, why would he be so eager to be the first one to proceed? He must¡¯ve led us here on purpose!¡±


    ¡°Damn that bastard¡­¡±


    Everyone started cursing, seemingly forgetting their gratitude towards the bald man just moments ago.


    Bai Youwei silently counted the number of people.


    Including her, there were seventeen in total.


    The bald man really was gone. But why? Everyone took the same path, why wasn¡¯t he here too? Could the game¡¯s activation have some kind of hidden secret?


    Strange¡­ She was plunged into this eerie situation but why did she feel a tingle of thrill along with her fear?


    What was she expecting?


    ¡°Everyone, listen up¡­¡± A middle-aged man in a suit began to speak, ¡°ming others won¡¯t solve anything at this point. We need to stay united if we want any hope of getting out of here. I noticed earlier that this ce looks like a sports field. There¡¯s a track up ahead. Who¡¯s willing toe with me and check it out?¡±


    The man¡¯s Mercedes and his professional attire gave his words extra weight.


    Many agreed with his proposal.


    A young woman wearing sses timidly spoke up: ¡°Is it dangerous?¡±


    Another blonde young man retorted her: ¡°So what if it¡¯s dangerous? Do you n on doing nothing and just wait here to die?!¡±


    The girl looked at her boyfriend, seeming hurt.


    The boy was very smooth and quickly chimed in, ¡°Bro, chill, she¡¯s worried about our safety, after all, we have no idea where this ce is¡­¡±


    The middle-aged man contemted for a moment: ¡°While it¡¯s not an invalid concern, it seems currently safe. However, this ce is still unknown to us. Maybe we should leave the women and the elderly here, and the men cane with me to check the path.¡±


    After mulling it over, Shen Mo turned to Bai Youwei and said: ¡°You wait here, I¡¯ll go ahead and check it out.¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± Bai Youwei firmly grabbed his arm.


    Her firm ¡°no¡± was unwavering and loud, drawing the attention of everyone else.


    Shen Mo was the tallest among the men. He had a lean build and an imposing demeanor. His rolled-up sleeve revealed his firm forearm, clearly a valuable asset in terms ofbat power. If he didn¡¯t go, the power of the ¡°scouting party¡± would be greatly undermined.


    The blonde young man gave her a sidelong nce: ¡°Cutie, in matters of life and death, we have no room for willfulness. Don¡¯t we need to figure out what¡¯s going on to find our way back?¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s life or death, what difference does gender make?!¡± Bai Youwei suddenly seemed like a different person, her tone sharp as she retorted, ¡°I don¡¯t know any of you people. If something happens to him, who¡¯s going to look after me, a cripple? I bet you all would run faster than rabbits!¡±


    Holding onto Shen Mo, Bai Youwei stared directly into his eyes: ¡°Shen Mo, you promised me! You promised to get me to Yangzhou safe and sound! But now, are you going to leave me so soon?!¡±


    A few of the women also hesitated, looking to their malepanions.


    If all the men left, leaving them with the old and the children, what would they do in case of an emergency? Although Bai Youwei would undoubtedly be the worst off, they wouldn¡¯t fare much better either.


    ¡°Honey, I¡¯ll go with you. I¡¯m scared staying here alone.¡± The long-haired woman changed her mind.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we all go together?¡± Someone suggested, ¡°I don¡¯t see much to explore here. Besides the grassy field, there¡¯s a track, and beyond that, a forest.¡±


    ¡°So, are we supposed to cross the forest?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, let¡¯s check out the banner first. There¡¯s something odd about it¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look, there might be some clues.¡±


    As everyone spoke, they started walking towards the banner with ¡°The tortoise and the hare race.¡±


    Shen Mo bent down and lifted Bai Youwei, catching up with the others.


    Bai Youwei wrapped her arms around his neck, her eyes red and her voice back to its delicate softness, but her stubbornness remained:


    ¡°Are you having regrets? Do you think I¡¯m a burden? Well, it¡¯s toote for regrets now! Shen Mo, don¡¯t even think about shaking me off!¡±


    As if to prove her words, Bai Youwei tightened her hold around his neck, her look defiant.


    Shen Mo winced at her surprising strength.


    He realized it might be because she had grown up without her parents, which made her insecure.


    With this thought, Shen Mo¡¯s annoyance faded. Heforted her: ¡°I won¡¯t abandon you.¡±


    Bai Youwei looked at him, half-believing.


    Shen Mo was bewildered too. Given Bai Youwei¡¯s physical and mental condition, why hadn¡¯t Aunt Wang taken her in?¡¯


    ¡°Look, there¡¯s someone beneath the banner!¡±


    As everyone turned to look, so did Shen Mo, cutting off his train of thought.


    As they got closer, the figure under the banner became clearer.


    ¡ª¡ªIt was a man dressed like a gentleman, in a white bow-tied shirt and a ck tailcoat. On his head was a lifelike rabbit mask with long ears that were particrly noticeable. The red eyes of the mask were fixed upon them, not blinking once.

 Chapter 3 - 3: 3 Where is the End Point

    Chapter 3 - 3: 3 Where is the End Point


    Trantor:Nyoi-Bo StudioEditor:Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The whole scene seemed too bizarre, so everyone slowed down, looking warily at the rabbit-headed gentleman.


    ¡°Hello everyone, I am the Inspector of this game. Wee to the Doll Game.¡±


    Despite the distance, the rabbit-headed gentleman¡¯s voice was clear in the air ¨C a gentle female voice.


    However, at this moment, even the gentlest voice couldn¡¯t calm the fear in everyone¡¯s hearts.


    ¡°Who are you? Did you bring us to this ce?!¡± Someone with a lot of nerve spoke out.


    The rabbit-headed figure was holding arge top hat in her hand, her voice gentle and calm: ¡°Please, all yers, take your positions at the start line. The race begins when the starting gun fires and crossing the correct finish line will take you to the next round. The game consists of three rounds¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey! I¡¯m talking to you, can¡¯t you hear me?!¡± A burly man strode over, grabbing the rabbit-headed figure by the neck, ¡°Stop ying tricks with your mask! Speak up! How do we get out of this hellhole?!¡±


    The rabbit-headed figure was tall and slender, and her gentle female voice made her unthreatening. It was because of this that the burly man brazenly grabbed her throat.


    Even with her slim neck in the grip of the burly man, her voice echoed again without any hindrance¡ª¨C


    ¡°This game is divided into three rounds. The race begins when the starting gun fires, crossing the correct finish line¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± The burly man roared in a temper, ¡°I¡¯m not here to y games! Tell me how to get out or I¡¯ll strangle you!¡±


    Boom!


    Blue mes exploded, followed by a muffled st!


    The burly man¡¯s body trembled violently for a moment! Just like he¡¯d been hit by lightning, his body turned charred ck and disintegrated into ash on the ground!


    The rabbit-headed figure tilted her head, lightly brushed off the ck ash from her shoulder. The fur on her neck was clearly exposed, finally making everyone realize that she wasn¡¯t wearing a mask. She genuinely had a rabbit¡¯s head!


    ¡°Ah¡­ The monster, the Monster!¡± A long-haired woman copsed on the ground, her legs shaking.


    Her husband grabbed her arm, intending to escape. But when he turned back, he found that hundreds of rabbits had appeared on the open, t grasnd!


    Each rabbit was as big as a wolfhound!


    They were snow-white, with blood-red eyes. Under their three-lobed mouths, sharp teeth gaped menacingly, grinding against each other, making a sound that sent chills down one¡¯s spine.


    The scene was too horrifying for Bai Youwei to bear and she instinctively pulled into Shen Mo¡¯s arms.


    She raised her head to look at Shen Mo, finding his face pale but his demeanor still calm, unlike the others, who were panicked and confused.


    The rabbit-headed figure stood calmly in front of them: ¡°Please, all yers, take your positions at the starting point soon.¡±


    Bai Youwei looked where it was pointing towards the starting line, where those giant rabbits were also moving. They were crawling into the runningne, squished behind the starting line.


    ¡­A race of the tortoise and the hare.


    Now that the rabbits were here, did that mean they were the tortoise?


    ¡°May I ask,¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s teeth clenched as she raised her hand to ask, ¡°Do I still have to participate in the race in my condition?¡±


    The rabbit-headed figure turned its gaze towards Bai Youwei, lingering a moment before apologizing in a courteous and gentle manner: ¡°I see, my apologies for the oversight.¡±


    Soon after, it extended its gloved hand into the top hat and pulled out a pair of crutches!


    Bai Youwei¡¯s heart skipped a beat!


    They were just like her crutches!¡­ No, they were her crutches! The folding crutches she had packed in her suitcase!


    If the rabbit-headed figure could easily take things from the outside world, did that mean they had to go along with what it said to leave this ce?


    But even if she was given her crutches, there was no way she could outrun those dog-sized rabbits!


    At this time, Shen Mo, who had remained silent this whole time, asked, ¡°Where is the finish line?¡±


    The rabbit-headed figure raised its hand, pointing to the other end of the runningne¡ª¨C

 Chapter 4 - 4: 4: The Correct Finish Line

    Chapter 4 - 4: 4: The Correct Finish Line


    Trantor:Nyoi-Bo StudioEditor:Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The endpoint and starting point echoed each other in the distance, marked by a semi-transparent sign.


    Because of its semi-transparency, no one noticed it previously.


    The length of the endpoint sign was consistent with the track. The material was unclear, yet it was able to hover high in mid-air. At this moment, the rabbit-headed man pointed at it, and two extremely bold ck characters appeared on it: Endpoint.


    Below the ¡°Endpoint,¡± there were two arrows, pointing to the No.1 track on the left and the No.2 track on the right.


    Usual sports fields usually have six or eight tracks, but there were only two tracks here.


    ¡°The track is 200 meters long, and you can proceed to the next round by going through the correct endpoint. The game ends after three rounds,¡± the rabbit-headed man exined the rules.


    ¡°Will those rabbits run with us?¡± Shen Mo nced at the rabbit not far away.


    ¡°Of course.¡± The rabbit-headed man answered in a still mild voice, ¡°The rabbit is a critical part of the tortoise and the hare race. You have to avoid being caught by them.¡±


    Bai Youwei pursed her lips and cautiously asked him, ¡°What happens if we are caught up?¡±


    The rabbit-headed man made noment.


    Although the man didn¡¯tment, somehow, Bai Youwei felt as if he wasughing¡­


    The woman hiding behind her husband asked with a tremble, ¡°Do¡­do they bite?¡±


    Bite?


    The others silently cursed in their hearts: Look at those teeth! It wouldn¡¯t be surprising even if they said these rabbits eat people!


    ¡°Alright,dies and gentlemen, the rule exnation ends here. Please follow me to the starting point. The race is about to begin,¡± said the rabbit-headed man as he turned around, supporting his top hat with one hand and headed towards the starting line.


    Everyone exchanged nces, looking at each other hesitantly, not moving forward.


    The charred corpse on the ground was still there, exuding a faint burnt odor. The sunlight shone on it, and the semi-transparent endpoint sign in the distance reflected the brilliant light, seemingly beckoning to everyone.


    Finally, unable to resist the fear in their hearts, they followed the rabbit-headed man step by step with heavy footsteps.


    Shen Mo looked down at Bai Youwei, ¡°I might run faster with you on my back rather than in my arms. But if you¡¯re afraid of those rabbits, I can carry you.¡±


    The rabbits were obviously aggressive, so the back and legs would be the parts most easily injured if they were attacked from behind.


    ¡°You¡¯d better carry me.¡± Bai Youwei also calmed down, ¡°Running not only requires speed but also bnce. We need to be agile to avoid the rabbits. It would be a lot of trouble if you were carrying me.¡±


    They stopped and adjusted their positions, with Bai Youwei lying on Shen Mo¡¯s back.


    They ended up seeking refuge at the back of the group.


    ¡°Are you scared?¡± Shen Mo asked her.


    ¡°I am,¡± Bai Youwei answered in a muffled voice.


    No one would not be afraid encountering such a situation.


    She asked Shen Mo in a meek voice, ¡°What about you? If those rabbits run very fast ¡­¡±


    If they run very fast, he would undoubtedly be dragged down while carrying her.


    Cradling Bai Youwei¡¯s legs, Shen Mo stepped forward, ¡°Remember what the rabbit-headed man just said? He said there would be three rounds in total. If the rabbits are fast, you could finish the race in one round instead of scheduling three rounds.¡±


    Bai Youwei was a bit surprised. She hadn¡¯t expected Shen Mo to have analyzed it so far.


    She looked at the starting line ahead.


    The giant rabbits looked horrid. However, careful observation revealed each rabbit was a little out of sorts: they were limping, twitching, scratching and kicking at the ground. Some were even biting their flesh in a frenzy. If they ran, their speed might not be so fast.


    After thinking, Bai Youwei whispered to Shen Mo, ¡°The rabbit-headed man kept emphasizing passing through the correct endpoint, so, if you want to win the race, you don¡¯t need to be the first one over the finish line. Instead, you have to run faster than the rabbits and find the correct endpoint.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Shen Mo said, ¡°Which side is the correct endpoint?¡±


    Bai Youwei fell silent.


    Since there were three rounds in the race, the endpoint for each would certainly be different. It could be on the left, or maybe the right, and a hint might be given during the 200-meter run.


    Even if there wasn¡¯t a hint, guessing blindly would give them a 50% uracy rate.


    The problem now was, they didn¡¯t know what the consequences of running to the wrong endpoint would be.

 Chapter 5 - 5: 5 Little White Rabbit, So White

    Chapter 5 - 5: 5 Little White Rabbit, So White


    Trantor:Nyoi-Bo StudioEditor:Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Everyone came to the starting line of the track.


    Despite there being only twones, it was so wide that sixteen people standing in a line side by side didn¡¯t give off a cramped sensation.


    Behind them were ghastly giant rabbits. The rabbits pushed each other, baring their teeth and making hissing noises from their mouths and noses. Their hot, terrible smelling breath along with their soft fur almost touched the ankles of the people in front of them, appearing as if they will bite off a chunk of flesh given one more step closer.


    The woman with long hair was trembling, one of her hands clutching her husband¡¯s clothes hem so tightly, tears streaming non-stop from her eyes.


    Her husband scolded softly, ¡°Let go! How am I supposed to run with you holding on to me?!¡±


    The young man with the yellow hair coolly watched the couple as he squatted to re-tie his shoces.


    The girl with sses took off her high heel sandals, thought for a moment, picked up the sandals, and tightly held on to them.


    The middle-aged man in a suit took off his jacket, anxiously staring at the finish line ahead of him.


    ¡­Sixteen people, each silently preparing themselves.


    Bai Youwei lying on Shen Mo¡¯s back, asked nervously, ¡°Are you good at running?¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡°I¡¯m decent.¡±


    Bai Youwei thought for a moment before asking again, ¡°Am I heavy?¡±


    Shen Mo hoisted her up a bit, with a casual tone, ¡°You¡¯re okay.¡±


    Why he kept saying ¡®okay¡¯? Bai Youwei felt uneasy. She was about to ask again when a voice overshadows her thoughts: ¡°On your mark¡ª¡±


    A starting pistol was taken out of a tophat and raised high by the rabbit-headed individual.


    Every one¡¯s nerves tensed up momentarily!


    A figure suddenly surged past the starting line!


    Boom!


    A bolt of blue lightning, like a colossal de, lept from the hand of the rabbit-headed individual into the body of the figure that ran too early! Bai Youwei could clearly see the individual¡¯s body twist, turn into charcoal, and shatter!


    The air seemed to have hardened.


    Not a single person spoke.


    A pulverised body couldn¡¯t be much worse than this¡­


    The rabbit-headed individual withdrew his hand, speaking in a voice that was both gentle and indifferent, ¡°Starting before the gun is against the rules, contestants, please listen for the signal gun.¡±


    Bai Youwei¡¯s hands and feet turned icy cold as she silentlyid atop Shen Mo¡¯s back. Thest thread of hope in her heart had vanished.


    She whispered, ¡°Shen Mo, after they start running, you can follow. Don¡¯t worry about the rabbits biting me.¡±


    Being bitten by a rabbit would at worst result in losing a chunk of flesh, but jumping the gun would mean losing your life.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Shen Mo bent slightly forward, assuming a ready position, ¡°Both of us won¡¯t die.¡±


    ¡°On your mark!-¡±


    The rabbit-headed figure raised the starting gun once again.


    Bang!


    As the starting gun sounded, everyone dashed past the starting line in unison!


    A man nearby started to run a beatte, and was immediately pounced upon by a rabbit, releasing a blood-curdling scream!


    ¡°Husband!¡± The woman with long hair wailed, her pace slowing. She didn¡¯t know whether to keep running or go back to save him.


    Someone yelled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him! Run!¡±


    But it was toote, the rabbits were like zombies that had caught a whiff of human flesh. The moment someone slowed down, they would immediately pounce and tear into them!


    The woman screamed, but no one dared look back.


    Everyone ran forward for their lives!


    Run faster, faster!


    Even faster than that!!!


    Shen Mo, with Bai Youwei on his back, was positioned in the middle of the group. At the very front was a skinny man who ran exceptionally fast, leaving a good distance between him and others.


    The finish line at 200 meters ahead didn¡¯t seem far, nor close, but they were quickly closing the distance.


    At that moment, the semi-transparent finish line marker suddenly changed!


    The word ¡®finish¡¯ disappeared, and in its ce was a phrase:


    [Little bunny, white and bright]

 Chapter 6 - 6: 6: The Surefire Winning Method

    Chapter 6 - 6: 6: The Surefire Winning Method


    Trantor:Nyoi-Bo StudioEditor:Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Little white rabbit, white as can be¡± ¡ª¡ª what does it mean?


    As my brain was processing the question, my feet didn¡¯t stop running.


    The first person ran headlong, crossing the finish line on the left without thinking twice.


    The second person arrived beneath the signboard, hesitated as he looked at the first person, then back at the approaching rabbit. Not willing to waste time, he also went to the left.


    The third person paused, hesitated for two seconds, then sprinted towards the right finish line¡­


    One by one, each person reached the finish line.


    Later on, the time pressure ramped up. There was no time to think: some went left; some went right.


    ¡°It¡¯s the right side.¡± Bai Youwei said, leaning on Shen Mo¡¯s back, ¡°Little white rabbit, white as can be, both its ears are sticking up! ¡®Two¡¯ as in ¡®2¡¯. The answer is the secondne, the right!¡±


    Shen Mo sprinted past the finish line on the right!


    Thest few people staggered across the finish line.


    The people on the left snapped out of it, realizing their mistake. But they found an invisible barrier separating the twones. They couldn¡¯t cross!


    Simultaneously, the rabbit charged into the firstne! It surged like a roaring white wave, apanied by a sharp, salty and gutsy cold wind!


    Screams, curses, desperation.


    Then, a gruelling dash for survival!


    The track was a circle blocked on both sides. To evade the rabid rabbits, those who missed the finish line had no choice but to keep running!


    The girl with sses sat crying on the ground, unable to bear the sight of the carnage. She screamed at the participants hoarsely, ¡°Hurry up¡­run¡­ run!¡±


    But it was toote¡­


    Sprinting 200 meters was already pushing their physical limit. Continuing meant slowing down, while the rabbits showed no signs of tiring. They caught up¡ªjumped, bit, and tore! Pitiful screams reverberated across the field.


    The people on the ground struggled and rolled, ending up bloodied and skinless. From their flesh, white hairs grow one by one!


    The white hairs kept increasing, growing denser! Eventually, they turned into raging giant rabbits, their eyes dyed red with fresh blood!


    At the beautiful stadium, every person felt as if they had fallen into an icy hole, their bodies freezing!


    They had just witnessed theirpanions horrifically transforming into rabbits!


    In the distance, the Rabbithead was waving at them, his voice ringing clearly:


    ¡°yers, please return to the start line for the second round.¡±


    Second round¡­


    The crowd was deathly pale.


    Unable to refuse, fearing retaliation, and devoid of any time to calm their terror-stricken hearts, they walked back like lifeless puppets.


    Yes.


    At this moment, they were mere puppets in Rabbithead¡¯s hands, devoid of freedom and will.


    Bai Youweiy on Shen Mo¡¯s back, her heart sinking heavily.


    Initially there were 17 of them. After the first round, only 9 remained¡­


    Could she and Shen Mo really survive three rounds?


    ¡°You should walk a little slower.¡± Bai Youwei whispered to Shen Mo, ¡°Slow down, stall a bit more.¡±


    ¡°I have that much stamina,¡± Shen Mo replied in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s just the problem that¡¯s a bit tricky.¡±


    Difficulty was one thing, but the hardest issue was the timer.


    The panicked people running for their lives likely didn¡¯t even have the time toprehend the question. How could they make the correct choice with a clear mind?


    From seeing the question to crossing the finish line, they only had two or three seconds at the very most! Any longer than that, they would have been caught by the rabbits. Thus the challenge here was not just knowledge, but lightning-fast reflexes!


    Bai Youwei muttered, ¡°A trackp is 400 meters. If we chose the wrong finish line and couldn¡¯t go back, we¡¯d have to run another 400 meters to reach the rightne. That¡¯s essentially running 600 meters at top speed. Unless you¡¯re a professional athlete, you couldn¡¯t possibly manage.¡±


    Moreover, Shen Mo was carrying her. If they missed the 200-meter finish line, the fate of Bai Youwei and Shen Mo would be to undoubtedly be rabbits¡­


    Shen Mo: ¡°I don¡¯t know which question will be in the next round.¡±


    Bai Youwei shook her head slowly: ¡°Actually, the question itself doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s the order that¡¯s important. There is a way to win the game with one hundred percent guarantee.¡±


    Shen Mo¡¯s steps faltered slightly. ¡°Win the game with a one hundred percent guarantee?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Bai Youwei subtly observed the expressions of the others and murmured quietly, ¡°And it is likely¡­ someone has already thought of that method.¡±


    ¡­

 Chapter 7 - 7: 7: Which Side to Choose

    Chapter 7 - 7: 7: Which Side to Choose


    Trantor:Nyoi-Bo StudioEditor:Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The remaining 9 people returned to the starting line.


    Bai Youwei whispered in Shen Mo¡¯s ear, ¡°During the race, keep an eye on the young man with blond hair and the middle-aged man in dress pants. Try to stay away from them.¡±


    Shen Mo cast a sidelong nce at the two men after hearing her words.


    The blonde-haired youth was average in height, dressed in a tight T-shirt and jeans, his biceps protruding as if he were a regr at the gym.


    The middle-aged man in dress pants was panting, bending at the waist, his right hand holding his jacket, his face flushed from exertion, sweating profusely. Obviously older, he had not yet recovered from the 200-meter run.


    ¡°The middle-aged man is weak, he will certainly not sit back and await his fate.¡± Bai Youwei said quietly, ¡°He might do something underhanded.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Shen Mo hefted her slightly higher. ¡°Hold on tight. If you fall off, I won¡¯t look back for you.¡±


    Bai Youwei clung to him closely, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let go even if it kills me.¡±


    ¡°Ready¡ª¡±


    The Rabbit-Head raised the starting gun.


    Everyone focused on the finish line.


    Held their breath.


    Bang!


    The starting gun fired, and they all hurried off the starting line!


    The rabbits pursued closely, not letting up!


    Shen Mo, carrying Bai Youwei, was in seventh ce, the middle-aged man wasst, while the blond was leading the race.


    Bai Youwei kept her guard up, watching as the middle-aged man gradually approached, she subtly reached into her waist pocket.


    ¡°Hold tight!¡± Shen Mo warned irritably. ¡°About to pick up the pace!¡±


    He suddenly elerated, passing two others, widening the gap between him and the middle-aged man, and firmly held fourth ce in the group.


    Bai Youwei released a sigh of relief, taking her hand out of her pocket and wrapping it around Shen Mo¡¯s neck.


    Suddenly, a loud shout came from behind! She instinctively looked back, only to see the middle-aged man muster all his strength to throw his jacket. It covered a young man¡¯s face, causing him to stumble. In his panic, he also dragged down a bespectacled girl running alongside him!


    Like a domino chain reaction, these three fell to the back of the pack!


    Bai Youwei didn¡¯t look back anymore, a chill settling deep in her chest.


    She heard screams and wails.


    She could almost picture the scene where the rabbits were brutally attacking the two, and how the middle-aged man seized the opportunity to escape!


    At such a critical moment, what would one not do to survive?!


    The finish line was once again close.


    The sign at the finish line, where ¡°Finish¡± had previously been disyed, now revealed this round¡¯s question¡ª


    ¡°The galldder of a turtle is in the __ lobe of the liver.¡±


    Everyone was stunned!


    The previous question was a childish nursery rhyme, but this was a serious biology question!


    The young man with blond hair who was leading the race suddenly stopped, standing under the sign, unsure which side to choose!


    The liver is divided into a left and right lobe, is the tortoise galldder in the left or right lobe?


    Unless there was a vet among them, who would know the answer?!


    The second person to reach the finish line also halted, standing there with the blonde, contemting, their faces pale.


    Left side? Or the right side?


    Lane 1? Orne 2?


    ¡°Do you know the answer?¡± Shen Mo slowed down, asking Bai Youwei on his back.


    Bai Youwei didn¡¯t make a sound. Her dark eyes stared unblinkingly at the two people ahead, her lips slowly pressing together.


    Suddenly, the blonde-haired young man made his move!


    He forcefully pushed the second-ce runner into the left finish line!


    The rabbits, originally scattered on two tracks, seemed to sense that someone had answered the question wrongly, and they all madly rushed to the left side! Like traffic suddenly changingnes on a high-speed road!


    Seeing this, the blond man didn¡¯t hesitate and ran to the right side!


    The answer was the right lobe of the liver!

 Chapter 8 - 8: 8: Who is the Weak One

    Chapter 8 - 8: 8: Who is the Weak One


    Trantor:Nyoi-Bo StudioEditor:Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The people behind suddenly understood the intention of the blonde guy and sped up, dashing towards the right finish line!


    On the other track, the person who was pushed in was already overwhelmed by the wave of rabbits.


    In the swarm of bunnies, another frantic rabbit was added.


    Even though everyone knew this act was tantamount to murder, no one condemned it, no oneined. The survivors just sat where they were, panting heavily, tears and sweat flowing together. Everyone looked as disheveled as if they had just been pulled out of the water.


    In the distance, the rabbit-headed person waved to everyone again:


    ¡°Please return to the starting point for the third round ofpetition.¡±


    The third round.


    The final round.


    As long as they could survive the final round, this damn game would end!


    Everyone tried to pull themselves together and slowly walked towards the starting point.


    Shen Mo hoisted Bai Youwei on his back again and walked at the end of the group. Bai Youwei could feel the cold sweat on him.


    Learning from the lessons of the first round, everyone had done their utmost in the second round. Most passed the finish line, only two people died, now there were seven remaining. But this didn¡¯t mean the death toll would lessen in the uing third round.


    This was because after two consecutive life-and-death runs, everyone¡¯s stamina was on the brink of exhaustion.


    That is to say, by the time of the third round, everyone¡¯s speed would drastically reduce.


    Especially that middle-aged man, his legs shaking even just walking, he couldn¡¯t run at all.


    Bai Youwei also noticed that the bespectacled girl who had been dragged down didn¡¯t die, but was injured, her entire arm soaked red with blood. The high heels in her hand were also bloody, the long, thin heels made people shudder after being stained with blood.


    The middle-aged man perhaps felt guilty, he consciously avoided her.


    Along the way, the atmosphere was even more oppressive than before, filled with a heavy gloom.


    No one spoke, maybe they were feeling desperate, or maybe they were each contemting strategies for the next round.


    Shen Mo and Bai Youwei stillgged behind at the end of the line.


    He asked her, ¡°Is this what you meant by a hundred percent sure way to win the game?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes,¡± Bai Youwei nodded gently, ¡°The rabbits can¡¯t enter the correct finish line, so as long as one person runs in the wrong direction, we can judge where the right finish line is from the rabbits¡¯ reaction.¡±


    Shen Mo smirked, ¡°So, they want us to kill each other?¡±


    Bai Youwei remained silent.


    It was indeed so¡­ On the surface, thepetition is about physical strength. But in fact, those who could break the bottom line and attack their peers would have a higher survival rate.


    Like that middle-aged man, or that blonde youth¡­


    ¡°You¡¯re quite good at reading people,¡± Shen Mo developed a new understanding of Bai Youwei and curiously asked her, ¡°Why did you think those two would strike?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, just a feeling,¡± Bai Youwei replied.


    ¡°A feeling?¡± Shen Moughed, ¡°Is that woman¡¯s intuition?¡±


    Bai Youwei made a face, ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s a cripple¡¯s intuition. As someone who¡¯s disadvantaged, you be very sensitive to any malice shown by those in power.¡±


    After listening, Shen Mo pondered: ¡°It¡¯s interesting.¡±


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s just bullying,¡± Bai Youwei exined lightly, ¡°When people are dealing with those weaker than themselves, once they harbor evil intentions, they naturally disy aggressiveness. Abusive husbands, child-beating parents, elder-abusing caregivers, these people are ordinary in other aspects of life. Why is it that when they face their wives, children, or the elderly, they can¡¯t control their tempers? It¡¯s because of the disparity in power. The strong can amplify the malice in their hearts without any scruples, they can possess, humiliate, and even take the life of the weak¡­¡±


    As she spoke, she couldn¡¯t help but pause and softly said, ¡°You probably wouldn¡¯t understand.¡±


    Even though they weren¡¯t well acquainted, her mother had told her that Shen Mo¡¯s son worked at the National Security Administration, he was their most promising young officer. He, being such a person, would probably never understand what it feels like to be at a disadvantage.


    ¡°I understand now,¡± Shen Mo replied.


    At this point, they had returned to the starting line. The rabbit-headed man once again raised the starting gun¡ª


    ¡°See,¡± Shen Mo crouched low, ready to sprint, ¡°In front of it, we are all weak.¡±


    ¡°Ready! ¡ª¡ª¡± The rabbit-headed man gave themand.

 Chapter 9 - 9: 9: The Final Round

    Chapter 9 - 9: 9: The Final Round


    Trantor:Nyoi-Bo StudioEditor:Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Third round of racing¡ª


    Bang!


    As the gunshot rang out, everyone dashed off the starting line!


    Even though everyone was running at full speed, their pace noticeably slowed after tens of meters!


    Unexpectedly, Shen Mo surged to the front, carrying Bai Youwei on his back and securing the lead.


    Initially surprised, Bai Youwei soon figured it out: Shen Mo had, on purpose, conserved his energy during the first two rounds.


    Although a risky strategy, it provided them with an increased chance of survival in the third round.


    From behind came panic-stricken shouts and curses.


    Bai Youwei turned her head to see a middle-aged man with a pale face, streaming with sweat, his eyes resembling blood-filled pools. At some point, he had unfastened his belt, swinging it wildly, whipping those who were running in front of him!


    Those unfortunate enough to be hit either stumbled several steps, or fell in their tracks! Even the pursuing rabbits caught someshes, seeming to possess some level of understanding, they skillfully evaded the man, preferring to pounce on the injured!


    Two more people died.


    Luckily, Shen Mo was at the front and a safe distance away from the man as a fewshings in such a brutal environment could have dire consequences.


    ¡°You guys wait for me! Wait for me!¡­¡± The man whipped his belt in frantic pursuit, now left with nobody to shield him and more and more rabbits closing in on him.


    His survival until now was truly a desperate fight. Bai Youwei had expected him to be among the first to die.


    ¡°You guys wait for me¡­I don¡¯t want to die, I know the answer!¡± The desperate man managed to shout while running at his limit, ¡°Whoever helps me, I¡¯ll tell them the answer! Wait for meeee¡­¡±


    Regardless of whether this was his desperate final plea, someone was swayed, and slowed down!


    A young man with blonde hair took off his T-shirt and forcefully hurled it back! It enveloped a rabbit¡¯s head perfectly!


    Whether it was covered in sweat or blood, the frenzy among the rabbits was temporarily halted, as they turned on the blinded rabbit!


    Once again, the middle-aged man dodged death!


    The new question appeared on the finish sign¡ª


    [Rabbit¡¯s Uterus]


    ¡°Left!¡± Desperate to prove his worth, the man shouted hastily, ¡°Rabbits give birth to a litter every month! The answer is 1! Choosene 1 on the left!!!¡±


    Despite the given answer, nobody dared to believe it easily.


    The blond man first nced at the girl with sses.


    Having learnt from previous rounds, the girl with sses kept to the outer edge of thene, maintaining a distance from everyone.


    The blond man then turned his gaze to Shen Mo, his eyes revealing the intent to kill.


    Testing the answer with Shen Mo carrying the crippled girl would undoubtedly be the best option at the moment.


    Bai Youwei was always on guard, seeing him approach, she immediately pulled out a folded fruit knife from her pocket and flicked it open!


    The blond man halted in surprise.


    Nevertheless, he quickly regainedpose, appearingpletely unfazed by the knife in Bai Youwei¡¯s hand.


    Feeling pity for the helpless crippled girl, Shen Mo said, ¡°Give me the knife.¡±


    Bai Youwei passed it to him, saying, ¡°I actually know the answer to this question. Rabbits have two uteri. The answer isne 2, to the right!¡±


    Her voice was neither loud nor quiet, everyone remaining could hear her, but no one dared to believe her.


    Who knew if she was just trying to confuse the blond man by lying?!


    ¡°Hold on, it¡¯s going to hurt a bit.¡± Shen Mo stated abruptly.


    ¡°What?¡± Bai Youwei didn¡¯t understand before her body was suddenly airborne!


    She was thrown by Shen Mo with a ¡°shoulder throw¡± all the way into the right finish line!


    With a thud! Bai Youwei felt as though all her bones were shattered!


    But she couldn¡¯t care less about the pain; she scrambled to get up and look for Shen Mo¡ªonly to see herds of rabbits, like a white nightmare, swallowing up both Shen Mo and the blond man!

 Chapter 10 - 10: 10: Gigantic Lightning

    Chapter 10 - 10: 10: Gigantic Lightning


    Trantor:Nyoi-Bo StudioEditor:Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Bai Youwei¡¯s heart almostes to a halt!


    If Shen Mo were to die at this point, she wouldn¡¯t survive either!


    The girl with sses who had been running along the edge wheezes to the finish line.


    The middle-aged man arrives stumbling and fumbling, his body full of injuries, but fortunately, he has managed to save his life.


    But Shen Mo and Blondie are still trapped in that white expanse.


    The rabbits are kept outside the finish line, encircling the two menyered onyer, gnawing, roaring, and attacking like mad dogs!


    Bai Youwei frantically widens her eyes, trying to see the situation inside the rabbit herd. Her pupils contract with fear, worrying that the next thing she might see could be the transformed monsters covered with rabbit fur!


    A crimson body is thrown over!


    It¡¯s Blondie, severely injured!


    His throat has been bitten open, blood sttered all over the ce!


    Then Shen Mo breaks through and leaps gracefully across the finish line!


    As soon as he crosses the finish line, the rabbits outside immediately fall silent, almost as if the bloodthirsty zombies had suddenly lost their target and be slow and stiff.


    The rabbits are retreating.


    In twos and threes, they head towards the grasnd outside the track.


    The middle-aged man kneels down, utterly drained, without an ounce of strength left, lips trembling, muttering: ¡°I¡­ I survived¡­¡±


    I survived¡­


    Atst¡­


    We¡¯ve survived.


    The final four.


    However, Shen Mo isn¡¯t concerned about this. He walks over to Blondie to examine him, finding that the changes in Blondie¡¯s body have stopped. Although some parts of him have grown fluffy white rabbit fur, he hasn¡¯tpletely transformed into a rabbit ¨C he still retains a human-like figure.


    Shen Mo then checks for Blondie¡¯s breath.


    He is no longer breathing.


    Did the changes stop because of death or because he reached the correct endpoint?


    Shen Mo frowns, deep in thought.


    Bai Youwei suspects Shen Mo¡¯s behavior. How could he have the leisure to care about others after just barely escaping death? She questions suspiciously: ¡°What are you trying to do?¡±


    As Shen Mo turns to look at her and is about to speak, a horrifying scream erupts from beside him!


    Bai Youwei and Shen Mo twist their heads almost simultaneously!


    The girl with sses, who was catching her breath moments ago, had somehow reached behind the middle-aged man and used all her strength to push him out of the finish line!


    That horrifying scream was from the middle-aged man!


    The scattered rabbit herd is stirred up again, they coalesce and rush back towards him! Incredibly fast!


    The middle-aged man looks terrified as he tries to crawl back over the finish line but his limbs are weak and his reactions slow, he is torn apart, devoured and submerged by the rabbit herd¡­ and then, he disappears.


    Another frenzied rabbit joins the race.


    Bai Youwei is speechless.


    She didn¡¯t expect it to end like this.


    The girl with sses kneels on the ground, covering her face, crying hysterically: ¡°He deserved to die! He deserved to die! ¡­ He killed so many people, killed Axiao, and deliberately gave everyone false answers! He deserved to die!¡­¡±


    The rabbit herd has run far away.


    Not a single one remains, all have disappeared into the vast forest around, returning to peace.


    From a distance, the rabbit-headed man approaches with a gentleness that almost feels eerie, he announces in his strange voice: ¡°Attackingpetitors is against the rules.¡±


    A feeling of foreboding rises in Bai Youwei¡¯s heart.


    Right on cue, the blue ze appears once more in the next second!


    It¡¯s a huge bolt of lightning! It springs from the palm of the rabbit-headed man and strikes the girl with the sses! Beyond measurable electric current, unimaginable high temperature, the girl¡¯s body in a split-second transforms into a pitch-ck piece of charcoal!


    Thud ¡ª


    It copses on the ground, shattered.


    The air freezes.


    Bai Youwei is chilled to the bone.


    The girl who was weeping grievously just a moment ago has now been scorched right before her eyes!


    She looks at the debris on the ground, a chilling air emanates even from the seams of her bones. What has happened is too horrifying¡­

 Chapter 11 - 11: 11 One Tenth of Me

    Chapter 11 - 11: 11 One Tenth of Me


    Trantor:Nyoi-Bo StudioEditor:Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Why wasn¡¯t that man punished when he also attacked others?¡± Shen Mo asked.


    The Rabbit-man was not stingy in his exnation: ¡°The Inspector¡¯s duty is to ensure the smooth operation and settlement of the game.¡±


    So, yers who have already cleared the game cannot be attacked after the game ends, because it would affect the game¡¯s settlement.


    In the same way, yers cannot be attacked before the game starts, as a reduction in the number of yers might hinder the game¡¯s progress.


    Only during the game can one act as they please.


    ¡°Congrattions on clearing this game.¡±


    The Rabbit-man said this respectfully in front of them, holding up his oversized hat.


    ¡°The tortoise has finally beaten the hare and deserves a reward. You can choose to receive a Turtle Victory Medal or select something else from thepetition field.¡±


    It took many things out of its hat, as if it was performing a magic trick.


    There was a small, exquisite starting gun, tiny colored gs from the starting line, and a red ribbon used as the finish line.


    Shen Mo asked, ¡°What are these things for?¡±


    The Rabbit-man gave a faint smile upon hearing this.


    Its face had always been expressionless to the point that at first, people had mistaken it for wearing a head cover. But now, it smiled! Its three-petaled mouth lifted in a strange arc, appearing delighted as if it had found an interesting toy.


    ¡°The purpose of the reward can only be known once you receive it.¡±


    The Rabbit-man gazed at the two of them with a smile, giving away nothing else. ¡°So, what is your choice?¡±


    Shen Mo chose the starting gun.


    Although it was not a real gun, it still looked intimidating. Moreover, he had a hunch that this gun was not ordinary, since every time he heard the gunshot during thepetition, he felt involuntarilypelled to run.


    As for the other items, Shen Mo couldn¡¯t figure out their uses at the moment.


    ¡°What about you?¡± The Rabbit-man looked inquisitively at Bai Youwei, tilting its head: ¡°You¡¯re quite unique. You didn¡¯t run a step, but still won the race. So, I¡¯m quite interested to know, what reward will you choose?¡±


    Bai Youwei bit her lip, slowly raised her hand, and pointed in a certain direction©¤©¤


    The Rabbit-man nced at her uncertainly, then looked down at itself; confused, it asked: ¡°Is the reward you¡¯re choosing¡­ me? But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s within the rules to choose the Inspector as a reward¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no such rule!¡± Bai Youwei quickly interrupted it!


    The moment she heard the word ¡®vition¡¯, she instinctively remembered the horrifying image of the girl in sses being struck by lightning. Her nerves tightened as she yelled: ¡°You didn¡¯t announce this rule, so you cannot im that I vited it! It¡¯s the biggest vition to arbitrarily determine others as vitors without clear rules!¡±


    The Rabbit-man silently looked at her.


    Bai Youwei bit her lip tightly, stubbornly standing her ground.


    She knew the risk was high, but she was not willing to ept it!©¤©¤She felt like a fool, tricked into participating in a baffling race where so many had died, and now she was expected to ept a few toys as a reward; she just couldn¡¯t ept it!


    That¡¯s why she¡¯d decided to take a gamble!


    She stared at the Rabbit-man, and stated, word for word: ¡°You just said that we could choose any other items from the game field as our reward! You are also on the game field!¡±


    The silence hung in the air for a long time.


    A long time¡­


    ¡°Alright then.¡± The Rabbit-man gave in.


    Bai Youwei was stunned, somewhat surprised; it was that easy¡­?


    ¡°Technically, the Inspector should not be part of the rewards. However, you make a good argument; it was my negligence not to exin the rules clearly.¡± The Rabbit-man said, elegantly courteous: ¡°I¡¯m willing to give you one-tenth of myself as your reward¡­¡±


    One-tenth of itself?


    What did that mean?


    Bai Youwei furrowed her eyebrows, only to see the Rabbit-man extend his hand into the oversized hat again©¤©¤


    It pulled out a rabbit figurine.


    ¡°The game rewards have been settled, so¡­ goodbye.¡± The Rabbit-man smiled at her, ¡°I will remember you.¡±


    Bai Youwei widened her eyes at his words, but before she could ask anything, her sight was again overwhelmed by a blinding white mist!


    She involuntarily closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, she was back in the car©¤©¤


    In her hand, she held a soft rabbit figurine.

 Chapter 12 - 12: 12 Communication Paralysis

    Chapter 12 - 12: 12 Communication Paralysis


    Trantor:Nyoi-Bo StudioEditor:Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Bai Youwei¡¯s face was slightly pale as she immediately looked at Shen Mo in front of her.


    In his hand, he held a small toy gun!


    They were still on the highway, the car had stopped unexpectedly at some point, and the surroundings were quiet, save for the sound of the wind.


    Their eyes met, both of them clearly understanding that what had just happened was not a dream!


    Saying nothing, Shen Mo got out of the car to inspect the other vehicles.


    Everyone who had participated in the ¡°Tortoise and Hare Race¡± game, save for the two of them, had been transformed into dolls¡ª


    They couldn¡¯t speak or breathe, their rubbery flesh connecting their spherical joints, their eyes now dull, lifeless marbles¡­ these people had lost all signs of life.


    Bai Youwei murmured: ¡°So this is it¡­ fail the game and turn into a doll; pass the game, get rewarded with a doll¡­¡±


    So this was it¡­


    This is why the world had taken such a turn¡­


    As if the fog had been lifted, the clear view turned out to be an endless darkness. Unknown fears spread like tidal water, tension or trembling, with a subtle excitement and stimtion concealed within¡­


    Bai Youwei silently held her rabbit plush, lost inplicated thoughts.


    Shen Mo, his face grave, returned to the car.


    ¡°We need to leave this ce first.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡­


    The highway was straight and smooth, seeming to have no end.


    Only a single vehicle sped along the empty road.


    Bai Youwei sat in the car, looking at the repetitive scenery retreating rapidly outside the window, her expression somewhat dazed.


    This was madness¡­


    Game, doll, reward¡­ these concepts all felt absurd to her.


    If every ce with a doll has a game, wouldn¡¯t that turn the city into a game level? And the world into a game map?


    What about Yangzhou?


    Was Yangzhou really safe?


    Thinking about this, Bai Youwei quickly rummaged through her bag for her phone, only to find that there was no signal.


    Calls could not be made, and the inte was not connecting.


    ¡°Turn on the radio.¡± Bai Youwei suddenly realized something.


    Shen Mo seemed to have noticed something as well and turned on the car radio.


    There was only a crackling noise from the radio.


    Bai Youwei stared unblinkingly at the radio.


    Shen Mo looked at the road ahead, one hand on the steering wheel and the other pressing the channel button once every two seconds.


    The continuous static echoed inside the car, lingering.


    After doing this more than a dozen times, he stopped, turned off the radio and said, ¡°There¡¯s no signal.¡±


    Themunication system had copsed. Phones, inte, radio¡­ all were now useless.


    When did this happen?


    At the start of the game?


    No one knew.


    Bai Youwei¡¯s face became even paler. She didn¡¯t care what the world would be, but she cared about herself. If the end of the world was truly upon them, how would she survive?


    She clutched the plush bunny tightly, thinking: this annoying farce is less fun than a bloody biochemical crisis!


    Shen Mo nced at her through the rearview mirror and asked, ¡°Do you have any clues about the bunny doll in your hands?¡±


    The seemingly childish plush toy was allegedly the ¡°one-tenth-me¡± game reward.


    Bai Youwei pursed her lips in hesitation.


    Of course, she had clues. In fact, as soon as she touched the rabbit, rted information appeared in her mind. This sensation was bizarre, yet inexplicably natural.


    However, could she trust Shen Mo?


    After considering it, Bai Youwei finally responded, ¡°This rabbit can release electric energy within a 2-meter radius, with the highest energy reaching up to one-tenth.¡±


    While saying this, she slightly curled the corner of her mouth and continued, ¡°It doesn¡¯t specify the voltage or current value, so it¡¯s unclear how powerful this one-tenth actually is. Plus, it needs charging before use.¡±

 Chapter 13 - 13: 13 The Despised One

    Chapter 13 - 13: 13 The Despised One


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Charge the battery?¡± Shen MO said with an incredulousugh.


    Whoever could pull them into a game was obviously the product of incredibly advanced technology. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to think of it as a gesture of an alien civilization. But the rewards bestowed by this technological civilization require a battery charge?


    It¡¯s pretty down-to-earth.


    ¡°Mine is a one-time-use tool,¡± Shen MO said while driving and exchanging information with Bai Youwei, ¡°It¡¯s amand gun. Once the trigger is pulled, everyone within a 10-meter radius of the shooter makes a full-speed run. The effect may vary depending on distance, environmental factors, and individual will strength. The shooter is not affected by the gunfire.¡±


    He picked up the toy gun, lightly tossed it to the backseat, ¡°This is of no use to me. You take it. It might save your life at a crucial time.¡±


    Bai Youwei caught the gun and pondered, ¡°Could it be that the yer¡¯s level is too low to receive such high-level rewards, and so their power got significantly reduced?¡±


    She spected, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s for the bnce of the game; otherwise, it would be too weak¡­¡±


    Under normal circumstances, who would need such a thing? A gun that could make the opponent run like mad without any reason and a close-range pistol that shoots out lightning strikes, these items were obviously designed for the game.


    ¡°Do you think there¡¯s plenty of these kind of games out there?¡± asked Shen Mo.


    Bai Youwei: ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡±


    Shen MO gripped the steering wheel without replying.


    Bai Youwei thought about his odd behavior earlier in the game, furrowed her brow and asked, ¡°Do you know something?¡±


    Shen MO raised an eyebrow, ncing at her through the rearview mirror.


    Bai Youwei said, ¡°In the game, there was no need to save that blond kid, but you risked yourself to pull him out of the rabbit swarm. After that, you kept observing his body changes, are you focused on him?¡­ No, that¡¯s not right, you don¡¯t even know him. As a senior officer from the National Security Administration, there¡¯s no way you¡¯d know such a street thug.¡±


    Thinking about Shen Mo¡¯s profession, Bai Youwei realized: ¡°You¡¯re here to investigate, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Her face suddenly turned cold, she said indifferently, ¡°You didn¡¯te to pick me up, you just happened to be investigating.¡±


    The quickness of the girl¡¯s mood changes amused Shen MO a little.


    Just after a life and death experience, she¡¯s being petty about such small things.


    It¡¯s hard to tell whether she¡¯s still a child at heart, or it¡¯s just her being


    oversensitive. Perhaps it¡¯s both.


    ¡°I am here to pick you up,¡± he responded, ¡°I was in the area performing a task when I received a call from your mother. I came here specifically for you.¡±


    Bai Youwei¡¯s expression didn¡¯t soften, her tone remained cold, ¡°We¡¯re not rted at all, why would you go out of your way for me? You just happened to be in the area, and it¡¯s all just a favor. I know my worth, no need for sweet talk.


    You¡¯re not my babysitter.¡±


    She is smart, leaving Shen MO speechless.


    Both felt silent.


    The off-road vehicle moved ahead. Bai Youwei broke the silence first.


    ¡°You came to execute a task, was it sessful?¡± she asked. Shen MO, focusing on the road ahead, shook his head lightly, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°What kind of task?¡± asked Bai Youwei.


    Shen Mo: ¡°Find a person.¡±


    Bai Youwei paused for a moment, then asked tentatively, ¡°A scientist?¡±


    Shen MOughed, ¡°Close enough, an old professor.¡±


    Bai Youwei: ¡°Then you¡­¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t find him. Theb was empty, no people, no dolls,¡± Shen MO added, ¡°We searched in the area, all my team members got turned into dolls. I don¡¯t know why I was the only one who was unharmed. Thenter, I received your mother¡¯s call.¡±


    Shen MO raised his lips into a small smile and asked, ¡°Are you satisfied now?¡±


    Bai Youwei smirked coldly, ¡°You almost lost your life, yet you still had the leisure to pick someone else¡¯s daughter.¡±


    ¡°It was on the way,¡± Shen MO said with a faint smile.


    Bai Youwei: ¡°Hmph.¡¯


    She let out a huff but then felt a bit taken aback. Shen MO did not have to pick her up, but he did as he had promised her mother. She should not have been expecting more orining about him.


    She was a person generally despised by others, and anytime anyone treated her a bit nice, she should be grateful, right?


    Having this thought, her face regained calmness. There was no longer any sign of resent, or any expression at all..

 Chapter 14 - 14: 14 – I will not abandon you

    Chapter 14 - 14: 14 ¨C I will not abandon you


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    After they moved far away from the troubled area, the SUV slowly reduced its speed.


    Shen MO halted the vehicle.


    ¡°Why did you stop?¡± Bai Youwei asked.


    A bottle of mineral water was handed to her.


    She was momentarily stunned before reaching out to take it.


    ¡°After a few rounds in the game, dehydration has kicked in.¡± Shen MO popped open another bottle and began to drink, his jawline and Adam¡¯s apple forming a masculine curve as he let his head tilt back.


    Bai Youwei watched him for a while, then she too lifted her chin to drink, taking small sips reminding one of amb drinking from a brook.


    Once rxed, the body¡¯s various sensory requirements returned. Not only still thirsty, but she also felt tired, her muscles meticulously limp.


    ¡°This game isn¡¯t just a simple simtion of reality. The fatigue left in your body feels quite real.¡± Shen MO crumbled the empty bottle, making it emit a crisp noise, ¡°Don¡¯t rush to hit the road yet. First, we should get to a service area to check things, ideally, we could give a call to Yangzhou.¡±


    Pausing a bit, he then said, ¡°In the meantime, we can charge your rabbit.¡±


    Whether or not it can really release electricity, they would have to see the effects after charging it.


    Bai Youwei nodded in agreement.


    Taking a rest in a suitable ce was essential. Given their current state, if there were another race between the tortoise and the hare, they might fail to pass.


    Shen MO once more revved the car, preparing to hit the road again.


    That¡¯s when Bai Youwei asked, ¡°If something happens in Yangzhou too, what¡¯s your n?¡±


    Shen MO paused in surprise, stopping as he was about to start the car.


    Staring at the cold chiseled profile of his face, Bai Youwei calmly said, ¡°You promised my mother you¡¯d take me to Yangzhou. You have no obligation to care about whether I live or die there. Besides, you have your mission. You should be returning to report. Once we reach Yangzhou, we¡¯ll part ways. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    Still speaking, her eyes gradually grew colder, ¡°It¡¯s the end of the world. Who can care about someone else¡¯s life or death? You came to pick me up, it was your duty, a good deed. However, if you deliver me and then abandon me; honestly, Shen MO, you might as well let me fend for myself right now, I won¡¯t me you.¡±


    The atmosphere froze.


    But Bai Youwei didn¡¯t care ¨C anyway, she was always an unlikable person.


    Shen MO put down the car keys and turned to her.


    Bai Youwei¡¯s clean, shiny eyes stared directly at him, not backing down, her lips tight in a show of stubbornness.


    ¡°Come here.¡± Shen MO gestured to her with a beckoning index finger.


    She frowned and leaned closer, ¡°What?¡±


    Shen MO stretched out a hand and took hold of her chin.


    Her plump, baby-like face immediately squished out of shape, her lips pouting. Her stubborn look now took on a childish quality.


    ¡® Bai Youwei¡¯s brow furrowed even more; she muttered curses in her heart.


    ¡°Listen well; I¡¯m only going to say this once.¡± Shen MO, holding her face, spoke in a tone like an impatient gentleness, ¡°I won¡¯t throw you away and disregard you. Got it?¡±


    ¡® She turned her face away, unable to wriggle out of his hand.


    Shen MO pinched her a bit more like one would a doll, ¡°Did you hear me? Did you get it?¡±


    Bai Youwei moved her lips: ¡°I heard you ¡­¡±


    Satisfied, Shen MO let go, turned back, and twisted the car keys. The engine roared softly.


    He nced through the rearview mirror at the back seat. Bai Youwei covered her face, her eyes shing angrily at him.


    A smile crept onto the corner of Shen Mo¡¯s lips as he hit the road.


    He finally figured out Bai Youwei¡¯s temper. A typical tough nut, if you¡¯re nice to her, she thinks you pity her, feels ufortable, and deliberately picks quarrels with you. Better to be a bit tough; it¡¯s easier and less bothersome.


    ¡°I am, after all, older than you by a few years. You should have a little more faith in me.¡± Shen MO said, gripping the steering wheel as he spoke with a light smile.


    In the rearview mirror, the girl¡¯s gaze seemed disgusted, and she looked out the window with a cold face, ignoring him.


    It seemed she had developed a grudge against him..

 Chapter 15 - 15: 15 Service Area

    Chapter 15 - 15: 15 Service Area


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Half an hourter, Shen MO and Bai Youwei arrived at the rest stop.


    A group of people had gathered at the rest stop, about twenty in total, a mix of men and women, old and young, all huddled in the restaurant.


    The original staff of the service area was nowhere to be seen.


    When Shen MO pushed in the wheelchair, all eyes turned towards the door.


    Seeing it was just a man and a disabled girl, their faces fell in disappointment. Ever since the world was thrown into chaos, people had been waiting for


    redemption. Whether it was the assistance from government organisations or


    the salvation espoused by religious groups, anything would do. Even as little as


    a light in the dark was better than the confusion and despair of not seeing any


    hope.


    Shen MO nced at the people in the restaurant. Sensing the gloomy atmosphere of the rest stop, he pushed Bai Youwei into the nearby supermarket.


    The shelves in the supermarket had been mostly cleared out. They found an electrical outlet and began to charge the bunny.


    Even though the charging set was low-end, it utilized high-tech charging methods. All they needed to do was ce the fluffy rabbit near the socket to charge it. No plug or direct contact necessary.


    They had no idea when it would be fully charged.


    This thing didn¡¯t give a percentage like most electronics; its charge depended entirely on the user¡¯s perception. Bai Youwei tried to gauge it for quite a while but couldn¡¯t figure it out.


    ¡°Describe it,¡± Shen MO said.


    Bai Youwei asked him, ¡°Do you have a swimming pool at home?¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡°Why?¡±


    Bai Youwei: ¡°It feels like using a thin hose to fill up a swimming pool. Can you guess when it will be full?¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡®


    Well, that¡¯s one vivid way to describe it.


    Charging was slow. Bai Youwei, impatient, picked up the bunny and stated her need to use the restroom.


    She hated being subject to such physiological needs.


    The folding cane needed to be hung on the side of the wheelchair, toilet paper and wet wipes stored in a cloth pocket on the other side. If there was no essible toilet, they would also need to carry a small stool.


    Shen MO wheeled Bai Youwei to the bathroom,menting, ¡°This is the first time in my life that I¡¯ve been in a women¡¯s restroom.¡±


    Bai Youwei gave a chilling retort, ¡°You¡¯re just entering the women¡¯s restroom. It¡¯s not like I asked you to pull down a woman¡¯s pants.¡±


    Having said that, she thought about the past when not just using the restroom, but bathing, massages and such were all taken care of by a nurse or nanny. Now, she had to rely on a man she hardly knew.


    She felt a surge of disgust. Disgust at Shen MO, but even more so at herself.


    ¡°But pulling down a woman¡¯s pants should be something you¡¯re quite familiar with.¡± Her mood worsened, and her tone became more abrasive.


    Shen MO merely gave her a sideways nce.


    As for pulling down a woman¡¯s pants, this was indeed his first time.


    But arguing over it would simply be immature.


    He knew well of Bai Youwei¡¯s unpredictable mood swings. The moment anything touched on her sensitivities, she would turn aggressive, sharp as a porcupine.


    He couldn¡¯t help but feel amused. Such a soft, cute face trying to put up a fierce front, like a kitten puffing up its fur.


    Shen MO, holding back hisughter, pushed the wheelchair into a rtively clean stall, and asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Do you want to sit or stand to remove your pants?¡±


    Bai Youwei, clenching her jaw, reluctantly took out a pack from the side pocket and shoved it into Shen Mo¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Put this on.¡± Shemanded with the haughty air of a queen.


    Shen MO unwrapped the package, revealing a disposable toilet seat cover. She must have always carried these whenever she went out.


    He bent down to ce the cover, only to turn around and find that Bai Youwei was already standing with the aid of her cane.


    She looked strained, small beads of sweat glistening on the tip of her nose.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t need my help?¡± Shen MO eyed her.


    Bai Youwei shot him a look, ¡°Go stand by the door and don¡¯t let anyone in!¡±


    Shen MO asked, ¡°Even women?¡±


    She immediately reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, her voice cold and sharp.


    ¡°Exactly! Women too! Anyoneing in will disrupt my bodily functions! Do I trouble you? Toote toin now! Grin and bear it! If it weren¡¯t for your insistence on dragging me along, I wouldn¡¯t have to use the restroom in such a disgusting ce!¡±


    She marched into the stall using her cane and mmed the door shut.


    She was being extremely rude and unreasonable..

 Chapter 16 - 16: 16 A Husband and Wife

    Chapter 16 - 16: 16 A Husband and Wife


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Shen MO touched his nose, feeling he had been too gentle.


    ¡­maybe next time he could try being a bit tougher.


    He left the wheelchair at the entrance of the cubicle and turned to leave.


    While waiting for her outside the women¡¯s restroom, he asionally heard thuds and bangs, as if a crutch had bumped into something, or perhaps she had knocked against something?


    What other people might do with ease is a battle for her.


    His slight annoyance faded gradually.


    What was there to be upset about? She was just a child, after all. Sickly since young and insecure, she used to live in luxury without a care. Now, however, she had to eke out a living in such times. Her tantrums were understandable. She was only truly powerful in her words.


    Shen MO stood at the door, listening for noises inside.


    The sounds of collisions, flushing, rustling of clothes, the crutch scraping the floor and the cubicle door being banged open! ¡ª


    Bai Youwei emerged, leaning on her crutch, with a tight knit brow, ¡°Take me to wash my hands quickly! This ce stinks to high heaven!¡±


    Shen MO smiled, walked over and helped her into the wheelchair, then pushed her towards the washbasin.


    The sensor tap was difficult to operate, and Bai Youwei struggled with it unsessfully several times, nearly resorting to strongnguage, when the tap spluttered out a few weak streams of water like an octogenariandy with a cough.


    She washed her hands twice with a great deal of distaste, only slightly easing her dark mood.


    ¡°The facilities here are limited, bear with it for a while, it¡¯ll be better once we reach Yangzhou.¡± Shen MO said.


    Bai Youwei grimaced but didn¡¯t reply, thinking to herself: It might not be any better in Yangzhou.


    Shen MO moved to the back of the wheelchair to push her.


    However, she reached out to grab the hem of his clothing.


    Her hand was still moist from washing, the pale skin glowed with the remnants of water, the soft and delicate fingers tinted with cherry blossoms.


    Shen MO nced at his own hand on the handle of the wheelchair, the distinct joints, the profound texture, every contour and line exuding masculine strength.


    The same hand, yet so different. The difference of gender reflected in every single detail.


    Bai Youwei frowned while speaking, ¡°Are we still going to the supermarket? There¡¯s no signal in this service area, and all the food and water have been cleared out. It doesn¡¯t feel good, maybe we should leave soon before it gets dark.¡±


    It was already dusk, and she didn¡¯t want to travel by night.


    Shen MO contemted it, then nodded, ¡°We won¡¯t go to the supermarket then.


    If we set off now, we should be able to reach Yangzhou before dark.¡±


    Once they reach Yangzhou, with inte connection and shelter, things would be easier to arrange.


    The pair returned to the parking area.


    Unexpectedly, they saw from a distance a man and a woman by their car, waving at them.


    When they got closer, they could see that the pair were likely middle-aged, looking like an honest and dependable husband and wife.


    ¡°Are you going to Yangzhou?¡± the woman asked kindly. ¡°We are also heading there, but there¡¯s a blockage ahead, so everyone is staying put for now. It¡¯s not safe for you to set off now.¡±


    ¡°Blocked badly?¡± Shen MO asked.


    The man answered, ¡°It¡¯s blocked for over a hundred meters, the vehicle is full of dolls, no one dares to pass.¡±


    ¡°If the cars can¡¯t pass, what about going through a detour on foot?¡± Bai Youwei inquired, ¡°Has anyone tried walking to Yangzhou?¡±


    The man and woman looked at each other, both seemed a bit lost, apparently they had not considered this.


    ¡°All our things are in the car¡­¡± the woman spoke hesitantly, ¡°Food, toiletries, change of clothes¡­everything is in the car.¡±


    The man also added, ¡°What if something happens to Yangzhou too? We wouldn¡¯t be able to flee without the car.


    Sometimes a car isn¡¯t just a means of transportation, it also functions as a safe haven. Unless a major crisis urred, people wouldn¡¯t just abandon their vehicles.


    However, in Bai Youwei¡¯s view, walking to Yangzhou in a matter of several hours was better than being stuck here indefinitely.


    Besides, they would eventually have to abandon the car.


    Because if the world continues to spiral into chaos, gasoline would soon be a scarce resource..

 Chapter 17 - 17 Information Exchange

    Chapter 17: Information Exchange


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The middle-aged couple assumed Bai Youwei was a spoiled youngdy who didn¡¯t understand the gravity of their circumstances. They didn¡¯t take her words to heart. They instead turned to Shen MO to ask, ¡°We are about to have a meeting at the restaurant, would you like to join us?¡±


    Shen MO nced at Bai Youwei and casually asked, ¡°What kind of meeting?


    ¡°Just a gathering to discuss and strategize, ¡± the couple responded amiably. ¡°More hands make lighter work. A group brainstorming can be much more effective than worrying alone. But if you don¡¯t want toe, it¡¯s absolutely fine, we will not insist.


    Shen MO nodded, politely saying, ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll join you in a bit.¡± The middle-aged couple, now reassured, didn¡¯t say much further and left together.


    ¡°Why are we staying? Are you trying to extract information from them?¡± Bai Youwei sneered, disgusted. ¡°The supermarket¡¯s already empty. They must¡¯ve been hiding here, eating and drinking for more than a day or two. They don¡¯t dare take any risks. Can we really expect them to know anything?¡±


    Shen MO opened the car door, bent over to lift Bai Youwei inside, and then handed her some bread and water.


    ¡°Since the highway is blocked, if we want to get to Yangzhou, our only option is to take a circuitous route. Perhaps by the time we get there, it¡¯ll be nightfall. Travelling at night, we wouldn¡¯t see the road clearly, making it hard to avoid any dolls. So, it would be better to stay and see what they have to say.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Bai Youwei furrowed her brows, nomittal.


    She didn¡¯t have a good impression of the people at the service area, but given the current situation, it seemed that no matter what decision was made, none would bepletely reliable.


    Chewing some bread, Bai Youwei asked Shen MO, ¡°Do you think any of them have everpleted their game?¡±


    Shen MO, who was rummaging for something useful in the trunk, looked up at her, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°I think there must be someone,¡± Bai Youwei said. ¡°Those two just now seemed honest and straightforward, not the type to stir up trouble, but they actively waited for us here. At first nce, they seem warm-hearted, but they seem to me like they¡¯re acting on others¡¯ orders.¡±


    Shen MO paused slightly, taken aback.


    He had suspected this, but he didn¡¯t expect Bai Youwei to notice these traces.


    ¡°Your observation is urate.¡± He took out a military nket from the trunk and spread it on Bai Youwei¡¯s legs, calmly saying, ¡°There must be a Leader among these people who wants to gather information. To do so, he needs to constantly make contact with neers. As to why he isn¡¯t doing it himself, it¡¯s easy to understand. By sending over an honest-looking couple, they are more likely to gain trust.¡±


    Bai Youwei looked at him doubtfully, ¡°You know something¡¯s not right, yet you still want to attend that meeting?¡±


    Shen MO smiled, ¡°Not every situation that seems suspicious has malicious intent. They need information, and we need it too.¡±


    Ever since the ¡°Tortoise and the Hare¡± game, it became clear that not everyone would turn into dolls. Those whopleted their game were able to survive. But why doesn¡¯t anyone in town know about this? Why wasn¡¯t there even a hint of rted news?


    Furthermore, they realized thework connection was interrupted right after theypleted their game. Did that imply that¡­ all the other winners had gone to ces withoutwork signal, and thus, couldn¡¯t urately transmit the information?


    If that was the case, this global catastrophe was far more terrifying than imagined.


    At 8 PM, night fell, and only the restaurant remained brightly lit in the entire service area.


    Shen MO wheeled Bai Youwei into the restaurant.


    The people inside were gathered together. Hearing their entrance, they turned their heads to look. Seeing Shen MO and Bai Youwei, they appeared unsurprised and retreated their gazes.


    The cold, white light flowed from the ceiling, casting deep shadows on their faces. Their simrly apathetic expressions under this light added an eerie sense to the scene.


    ¡°Neers?¡± A man with sses looked up, keeping his tone even, ¡°If you wish to join our meeting, you¡¯ll have to participate in an information exchange first..

 Chapter 18 - 18: Acting cute

    Chapter 18: Acting cute


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The man in sses was seated at the center, appearing to be the spected ¡°Leader¡±.


    However, it seems he¡¯s had a rough time, his shirt was wrinkled, his hair greasy, and he looked like he hadn¡¯t bathed properly for several days. Shen MO asked, ¡°What is information exchange?¡±


    The man gently pushed up his sses and calmly responded, ¡°You can understand it as information sharing. Each person must express valuable intelligence without any reservation, only this way can everyone work together on countermeasures. If everyone hides their knowledge, expecting others to solve the problems that would yield no progress, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    That was true; it was safer and more effective to work together than it was to work alone. Since ancient times, humans have solved innumerable difficulties by working as a team, arguably one of the greatest wisdoms of humanity. However, when more people work together, it¡¯s inevitable for some to take advantage of the situation.


    Bai Youwei held her plush rabbit close to her, timidly saying, ¡°But we don¡¯t know what kind of information has value¡­


    Hearing her suddenly speak softly, Shen MO was taken aback. His hands on the wheelchair rose in goosebumps.


    Pretending to be innocent, she raised her head and looked at him pitifully, ¡°Brother, do you know?¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡®


    He was speechless.


    Perhaps Bai Youwei¡¯s deceptive appearance was convincing, the man in sses was receptive, gently exining, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Since you could get here, you must have encountered those dolls. Anything rted to the dolls could be shared; the more detailed, the better. Even if you can¡¯t figure something out, sharing it might yield a new perspective.¡±


    Bai Youwei pursed her lips, pretending to ponder deeply.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ on our way here, we met a bald man driving a pickup truck. He drove from a road with dolls, unscathed, so we followed behind him¡­ but those who followedter all turned into dolls. So, I think¡­ are there limits to the number of people? If the number of people is fewer, maybe it¡¯s safe to pass?¡±


    After finishing, she anxiously looked at the man in sses, ¡°Is this¡­ valuable intelligence?¡±


    The man in sses had a softer expression now, ¡°It counts. Your findings are consistent with our recent observations. Come and sit.¡±


    Bai Youwei visibly rxed and smiled gratefully at the man in sses.


    Seeing her enthusiasm, Shen MO had no choice but to y the part of a taciturn brother and silently wheeled herself closer.


    The people naturally made room for Bai Youwei and Shen MO, indirectly acknowledging the leadership position of the man in sses.


    Sitting down in a chair next to the wheelchair, Shen MO stayed silent.


    Bai Youwei looked up naively and asked, ¡°If it¡¯s safer to have fewer people, wouldn¡¯t it be safer to go alone?¡±


    ¡°There are various limiting conditions, and the number of people is just the most obvious one. There could be hidden conditions. After all, the first people who turned into dolls did so while suddenly alone. So for now, it¡¯s hard to say.¡±


    The man in sses stopped the topic and looked at everyone else, ¡°Let¡¯s continue with the previous question. Our colleagues who left to scout today haven¡¯t returned yet. What should we do? Do we keep waiting?¡±


    All eyes darted around the room; no one spoke for a moment.


    The man in sses surveyed the room and firmly stated, ¡°Leaving here outright would definitely hold risks, but the utilities in the rest area could stop at any moment, we won¡¯t be able to hold out much longer.¡±


    ¡°Maybe¡­¡± someone began hesitantly, ¡°We could send out a few more people to scout?¡±


    The suggestion was immediately dismissed, ¡°Who would go? Those people haven¡¯t returned; they may have already died on the road. Who else would dare to go? Will you go?¡±


    ¡°¡­But we can¡¯t just wait here for our deaths.¡± ¡°Perhaps there¡¯s no danger, and they¡¯ve run off!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s unlikely, their luggage is still in the rest area¡­¡±

 Chapter 19 - 19: 19: Scouting Team

    Chapter 19 - 19: 19: Scouting Team


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Chatter broke out among the crowd, giving off the vibe of an impending quarrel.


    Bai Youwei surreptitiously observed the man in sses, noticing a visible mix of annoyance and contempt in his demeanor. No doubt he was also helpless, having to rely on this group of vulgar and selfish humans for survival.


    Bai Youwei turned her face and gave Shen MO a look that seemed to say, ¡°See, I told you this bunch can¡¯t be trusted.¡±


    Shen MO simply smiled in response, not offering anyments.


    The so-called strategy discussion gradually devolved. It started as a discussion but eventually degenerated into mutual me. If not for the man in sses stepping in asionally to defuse the tension, it probably would have escted into a showdown.


    Suddenly, the room plunged into darkness!


    The most timid were the first to scream.


    Then someone else cursed, ¡°What are you screaming about! It¡¯s just a power outage, don¡¯t scare yourself!¡±


    After a moment, when everyone¡¯s eyes had adjusted to the dark, everyone scrambled to leave the restaurant. The man in sses summoned a couple of people to go check the circuit breaker.


    Without electricity, everyone idled outside, with nothing to do.


    Bai Youwei stared upward, looking at the moon and stars. The vast expanse of the sky covered the earth, quiet and broad, making people seem particrly insignificant under the night sky.


    The night seemed to contain a mysterious power¡ªviewed for a long while, it always left one¡¯s heart beating faster.


    The crowd grew restless.


    The man in sses who had left returned and informed everyone that the circuit breaker was fine; the entire service area was out of power. Perhaps soon, even the water supply would be cut off.


    The atmosphere turned gloomy and suffocating in an instant.


    Bai Youwei thought, these people were really hopeless. Apart from the man in sses, there wasn¡¯t another with any initiative.


    ¡°I say¡­¡± An old man in the crowd hesitated to speak up, ¡°Why don¡¯t we, try to find a way out?¡±


    A bystander responded, ¡°Professor Cheng, haven¡¯t we always been trying to get out? What you¡¯re saying is basically pointless.¡±


    The man called Professor Cheng, around sixty years of age with streaks of white hair at his temples, thin and wearing an old-fashioned coarse cloth shirt, slightly hunched over, seemed insignificant.


    After being rebuked, Cheng¡¯s face turned tomato-red with embarrassment, at a loss for words, ¡°What I meant was¡­ we could walk, not drive. Isn¡¯t the reason we¡¯re stranded here because the road is jammed, and we can¡¯t drive past?¡±


    The old man gestured with his hand, ¡°We could go two at a time, leaving every 10 minutes. This way, we could avoid ending up as ythings to arge extent¡­¡±


    ¡°Professor Cheng, please don¡¯t add to the confusion. Walk without cars? We have so many people, and luggage. Do you expect us to walk all the way to Yangzhou?¡±


    ¡°Exactly, your armchair stratagems simply won¡¯t work.¡±


    Everyone started to chime in, the resentment in their voices escting, as if they were venting their frustration from the power outage on the old man.


    The man in sses remained silent amidst the crowd. Confronted with the old man¡¯s pleas for help, he chose to ignore them. Perhaps he also thought there was some truth in the old man¡¯s words, but at such a moment, did he have any obligation to help defuse the crowd¡¯s anger?


    Survival pressures had been umting for a while; someone had to serve as the scapegoat for the group¡¯s venting.


    Bai Youwei did not want to get involved. She mouthed silently to Shen MO, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Shen MO stood still.


    She gently tugged at him again. To her surprise, he stepped forward and said to theining crowd, ¡°Everyone, quiet down¡­¡± Bai Youwei immediately felt like rolling her eyes!


    Everyone looked over in unison.


    She and Shen MO suddenly became the center of attention, feeling like they were being stared at by a crowd of hungry ghosts. It was quite terrifying.


    But Shen MO did not so much as raise an eyebrow.


    He calmly said, ¡°It seems a vehicle is arriving.¡±


    The crowd fell silent.


    Once the discussion ceased, various sounds in the air became especially clear.


    The distant rumble came closer. At first, it was like the wind, but as it neared, the noise of the vehicle¡¯s tires on the road became clear.


    Finally, arge vehicle drove into the service area in the dead of the night, its bright headlights shining directly on everyone¡ª Brakes.


    Stopped.


    A few spry young men jumped down from the vehicle, one of them whistled and said, ¡°Hey, what¡¯s going on? Why are you all standing outside?¡±

 Chapter 20 - 20: 20: Laughing Brother

    Chapter 20 - 20: 20: Laughing Brother


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Under the stabbing re of the car headlights, what should have been an irritating experience, didn¡¯t anger anyone.


    People were overjoyed, rushing up to exim, ¡°You¡¯re back?!¡±


    ¡°The scouts are back!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great! They¡¯re back!¡±


    The atmosphere suddenly livened up, any previous tension instantly swept away, as if nothing had ever happened.


    The young man who had been whistlingughed and said, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Did you all think we were dead?!¡±


    ¡°Everyone was worried about you guys. Huh? Why did you change cars?¡±


    ¡°Our car broke down halfway. We found this one on the road, otherwise, we would have been back sooner! But what¡¯s going on with you guys? Why are you all outside?¡±


    ¡°The power in the rest station went out!¡±


    ¡°Well then light some candles, there are still plenty of shlights in the supermarket.¡±


    Everyone sprang into action, faces beaming with joy as though as long as they had hope, they were full of energy. Power or water outages were just small bumps on the road, nothing to be scared of.


    After a little while, the lights in the rest station¡¯s restaurant came on again.


    Everyone gathered together, surrounded the returned group of young men in the center, eagerly waiting for them to share news from the outside.


    The most noticeable among them was the man who started whistling as soon as he got out of the car, everyone called him ¡°Brother Laugh¡±.


    This ¡°Brother Laugh¡± was wearing graffiti T-shirt and ripped jeans, an unclear English tattoo on his arm, messy short hair dyed ¡°granny gray,¡± and a sparkling earring in his right ear.


    He was not considered the most noticeable because of his unconventional attire. As a matter of fact, the other young men were all of the same ¡°sort¡±: their tattoos were more dramatic than the other¡¯s, his jeans had bigger rips.


    Bai Youwei found him memorable mainly due to his disturbingly bright smile.


    She would smile while talking to Shen MO, and the others in the station would smile while talking to her, still, their smiles were restrained, modest, and courteous. After all, the backdrop was the end of the world! Who wouldugh like an idiot, teeth bared?


    Even if something quite delightful happened, considering the uncertainty of the future, shouldn¡¯t they be a bit mncholic?


    This ¡°Brother Laugh¡± was perhaps a toothpaste brand spokesperson, his face full ofughter as he passionately recounted his daring ordeal out on the road ¡°¡­ As soon as I saw the dolls on the road, I knew something was off! This was ourst road! If this road was blocked, would we have to return empty-handed?! As the saying goes, heaven never seals off all exits! In a sh of insight, I realized something was not right about these dolls!¡± ¡°What was not right?¡± someone chipped in, just like aic dialogue.


    ¡°Brother Laugh¡± pointed to his eyes with two fingers, and with a solemn expression, said: ¡°These keen eyes noticed that something was unusual!¡±


    The other boys who apanied him were allughing, cracking open melon seeds, and watched him like they were watching a circus monkey, ¡°Tan Xiao, aren¡¯t you taking this too far?¡±


    ¡°Brother Laugh¡± ignored them, asking the crowd, ¡°Who knows why we should avoid ces with dolls?¡±


    ¡°This still needs to be said? Because they will turn into dolls!¡± someone immediately replied.


    ¡°Brother Laugh¡± shook his head mysteriously, posing like he wouldn¡¯t continue if the answer was wrong.


    Everyone started catcalling, some longer, some shorter.


    The sses-wearing guy alsoughed and said unhurriedly, ¡°Single dolls appearing incidentally usually pose no threat, but if arge number of dolls appear in a certain area, we should be alert. ording to the exnation given by experts in the National Scientific Research Institute, the abnormal geomaic fluctuations in those areas can have unknown effects on the human body, this is the reason why everyone should avoid dolls. Okay, Tan


    Xiao, just spit it out, don¡¯t sell us any more suspense.¡±


    Still, the words of the leader seemed to carry some weight, Tan Xiao pped his thigh like a story teller pping a wooden block¡ª ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll say it!¡±


    Under the intense gaze of the crowd, only Bai Youwei rolled his eyes in exasperation..

 Chapter 21 - 21: A Scene of Jubilation

    Chapter 21: A Scene of Jubtion


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°The dolls that appear inrge numbers usually have a fixed action, like they¡¯re driving, having a meal together, or just standing still. But the dolls we


    encountered on the road¨C¡±


    Tan Xiao squints his eyes, giggles in a low voice, intentionally creating a creepy atmosphere.


    ¡°The dolls we met¡­didn¡¯t have a unified action. They were thrown haphazardly on the ground¡­like they were deliberately tossed onto the road!¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes widened, looking at each other in disbelief.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Someone couldn¡¯tprehend: ¡°Why would someone deliberately throw away the dolls?¡±


    Normal people would be too scared to get close, let alone arrange the dolls in a concentrated area. Considering this could easily mislead visitors.


    ¡°It¡¯s because they don¡¯t want people to pass through that road,¡± the sses Man casually said.


    People were shocked by this revtion.


    ¡°Who would do such a thing?!¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t they want people to pass through? What kind of evil mind is that?!¡±


    ¡°If I ever meet those people, I will make them regret!¡±


    ¡°Brother Xiao, did you find the people who threw the dolls?¡±


    Tan Xiao gave a thumbs up, swiped it under his nose with a smug grin.


    ¡°Of course, we not only found them but also taught them a lesson! Guess what? There was a group of people who upied a food processing factory. There¡¯s enough food inside tost for several years! They were scared that others woulde and take the resources, so they deliberately scared off passing vehicles by throwing dolls on the road! But I has keen eyes! -Hey! My left fist charges like a tiger, and my right leg kicks like a dragon! I beat them until they were searching for their teeth on the ground! Did you see all the stuff on the cars? They are all brought back by brother Xiao and the others from the factory! ¡±


    ¡°Well done!¡±


    The crowd cheered and apuded.


    In the corner, Teacher Cheng sighed softly: ¡°Sigh, those people were also trying to survive¡­¡±


    Someone overheard him and scolded: ¡°Teacher Cheng, look at yourself, are you sympathizing with them again? They almost trapped us! They want to survive, don¡¯t we too?¡±


    Teacher Cheng lowered his head without arguing, he sighed long and short, expressing his deep regret at the survival of the fittest situation.


    This slight disagreement was soon drowned out in the wave of cheers.


    The sses Man assigned people to unload things from the car, including smoked meat, sausages, sauce-cooked ducks, and piles of vacuum-packed cooked food. The atmosphere was more heated, and everyone was excited as if they were dividing thend seized from a tyrant.


    Shen MO and Bai Youwei also got some food.


    Perhaps out of sympathy for Bai Youwei¡¯s disability, she was given an extra sauce-cooked pig¡¯s knuckle more than others.


    After distributing the food, the sses Man asked everyone to rest early and set off as soon as it was dawn.


    They were finally going to leave the service area where they had been trapped for a long time, everyone was extremely excited.


    They assembled the tables and chair from the restaurant into arge makeshift bed, using the thick and wide European-style curtains from inside the restaurant as bedsheets, men and women, old and young, ally side by side.


    Meanwhile, Bai Youwei and Shen MOid on the floor in the neighboring supermarket.


    The fallen shelves functioned as temporary bed frames, padded with folded cardboard boxes and soft nkets. Though makeshift, it was morefortable than sleeping in the car.


    The moonlight silently poured down, and the night was immersed in tranquility.


    Rustling leaves outside, people tossing and turning inside, the sound of fabric friction was particrly clear.


    Bai Youweiy quietly, tilting her head slightly, she could see the scene in the restaurant. Some people were browsing pictures of loved ones on their phones, others were whispering about ns after leaving. Their whispers filled the dark, making the night even quieter¡­


    Shen MO sat at the other end of the shelf, holding a map he¡¯d found somewhere, carefully reading it in the moonlight..

 Chapter 22 - 22 Tonight’s Moon

    Chapter 22: Tonight¡¯s Moon


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The moon tonight was unusually bright.


    It¡¯s ironic, the human world gets worse day by day, yet the beauty of nature seems to be growing. No smog, no polluted water and fumes, every day was filled with blue skies, white clouds, and a bright moon.


    Bai Youwei closed her eyes and then opened them again, but sleep evaded her as the events of the day reyed in her mind.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to sleep?¡± she asked Shen MO softly.


    ¡°I will sleep once you¡¯re asleep,¡± Shen MO replied nonchntly.


    He wasn¡¯t sleepy yet, and it was awkward for the two to lie side by side because, after all, they have only met today.


    Bai Youwei said, ¡°By the time I fall asleep, it might be toote.¡±


    Shen MO replied lightly, ¡°During training, I only needed four hours of sleep a day. That¡¯s enough.¡±


    Bai Youwei had to admit, this man¡¯s physical ability was impressive, carrying her for three rounds in the game and barely even breaking a sweat.


    She closed her eyes again, still unable to sleep. Sitting up after a while, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s look at the map together.¡±


    Shen MO divided the map in half.


    Suddenly, something soft leaned against his right arm, causing him to pause.


    ¡°How do you read this?¡± Bai Youwei asked peering at the map.


    Her lower body was frail, and she needed support when sitting. It was very hard for her to sit upright.


    Shen Mo¡¯s momentarily tense arm rxed, and he showed her how to read the map.


    Since the advent of satellite maps on phones, few people studied paper maps, usually only buying them as souvenirs during trips.


    ¡°This road is the Hushan Expressway, we¡¯re approximately here¡­ Starting from this position, thetter part of the journey has traps, so we have to switch to the Hurong Expressway tomorrow. The scouting team that went out today will lead the way from Zhenjiang, detouring to Yangzhou¡­¡± Shen MO began exining.


    Bai Youwei looked at the dense paths and the miniscule city names, starting to feel dazed.


    Despite her best efforts to pay attention, her mind started to wander.


    Her gazended unknowingly on the man¡¯s hand.


    Shen MO had very beautiful hands.


    His fingers were slender and the joints were distinct. From his solid forearm to his fingertips, the entire hand was streamlined and full of strength. She coveted hands like these.


    Following his arm up with her gaze, she saw his corbone, his Adam¡¯s apple¡­ The ck hair on his forehead cast a shadow over his brows and eyes, leaving only the high nose bridge clearly visible. His soft voice named unfamiliar ces. The low tone reminded Bai Youwei of a cello from her father¡¯s collection.


    The ¡®cello¡¯ looked at her and asked in a deep voice, ¡°All right?¡±


    ¡°Sleepy,¡± she replied,id back down, grabbed her rabbit plushy as a pillow, and tried to sleep.


    Shen Mo: ¡®


    After a moment of silence, he folded the map and asked, ¡°Are you cold?¡± Bai Youwei seemed to have already fallen asleep and didn¡¯t respond.


    Shen MO watched her silently for a while, then stood up and walked away.


    When he left, Bai Youwei opened her eyes.


    Her gaze was serene.


    Being alone with a man in the middle of the night didn¡¯t bother her. But one can¡¯t prevent their mind from wandering. The more the mind runs wild, the messier the heart bes until it spirals out of control.


    Bai Youwei had her fair share of daydreams about heroes saving princesses before her legs were paralyzed.


    After her paralysis, living a dignified life became her top priority- much more important than love.


    Plus, this wasn¡¯t even love. It was just a coincidence that she found herself in danger, with a man by her side, who happened to be somewhat decent to her.


    They say that men and women who share life-threatening experiences easily attract each other, regardless of whether it¡¯s true or not, it didn¡¯t matter¡­ Everything would end once they reach Yangzhou.


    She closed her eyes, forcing herself to fall asleep.


    Slow and uncoordinated footsteps came from the direction of the door; it wasn¡¯t just one person.


    Turning her head, Bai Youwei saw three rogue-like young men approaching her.


    It was the scouting team that had gone out earlier..

 Chapter 23 - 23: 23 Saving Lives

    Chapter 23 - 23: 23 Saving Lives


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    She had anticipated what would happen to her once order copsed.


    But she didn¡¯t expect it would happen so quickly.


    The few short steps the stranger took towards her filled her mind with a flurry of thoughts, suddenly recalling many things.


    She remembered her family doctor, who, at first, she didn¡¯t quite understand. But when she did, she reported him to her mother through a phone call.


    But the doctor turned it around, saying that he was diligent and didn¡¯t dare ck off in his work. He imed that the young misses was trying to intimidate him and was lying on purpose.


    Her temper indeed wasn¡¯t so great.


    So the doctor¡¯s words seemed very convincing. When her mother fired the doctor, she gave him arge sum of money to soothe his ¡°wounded spirit from being tormented by the young misses¡±.


    As Bai Youwei thought about these past events, she slowly clung to the rabbit¡­


    She made up her mind.


    The three men approached her, leering at her openly.


    They were unkempt, sleazy, their eyes dull.


    Not only that, she guessed these men weren¡¯t intelligent. Managing to survive so far purely on a kind of ignorant, fearless savagery.


    Formerly marginalized and despised by society, now they were the leaders of the survival team, receiving respect and adtion. What could make them more inted than this change of status?


    Bai Youwei propped herself up on her arm and sat up, shouting out in a panicked voice: ¡°What are you going to do? Don¡¯te any closer! Don¡¯te any closer¡­¡±


    The neighboring restaurant suddenly fell silent.


    All the little chatter disappeared, as if everyone had collectively died in their sleep that very instant.


    ¡°Let me go! Don¡¯t! ¡­Don¡¯t! Help¡­¡±


    She struggled valiantly while calling for help in a feeble voice. The metallic shelf beneath her creaked in response to her movements, mixing with the thugs¡¯ cruelughter; it rang out clear and grating on this silent night.


    No one came to her rescue.


    People are always generous when it doesn¡¯t endanger their own interests, but at other times, they demonstrate the height of selfishness and indifference.


    Perhaps themotion was too much, a man with sses cloaked in a coate over from the restaurant.


    The thugs halted their actions. One of them, a skinny tall man with a ne looked at the man with sses with especially provocative eyes. He lightly weighed the dagger in his hand, pointing the de forward, a threatening gesture.


    The man with sses nced at the knife, then at Bai Youwei who was curled up. He frowned, looked away and said, ¡°Keep it down, her brother will be back soon. ¡±


    The skinny tall man chuckled, nced at hispanions with a mocking grin,


    ¡°Did you all hear that? Boss Zhang told us to keep it down.¡±


    The other two snickered and intentionally replied aloud, ¡°We heard you! Keep it down!¡±


    Uponpleting their taunts, they burst intoughter, bing unruly and outrageous.


    The face of the man with sses grew darker.


    But he ultimately didn¡¯t say anything further, instead turning back to return to the restaurant, unwilling to meddle in this troublesome affair.


    ¡°Coward!¡± One of the thugs spat a mouthful of saliva at his retreating figure, his eyes full of contempt.


    Having sessfully challenged the authority of the leader, the thugs felt triumphant. However, they failed to notice Shen MO had returned and was standing at the entrance of the supermarket with a cold expression.


    Bai Youwei, holding the fluffy rabbit, gave Shen MO an almost imperceptible shake of her head.


    Shen Mo¡¯s eyebrows knit together as he realized what she was thinking.


    Earlier when they had just entered the service area, they had charged the fluffy rabbit for a while. Bai Youwei was now probably trying to test the power of the ¡°one-tenth of me¡±.


    But, lightning was not easy to control. She didn¡¯t have confidence she could strike the thugs as urately as The Inspector. To prevent idental injuries, she didn¡¯t want Shen MO to get close.


    If the power was not strong enough, it wouldn¡¯t be toote for him to step in then..

 Chapter 24 - 24: 24 The Brother Outside

    Chapter 24 - 24: 24 The Brother Outside


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    In short, these three were likeb rats voluntarily walking into a trap. Bai Youwei could use them for her experiment.


    Even if they were to die by mistake, they would have asked for it.


    Shen MO turned his body away, leaning against the door outside, his brows furrowed tightly, his eyes heavy with irritation.


    Bai Youwei using the ones who offended her for experiments, he didn¡¯t object, nor did he have the right to, but¡­


    But she had been crying all along.


    Of course, he knew her crying was fake, truly she had been ¡°performing¡± ever since they arrived at the service area.


    The reason for his irritation was¡­ she was crying all along, but no one was helping her.


    Between the supermarket and restaurant was half a wall, and on the other side were almost thirty people, but not even one lent a hand.


    The harder she cried, the more it highlighted the indifference of people! This feeling¡­ truly upset him!


    ¡°Let her go!¡±


    Suddenly a low shout, wavering with age, broke the silence of the night.


    Shen MO raised his eyebrows in surprise, looking in the direction of the voice.


    Bai Youwei, stunned, clenched the rabbit tightly, suppressing the noisy current!


    An emaciated old man picked up a wooden stick from somewhere, stood with a serious expression in the aisle between the restaurant and supermarket, and loudly used: ¡°Under the bright sun and moon, and this vast universe, how could you do such things?! Don¡¯t you all have mothers? Sisters? Daughters? You¡­ you are utterlywless! Heartless!¡­ What are you trying to do?! Let me go um um um¡­¡¯


    The old of man was lifted, and a pig¡¯s foot was forcibly stuffed into his mouth!


    It was Bai Youwei¡¯s newly obtained fragrant pig¡¯s foot.


    Even the packaging was not removed. They pushed it in too forcefully, causing a cut at the corner of the old man¡¯s mouth.


    A tall, skinny gangster lightly patted the old man¡¯s face,ughing, ¡°Mr. Cheng, this is not your ssroom. Here, have a big pig¡¯s foot, if your mouth is itchy, just gnaw on it!¡±


    Then with a push, Mr. Cheng staggered back, fell, and couldn¡¯t get up due to his trembling legs.


    ¡°Anyone else has a problem?¡± The tall, skinny man walked a few steps forward, casually sweeping his gaze over the restaurant, ¡°Anyone wanting to y the hero,e out. It¡¯s a rare chance.¡±


    Hispanion sneered, ¡°A dog catching a mouse, busying himself with others¡¯ business. Without Brother Hui, you¡¯d still be starving tonight! Ungrateful bunch¡­¡±


    ¡°Who are you calling ungrateful?¡±


    Another man leisurely walked in from outside the supermarket.


    ¡°Tan Xiao?¡± The tall, skinny man frowned.


    Tan Xiao had just returned from the restroom, one hand tucked in his pocket, the other dubbing his grayish hair, he smirked, ¡°Brother Hui, you and your pals are quite capable¡­ Bullying women and old folk, howe I never noticed this about you before?¡±


    Brother Hui¡¯s face darkened, ¡°Bro, don¡¯t ruin the mood.


    ¡°Nope, don¡¯t call me bro,¡± Tan Xiao quickly waved his hands, ¡°As for me, Laughing Bro, I rely on my integrity in this world, always straightforward. I dare not make friends like you!¡±


    The gangstersughed instead of getting angry.


    ¡°Calling you Laughing Bro is giving you face, but now it seems you want to lose face?¡±


    Tan Xiao pointed to his own face, leaning in closer, ¡°Here, take my face, take


    it¡­ ¡±


    Bang!


    Tan Xiao suddenly made his move, grabbing Brother Hui¡¯s head and giving it a hard head-butt! Staggering Brother Huipletely!


    ¡°Dammit!¡± The other two instantly got angry and fought back, ¡°Kill him!¡± The three men got into a brawl!


    Gangsters fighting, devoid of any grace, kicking faces, hitting groins, poking eyes, each move was extremely rough and crude!


    Tan Xiao had more cunning tricks than the others, one against two, he actually held up well!


    But as soon as Brother Hui, who got hit in the head by him, recovered, it turned into one against three, and the situation took a drastic turn! He was pinned down to the ground!


    Both his hands were twisted behind him, his face was stepped on by Brother Hui¡¯s shoe!


    ¡°Tired of living, aren¡¯t you, huh?¡±


    The anti-skid lines on the sole of the shoe left red marks on his skin.


    Tan Xiao gasped in pain, yelling loudly, ¡°Brothers outside! Help! What¡¯s the wait?!


    Shen Mo: ¡®

 Chapter 25 - 25: Sons and Daughters of the Jianghu

    Chapter 25: Sons and Daughters of the Jianghu


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    It¡¯s often said, the skill of the expert is immediately known the moment they make a move!


    The moment Shen MO appeared at the door, his tall and straight figure, like a pine tree, caught everyone¡¯s attention.


    Wearing a close-fitting, pure ck T-shirt, deep camouge, special training trousers, and a pair of ck army boots firmly nted on the floor, he exuded a silent, intimidating aura.


    Hui¡¯s two henchmen tried to stop him, but there was no fear disyed on Shen Mo¡¯s face. He punched, grappled, chokeheld; his movements were swift and decisive. The goons were left only capable of crying out in agony!


    Tan Xiao¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, temporarily forgetting his humiliation. He muttered, ¡°My God, he¡¯s really a master¡­¡±


    Seeing the grip on Tan Xiao¡¯s face rx, the guy stepping on him was next tossed aside by Shen MO, swatted away like a broken kite!


    Literally swatted away.


    Although Hui was skinny, he still weighed over a hundred and thirty to forty pounds. Can you imagine the strength needed to toss someone like that?


    Tan Xiao quickly jumped to his feet, cing himself protectively in front of Bai Youwei, shouting, ¡°Had enough now, haven¡¯t you? Care to try again?¡± His voice rang out defiantly. If you ignored the shoe prints on his face, this posturing was actually rather intimidating.


    The three thugs helped each other up, each looking more humiliated than thest, realizing they had met their match.


    Gritting his teeth, Hui shot a look at Shen MO and Tan Xiao and scoffed, ¡°He¡¯s nothing more than a cripple, not even a woman by count, and you¡¯re protecting him like treasure? If you like him so much, you can have him!¡±


    Bai Youwei¡¯s face became paler, a shadow flitting across her eyes.


    ¡°Try saying that again?!¡± Tan Xiao threatened, swinging his fist.


    A look of panic crossed Hui¡¯s face. Gritting his teeth, he limped out of the supermarket with hispanions.


    Once the men were gone, Tan Xiao sidled up to Shen MO, ¡°Bro! You¡¯re amazing! Why did you have to wait until the end to step in?¡±


    Throwing his arm over Shen Mo¡¯s shoulder with a mischievous smile, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just want to make a dramatic entrance at thest minute? Don¡¯t worry, I get it! ¡±


    Shen MO pushed his hand away, walked over to Bai Youwei, picked her up, and turned to leave.


    ¡°Cool-¡± Tan Xiao whistled, quickly following and grabbing Shen Mo¡¯s jacket left behind at the door, yelling as he ran, ¡°Hey, what¡¯s your name? I¡¯m Tan Xiao, what about you?¡­¡±


    Chasing them to the SUV, he gave Shen MO his jacket, ¡°This is yours, right? I saw you left it at the door. Why are you wearing a jacket in this heat? Oh¡­ you wanted to get it for your sister in case she gets cold at night, right?¡± He kept talking, but no one paid him any attention.


    Shen MO remained aloof and indifferent, while Bai Youwei stayed silent, wrapped in her own thoughts.


    Tan Xiao scratched his nose, finding this pair of siblings strange. Feeling a little disheartened, his spirits lifted when Shen MO epted his jacket with a quiet ¡°thank you¡±.


    Buoyed by the gesture, Tan Xiao grinned, ¡°No need to thank me! We, the brothers in the rivers andkes, stand up for each other when we see injustice! Today I help you, another day you might help me. It¡¯s about loyalty! You can count on me whenever you need help, I won¡¯t turn you down!¡±


    He just kept talking nonstop.


    In the car, Bai Youwei moved her lips slightly, muttering: ¡°Nagging.¡± Shen MO merely nced at her.


    Unaware of the situation, Tan Xiao continued to engage Shen MO enthusiastically: ¡°¡­If you really want to thank me, I won¡¯t refuse your favor.


    Could you, perhaps, teach me a few moves?¡±


    He began to mime punching and kicking in the air.


    ¡°Like your moves earlier, they were so powerful! How did you do that?¡­ Ahoo! Aha!¡­ Do you think my postures are correct?¡± Shen MO did not feel like talking..

 Chapter 26 - 26: Being Followed

    Chapter 26: Being Followed


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Shen MO was utterly stuck with this Tan Xiao.


    Tan Xiao insisted on keeping watch over them during thetter half of the night, arguing determinedly that it was to prevent the same group from returning. Even if they didn¡¯t hurt the people, secretly setting fire or puncturing a tire, would also be enough to irritate someone.


    Shen MO wanted to say that given the injuries those guys had sustained, they would at least have to rest for a night before seeking revenge. However, he couldn¡¯t stand Tan Xiao¡¯s non-stop chattering, so he left him to it.


    Early in the morning, everyone hit the road.


    Tan Xiao had stayed up all night and surprisingly was still full of energy.


    He dragged Teacher Chang out of someone else¡¯s vehicle, insisting that the elderly man should ride his motorbike.


    His motorbike was a mix of goth and punk style, with dangling tassels at the front, a skull sticker at the back, and metallic rivets for decoration on both sides.


    Teacher Chang repeatedly waved his hands in embarrassment but Tan Xiao wouldn¡¯t let him go no matter what.


    Bai Youwei, who was not far away, watched them coldly.


    She knew this silly boy¡¯s good intentions and that his offer for the old man to ride his motorbike aimed to protect him. However, he didn¡¯t consider that with his old broken motorbike, it would likely jostle him to death.


    Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw a faint smile ying at the corners of Shen Mo¡¯s lips.


    Bai Youwei furrowed her brows and asked irritably, ¡°What are you smiling about?¡±


    Shen MO, resting his hands on the steering wheel, shook his head indifferently, ¡°Nothing. ¡±


    After a while, he added, ¡°Just wondering¡­whether there are more good people or bad people in this world.¡±


    If there were more good people, when Bai Youwei was in troublest night, the more than thirty people next door wouldn¡¯t have pretended to be asleep.


    However, if there were more bad people, a weak, thin old man and uneducated punks would not have stepped up either.


    Bai Youwei scoffed, ¡°How old are you to still be thinking about such naive questions?¡±


    Shen MO, not taking it to heart, chuckled, ¡°Perhaps all military men are inclined to be idealists.¡±


    Bai Youwei frowned, turned her face away impatiently, and continued to watch the unlikely pair in the distance: A stern older teacher and a wayward young man. What an odd team they made.


    Are there more good people or bad people in the world?


    No, neither is more.


    The majority are ordinary people, whose good and evil tendencies are determined in a moment. They¡¯re not purely good, nor thoroughly bad.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have the old man ride in our car,¡± Bai Youwei suggested.


    Shen MO looked at her and eventually nodded gently, ¡°Yes, to avoid any untoward incidents.¡±


    He got out of the car and invited Teacher Chang to join them.


    Tan Xiao, misunderstanding Shen Mo¡¯s act of gratitude towards Teacher Chang for his righteous support the prior night as an act of ¡°brotherly loyalty¡± was overly enthusiastic. He said to Shen MO, ¡°Good man, you¡¯re so loyal! Brother Xiao hasn¡¯t seen wrong! Rest assured, I will keep an eye on those guyster. They won¡¯t dare to pull any tricks while on the road!¡±


    Shen Mo, having nothing to say to him, simply nodded indifferently and helped Teacher Chang get on their vehicle.


    Teacher Chang was a gentle old man, whose words and demeanor showed the refinement and humility of a schr.


    After he got in the car, he thanked Shen MO and Bai Youwei politely and introduced himself, ¡°¡­ I¡¯m a teacher at Nanjing No.13 Middle School, my name is Chang Weicai. I teach in the school that is currently closed, so I decided to go to Yangzhou to see my elderly parents who live on Jhor Middle Road. I don¡¯t know where you¡¯re going, and if it¡¯s out of your way, you can drop me off anywhere nearby¡­¡±


    Shen MO watched the road ahead and said casually, ¡°We¡¯re heading to Jiangnan


    Road in Yangzhou.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s perfect!¡± Teacher Chang was delighted, ¡°Jhor Middle Road isn¡¯t far from there. It¡¯s right on your way! Thank you so much!¡±


    From the back seat, Bai Youwei gave a sneeringugh.


    She thought to herself, not only was this military officer an idealist, but he also liked doing good deeds and made sure the beneficiaries didn¡¯t feel any obligation. He was incredibly thoughtful.


    They never intended to go to Jiangnan Road in Yangzhou.


    However, given the chaos, it didn¡¯t matter where they were headed next¡­..

 Chapter 27 - 27: Another Doll

    Chapter 27: Another Doll


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    One by one, the cars gradually left the service area, heading onto the highway.


    Leading the reconnaissance team at the head of the convoy were Tan Xiao and Brother Hui.


    Tan Xiao, riding his beloved motorcycle, was weaving agilely among the vehicles. He was full of energy, keeping an eye on road conditions up ahead while also on the lookout for the thugs from yesterday.


    Whether his vignce worked, or whether Shen MO had effectively scared them, they were surprisingly well-behaved and nothing suspicious urred during the journey.


    About an hour into their drive, as they were nearing Zhenjiang, they spotted clusters of figures on the road ahead.


    Brother Hui was in the lead and saw them first.


    ¡­Seems like dolls.¡±


    ¡°Must be the guys from the food processing factory again. They keep pulling the same tricks. Those guys have too much time on their hands!¡± ¡°We stole their food, probably holding a grudge against us.¡±


    ¡°Ignore them. Just drive straight through!¡±


    ¡°Will there be trouble¡­¡±


    ¡°Tch! This is the only avable route; even if there is trouble we¡¯ll have to push through! What¡¯s there to be afraid of? We have plenty of buffers behind us!¡±


    Following a brief, simple conversation, they sped up instead of slowing down.


    The dolls on the road were immediately torn to bits by the onught of vehicles, scattered all over the road, battered by the wind.


    Shen MO noticed something was off, he slowed down and waved at the nearby motorcycle. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± he yelled over the wind.


    Tan Xiao slowed down too, matching his pace with the SUV. He shouted back to


    Shen MO, ¡°Dolls again! It must be the guys from the food processing factory. The factory is nearby!¡±


    Shen MO frowned, looking at the fallen dolls. He had an indescribable uneasiness.


    The postures and expressions of the dolls all seemed off, as if being driven by something.


    Bai Youwei in the back seat saw it too.


    She furrowed her brow, staying silent. Suddenly, Tan Xiao burst out cursing¡ª ¡°Damn it!¡±


    He revved his motorcycle and charged directly at a doll dressed in a white


    ¡°I recognize this olddy! She cursed at me yesterday while we were stealing their sausages! How did she be a doll?!¡±


    His face pale, Tan Xiao checked on the other dolls in a hurry, then abruptly turned around, speeding in the opposite direction on the highway.


    ¡°All the people from the food processing factory have turned into dolls! Stop driving forward! Everyone halt! Halt!!!


    One after another, vehicles parked along the roadside, the faces of people showing both perplexity and terror. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°¡­Apparently dolls appeared up ahead.¡± ¡°What should we do?¡­ Should we turn around?¡±


    Turn around?


    Where else could they go?


    They had nowhere left to go.


    After alerting the final car, Tan Xiao parked his motorcycle, looking back toward the front of the convoy, thinking they might have to arrange for the vehicles to scatter. If they stuck together, it would be much easier for trouble to ur.


    Fortunately, they¡¯d noticed in time. If they had continued to push forward, the oues were unthinkable.


    Just when he was feeling relieved, an odd sound rang out in his ears the next second¡ª


    ¡°Ding! Wee to the Doll Game! The theme of this game is ¡®Jin Qiu¡¯s Frog.¡¯ The rules are as follows:


    First, refuse to y and transform into a doll!


    Second, fail the game and transform into a doll!


    Third, win the game and receive a doll!¡­¡±


    ¡°What???¡± Tan Xiao was shocked and looked around, saying. ¡°Where is this voiceing from?¡±


    This familiar announcement rang in Bai Youwei¡¯s and Shen Mo¡¯s ears at the same time.


    A piercing white fog shone, forcing them to close their eyes. When they opened them again, the world had once again transformed.


    This time, they were greeted by a dark cave, a nauseating smell of mud, and an extremely damp atmosphere.


    ¡°Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it! Cursing non-stop, Tan Xiao leapt up from the mud, furiously questioning, ¡°What kind of trap is this?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a trap, it¡¯s a game.¡± A bespectacled man sitting in the mud, his face a mask of despair and resignation, ¡°Don¡¯t you know? Here¡­ is the Doll Game..¡±

 Chapter 28 - 28: Conical Space

    Chapter 28: Conical Space


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Doll game? What doll game?¡±


    Tan Xiao pulled his leg out of the muck, trudgingboriously towards the bespectacled man, ¡°Mr. Zhang, what did you mean by what you just said? What doll, what game? I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    The bespectacled man hung his head weakly, his entire being steeped in gloom, his lips rigidly opening and closing, ¡°You won¡¯t need me to tell you, you will understand soon¡­ I¡¯ve only experienced it once, that time¡­ there were sixteen of us¡­ In the end, I was the only one who survived¡­¡±


    Tan Xiao stared at him, his face nk as he scratched the back of his head.


    Suddenly finding themselves in such a ce was like stepping into the nest of an unknown creature. Everyone was shivering in fear, some already whimpering softly.


    Shen MO scooped Bai Youwei out of the mud, looking around only to find no suitable ce to put her. Everywhere he looked, there was nothing but wet mud, not a single clean spot to step on.


    Bai Youwei pointed to a huge snail shell not far away, so Shen MO carried her over through the muddy pits.


    Whether they had shrunk or the snails had mutated, every single snail here was as big as a double door refrigerator! After seeing rabbits asrge as dogs, such snails didn¡¯t seem that extraordinary.


    Thankfully, only the shells were left, and they were hollow inside. Otherwise, it would have been a horrifying sight.


    Bai Youwei sat on the rough surface of the snail shell, her long dress soaked in muddy water. It was heavy and thick, she had to struggle to maintain her bnce.


    The ce they were in was a huge mud pit. The surrounding walls were slippery with wet stones. The higher up they were, the narrower they became, until at the center, there was only a small round hole that went straight up like a well.


    The sunlight seeped through the hole, brightening the middle of the cave, while the surrounding areas were dim. The further away from the hole, the darker it became, with the corners being almost pitch ck.


    In simple terms, this was a conical space filled with mud.


    After finding a ce for Bai Youwei, Shen MO helped the teacher who was not far away onto his feet.


    They had been in the same car, so theirnding spots were close.


    The poor man in his sixties was pale, covered in mud and his legs were soaking in muddy water. His knees shook uncontrobly.


    Shen Mo helped the teacher onto another snail shell, then looked around again ¡ª other people were also climbing onto snail shells to avoid sitting in the mud.


    So far, they hadn¡¯t seen the Inspector.


    However, this ce wasrge, the light was dim, and there were countless snail shells for cover- perhaps the Inspector was hiding somewhere?


    Not far away, Dixon and his gang had cornered the spectacled man.


    The leader, Dixon, held onto Zhang Hua¡¯s cor. He spoke with a mixture of intimidation and fear, ¡°Zhang Hua! You dare lie to us! Why didn¡¯t you mention the game back at the rest-stop?!¡±


    They were calling him Director Zhang before, but now used his name.


    Tan Xiao grabbed Dixon¡¯s arm and joined the fray, ¡°You dare to start a fight?! Not enough of yesterday¡¯s beating? Let go of him!¡­Are you deaf! Will you let go?!¡±


    The men staggered and struggled in the mud pit, none of them had the upper hand and soon they were panting heavily.


    Zhang Hua, the spectacled man, sat in the mud, watching them as if they were dead men walking, ¡°If I had mentioned it before, could we have avoided it?¡± ¡°Bastard!¡± Dixon cursed, turning around to climb the slippery stone wall.


    However, the walls were slick and the ground was made of soft mud, making it impossible to get a grip.


    Zhang Hua sat in the mud,ughing at them, ¡°Don¡¯t waste your energy. If I were you, I would take this time to observe the terrain. It would save a lot of trouble when the game starts, instead of waiting around clueless and waiting to die.¡±


    ¡°Who the hell are you saying is going to die?!¡± Another punk yelled angrily, stepping forward to teach him a lesson. The light in the cave then suddenly dimmed.


    Total darkness.


    Then, a childish voice echoed,


    ¡°Oh? There are so many yers this time¡­¡±


    Everyone was taken aback, immediately holding their breath.


    The rustling sound in the darkness suggested that something was slowly descending from the vertical round hole¡­.

 Chapter 29 - 29: The Golden Ball of the Frog

    Chapter 29: The Golden Ball of the Frog


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The darknesssted only for five or six seconds, but it felt like an eternity.


    Bai Youwei squinted and saw a sphere sliding down from a gap at the top of the cave¡ªits diameter was a perfect fit with the gap, thus it blocked the only source of light when it came down.


    After the sphere descended, the light reappeared, and everyone saw a golden sphere hovering under the gap. The sunlight shed on the sphere, making its golden color dazzlingly brilliant and blinding.


    ¡°Hello, everyone! I am the Inspector of this game, wee to the Doll¡¯s Game!¡±


    The golden ball was speaking.


    Its tone of voice was lively and childish, like a five or six-year-old child. It spun around in the air, drifted past each person, stirring up gusts of wind¡ª


    ¡°We have so many yers this time! Five, six, seven, eight, nine¡­ uh-uh, so many! Twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty¡­ thirty-three! A total of thirty-three yers for the game! Please y earnestly and try your best to pass!¡± People stared fearfully at the golden sphere, their nerves strained.


    Even Hui Ge¡¯s thugs forgot what they were doing.


    ¡°Why are you all staring at me like that? Hey! That woman, and you, why are you both crying? You should y the game happily!¡± The golden ball twisted, showing no expression, but its tone was incredibly animated.


    ¡°Could it be that you don¡¯t want to y?¡± It hummed in displeasure, ¡°If you refuse, you¡¯ll be dolls, you knew that when you came in, right! You can¡¯t refuse to y!¡±


    ¡°Tell us how to y. What are the rules?¡± Zhang Hua stood up, shook off the mud on his sses, put them back on, his expression was one of indifference, ¡°Dead sooner orter¡­ I hope it ends soon.¡±


    He seemed to have given up on struggling, there was not a trace of will to live in his eyes.


    ¡°It will be very quick.¡± The golden ball chuckled, ¡°The game duration is only 20 seconds, it will end very quickly!¡±


    Shen MO furrowed his brow.


    This ce was dimly lit and full of mud everywhere. Whether running or jumping, it would require a lot of effort. If the game time was only 20 seconds, it probably wouldn¡¯t be good news for the yers.


    Bai Youwei also slightly furrowed her brow.


    She knew of her own disadvantage. If the game was action-based and had a time limit, she would probably have no choice but to await her fate.


    No one could carry her anymore.


    With mud all over the ground, if Shen MO were to carry her, it would just lead to their mutual demise!


    ¡°I¡¯m going to introduce the game rules now, everyone, listen carefully! I¡¯ll only say them once, if you can¡¯t remember the rules, you¡¯re likely to die-¡±


    Your trantion should closely resemble those of a native English speaker, so please pay close attention to context and nuance.


    The tone of the ¡°oh¡± at the end of the sentence was drawn out very long.


    This kind of childish tone was cringe-worthy, but no one cared. At this moment, they were hanging on to every word of the golden ball announcing the rules¡ª


    It rotated around for a bit first.


    The golden texture of the sphere sparkled under the light.


    ¡°Have you all seen it? Here, this is a golden ball. In a while, I¡¯ll throw the ball from any position, at any angle, and with any force, your task is to find me within 20 seconds.¡±


    Jin Qiu spoke with a proud tone, ¡°As long as one person finds the ball, everyone can pass! It¡¯s easy, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s simple and fun! It¡¯s even better than the games by other Inspectors, right?¡±


    ¡°What constitutes finding it?¡± Tan Xiao, like a calf unafraid of a tiger, daringly stood out and asked, ¡°Does it count if I see it with my eyes?¡±


    ¡°No, that doesn¡¯t count.¡± The golden ball floated in the air, moving from side to side, mimicking a human shaking their head, ¡°There are two criteria to finding the golden ball¡ª


    One, your hand must make contact with the ball;


    Two, the ball must be in a state of rest.


    It floated a bit higher and said amodatingly: ¡°To help you all understand better, I¡¯ll give a demonstration first!¡±

 Chapter 30 - 30 A Demonstration

    Chapter 30: A Demonstration


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Jin Qiu flitted about the cave, floating up and down restlessly, like a child seeking an ideal spot for a game of hide-and-seek.


    So childish.


    Bai Youwei found it a bit of a farce.


    Although the rabbit-headed figure from the previous game also felt like aedy act, at least it was calm andposed, and its actions carried an impression of rigid, programmed directives. It seemed like it was merely following protocol, wasted no words, and revealed no emotions.


    But what was the deal with this golden sphere now?


    Such an object appearing in this life-or-death situation was quite vexing.


    Shen MO whispered to her, ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound too difficult, just having one person find the ball will end the game. But earlier on our way here, there were quite a few dead yers.¡±


    In other words, all those people had lost their lives in this game.


    If it was such a simple game, why did so many people die?


    Bai Youwei carelessly quipped, ¡°Having a race with a rabbit doesn¡¯t sound difficult either.¡¯


    Didn¡¯t many people die anyways?


    Shen MO fell silent for a moment before asking, ¡°Could we use the rabbit?¡±


    Bai Youwei nced at him, not responding immediately. Gently squeezing the stuffed rabbit¡¯s ears in her hand, mud dripped down with each squeeze.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare use it,¡± she murmured.


    Leave aside whether the rabbit had enough electricity; just considering the mud-filled environment was enough to deter her. Who could guarantee that a lightning strike wouldn¡¯t char all the yers to a crisp?


    She didn¡¯t care about the others, but Shen MO had to survive.


    Seeing her like this, Shen MO didn¡¯t say any more. He just quietly told her, ¡°Keep the starting gun close.¡±


    Bai Youwei obediently responded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    The starting gun wasn¡¯t actually of much use in this ce, but it was better than nothing- -at least she had something to rely on.


    Meanwhile, Shen MO tucked Bai Youwei¡¯s folded fruit knife into his waistband behind him.


    ¡°My military knife disappeared when we entered the game,¡± he said quietly, ¡°From the look of things, any obvious weapon will be shielded by this game.¡± ¡°The Inspector must ensure the game goes smoothly,¡± Bai Youwei sneered.


    First, they meticulously ensure the yers¡¯ personal safety, then cruelly snatch away their lives. Just like the game¡¯s name ¡ª Puppet Game. All entrants are just puppets in the game, with no rights, no individuality, no freedom. ¡°Alrighty! I choose this spot!¡± the childlike voice rang out again. After some indecisiveness, Jin Qiu finally chose a location.


    Everyone¡¯s heart pounded in their chest.


    Jin Qiu was seen hanging above a middle-aged, fat man¡¯s head, roughly halfway between the cave ceiling and the mud pit.


    ¡°Watch closely, once I¡¯m done demonstrating, the game will officially start. Remember, you only have 20 seconds to find the ball!¡± Jin Qiu¡¯s voice rang out loud, ¡°Here goes, I¡¯m going tounch it!¡ª All eyes focused on the sphere.


    Boom!


    The ball left a streak in its wake!


    With unimaginable speed and force, it struck the mud pit, spraying mud and water three meters in the air!


    The faces of all the spectators turned ashen.


    But the ball didn¡¯t stop!


    After hitting the mud, it bounced up high again, striking the solid cave wall with a metallic resonance!-


    Thud thud thud thud!!!


    A series of rebounds ensued!


    Spouts of dark mud erupted, each followed by the deafening impact sound! The asional unpredictable ricochet was nothing short of a boulder tumbling down a mountain path!


    ¡°Aaaah!!!¡±


    A young woman screamed, clutching her head as she tumbled down into a shellfish-like structure. Jin Qiu missed her head by a hair¡¯s breadth and smashed into another structure, ricocheting into the unknown! The entire cave reverberated with the thudding noises¡ªincessantly echoing!


    When everything finally stopped¡ª


    The cave bore an entirely different scene.


    It looked as horrific as an exploded juicer..

 Chapter 31 - 31: 31: Violent Ball Game

    Chapter 31 - 31: 31: Violent Ball Game


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The surrounding stone walls were entirely smeared with thin, saturated mud, trickling downward.


    The muddy pit beneath everyone¡¯s feet was a myriad of unclear holes.


    ¡ªJin Qiu was in one of them.


    No one spoke.


    Nor did anyone move.


    The color of gold often gave people a sense of luxury, but it also made it easy for people to overlook its inherent hard metal quality. What would happen if you were hit by a metal asrge as a basin and at high speed?


    The lighter cases would fracture bones.


    The graver ones would directly result in death!


    The middle-aged, overweight man, positioned as the server, stood stiffly, his face as white as paper. Arge bubble appeared in the mud water beside his legs due to the vibration. It burst with a ¡°pop,¡± prompting the man to shudder.


    The faint stench of urine pervaded the area¡­


    The cave was gloomy, damp, hot, and utterly silent.


    No one found the time to mock.


    Everyone only stared at those holes, afraid that Jin Qiu would shoot out again.


    ¨C It was a ball of extremely hard texture, but it bounced like a fully inted rubber ball! During its rapid movement just now, Jin Qiu nearly hit people several times. The ssh of mud caught everyone off guard and made it impossible to avoid. So now, everyone sat or stood like sculptures, looking pitifully ridiculous covered in caked mud!


    Even our legs feel weak.


    Bai Youwei quickly counted and identified more than thirty holes within her line of sight alone, not to mention the countless others beyond her sight, implying that the number of rebounds for Jin Qiu was at least over sixty.


    She finally understood why the gamested only 20 seconds.


    One of the characteristics of mud is its softness. When a puddle of mud is smashed into a hole, the surrounding mud would slide downward due to gravity, eventually filling up the hole again.


    Therefore, if they wanted to find Jin Qiu in the hole, they had to take action before the hole was filled.


    Bai Youwei sorted out her thoughts. In a sh, those 20 seconds had passed.


    Most of the mud holes had already copsed and merged with the surrounding mud, leaving behind only a few vaguely visible depression marks.


    No one knew where Jin Qiu was.


    Everyone was shocked by the speed and power just now, and moreover, their vision was blurred by the mud sshing around. Nobody knew where Jin Qiu had finallynded.


    After 20 seconds, a section of the muddy ground suddenly bulged, and Jin Qiu broke out!


    It shook up and down, rotated left and right, and the mud on it was flung clean off, returning to its brilliant golden appearance.


    ¡°What the hell¡ª¡± theining tone was slow and long, exceptionally dissatisfied. Jin Qiu asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t youe looking for me? I told you earlier, there¡¯s only one demonstration! The whole of 20 seconds, and you didn¡¯t even look inside one hole?!¡±


    The faces of the crowd were bitter as they looked at it.


    Look for the ball?


    Just a little distracted, and their heads could explode! They didn¡¯t even have time to hide, how were they supposed to look?!


    Jin Qiu scanned the crowd indignantly (even though it had no eyes) and said begrudgingly, ¡°Forget it, the demonstration is over! Now, let the game begin!


    The theme of this game is the golden ball of a frog. The Inspector will serve the ball at any location, angle, and strength. If the yer finds the ball within 20 seconds, they can pass.


    To find the ball, one, your hand must touch the ball, two, the ball must be still.


    Are you ready? Let¡¯s start¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait a moment, please.¡±


    A gentle voice resounded from the crowd.


    Everyone looked towards the voice. It was Bai Youwei.


    She was sitting on a snail, propping up her elbow. Her scattered long hair was soaked and wet, clumped together in strands, and her wide skirt saturated with mud stuck to the snail shell. She resembled a stranded mermaid, quiet and fragile.


    Only her gaze was gloomy; a cold smile yed on the corners of her lips, forming an eerie contrast with her disheveled appearance.


    Bai Youwei raised one hand, and asked, ¡°The game rules, aren¡¯t they missing something?¡±

 Chapter 32 - 32: 32 Where is the Frog

    Chapter 32 - 32: 32 Where is the Frog


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Jin Qiu was puzzled, muttering to himself: ¡°What am I missing?¡­ No, these are all the game rules.¡±


    ¡°What about the frog?¡± Bai Youwei sneered at it. ¡°The theme of the game is ¡®Frog¡¯s Golden Ball¡¯, where is the ¡®frog!?¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, a look of panic appeared on everyone else¡¯s faces. They turned their heads to look around, fearing that countless frogs could suddenly leap out from the dark corners.


    Jin Qiu fell silent.


    After a while, it let out a cunningugh: ¡°The frog, eh¡­ You¡¯ll find out soon.¡±


    With that, it floated to the highest point of the cave, just beneath the circr opening, with the sunlight making the sphere even more dazzling.


    ¡°The game is about to start, yers have one minute to prepare, now the countdown begins, 59, 58, 57¡­¡±


    Everyone was panicked!


    Almost instantly, someone cried in rm, ¡°President Zhang! What should we do now?!¡±


    People instinctively sought help from their leader, but at this moment, Zhang Hua wasn¡¯t the gentle, polite, and considerate man they knew. He coldly turned his back on them and stood motionless between two snails, paying no attention to anyone else.


    Hui Ge mocked, ¡°You see that? Your ¡®President Zhang¡¯ can¡¯t even save himself. Who¡¯s going to care if you live or die? He¡¯s your ¡®President Zhang¡¯, not your dad! What a bunch of morons!¡±


    Bai Youwei pondered for a moment and then motioned for Tan Xiao toe over.


    Tan Xiao was daze but quickly headed towards her when he saw Bai Youwei beckoning him.


    Bai Youwei said, ¡°Teacher Chang is in poor health, you help him stand over there. The golden ball is bounced off the stone wall and the snails. ces without snails are rtively safer.¡±


    Without saying another word, Tan Xiao immediately went over to support Chang Weicai.


    The others heard and hurriedly searched for suitable ces.


    That¡¯s when they realized that the spot where President Zhang was standing was exactly the ¡°rtively safe position¡± Bai Youwei had mentioned. In other words, Zhang Hua knew how to dodge the golden ball, but had no intention of telling them!


    Everyone¡¯s faces turned bitter and resentful.


    ¡°How can someone be so selfish? What good does our death do him!¡± a middle-aged woman grumbled.


    No one indignantly questioned or condemned him because the countdown was nearing its end.


    Shen MO ced Bai Youwei in a corner of the cave. With the stone wall behind her, arge snail on her right, and the open mud on her left and in front of her.


    Whether it was hiding or running, this was an excellent location.


    But Shen MO didn¡¯t n on staying here because it was too far off to the side and didn¡¯t offer a good view of the golden ball¡¯s trajectory. He was the type who liked to take the initiative.


    He took off his military boots, rolled up his pants, and stood barefoot in the mud. His ck eyes were focused on the far-off ball, waiting for it to prepare to serve. Then, he would make his move.


    ¡°7¡­6¡­5¡­4¡­3¡­2¡­¡±


    Jin Qiu moved slightly.


    ¡°¡­1.¡±


    It stopped, wobbling in the air before it floated to a spot and dered in its teasing childlike voice that echoed throughout the cave¡ª ¡°Game, start.¡±


    Bang!


    The shock happened again!


    Collisions! Ricochets! Echoes! The entire cave was trembling!


    Mud sshed all over in front of Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes, making it impossible for her to see where the others were. All she could hear were screams and cries, the noise deafening!


    ¡°Shen MO!¡± She screamed at the top of her lungs.


    Not being able to see him made her anxious.


    Call her melodramatic or selfish, but the fact was, she couldn¡¯t be without Shen MO right now! Shen MO was her legs! He was her life!


    A mud-covered figure crawled and rolled over. He paused when he saw Bai Youwei before lunging at her, mumbling in his mouth, ¡°Move! This spot is mine!¡±


    Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes widened.


    The figure blended with the golden light suddenly appeared behind him, and in an instant, both the figure and the ball smashed into the stone wall!


    The golden ball disappeared, but the person remained¡­


    Broken and destroyed.


    He slid into the mud, merging into it..

 Chapter 33 - 33: 33 Hide Quickly, Bugs

    Chapter 33 - 33: 33 Hide Quickly, Bugs


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Bai Youwei turned around, feeling nauseous.


    Her stomach roiled, yet nothing came up.


    The rumbling on the other side had finally subsided. No one knew how many were killed or injured. Those who survived were standing still in the mud, stunned and at a loss.


    A tall, skinny guy named Hui was unusually brave. He shouted at everyone: ¡°What the fuck are you waiting for?! Start looking! We only have 20 seconds! Fuck!¡±


    The crowd finally snapped out of their daze and began to search for a ball nearby.


    ¡°Look in this direction,¡± Shen MO suddenly said, with chilling calmness. ¡°Thest ssh was around here.¡±


    The area pointed out by Shen MO had about a dozen pits, reducing the search area by at least two-thirds.


    Tan Xiao was the closest one and didn¡¯t hesitate to lead the search.


    Hui was taken aback for a moment, he immediately followed suit, bringing along two of his men to join the search for the ball.


    Those who had fought fiercelyst night were now uniting in order to survive.


    However, the pits were copsing and filling up with time, making it impossible to tell where the golden ball was. The men could only use all their strength to dig in the mud.


    Handful after handful, their hands were full of the slushy, gooey mud, and they still couldn¡¯t touch the hard texture of the ball.


    Bai Youwei watched them from a distance.


    Then, she turned her head and looked at the corpses sinking into the mud.


    Her terrified heart was slowly calming down¡­


    A familiar sense of excitement began to arise from the depths of her heart.


    She wasn¡¯t happy because people were dying, she wasn¡¯t that twisted.


    It was just likest time, just like participating in an extreme sport. There was fear, trembling, and unease, but also anticipation.


    Before she could figure out why she was feeling this way, a child¡¯s voice echoed in the cave, sounding gleeful ¨C


    ¡°The frog ising, bugs, hide!¡±


    Everyone froze.


    Then the ground started to shake, the mud trembled! A golden ball rolled out of the churning mud ¨C


    ¡°It¡¯s there!¡± someone shouted with excitement. ¡°Quick!¡­¡±


    But then an even bigger tremor shook the ground and the entire mud pit seemed to boil. Everyone fell or rolled over, unable to keep their bnce, let alone touch the golden ball which was gradually moving away!


    Large chunks of mud rose and fell and a massive creature finally appeared before them!


    Its body was as big as a five or six-story building!


    Its color, a vibrantly rich turquoise!


    Its eyes bulged out! Its extraordinarily wide mouth nearly engulfed half its head!


    A frog!


    The frog that the Inspector had mentioned finally showed up!


    Someone cried out in horror, ¡°Run!!


    Before the voice could fade, people were already scattering in all directions!


    But with the mud everywhere, how fast could they run?


    And it wasn¡¯t as if everyone was running. Some people were paralyzed, nkly staring at the colossal beast before them, their minds were nk, their legs just not obeying theirmands.


    Bai Youwei saw the frog open its mouth.


    A long tongue shot out from it.


    Its bright red color was slick with mucus, like a rubber band, it snapped out, growing longer and longer before sticking to a struggling woman in the pit ¡ª


    That half-second was extremely short, yet for Bai Youwei, it seemed tost for a minute.


    She watched as the woman¡¯s expression froze the moment the tongue stuck to her and then it snapped back like lightning! The woman disappeared into the wide mouth before she could even make a sound!


    Gollum.


    Swallowed¡­


    Bai Youwei¡¯s whole body went numb.


    She felt as if she was being pierced by countless needles, her body ached! And felt cold!


    The fleeing people had no idea what was happening behind them. They continued to move, wading through the mud, straining to find a cover!


    And right behind them, the frog¡¯s tongue continued to extend and retract with a rapid speed, like it was feasting on a swarm of headless flies, enjoying itself to the fullest!


    The frog ising, bugs better hide.


    Bai Youwei slowly clenched her fists.


    So the frog¡¯s golden ball, that¡¯s what it was all about¡­.

 Chapter 34 - 34: 34 Current Game Failure

    Chapter 34 - 34: 34 Current Game Failure


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The frog¡¯s golden ball¡ª


    Find the golden ball within 20 seconds, or else the frog hiding in the mud will emerge, eating the bugs that disturb its peaceful dreams.


    As for where the frog will pop out from, it can¡¯t be estimated, because stepping on its squishy skin feels no different than stepping on wet mud.


    But this isn¡¯t right.


    Bai Youwei stared unblinkingly at the enormously giant frog with a whirlwind of thoughts in her mind.


    This isn¡¯t right.


    The difficulty level of this stage is too high!


    First, one has to evade the trajectory of the golden ball, then ovee the difficulty of walking through the mud soup, and the time to find the golden ball is only a mere 20 seconds!


    In the end, they still have to face this frog, as huge as a skyscraper!


    A game wouldn¡¯t be possible without giving yers any chances to survive.


    Even in thest brutal race, as long as you ran fast enough, had abundant physical strength, or had rich knowledge, or answered each question correctly, or were heartless enough to use others as stepping stones ¡ª no matter what sort of advantage, you could win the game!


    But in this game, Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t see any hope of survival.


    How many more people will the frog eat?


    When will the game end?


    The golden ball has already appeared, who can get the golden ball under the frog¡¯s nose?


    Each seemingly simple question is so deadly!


    At this moment, the screams in the cave gradually subsided, no figures could be seen at a nce. Only by careful observation, would you find people huddled behind snail shells, shivering in terror.


    No one dared to move, even their breaths were lost in the air.


    Bai Youwei was unable to move a hair.


    She sat in the muddy ground, blending almost perfectly with her surroundings, her shimmering eyes quietly searching for Shen Mo. When she found Shen MO and Tan Xiao hiding in a blind spot behind the frog, she rxed slightly.


    Shen MO is fine.


    He is just temporarily safe. No matter how brave he is, he would not be able to face this frog.


    The frog, after consuming all the people in front of it, crouched motionless in the mud. Due to its gigantic body or perhaps due to the game design, it didn¡¯t move a muscle.


    The situation turned into a stalemate.


    Everyone was waiting, waiting for a turn of events.


    Time ticked away, as if not much time has passed but also as if every second was agonizing. Finally, the frog showed signs of movement¡ª


    It straightened its two fat front flippers, dug through the mud before it, and burrowed.


    After pedaling twice with its rear legs, the entire body disappeared into the mud!


    The soup of mud rippled for a few seconds and then everything reverted to its initial state.


    Bai Youwei closed her eyes, opened them again, and the frog and the golden ball were both out of her sight, leaving only a crowd of traumatized people in the deadly silent surroundings.


    After a silent wait, people began to emerge from behind the snail¡¯s shells one by one. They wiped off the mudwater on their faces, their expressions frozen from fear and disbelief.


    Shen MO came back to find Bai Youwei, examined her from top to bottom, and asked her, ¡°Are you hurt?¡±


    Bai Youwei shook her head gently.


    Shen MO bent down to pick her up and put her on a snail next to them, then turned his head to look at the other people. The crease on his forehead was obvious, hinting at a sense of helplessness.


    ¡°The 20 seconds have passed and the golden ball hasn¡¯t been found. I don¡¯t know what this stage of the game could mean.¡± he said in a low voice.


    It certainly does not count as clearing the stage.


    But they didn¡¯t turn into puppets either, because they were still alive.


    Crying could be heard in the cave.


    The survivors were calling out the names of their family members, parents, spouse, ssmates, friends¡­ some found bodies with bones smashed by the golden ball; some couldn¡¯t find bodies at all, presumably swallowed by the frog.


    Just as the grief was about to overflow, the golden ball appeared again.


    ¡°The current game has failed, there are 19 surviving yers, now entering the second round of ¡®The Frog¡¯s Golden Ball¡¯, please prepare yourselves¡ª¡±

 Chapter 35 - 35: 35 The Role of Field Snails

    Chapter 35 - 35: 35 The Role of Field Snails


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Having said that, it floated toward the high part of the cave, still beneath that round aperture, saying in a cheerful tone:


    ¡°The second round of the game is about to begin. yers have one minute to prepare. The countdown begins, 59, 58, 57, 56¡­¡±


    The air seemed to freeze.


    Hatred, anger, pain, heartbreak, in the biting countdown, they all became worthless.


    All emotions were suppressed by the threat of death.


    People scattered, their faces expressionless, looking for suitable ces to hide.


    ¡°50, 49, 48¡­¡¯


    Shen MO scanned his surroundings, contemting whether to switch Bai Youwei¡¯s location. Then, Bai Youwei grasped his arm and pointed toward a shell nearby.


    All the snails here are empty shells, half of their openings sunk into the mud, the other half exposed, like a semi-circr door. By leaning inside, she could vaguely see the space stretching inward.


    ¡°Do you want me to carry you inside?¡± Shen MO looked into her eyes, ¡°If we are hit by Jin Qiu, the snail shell will sink.¡±


    Every time it was hit, the snail shell would sink deeper into the mud, perhaps half-way, or perhapspletely, depending on the force of Jin Qiu¡¯s blow.


    So, if Bai Youwei really wanted to hide inside the shell, she might be buried alive.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s voice was cool and calm, ¡°The air inside should be enough for me to hide for a while. And don¡¯t forget, even if Jin Qiu knocks the shell into the mud, it¡¯s just for 20 seconds. After 20 seconds, the frog will turn the mud, and the shell wille back to the surface.¡¯


    Certainly it was so.


    Earlier, the whole cave was smashed with pits by Jin Qiu, many snail shells were buried, but when the frog appeared, the cave was like experiencing an earthquake, and all the buried shells were turned over.


    Shen MO pondered, ¡°The game has a lot of snails, they can¡¯t be here for no reason. Perhaps, the presence of snails is to create a cover for the yers?¡± ¡°Perhaps¡­¡± Bai Youwei mumbled.


    She seemed to be thinking about something else, somewhat absent-minded.


    Shen MO looked at her, didn¡¯t ask more, and carried her into the shell, cing her securely inside.


    ¡°32, 31, 30, 29¡­¡±


    The countdown was still going on.


    Shen MO didn¡¯t n to hide. Hiding in a shell, though safe, prohibited him from observing the situation outside.


    He wanted to stay outside, to clearly see where Jin Qiu will ultimatelynd.


    Then, hiding in the corner, teacher Cheng suddenly stood up and shouted with all his energy, ¡°Everybody, listen to me! We can hide in the snail shells, the frog is a creature of motion-based vision! As long as we don¡¯t move, we¡¯re nothing more than clumps of mud in its eyes! It won¡¯t notice us!¡±


    ¡°Old man, get down! The countdown is about to end!!!¡±


    Tan Xiao rushed out suddenly, hurriedly grabbed teacher Cheng¡¯s arm, and forcefully dragged him back!


    ¡°Are you looking for death?! Watch out for that blind ball smashing you into pieces!¡±


    Teacher Cheng stumbled, looking distressedly at Tan Xiao, ¡°Xiao Tan! We need to think of a way to save ourselves! We can¡¯t just wait to die! Faster, tell everyone to hide in the snail shells! We can¡¯t let the frog eat again!!


    Perhaps because of his profession, although teacher Cheng¡¯s voice was old and hoarse, it echoed strong, particrly loud.


    Tan Xiao frantically pushed him into the shell and nodded repeatedly, ¡°Got it, got it! Everyone heard! Hey old man, be quick, climb in as soon as you can!¡± ¡°16, 15, 14¡­


    Tan Xiao turned to go to his chosen snail shell, but found it¡¯s already taken by someone ¨C the chubby guy who peed his pants! The fat on his body tightly blocked the shell.


    Tan Xiao: ¡°Shit!¡±


    There were other snail shells at a farther distance, but walking in the mud was not easy, and there was not enough time left!


    Tan Xiao ran desperately toward another snail shell!


    Jin Qiu hovered in mid-air, its tone was inevitably gloating¡ª


    ¡°Game, start..¡±

 Chapter 36 - 36: 36: The Key Is

    Chapter 36 - 36: 36: The Key Is


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    As the words fell, Tan Xiao let out a terrified shriek, lunging towards the river snail and clinging tightly to it! Jin Qiu whizzed past behind him!


    Bang Bang Dong Dong!


    A new round of ¡°Dodgeball¡± began!


    Mud sttered in all directions, the deafening sound echoed, Bai Youwei silently curled up in the shell, she could hear Tan Xiao¡¯s embarrassed screams and curses from outside.


    She couldn¡¯t hear anything from Shen Mo.


    This man was really tough, he didn¡¯t have to go so far, wouldn¡¯t it be better to hide in the shell? Why did he always feel the need to save the world?


    Bai Youwei was dissatisfied in her heart, but she also knew that she was not in a position to criticize Shen Mo. Because if Shen MO was even a tiny bit more selfish, she wouldn¡¯t have survived until now. The crash from outside finally stopped.


    Next, it was time to look for Jin Qiu.


    There was a countdown for the yers to prepare, but not for the 20 seconds to find Jin Qiu. This easily made one lose track of time. As soon as the crash stopped, Bai Youwei began counting the seconds silently, propping up the inner wall of the shell with her elbow, and slowly getting out.


    Her legs were numb and her movements were clumsy. When she slid out of the shell, she had already reached 13, which meant that there were 7 seconds left before the frog woulde out.


    Bai Youwei clung to the shell and began to climb upwards.


    First, she grabbed the edge of the shell with both hands, then propped her upper body up with her elbows, and shuffled forward slowly.


    But she was wet and the shell was covered in mud. She would slip down each time she climbed, only to climb up again, and then slip back down. She missed the times when Shen MO would effortlessly hoist her onto the snail.


    Twenty secondster, the cave started to shake. The snail tipped over and Bai Youwei climbed up along with it.


    Once her position was elevated, her field of vision also cleared up.


    She saw Shen MO and Tan Xiao shoveling mud. In thest round, there were a few young men helping, but this time there were only the two of them, regardless of the danger, regardless of the consequences, they kept digging deeper until their bodies were overturned by the tremendous amplitude, then they retreated, using a nearby snail as a cover.


    Shen MO saw Bai Youwei lying on top of the shell, his gaze flickered slightly, he was about to call out a warning, but the frogs were already flooding out. He had to keep quiet and warned Bai Youwei to be careful with his eyes.


    Bai Youweiy quietly on the snail, watching him for a moment, then slowly turned her gaze elsewhere.


    She observed the terrain, the frogs, and the snails. There were only these few things in the cave, there must be some trick to it.


    She noticed that some shells revealed a pair of feet, the person hiding inside didn¡¯t move, but the mud-covered legs and feet couldn¡¯t stop shaking. Just as she had said earlier, when the frogs appeared, they would turn the snails buried in the mud out onto the surface.


    With this in mind, the existence of the frog, rather than being a punishment for losing the game, is a reset of the game, so that there would be enough snails to serve asunch pads for Jin Qiu in the next round.


    So, the key was the snails?


    Bai Youwei had a few ideas in her mind, but she was not quite sure, she might need to try more¡­


    She looked again at the massive frog not far away.


    It satzily in the mud, its flesh was saggy and piled up, its oily green flesh was striking against the ck-grey mud water.


    Everyone was hiding from it, thus it had no ¡°insects¡± to eat, it seemed extremely bored.


    Bai Youwei thought again: There won¡¯t only be one breakthrough in the game, just like a difficult question on an exam paper, there will always be multiple solutions. If the frog never got to eat ¡°insects¡±, could the game still be passed?


    ¡­No, instead of worrying about what the frog would do, it was better to consider the intention of the game set by the Inspector, otherwise, the mystery would always remain a mystery.


    She thought about a lot of things in her mind and made various assumptions. Unconsciously, time passed and a frog without ¡°insects¡± to eat burrowed into the mud and disappeared.


    This movement brought Bai Youwei back to her senses, she was momentarily stunned.


    Compared to the initial fear, she now seemed¡­ truly immersed in the game..

 Chapter 37 - 37: A Little Bit Higher

    Chapter 37: A Little Bit Higher


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    She finally understood the source of her earlier excitement.


    In this tense and thrilling game, she suppressed her excited heartbeat, because¡­ because here she is no longer iplete. To some extent, she was the same as them, equal.


    Even, she might be slightly above them.


    Because she had a vague idea of how to clear the stage.


    It was truly ironic that the pitiful Xiaoke, who was discriminated against, ignored, and had no presence in reality and had no say, had found a sense of belonging in a game as absurd as a nightmare.


    Bai Youwei suddenly understood the boisterousness of those hooligans.


    Although she despised their behavior at the time, she had to admit that the feeling of having power was indeed wonderful, and few people could resist it. She looked down at the palm of her hand, slowly clenched it, and then slowly opened it again.


    There was nothing there, she was staring at it.


    Just as she was staring, Shen MO and Tan Xiao returned.


    Both of them were covered in mud, with mud in their hair, looking ragged, exhausted, and serious.


    Even Tan Xiao, the careless one, had lost his jokester demeanor. He said with a mournful expression to Shen MO, ¡°Damn it, there¡¯s too little time, what can we do in 20 seconds? It¡¯s not even enough time for me to pee! I had just dug a hole, and time was up!¡±


    Shen MO didn¡¯t speak. He checked Bai Youwei¡¯s leg to make sure she was okay, and then turned to Tan Xiao and said, ¡°Three minutes.¡±


    Tan Xiao blinked, looking confused: ¡°¡­Huh? What three minutes?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s talking about frog time.¡±


    Someone else chimed in. It was Zhang Hua, the original leader.


    He had just crawled out of a shell and was leaning on a snail taking a breather, saying expressionlessly: ¡°From the appearance of the frog to its departure, it took 3 minutes and 15 seconds in total. If we exclude the mud turning process, there¡¯s only 3 minutes.¡±


    It seemed that those who had made it through a game round had something extraordinary about them. This Zhang Hua seemed particrly sharp with numbers and time.


    Tan Xiao understood, and suddenly realized: ¡°So we just need to hold out for 3 minutes to make it to the next round?¡±


    Shen MO looked at him, corrected him: ¡°Making it to the next round is meaningless, but we have 3 minutes to kill the frog.¡± Tan Xiao¡¯s eyes widened: ¡°Kill¡­ kill¡­ kill the frog?¡±


    Zhang Hua also looked startled.


    ¡°Big bro, are you kidding?¡± Tan Xiao said incredulously, his eyes wide in rm, ¡°That thing is almost as big as a small building, how can we kill it?!¡±


    Shen MO had a folding fruit knife in his hand, he opened the knife and calmly wiped off the mud, saying calmly, ¡°20 seconds is too short. Even if we can determine thending range, we want to find the golden ball among dozens of holes. 20 seconds is not enough. The time limit is decided by the frog. If we can kill the frog, we can extend the time to find the golden ball.¡±


    The harsh and straightforward reality in front of them was: there wasn¡¯t enough time.


    The ball was in one of the holes.


    But whether it was walking in the mud or digging in the mud, it took too much time.


    Shen Mo¡¯s approach, though seemingly absurd, is undoubtedly correct. 20 seconds is fleeting, they must strive for more time.


    Tan Xiao opened his mouth and closed it, closed it and opened it again, struggling with a decision, and finally, after a long time, he took a deep breath, as if he had made up his mind. He said menacingly, ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s do it! I am not scared of it!¡±


    At his words, Shen MO responded with a strange look, ¡°You¡¯re weaponless, just focus on finding the ball. I¡¯ll handle the frog.¡±


    Tan Xiao:


    Wow, that got intense.


    At this time, Jin Qiu appeared again, floating in mid-air,ughing:


    ¡°Current game failure, surviving yers 19. Now entering the third round of


    ¡®Frog¡¯s Golden Ball¡¯. Please be prepared, yers! Countdown to start,


    59¡­58¡­57¡­.¡±

 Chapter 38 - 38 Shen MO’s Arrangement

    Chapter 38: Shen MO¡¯s Arrangement


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The moment the countdown began, Tan Xiao could not help but swear.


    Zhang Hua quietly observed Shen MO and Tan Xiao before climbing back into the shell without a word.


    Out of 19 people, no one died in the second round.


    Now, as the third round was about to start, only Shen MO and Tan Xiao were brave enough to risk their lives; the rest of them were hiding in their shells¡ª


    They all knew very well that if they could not find the golden ball, they would remain trapped here, even if they weren¡¯t eaten by frogs.


    Everyone knew this.


    And yet not one dared toe out!


    An old man with white temples tumbled out of the shell, his small bodynding in the mud, his mouth full of foul-smelling sludge!


    He coughed violently, once again imploring the others: ¡°Don¡¯t give up! Cough, cough!¡­ We have 19 people. If each person searches one hole, that¡¯s 19 holes.


    The probability of finding the golden ball is very high! Cough, cough, cough!¡±


    Tan Xiao cursed at him: ¡°You old fool, do you have a death wish? Hurry back inside!¡±


    Chang Weicai strained his voice: ¡°With each additional person, our power grows! We cannot be intimidated, we cannot be defeated! As long as we stand together, there is hope!!!¡±


    Tan Xiao, bristling with irritation, walked over and furiously shoved Chang Weicai back into the shell.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on with you, old man? Can you stop messing around? Get back in! In, in, in!¡±


    Chang Weicai refused, leaning on the shell, he earnestly told Tan Xiao,


    ¡°Xiaotan, everyone must die eventually. I¡¯m old, it¡¯s not a big loss if I die. But I can¡¯t just watch everyone sit and wait for death! Right now we have the advantage with our numbers, we must act swiftly. Otherwise, if we stay here too long, everyone will get tired, hungry, sleepy and lose their strength¡­ then we¡¯ll be even less likely to get out!¡±


    Despite his age, the old man was very clear-headed.


    Tan Xiao was so frustrated he thought his head would explode!


    He wasn¡¯t afraid of arguments or fights, but he dreaded people who reasoned with him. Even more so when the person was a teacher ¡ª someone who could argue with convincing logic until he had no rebuttal!


    Chang Weicai continued: ¡°The environment here is hot and humid, putrid smelling; if we stay too long we¡¯ll have problems! Do you know how many parasites live on snails? Do you know how many diseases parasites can cause?


    Do you know how troublesome it is when one bes infected with parasites?


    We can¡¯t just wait inside the shell to die!¡±


    Whether they were genuinely persuaded by Chang Weicai or frightened by the talk of parasites, several people started to crawl out from the shells one after another ¨C men and women, young and old, including a group of hoodlums led by Hui.


    One among them said, ¡°We don¡¯t want just wait for death, but the ball flies too fast, and there are too many holes where it could be. We really have no idea how to find it.


    They¡¯d given their reasons, not really out of a fear of death, but to save face in front of everyone else.


    Shen MO calmly said, ¡°I will try to find the finalnding point of the golden ball. If everyone searches near there, the probability of finding it will be higher.


    After 20 seconds, whether we find it or not, everyone should hide back inside the shell.¡±


    It was the best arrangement.


    If they found the ball, everyone would pass the game together.


    If they didn¡¯t, hiding inside the shell would keep them alive.


    As long as the frog left, they would have hope in the next round of the game.


    Everyone exchanged nces, implicitly agreeing to Shen Mo¡¯s n.


    The golden ball in the sky didn¡¯t seem to care about the discussion and arrangement among the people below. It continued the countdown joyfully,


    ¡°¡­5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Haha- the game starts now!¡±


    Bai Youwei had already been ced inside the shell by Shen Mo.


    She curled up silently inside the shell, gently touching the interior wall, feeling its vibrations, her mind bing more peaceful¡­


    She was just hesitating¡­. Should she tell him?

 Chapter 39 - 39: 39 47 seconds

    Chapter 39 - 39: 39 47 seconds


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Jin Qiu fiercely mmed against the cave walls.


    Mud sttered everywhere, obscuring vision, and the reverberating echoes messed with hearing.


    Shen MO kept a keen eye on Jin Qiu, continually adjusting his position to avoid being hit. He saw arge ssh of water up ahead, and Jin Qiu no longer bounced back. He immediately sped up to run over there ¡ª ¡°Stop! This way!¡±


    Everyone crawled out of the snail shell and ran towards where Shen MO was going! Then, without a second thought, they began frantically digging in the


    mud pit!


    The scene was truly thrilling and absurdlyical!


    Bai Youwei leisurely emerged from the snail shell, appreciating the spectacle stoically. Once she caught wind of certain hidden facts, she unconsciously exuded an aura of calm and leisure, beginning to enjoy this feeling of superiority that surpassed life and death.


    It was exhrating.


    It was addictive.


    Especially when she saw that man standing firm like a pine tree. Broad shoulders, solid back, slender waist, and those straight and powerful legs that were covered in wet mud¡­


    It was getting more pleasing to the eye.


    A handsome man is one thing, but the charisma disyed in the face of life and death is another. Shen MO, apparently, had both.


    Bai Youwei felt she was indeed a bit offbeat, otherwise, why would she think of such irrelevant things at a time like this?


    Then she thought: It¡¯s the end of the world, is it not okay for one to be a bit abnormal?


    She justified herself at ease.


    ¡°You know how to clear the game level?¡±


    A voice suddenly came from the side, sounding deep,ced with chilliness.


    Upon hearing the voice, Bai Youwei turned her head and saw Zhang Hua sitting on the edge of the snail shell, looking at her stiffly. The cold light reflecting off his sses gave him an icy appearance.


    Bai Youwei thought for a second, then turned the question back, ¡°Do you know?¡±


    Zhang Hua looked up slightly at the group of people frantically finding the ball in the distance; his cheerless look was chilling.


    ¡°Our methods are not the same.¡± he said.


    Bai Youwei, curious, tilted her head and replied, ¡°Oh? What¡¯s your method?¡± Also, how do you know that it is not the same as my method?


    Zhang Hua, however, did not borate further. He turned around and crawled back into the snail shell, muttering, ¡°The Frog ising, good luck.¡±


    20 seconds was indeed too short, and the teasing voice of Jin Qiu came from inside the cave soon after ¡ª


    ¡°The Frog ising, bugs, hide!¡±


    Before the voice could fully echo, those searching for the ball scattered, each looking for cover!


    But, the Frog came too swiftly this time!


    The massive body lunged, pushing those who were running away up into the air, their bodies tossed aloft, then sshed back into the mud!


    Halfway down, they were snatched by a bright red tongue and pulled into the monster¡¯s mouth!


    Bai Youwei was quite taken aback,


    She initially assumed that the Frog would crawl out slowly as it had in the previous round, looking for a suitable target to attack. She did not expect that this time, with the Frog¡¯s body not even halfway out, it would already be gaping wide, devouring people!


    Professor Cheng in the distance shouted in horror: ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t move! Stay in the mud! Don¡¯t move!!¡±


    Frogs use dynamic vision to distinguish between ¡°prey¡± and ¡°scenery¡±. As long as one remains still, it often cannot tell the difference.


    People who didn¡¯t have time to hide in the snail shell ally down, hoping to feign death to escape. But several of them fell withrge sshes that gave away their location, and they were quickly rolled up like bugs by the Frog¡¯s long tongue.


    Bai Youwei furrowed her brows slightly.


    She saw Shen MO moving counter to the crowd, fearless as he held the knife. He plunged it ruthlessly into the front leg of the Frog!


    The Frog trembled in pain!


    He took advantage of the situation, pulled out the de, flipped and jumped onto the Frog¡¯s back. He raised the knife again and stabbed it down with all his strength!


    ¡°Croak!¡±


    A tearing sound echoed!


    The croaking of the Frog and the sound of its skin tearing happened simultaneously!


    Improved Frog legs began to jump, the mud vibrating as if waves were surging in the cave!


    When the waves receded, Bai Youwei saw Shen MO half-hanging on the Frog.


    In his hand was the knife wrapped in green skin, without a trace of blood. White meat peeked from the inside, as if he had written a long ¡°1¡± on the Frog¡¯s body ¡ª


    The Frog was in such pain that it crazily dug itself into the mud!


    ¡°47 seconds.¡±


    Bai Youwei heard Zhang Hua¡¯s voiceing from not far away..

 Chapter 40 - 40: 40: These People

    Chapter 40 - 40: 40: These People


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    In the previous round, from the frog¡¯s arrival to its departure, it took exactly 3 minutes and 15 seconds.


    This time, it only took 47 seconds.


    Why has the time shortened?


    Is it because the frog was injured, so it retired early? If it were so, that would mean Shen MO had seeded in buying us an extra two and a half minutes to breathe.


    Peaceful silence lingered for a moment, slightly dissolving the frozen atmosphere in the cave. Those hiding in the muck tentatively lifted their heads, as did those in the shellbugs. Everyone looked around


    All was quiet.


    No frog, no ball.


    ¡­Were they really safe?


    Tan Xiao was the first to rise, scanning his surroundings, ¡°The ball? Does it still count if we find it now?¡±


    ¡°The ball was buried in the muck when the frog burrowed in just now¡± interjected a young man near Hui Ge.


    Tan Xiao recognized him, he was thin and tall like Hui Ge, with a small head,rge ears, long limbs: they called him Monkey.


    There was also a shorter one, nicknamed Spiky. Straining his neck, Tan Xiao asked curiously, ¡°Where¡¯s Spiky?¡±


    The look on Hui Ge and Monkey¡¯s faces turned sour.


    Tan Xiao btedly realized he had voiced out a foolish question, his expression temporarily stilled.


    When someone can¡¯t be seen under such circumstances, what other reason could there be besides being eaten by the frog?


    It wasn¡¯t just Spiky who was eaten.


    A middle-aged woman tearfullyined, ¡°I knew I should not have crawled out of the shellbugs. What¡¯s the point of searching for the ball, isn¡¯t it just like seeking death¡­ If it weren¡¯t for us helping you search for the ball, my Old Wu wouldn¡¯t be dead¡­¡±


    Fatso on the other side chimed in, ¡°The frog appeared so quickly, there was simply no time to hide. You guys sounded so honorable, talking about ¡®unity and cooperation¡¯ but in reality it¡¯s just so you can feel heroic while using us as living targets!¡±


    Those words were indeed malicious.


    Bai Youwei coldly raised an eyebrow, her darkened gaze fixating on these people.


    These people¡­


    When she was in danger, these weaklings only pretended to be asleep. Even if they died here, they deserved it. What right did they have to me others?!


    ¡°What the hell do you guys have in your brains? Shit?!¡± Tan Xiao exploded, leaping forward and cursing, ¡°I risked my life searching for that ball just to be a hero? You dare to say that again?!¡±


    Fatso remained silent, and the woman wept softly.


    Enraged, Tan Xiao pointed at them and shouted, ¡°You dare to say it was to help US find the ball! If you didn¡¯t search for the ball, you think you could still survive?! Let me tell you! Without the ball! None of us can escape! We¡¯re all waiting for death! ¡±


    He saw Chang Weicai muttering in a corner, anger rising. He roared, ¡°Old man! What are you mumbling?! Are you saying it was our fault those people died?


    Huh?!!¡±


    Teacher Chang jumped in fright, hastily waving his hands and saying, ¡°No, not at all! There¡­ There will be sacrifices, due to the frog¡¯s sudden appearance. Our initial n was sound, there were no issues. If we were to hold someone ountable, it should be the frog and this game that bear full responsibility. Everyone¡¯s lost someone, it¡¯s understandable to be emotionally vtile, it¡¯s understandable, understandable¡­.¡±


    After a pause, he added politely, ¡°I was just calcting the time. Because the frog appeared and left quickly this time, I wanted to calcte the time¡­¡± ¡°Did you finish your calctions then?¡± Tan Xiao impatiently asked. Teacher Chang shook his head, embarrassed, ¡°No¡­ I did not¡­¡±


    Tan Xiao furrowed his eyebrows even deeper, ¡°Aren¡¯t you a teacher?!¡±


    Teacher Chang replied, ¡°I teach Chinese Literature.¡±


    Tan Xiao was speechless.


    At that moment Shen MO, who¡¯d been silent the whole time, finally spoke, ¡°The frog did appear and disappear quite swiftly this time. If the same thing happens the next time, our original n will no longer be applicable.¡±


    His voice was serene, indifferent,pletely unaffected by the usations made earlier.


    Tan Xiao scratched his head, exasperated ¡°This frog is like a lunatic, who knows when it¡¯ll be quick! When it¡¯ll be slow!¡±

 Chapter 41 - 41: He Didn’t Say

    Chapter 41: He Didn¡¯t Say


    Trantor: 549690339


    As soon as the frog was mentioned, the conversation seemed to have reached a dead end.


    For a moment, everyone was silent, and the cave fell into quietude.


    But even when they did not speak, time was quietly flowing. Soon Jin Qiu would appear and inform them that the next round of the game was about to begin, putting their lives back on the line.


    During the silence, Brother Hui studied Shen MO and Tan Xiao. Gradually, suspicion began to surface in his eyes. ¡°You two aren¡¯t chickening out, are you?¡± he asked.


    ¡°If you¡¯re so brave, why don¡¯t you step up?!¡± Tan Xiao retorted, ring at him coldly.


    Brother Hui was momentarily taken aback.


    He quickly recovered, huffing slightly.


    ¡°I would, if I could,¡± he nced at Shen MO, ¡°pity I¡¯m not as physically capable as some others here.¡±


    Out of everyone present, only Shen MO could inflict substantial damage on the frog.


    ¡°To those more able goes more responsibility. Buddy, it appears you¡¯ll have to brave the front line in the next round,¡± Brother Hui grinned, his tone audacious and defiant.


    Tan Xiao despised Brother Hui¡¯s behaviour, but at the moment, it seemed they had no choice but to rely on Shen Mo.


    So, in an act of solidarity, he pped Shen MO on the shoulder, ¡°I¡¯ll back you up in the next round!¡±


    Shen Mo¡¯s face remained expressionless throughout.


    He held a small knife, using the muddy water to wipe off the mucus on it. The cold, fishy smell that emanated resembled that of a typical frog.


    ¡°The skin of the frog is thin, making it easy to wound, but the muscle is thick, limiting the depth of pration of the knife. If we hope to buy time by injuring the frog, I¡¯m afraid we need to identify another weak point,¡± he suggested.


    After finishing his statement, he lifted his muted gaze. His deep, ck eyes seemed oppressively forceful,pelling obedience¡ªan authority that his profession bestowed upon him.


    ¡°As per thest round, we move immediately after the ball stops. Those who fear dying can stay hidden in the snails, but let me remind you all, the snails can¡¯t protect you forever.¡±


    The faces of the others showed their difort.


    ¡°What if the frogdoes that again¡­¡± someone murmured under their breath.


    Their greatest fear was the frog¡¯s speedy emergence with no prior warning. One big gulp, and a person would be swallowed whole. How on earth could they find Jin Qiu then?


    ¡°That won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    An unexpected voice resounded.


    Everyone recognised the voice as Zhang Hua. They all turned to look at him but noticed that Zhang Hua remained inside the snail shell, showing no intention ofing out. ¡°The frog didn¡¯t eat any worms in thest round, it was hungry. This round it woulde out in a rush. As for the next time¡­¡± he paused, seeming to count something, and then said quietly, ¡°fewer people will be around, so it won¡¯t be the same.¡±


    This exnation made people ufortable, but it also made sense.


    Teacher Cheng spoke again, ¡°I also think that the frog won¡¯t suddenly appear again. It¡¯s been wounded, which will undoubtedly affect its sensitivity. It might not even show up in the next round! We cannot be scared off by just one setback! We should press on, we must press on!¡±


    The words of a learned man always elicited disdain but also inexplicably instilled hope.


    Indeed.


    The frog had been injured. Who knows, it might be so scared that it won¡¯te out again?


    Even if it isrge in size, it¡¯s just a timid frog, after all.


    Brother Hui spat, gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Damn it, let¡¯s try again. I refuse to believe that finding that damn ball would be this difficult?!¡±


    The others had varying expressions, some showing a sink-or-swim determination while others still hesitated.


    Bai Youwei looked at the snail shell in which Zhang Hua was hiding, lost in thought.


    Zhang Hua was not a warm-hearted person, so why would he help Shen MO urge everyone to search for the ball together? Did he speak up merely because he couldn¡¯t stand these people¡¯s selfishness?


    ¡­No, if he were really righteous, he would have revealed the method to pass the game earlier.


    But he didn¡¯t.


    Of course, she didn¡¯t either..

 Chapter 42 - 42 Zhang Hua’s Props

    Chapter 42: Zhang Hua¡¯s Props


    Trantor: 549690339


    The group had nearly finished their discussion, and Jin Qiu also leisurely emerged from the muck, a mischievous delight permeating from his artfully whimsical childlike voice¡ª


    ¡°Current game failure, 13 yers are alive, now we are entering the fourth round ¡®The Frog¡¯s Golden Ball¡¯. Please prepare yourselves, yers! The countdown to one minute begins. 59, 58, 57¡­¡±


    After several bouts of shock and fear, they were unknowingly already in the fourth round.


    The survivors had dwindled from 33 to 13 people.


    Shen MO picked up Bai Youwei, preparing to hide her back in the shell.


    However, Bai Youwei gently tugged at his shirt corner and whispered in his


    ear: ¡°Go over there.¡±


    She pointed in a direction.


    Shen MO raised his brow slightly, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I want to keep my distance from him.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°That Zhang Hua, he might go mad.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Shen MO looked back only to see a dense pile of field snails in the muck. He couldn¡¯t tell where Zhang Hua was hiding in the confusion. However, knowing Bai Youwei, he understood she wasn¡¯t one to speak randomly.


    It would be good to change positions.


    Getting further away took more time. By the time Shen MO ced Bai Youwei inside a snail shell, the countdown was nearly over.


    He stood still without haste, watching the golden ball up high.


    He had his own approach.


    The condition for clearing the game was to find the golden ball, which now posed two major challenges: 1, insufficient time; 2, the scope was hard to determine.


    He had tried narrowing down the area as much as possible through the sshes¡¯ positions, but the short timeframe would only be solved by killing the frog.


    Given thest attack, killing the frog wasn¡¯t impossible. The frog¡¯s skin was thin, easily torn off by a trivial injury. However, the knife was too small, making it difficult to inflict a deeper wound.


    What were the frog¡¯s weak points? ¡­The eyes? The belly?


    While mulling it over, the countdown ended, and Jin Qiu began to bounce ¡°energetically¡± around the cave once more.


    While everyone else avoided the ball, only Shen MO chased after it. When the ball stopped, Tan Xiao, Hui Ge, and others quickly followed Shen Mo¡¯s lead and searched for traces of the golden ball in the mushy mud.


    Jin Qiu was very cunning. Each time, it would create sixty or seventy muddled mud holes to confuse everyone. Even when Shen MO narrowed down the range, searching a dozen or so holes was still quiteborious!


    Professor Cheng, despite his old age and weak limbs, rose from the snail shells and joined them in their search.


    He looked while calling for others toe out and help.


    For such a task, the more people, the quicker they would find it. Consequently, some more people crawled out of the snail shells and joined the search for the golden ball.


    But the time was still not enough, only 20 seconds, merely 20 seconds! After 20 seconds, the mud pit began to tremble, indicating the frog wasing again!


    The only constion was that Zhang Hua had guessed it! This time, the frog wasn¡¯ting as fast as in thest round, but it recovered its slow pace, leisurely rolling out from the soggy mud¡ª


    Shen Mo¡¯s pupils abruptly contracted.


    He saw that the frog¡¯s back was oily, shiny, and green,pletely intact!


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Tan Xiao saw it too and cursed, ¡°How did it heal?!¡±


    Everyone started cursing and turned to flee.


    However, another sudden change happened!


    A gunshot rang out! ¡ª Yes, a gunshot! It exploded in the cave. The people who had just reached the edge of the snail shells couldn¡¯t stop their legs. They missed their ¡°refuge¡± and kept running forward!


    There were groans and curses all over the ground. The panicked people had no idea what had just happened. Even after tripping, they could not control their iling legs!


    Mud and water sttered around as the overjoyed frog started its feast!


    Shen MO was the first person to stop running. He rolled behind arge field snail, his fingers tightly gripping the rim of the snail shell as he forcefully suppressed the urgent thought to run in his mind!


    He then turned his head to look at Bai Youwei!


    Bai Youwei had also heard the gunshot. However, being differently-abled, no matter how strong the urge to run, she couldn¡¯t take even half a step.


    At this moment, she slid out of the snail shell, sitting near the edge, trying to see what was happening outside. When she nced, she found Shen MO staring at her.


    She shook her head at him and ced the toy gun on her chest, the meaning was clear: I was not the one who fired the gun..

 Chapter 43 - 43: 43 This Life Is Half Yours

    Chapter 43 - 43: 43 This Life Is Half Yours


    Trantor: 549690339


    The starting gun is a one-time item. If she had used it, the gun wouldn¡¯t be intact in her hand now.


    Anger shed in Shen Mo¡¯s dark eyes, and he cast a gloomy nce to the side.


    Zhang Hua was the one who fired the shot.


    It was impossible to deal with Zhang Hua at this time, so Shen MO flew into a rage, tightened his grip on his knife, and spun around to handle the frog instead!


    Just as he turned around, he saw Tan Xiao screaming as he ran past, just brushing past him!


    ¡°Get inside the shell!¡± Shen MO shouted at him.


    ¡°Holy fuck, I can¡¯t control myself!¡± Tan Xiao cursed, in heart-wrenching pain, ¡°Damn it, my legs are running by themselves! What kind of crap magic is this?!


    My legs are going nuts! I¡¯m going to die! I¡¯m going to die!!! ¨C -¡±


    The frog¡¯s long tongue shot out like lightning, beyond even Shen Mo ts ability to save him!


    Just as the tongue was about to ensnare Tan Xiao, he stumbled and fell into the mud with a ssh!


    The frog¡¯s tongue scooped up a mouthful of stinky mud.


    Disliking the taste, the frog clicked its mouth, about to spit out its tongue, but suddenly felt a sharp pain! A small man was stabbing a knife into its body, slowly climbing up de by de!


    The pain made the frog jump up, its croaking resonating loudly!


    However, the man on its back was incredibly agile. The frog¡¯s desperate thrashing didn¡¯t manage to shake him off, instead giving him the opportunity to climb up to its head, with the knife trapped between its tworge eyes.


    The frog seemed to sense danger, shaking its head and croaking before its webbed feet started digging into the mud!


    However, Shen MO was faster, pulling out his knife and viciously stabbing it into one of the frog¡¯s eyes! He then continued to rapidly stab several times, causing the frog to roll around in pain, knocking over several snails!


    Shen MO showed no mercy, each stab crueler than thest! The frog¡¯s eye was almost gouged through by him!


    ¡°Croak! ¡ª ¡±


    The frog howled in agony, its entire head burying into the mud and desperately digging in!


    Obviously, Shen MO couldn¡¯t follow it down. He quickly loosened his grip, jumped onto the shell of a nearby snail, pulled out his knife and smoothly slid into the water, firmly standing within.


    The frog had escaped.


    Tan Xiao looked at Shen MO, his eyes now filled with more than admiration¡­but horror!


    My God, he made such arge monster roll around in pain, with just a small folding fruit knife? Where on earth did this mastere from?!


    Scary indeed!


    After gasping in amazement for a bit, Tan Xiao realized that the mud under his feet was bubbling.


    He quickly came to his senses, bent down, grabbed the person in the mud, and pulled him up forcefully!


    Chang Weicai, fully covered in mud, was lifted up. His mouth was spitting out ck mud, and his eyes were tightly closed, unconscious.


    Tan Xiao hoisted him onto his shoulder and began hitting him in the stomach.


    More mud water spewed out of the old man¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Hey old man, don¡¯t you die on me. If it were not for you making me stumble, I would have been a goner! I owe you half my life! As long as I¡¯m alive, I won¡¯t let you die before me. We repay even smallest debts with the fullest heart. we can throw our lives away, but we would never abandon a brother!¡±


    After his long-winded speech, he hit the man some more in the stomach and lungs. But nearly choking the old man to semi-consciousness proved still not enough to wake him.


    Shen MO said, ¡°Put him down!¡±


    Tan Xiao greatly respected Shen MO, and obedientlyplied.


    Shen MO came over and examined him, his eyebrows creased, ¡°He has a bruise on his head, probably fainted after hitting a snail. Or maybe someone pushed him while everyone was running. With the gunshot just now, everyone was thrown into chaos. It¡¯s lucky that he¡¯s alive.¡±


    Tan Xiao kept nodding in response.


    He didn¡¯t dare to put Chang Weicai in the snail¡¯s shell, fearing it would suffocate the old man. So he dragged Chang Weicai to the crevice between the stone wall and the snails¡¯ shell, propping him up and sitting him down.


    After settling everything, he suddenly remembered something, turned around and red at Shen MO, ¡°A gunshot?¡­.Are you saying that the noise just now was a gunshot?! Who the fuck fired the gun?! Come out here! Why not shoot at the frog instead of randomly firing! What the hell was that!!

 Chapter 44 - 44: 44 Different Styles

    Chapter 44 - 44: 44 Different Styles


    Trantor: 549690339


    Shen MO didn¡¯t have the patience to exin the whole situation concerning the prop to Tan Xiao.


    However, this incident indeed fuelled his anger, disrupting all his original ns with a single gunshot.


    Shen MO was a man who, due to his profession or personality, possessed a hint of heroism. He was willing to stand up for what was right, had a strong sense of responsibility, and a spirit of sacrifice greater than most people. But that did not mean he was a ¡°saint¡±, or someone who could stand seeing death without interference.


    On the contrary, he had been to the battlefield and was able to remain calm even amongst the death of thousands. He understood the cruelty of life and death!


    But what he couldn¡¯t stand was the needless sacrifice!


    It was absurd!


    Those people originally had ample time to take cover. However, because of the gunshot, they all lost control and madly ran through the mud, ending up as food for the frogs!


    Their deaths were pointless and meaningless, akin to the lowest level of a joke!


    Life shouldn¡¯t be like this.


    The world has already be so ridiculous due to the emergence of this puppet game, isn¡¯t that enough?


    Shen MO really wanted to confront Zhang Hua, but found it unnecessary in the end.


    The cave was filled with snails, and it was unclear to him where Zhang Hua was hiding. Even if he found Zhang Hua, it wouldn¡¯t change the fact that there had been heavy casualties. To add to his concern, Jin Qiu could show up at any moment, and who knew what would happen in the next round.


    Shen MO silently returned to Bai Youwei¡¯s side and leaned against a snail shell without uttering a word.


    Bai Youwei studied his expression and slowly said, ¡°Suppose that the game Zhang Hua is experiencing is the same as ours, then the prop he has should also be the same. As soon as the gun is fired, everyone within 10 meters of the shooter will run at full speed. The effect is influenced by the distance, environmental factors, and individual willpower. Since we are in an enclosed cave, echoes are easy to create. Hence even those beyond the 10-meter radius can be affected.¡¯


    After a pause, sheplimented him, ¡°Your willpower was admirable just now as you only ran a few steps before stopping.¡±


    Her voice was soft, conveying a sense of intimacy and reassurance.


    Shen MO nced at her, feeling a strange sensation.


    Did she seem a bit¡­too calm?


    He knew that Bai Youwei was not like most people. She didn¡¯t seem particrly scared during the ¡°Tortoise and the Hare¡± game, but this time, rather than panicking, she appeared to be calm, too calm¡­even rxed?


    Bai Youwei suggested, ¡°In a while, you should take shelter inside the shell. Although dealing with the frogs is a way out, it is too exhausting for you alone.


    You need rest.¡±


    Shen Mo¡¯s gaze became a bit profound.


    On the other side, Tan Xiao continued his search, swearing under his breath and insisting on searching everyone who came out of the snail shells.


    The others joined him. They wouldn¡¯t tolerate anyone in their group hiding a gun!


    They didn¡¯t find Zhang Hua.


    Shen MO leaned against a snail shell, silently observing the chaos in front of him. After a while, he withdrew his gaze, nced down to Bai Youwei, a shadow in his eyes.


    ¡°You know something,¡± he stated, though he phrased it as a question. He was sure that Bai Youwei was hiding something from him.


    Bai Youwei blinked.


    The muddy teen had tarnished clothes, yet her eyes remained unusually clear, like washed ink gems. Their twinkle was reminiscent of fireflies and starlight hiding in the night.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± she said with a faint smile, ¡°You have your methods, and others naturally have theirs. Zhang Hua wouldn¡¯t fire a shot at this time without reason. He also wants to pass the game, just in a different way than us.¡±


    Shen MO contemted, ¡°His way¡­is to reduce the number of people?¡±


    Bai Youwei lifted the corner of her mouth, ¡°To put it bluntly, a single frog can catch over 70 insects in one day, around forty to fifty people died just now on the highway. His thought may have been that if a few more people die, and the frogs are filled, he will be safe..¡±

 Chapter 45 - 45: 45: This Girl is a Little Mischievous

    Chapter 45 - 45: 45: This Girl is a Little Mischievous


    Trantor: 549690339


    Shen Mo¡¯s gaze stiffened markedly.


    ¡°How did you figure it out?¡± He asked.


    The rule didn¡¯t borate on this at all.


    Bai Youwei offered a shallow smile and nced at Shen MO, ¡°Don¡¯t you realize it too? The Inspector for this game has been intentionally dodging rules rted to the frog.¡±


    Shen MO did not utter a word, which was akin to conceding.


    ¡°yers get one minute to prepare, and the Inspector always counts down very methodically. Yet, we only have 20 seconds to find Jin Qiu. Don¡¯t you find it odd, for such a crucial phase, they didn¡¯t bother to time it?¡±


    As Bai Youwei spoke, a cool, lighthearted smile yed at the edges of her pink-tinged lips.


    ¡°Not timing it could mean that there¡¯s no time restriction. The Inspector presumes we¡¯ll be eaten by the frog, so he sets a window of 20 seconds. In actuality, based on the speed at which the frog appears each time, the time to find Jin Qiu varies ordingly ¨C that¡¯s why you conceived the idea of killing the frog. As long as it¡¯s dead, we¡¯d have unlimited time, and we¡¯ll eventually find Jin Qiu.¡±


    Shen MO shot her a deep look.


    She had correctly guessed most of what he was thinking.


    Previously, he thought she was just shrewd and clever but now¡­he found this girl slightly sinister.


    ¡°Tell me about Zhang Hua.¡± Shen MO asked her, ¡°What do you think he¡¯s plotting?


    The yful light at the edges of Bai Youwei¡¯s lips pulled back slightly. She pondered for a moment.


    ¡°Zhang Hua¡­ He probably realized it during the third round. The game needs bnce. Since the frog gets hungry, it should also get full. What would happen if it was fed a few more bugs? Zhang Hua wanted to experiment.¡±


    ¡°Just for the sake of experimenting?¡± Shen MO chuckled dryly, ¡°It¡¯s all assumptions. Has he not considered the possibility of failure?¡±


    Bai Youwei looked at him seriously, ¡°Actually, I think¡­his chances of sess are very high.¡±


    Shen MO arched an eyebrow, expressionless, but Bai Youwei saw his displeasure in his eyes.


    ¡°As I said, the game requires bnce,¡± she exined calmly, ¡°Not everyone is as daring and fearless as you. The game has to leave some room for others. For instance, the middle-aged businessman in thest Tortoise and Hare race. He didn¡¯t run fast, wasn¡¯t particrly intelligent, but he was ruthless enough. If he hadn¡¯t been pushed beyond the finishing line against the rules, he would¡¯ve likely cleared the game¡­¡±


    Shen Mo¡¯s gaze turnedpletely frosty, ¡°Ruthless¡­so, the game is trying to turn us into people like that?¡±


    Bai Youwei looked into his eyes, realizing her words had upset him and decided to fall silent.


    She didn¡¯t want to anger him at this crucial moment.


    Jin Qiu ambled out from a corner, sweeping around the count heads.


    ¡°The current game has failed, eight yers remaining. We now enter the fifth round of ¡®The Frog¡¯s Golden Ball.¡¯ yers, please be ready! The one-minute countdown begins. 59, 58, 57¡­¡±


    Eight yers left.


    Bai Youwei, Shen MO, Tan Xiao, Mr. Cheng, Brother Hui, Monkey, Zhang Hua, and a middle-aged fat man, who had been hiding in his shell the whole time.


    The casualties were severe.


    With so few people remaining, how would they find the ball? Mr. Cheng remained unconscious, Zhang Hua was nowhere to be seen, and the cowardly fat man was even less likely to lend a hand. As for Bai Youwei, her disability made her movement virtually zero.


    The fewer the people, the harder it was to find the ball, and as for killing the frog¡­


    Battling a beast in the mud was extremely energy-consuming.


    Bai Youwei was right; he needed to rest the most right now.


    ¡°Boss, what do we do now?¡± From a distance, Tan Xiao stared at him, wide-eyed.


    Unbeknownst to him, Shen MO had be the centerpiece of the group.


    Shen MO nced at Bai Youwei beside him, raised his arm to gesture and his face impassive, uttered two words:


    ¡°Rest..¡±

 Chapter 46 - 46: 46 Rest

    Chapter 46 - 46: 46 Rest


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡ªRest.


    In the fifth round, everyone burrowed into snail shells, leaving the mudfield quiet.


    The sound of Jin Qiu¡¯s impacts ceased, and no one came out.


    Soon after, a frog emerged from the mud, croaking twice. With no bugs to eat, ity idle in the mud.


    Shen MO, under the cover of the snail shell, watched the frog. He noticed its bulging eye had healed somewhat, but a scar was still present.


    This indicated his attack had worked.


    If the injury was bad enough, it would be difficult to recover. Perhaps next time he could target a different area¡­


    Time ticked by.


    No one came out to find the ball, and the frog didn¡¯t attack either, so the situation turned into a stalemate.


    Someone took the initiative to start a conversation. Everyone began chatting across the snail shells¡ª


    ¡°The mud copses too quickly. If only we could make the ball bounce less, that way with fewer holes, it would be easier to find.¡±


    ¡°How can it be that easy? There are so many snails. Unless we can push them aside, um¡­¡± The speaker seemed to be putting in effort, thenmented a momentter, ¡°So heavy! But I can move it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t waste your energy, there must be over a hundred snails in this hole. Even if you can move them, can you really push every single one aside? The ball will either hit this one or that one, this method won¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°So what do we do? Once the frog rolls in mud, its wound heals by half. How could we possibly kill it¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just hold out for now and see what we can do in the next round¡­¡±


    Everyone engaged in hushed discussion, with Tan Xiao leading the conversation and Brother Hui and Monkey asionally chiming in.


    The fifth round passed without any major incidents.


    When the countdown for the sixth round began, Teacher Chang woke up.


    Although he was awake, he seemed dazed. Seeing himself half-submerged in mud, he spoke in a daze: ¡°What difference does it make where one ends. I entrust my body to the mountain. Ah, my life seems to being to an end¡­¡±


    Tan Xiao didn¡¯t understand him, but courteously tapped a big snail shell and said, ¡°Old man,e here! There¡¯s plenty of room!¡±


    Chang Weicai turned his head at the sound and saw Tan Xiao. Despite his rough appearance, Tan Xiao was still spirited, which stirred mixed feelings in him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve grown old, and I just can¡¯t be as positive and proactive as you youngsters when things happen. I should learn from you all.¡±


    He shook his head and sighed, then slowly lifted himself off the ground with effort, wading through the mud to reach Tan Xiao.


    Impatient as Tan Xiao was, he took a few steps to meet him halfway, scornfully carrying Chang Weicai on his shoulder: ¡°You¡¯re not that old yet. Quit dragging your feet and act like an old man. Let¡¯s hurry up! The countdown is almost over!¡±


    Chang Weicai just hummed as he was jounced around on Tan Xiao¡¯s shoulder.


    The snail shell that Tan Xiao found wasrge, providing ample space for both of them. They had just gottenfortable when the thumping of Jin Qiu from outside started.


    One of the impacts precisely hit the snail shell they were in, with a loud bang, sinking the whole shell!


    Mud suddenly poured into the snail shell, nearly choking Tan Xiao. He quickly crawled deeper into the shell, swearing, ¡°Fuck!¡±


    Chang Weicai, who was positioned above, didn¡¯t end up in the mud. However, the sudden impact still left him stunned.


    After the mud surged in, the air in the snail shell quickly turned turbid. Fortunately, it didn¡¯tst long. About 20 secondster, the surroundings began to tremble. A force bubbled up from below, and the snail shell flipped back to the surface of the mud¡ª


    Choking on the stale air, Tan Xiao quickly poked his head out.


    He saw the frog,cently squatting in the mud. Frustrated, he eximed, ¡°That damned frog is back. Dammit! The injury on its eye is healed!¡±


    Chang Weicai also took a peek, and said, ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    ¡®¡±Huh¡¯ what? Stop crowding here and watch out! It might bite you!¡± Tan Xiao pulled him back inside.


    Chang Weicai seemed to realise something, ¡°Xiaotan, I think our position seems the same as before.


    ¡°So what if it¡¯s the same?¡± Tan Xiao replied impatiently, ¡°The damn ball always smashes the snails into the mud, and the frog always pushes the snails out. Anyway, from what I can see, the positions are pretty much the same!¡±


    Chang Weicai suddenly became serious: ¡°If the position doesn¡¯t change, as long as we know the initial point, it should be possible to calcte where the ball willnd!¡±

 Chapter 47 - 47: 47: Why Do Games Exist

    Chapter 47 - 47: 47: Why Do Games Exist


    Trantor: 549690339


    Tan Xiao was stunned.


    Stunned again¡­


    After being stunned for half a minute, he pped Chang Weicai¡¯s chest, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say this earlier! Calcte it quickly! ¡±


    Chang, the teacher, almost had a heart attack, ¡°Cough, cough, cough, cough!¡­¡±


    Tan Xiao hurriedly massaged his chest, ¡°Old man, you really can¡¯t take a p, I didn¡¯t hit that hard¡­ were you serious about what you just said? Can you really calcte it?¡±


    Teacher Chang shook his head and waved his hands, ¡°cough, cough, cough¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Tan Xiao widened his eyes, ¡°Can¡¯t do it? Didn¡¯t you just say you could! Hey! Can you calcte it or not, tell me straight!¡±


    Teacher Chang held his chest, ¡°can¡¯t¡­¡±


    Tan Xiao: ¡°Were you just bullshitting?!¡±


    ¡°I meant theoretically¡­¡± Teacher Chang exined breathlessly, ¡°Theoretically, if we know the initial position and the angle of the shot, we can calcte thending point. ¡±


    Tan Xiao grabbed his shoulders and shook him, ¡°Then hurry up and calcte it!!!¡±


    Teacher Chang felt dizzy, ¡°1¡­1 teachnguage arts¡­¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter what you teach, you¡¯re a teacher! You must have studied math too!¡± Tan Xiao snapped urgently, ¡°I¡¯ve never passed elementary school math! You must be better than me, right?!¡±


    Chang Weicai was nearly deafened by his rapid-fire words, it was agonizing, but the words did make some sense when processed.


    Given the current situation, any method should be tried. It might be a glimmer of hope.


    Teacher Chang steadied his nerves with effort, taking a deep breath, ¡°When man defies nature, nature provides a way. Alright, alright, let¡¯s give it a shot!


    Xiaotan, help me out!¡±


    Tan Xiao quickly slid out of the snail shell and bent over to help Chang Weicai out.


    The frog, having not caught any bugs, was stunned for a while and had left. The cave was dark and silent, only densely packed with snail shells.


    Teacher Chang fumbled out a pen from his pocket, didn¡¯t even open it, and began writing and drawing forms directly on the muddy snail shell with the cap¡¯s tip.


    The others also emerged from the snail shells one after another.


    Perhaps they had heard Tan Xiao¡¯s and Chang Weicai¡¯s argument earlier ¨C their


    uncertain eyes were now tilled with anticipation and doubt.


    ¡°Can you really calcte it?¡± Monkey asked.


    ¡°Whether we can calcte it or not, we have to try first!¡± Tan Xiao raised his chin in a lofty manner; he seemed to take pride in the fact that Chang Weicai was his ¡°brother¡±.


    Everyone remained silent, their eyes fixed on Teacher Chang¡¯s back.


    They couldn¡¯t contribute anything to this matter.


    Shen MO looked at Bai Youwei thoughtfully.


    ¡ªShe was looking at Brother Hui and Monkey.


    Seemingly sensing his gaze, Bai Youwei turned her head slightly and then looked at him with an innocent and puzzled face.


    Shen MO averted his gaze, wondering if he had misunderstood¡­


    The seventh round started not long after, two consecutive rounds without deaths, and the tone of Jin Qiu becamezy


    ¡°The current game failed, with eight survivors remaining. Now entering the seventh round of ¡®Frog¡¯s Golden Ball¡¯, all yers please get ready (yawning)¡­


    hey hey, the frog has to try harder.¡±


    With that, it began the countdown: ¡°59, 58, 57¡­¡±


    Bai Youwei calmly crawled into the snail shell.


    Shen MO stayed outside, his deep ck eyes watching the golden ball, pondering about the purpose of this game itself, or rather, its significance?


    If it wanted to kill, it could simply kill, why bother with these borate schemes? Even if the apocalypse were toe, aliens invaded, earth was intruded, anything, there should be a reason, right?


    Why does this doll game even exist?

 Chapter 48 - 48: 48 She Can’t Leave You

    Chapter 48 - 48: 48 She Can¡¯t Leave You


    Trantor: 549690339


    As he was deep in thought, Tan Xiao, not far away, waved at him and shouted, ¡°Boss! You go in first! Maybe the old man will have all thending points worked out soon. We shouldn¡¯t be too headstrong with that toad demon!¡± He did care about Shen MO quite a bit.


    Shen MO gripped his knife, rubbing it back and forth on the shell a few times, nced coldly at the golden sphere high above, and then crawled into the shell.


    Another round of earth-shaking tremors.


    The golden sphere came to a halt.


    The frog emerged.


    ¡°Ribbit¡ªribbit¡ª¡±


    The frog, having abstained from food for two rounds, couldn¡¯t bear it any longer, and began to stir the mud with its front legs, poking at the snails in the field, trying to find a few bugs to fill its stomach.


    This sudden turn of events took everyone by surprise.


    Feeling the trembling of the mud, everyone tensely tightened their nerves at the same time, and attempted to burrow as far into the shells as they could. They pressed their bodies against the narrow inner walls to prevent being ejected by the vibrations.


    ¡°Ribbit ribbit! ¡ª Ribbit!  The frog became increasingly agitated. The mud was constantely shaking due to the frog¡¯s flippers stirring it!


    Bai Youwei heard a short, sharp scream from outside!


    A sudden noise that vanished instantly, it was so short in duration that it was impossible to pinpoint the unfortunate victim.


    Bai Youwei, however, could not afford to make that determination right now, because she was already on the verge of falling!


    Theck of strength in her lower limbs indeed put her at a great disadvantage in this game!


    Ssh!


    The snail shell where Bai Youwei was hiding had been flipped over. She was thrown out of the shell and into the thick mud,nding hard.


    As her body sank, Bai Youweiy still.


    She knew she shouldn¡¯t move. If she did, she would be eaten by the frog like a bug! So she had to stay steady, steady¡­


    The stench of the swamp water was rushing in from all directions, like slimy serpents, invading her nostrils, her eyes, her ears, and her mouth¡­ Bai Youwei was desperately holding her breath, but the fear of approaching death, and the disorientation of losing her footing, still tortured her mind!


    The feeling was absolutely horrendous!


    But to survive, she had to endure!


    Ironically, she had been someone who constantly thought of death, yet in this game, she revealed such a strong desire to survive.


    An arm wound around her waist and lifted her forcefully!


    She was suddenly being exposed to the fresh air!


    Bai Youwei opened her eyes and gasped for air. Mud dripped down from her face and head. She saw the man¡¯s broad, sturdy chest, and as she lifted her head, it was Shen Mo¡¯s aloof face.


    Bai Youwei just looked at him, unable to speak a word, panting heavily due to theck of oxygen.


    Shen MO wanted to put her down.


    But she clung to his arm and refused to let go!


    The fear that the thick mud provoked was still present, and she trembled in his arms like a rabbit that had just survived a catastrophe.


    Shen MO frowned but didn¡¯t let go in the end.


    Tan Xiao leaned in from the side, his silvery hair turned to a mess after being stuck with mud. He said to Bai Youwei, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the frog is gone!¡±


    He then moved his hand back and forth under his neck and mimed the action of cutting his stomach open, afraid that she wouldn¡¯t understand, he added.


    ¡°Your brother shed its belly open! It ran away!¡±


    Bai Youwei heaved a sigh of relief and closed her eyes, burying her face in Shen Mo¡¯s chest without moving.


    ¡°Your sister seems to be in shock.¡± Tan Xiao sighed with deep understanding, and patted Shen Mo t s shoulder. ¡°Take good care of her. It¡¯s obvious your siblings are close. She can¡¯t be without you.¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡®


    Bai Youwei was all right before, but that remark inexplicably made her want tough. She gave a slight shake of her shoulder stifle augh and then asked him in a soft voice, ¡°Have you calcted thending points?¡±


    Hearing her tone of voice, Shen MO knew she was back to normal and felt somewhat relieved.


    Tan Xiao, however, looked heartbroken. He twisted his head and looked at Chang Weicai, who was not too far away, and let out a sigh. ¡°No.¡± After he said this, no one made a noise.


    In the cave, only the rustling sound of the old teacher¡¯s continuousputation could be heard.


    The silence was unusually profound.. The taste of despair lingered in everyone¡¯s hearts¡­

 Chapter 49 - 49: 49: Tadpole Looking for its Mother

    Chapter 49 - 49: 49: Tadpole Looking for its Mother


    Trantor: 549690339


    The frog had exited the game prematurely, but Jin Qiu had yet to appear.


    Chang Weicai listed down innumerable forms tirelessly, murmuring as he worked, ¡°Initial angle about 45 degrees, bounces back after hitting the stone wall, here it¡¯s about¡­120 degrees, deflects to the lower right¡­60 degrees¡­No, that¡¯s not right, the incident angle and reflection angle form an isosceles triangle, which allows us to determine the path of the ball after it bounces¡­ No, that¡¯s not right either, this approach applies to a t rectangle, but we are dealing with a cone now, what is the form for a cone¡­¡±


    Drops of sweat the size of beans rolled down his forehead. His right hand was shivering, as his face grew paler and paler.


    He suddenly loathed himself, why was he anguage teacher?


    If he were a math teacher, perhaps he coulde up with a solution at this moment to save himself and everyone trapped with him!


    Not thatnguage teachers are any less capable than math teachers, however, at this particr time¡­


    Plonk.


    The pen slipped from his powerless hand and fell into the mud.


    He quickly bent down to pick it up.


    ¡°Stop it,¡± Shen MO interjected calmly, ¡°Jin Qiu bounces more than 60 times every time. If we want to find itsnding point by calcting every single move, we need massive calctions. Here, without aputer, paper, pen, and enough time, it¡¯s impossible.¡±


    Besides, Chang Weicai was merely anguage teacher and not proficient in math.


    Shen MO didn¡¯t say this out loud, but everyone present understood it crystal clear.


    ¡°Next round, we kill the frog,¡± Shen MO was holding a knife, the de slowly grinding against the snail¡¯s shell. ¡°Those who want to help, prepare well.¡±


    With his words falling, everyone looked different.


    Tan Xiao seemed to be agonizing about how he could possibly help without any weapons.


    Chang Weicai looked deste, submerged in deep self-me.


    Hui Ge and Monkey looked grim, unwilling to confront the giant frog and yet not ready to give up and wait for death.


    Interestingly, Zhang Hua hade out of the snail shell, eyeing Hui Ge and Monkey darkly.


    And Bai Youwei¡­


    Bai Youwei was also watching Hui Ge and Monkey.


    Shen MO took in everyone¡¯s reactions and felt a surge of indescribable restlessness. Suppressing his emotions, he calmly asked Bai Youwei, ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    Bai Youwei refocused and lifted her head, ¡°Oh, nothing much.¡±


    A few seconds pause, noticing Shen MO still looking at her, she spoke, ¡°Just a bit worried, you taking on that monster alone, it¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    Somewhere in Shen Mo¡¯s mind, something clicked. His lips pressed into a tight line. After a moment, he said, ¡°It¡¯s not that dangerous, it¡¯s made of flesh and blood. It¡¯s easier to handle than guns and shells.¡± He carried Bai Youwei back into the snail¡¯s shell.


    Just at that moment, Jin Qiu popped up.


    ¡°The current game has failed, with 7 yers surviving, now entering the eighth round of ¡®Frog¡¯s Golden Ball¡¯¡­ ¡®


    The repeated lines were getting monotonous even for Jin Qiu. It yawned after its bounce and grumbled, ¡°The frog isn¡¯t trying hard enough, it only ate a single fatty, oh well, now it¡¯s up to me to figure something out-Everyone went on high alert as they heard Jin Qiu¡¯s voice again:


    ¡°Froggy go home, tadpoles find mommy¨C Froggy go home, tadpoles find mommy-


    The ground started shaking again, the mud soup stirred!


    It felt as if the giant beast was about to sweep over them again!


    But it was different this time.


    There were more, much more!


    ck tadpoles began to bubble up from the mud! They were packed tightly, each one as huge as a bathtub!


    They wagged their tails excitedly and opened their keratin-filled mouths, scrambling towards the snails!


    Shen MO killed one with a knife, then pulled Bai Youwei out of the shell as fast as possible, lifted her waist-high and put her on the back of a snail!


    Bai Youwei¡¯s face was pale, but her eyes were fixated elsewhere. Following her gaze, Shen MO saw Hui Ge and Monkey running in terror.


    In an instant, the mortal peril and long-held suspicions ignited into rage!


    He clenched his hand around Bai Youwei¡¯s neck and, through gritted teeth, asked: ¡°You knew how to finish the game all along, didn¡¯t you?!¡±

 Chapter 50 - 50: 50 1 Don’t Want to Die

    Chapter 50 - 50: 50 1 Don¡¯t Want to Die


    Trantor: 549690339


    Bai Youwei was being choked by him; her snowwhiteplexion quickly turned beet red.


    Her eyes too were scarlet! They were filled with anger, resentment, and even hatred!


    Seemingly pricked by the emotions brewing in her eyes, Shen Mo ts grip unconsciously loosened a bit.


    With indignation, Bai Youwei shoved him away, then bent over, coughing violently-


    In the distance, Zhang Hua was in a state of utter confusion, ¡°Why are there tadpoles? Why¡­ the frog was just about to be sated. Why did tadpoles appear at this time?!¡±


    His body was soaked in the muddy water, struggling to climb onto the snail shell again and again, only to slide off repeatedly. Surrounded by seven or eight excited tadpoles wagging their tails and gnawing on him, they quickly devoured him!


    Strictly speaking, tadpoles don¡¯t have teeth.


    The mouth of a tadpole has a pair of fleshy lips and a row of hornlike ¡°teeth¡±. These teeth are soft, and shaped like the teeth on ab, they seeminglyck threat. However, if magnified thousands or tens of thousands times, the suction and biting strength of their mouth would be astounding!


    Everyone watched as Zhang Hua disappeared entirely before their eyes. Their earlier passive andfortable mindset, as they waited inside the snail shells, vanished without a trace!


    Tan Xiao, holding onto Chang Weicai,y on the snail shell, fiercely kicking away the tadpoles that were leaping upwards with his feet, sending them tumbling back into the mud!


    The tadpoles were stubborn, persistently surging upwards!


    The snail wobbled precariously, like a tiny boat in the sea, likely to capsize any second.


    Big Brother Hui and Monkey were also in a panic, their hands clenching each other¡¯s forearms as they hung on each side of the snail to prevent being shoved off by the tadpoles.


    Shen Mo¡¯s expression was dark as he forcefully yanked Bai Youwei up. Holding back his anger again, he asked her with a suppressed voice, ¡°You knew all along, why didn¡¯t you tell?!¡±


    Bai Youwei was limp in his hands like a rag-doll.


    She didn¡¯t speak, her gloomy eyes were glued to Big Brother Hui and Monkey.


    ¡°Bai Youwei!¡± Shen Mo¡¯s suppressed anger red up again. He grabbed her by the cor, yanked her close, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you divulge the method for passing the level?!¡±


    Chang Weicai slipped down multiple times, only to be hoisted up by Tan Xiao each time.


    Big Brother Hui and Monkey yelled and cursed amid the grips of struggle.


    Yet, Bai Youwei seemed unaffected by it all. Those clear, lucid brown eyes of hers were as cold as ice.


    ¡°Why would I tell?¡± she sneered, ¡°To save them? Are they even worth it?¡±


    Shen MO was taken aback.


    Bai Youwei fixed her gaze on him, ¡°What have those people done when I was in dangerst night, other than pretending to sleep? Trash like them deserves to be eradicated by the game. If they haven¡¯t beenpletely wiped out, of course, I won¡¯t say.¡±


    ¡°Is that how you feel?¡± Shen MO felt his heart jolt, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of dying?¡±


    The smirk at the corner of Bai Youwei¡¯s mouth grew more wanton, her gaze filled with malice, ¡°If I die, none of you will survive!¡±


    Shen MO stared at her nkly, ckening his grip. She slipped downwards, but at the instant before she was grasped by the tadpoles, Shen MO pulled her back up again.


    For a moment, he was at a loss for how to handle her.


    Behind them, Big Brother Hui suddenly roared, ¡°Monkey!¡±


    Shen MO looked round to see Big Brother Hui, drowning in the mud, instantly swarmed by a group of tadpoles. No matter how hard he tried, he could not stand up. He could only try his best to raise his arms high! Raise his arms high!¡­


    Monkey was still clutching the snail shell tightly with both hands, not extending a hand to pull him out.


    ¡°Monkey!¡­Monkey!¡­¡±


    The man in the mud was screaming shrilly.


    It was as if Monkey didn¡¯t hear a thing, his blood-shot eyes were focused on


    Bai Youwei!


    The cry for help grew weaker.


    Then it vanished.


    Themotion made by the tadpoles gradually settled, their corpulent bodies rolling over and sinking into the mud.


    Everyone was watching Monkey.


    The unremarkable skinny young man¡¯s veins were bulging, his eyes bloodshot; his body was quivering from the suppressed emotions.


    He had just witnessed hisrade¡¯s death.


    Just when everyone thought he would charge at Bai Youwei in a fit of rage, he broke into a smile!


    Tears rolled down his cheeks too, his smile looked extremely awkward.


    ¡°¡­ can you tell us now?¡± Monkey, with a crazed look in his eyes, fixed his gaze on Bai Youwei,¡±The person who came up with the idea was Cixie, and Big Brother Hui executed it, and all I did was hold the mobile phone for recording¡­l never touched you¡­Can you tell us now? The methods for passing the level, I don¡¯t want to die¡­l don¡¯t want to die¡­.¡±

 Chapter 51 - 51: 51 Are You Crazy

    Chapter 51 - 51: 51 Are You Crazy


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Current game failed, five yers remain alive. We¡¯re now entering the ninth round of ¡®Frog¡¯s Golden Ball¡¯. Please prepare yourselves; the countdown begins in one minute. 59, 58¡­¡±


    Everyone was looking at Bai Youwei.


    Under the pressure of their gazes, Bai Youwei raised her head. She was neither afraid nor ashamed, standing strong with a bit of pride in her voice. ¡°Overturn that snail next to Teacher Chang,¡± she said.


    Tan Xiao was stunned. ¡°¡­Just like that?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that simple.¡± Bai Youwei sneered at him, ¡°Calcting the obligatory points in the ball¡¯s traveling route from one hundred and sixty-three snails howe you don¡¯t know how simple it is?¡±


    A corner of Tan Xiao¡¯s mouth twitched awkwardly.


    What trajectory? What obligatory point? He was slightly perplexed.


    But Teacher Chang finally got it. ¡°I see! The ball bounces too many times, so calcting itsnding spot is tooplex. But we can calcte the obligatory point!¡±


    Tan Xiao excitedly asked, ¡°Old man, can you do the calctions?¡±


    Chang Weicai chuckled, ¡°Well, I teach Chinese¡­¡±


    Tan Xiao remained silent.


    The monkey walked over to the snail with that unnatural smile still clinging to his face, his eyes frighteningly bright.


    ¡°Let¡¯s give it a try.¡± He couldn¡¯t wait, reaching out and gripping the snail. Tan Xiao hesitated for a moment, and then joined in, his face strained with effort.


    It was hard to push a snail stuck in silt, but if all they had to do was flip it around in a group, it wasn¡¯t too troublesome.


    Shen MO looked down at Bai Youwei beside him and asked, ¡°How confident are you in this?¡±


    Without looking at him, Bai Youwei focused on Tan Xiao and the monkey in front of her, her voice emotionless. ¡°About seventy or eighty percent.¡± A choking feeling rose in Shen Mo¡¯s chest.


    He remained quiet for a moment before warning her, ¡°Don¡¯t do this again.¡±


    Bai Youwei raised her brows at him, ¡°Don¡¯t do what?¡±


    Shen MO said nothing.


    He realized that her mischievousness was returning, not only mischievous but twisted as well.


    ¡°It¡¯s not worth risking your life for those types of people,¡± Shen MO said in a low voice.


    Bai Youwei smirked and silentlyughed, ¡°The life at stake isn¡¯t mine, but Zhang Hua¡¯s. I have you to protect me; Teacher Chang has Tan Xiao. Those two hooligans might seem like brothers, but they¡¯re only in it for their own benefits. Each of them is ready to stab the other in the back. Zhang Hua realized this, so he kept his eye on them, thinking at least one of them would be sacrificed to feed the frog. Unfortunately, we encountered an Inspector willing to change the rules on a whim. The rule about feeding tadpoles turned into the frog. Zhang Hua died too early.¡±


    Shen Mo felt a headacheing on, creasing his brows further, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for the rule change, you wouldn¡¯t have revealed the method to pass this round,


    right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Bai Youwei nodded calmly, her face expressionless. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in ying the savior. Besides, this game seems to go out of its way to kill yers. If I save them, I¡¯m directly opposing the game. What benefits does that bring


    Anger spiked in Shen Mo¡¯s heart, but he swallowed it and remained silent.


    Bai Youwei looked up at him, her lips curled in a taunting smile, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you think I¡¯m selfish, or do you find me cruel? Shen MO, let me teach you something poverty makes people humble, hardship makes them bitter, and here I am, a rich girl who is just unlucky. Not only am I bitter, but I¡¯m also coldblooded and take great pleasure in seeing others suffer more misfortune than me. Do you understand?¡± Shen MO took a deep breath. ¡°I understand.¡±


    After a pause, he said: ¡°You¡¯re insane.¡±


    Bai Youwei froze, her face changing instantly, ¡°Did you just insult me?!¡±


    Shen MO thought ¨C yes, that was an insult. If it were someone under me, I wouldn¡¯t think twice about giving them a beating.


    But their conversation was disrupted by the countdown for the Golden Ball.


    ¡°¡­3¡­2¡­1. The game begins!¡±


    Boom!

 Chapter 52 - 52: 52: Congratulations on Passing This Game

    Chapter 52 - 52: 52: Congrattions on Passing This Game


    Trantor: 549690339


    The moment Jin Qiu plunged downward, Shen MO scooped Bai Youwei up and retreated to the side of a snail, watching the cave getting sttered with mud once again.


    Their verbal confrontation momentarily ceased.


    After over a dozen bounces, Jin Qiu fell into the snail¡¯s mouth at an incredibly precise angle!


    The snail sank under the force, sinking continuously! It stopped just as it sunk to the edge of the snail¡¯s mouth¡ªthe ball stopped, all noise stopped, leaving only the clear gold ball faintly gleaming at the snail¡¯s entrance.


    Everyone¡¯s gaze focused on Jin Qiu, even their breaths unavoidably slowing.


    It seemed unbelievable.


    After struggling for so long, enduring for so long, from the first round to the ninth round, they thought it was an unsolvable stalemate, yet now it had been cracked so easily?


    It felt unreal.


    Tan Xiao rubbed his eyes hard, staring at Jin Qiu stuck in the snail¡¯s shell, ¡°¡­Am I seeing things?¡±


    Teacher Cheng¡¯s eyes were moist with emotion, ¡°This is the essential point, the essential point¡­ A ball bouncing back and forth inside a hole seventy, eighty, or even a hundred times without falling into the mud, each bounce precisely hitting a snail. Probability-wise, that¡¯s almost impossible! To produce continuous bounces, Jin Qiu¡¯s movement trajectory must be calcted with precision! As long as you can calcte one point, you can find Jin Qiu!¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s lips curled up, interpreting these words as praising her.


    She uttered a nonchnt ¡°Mhm,¡± and said, ¡°The game rules state that the


    Inspector could serve the ball from any position, at any angle, using any force. This sentence is meant to mislead us¡ªto trick us into thinking the point of the ball¡¯snding is random. They really went to great lengths, what with their smoking and reducing time limits, and even creating monsters to pressure the yers. But in the end¡­ the game itself is just too simple. That¡¯s why they needed these tricks to make the game confusing.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re calling my game simple?!¡± Jin Qiu locked in the shell of a snail let out a high-pitched shout, ¡°My game is simple?! It took you nine rounds to clear it, and you have the audacity to call my game simple! You guys are the most shameless yers I¡¯ve ever seen!!!¡±


    Bai Youwei coldlyughed: ¡°What are you excited about? You ought to know, too. The level of a game¡¯s difficulty has nothing to do with its format. Instead, the actions of those within the game that require constant attention.¡±


    Jin Qiu fell silent.


    After a while, it said, pretending to be innocent: ¡°I¡¯ve always been watching you¡­ but I just didn¡¯t get it, hey, how did you find out? Was it really through calcting the essential point? That sure is a lot ofputation¡­¡± Bai Youwei fell silent.


    After a few seconds, she turned to Tan Xiao, ¡°It¡¯s trying to buy time. The tadpoles areing out soon.¡±


    Jin Qiu:


    Tan Xiao:


    Recalling the scene where tadpoles appeared in groups, Tan Xiao got goosebumps all over his body. He promptly stretched out his hands, firmly pressing down on Jin Qiu! ¡ª


    Two mud handprints were left.


    Jin Qiu:


    A sigh echoed through the cave.


    ¡°Congrattions on clearing this game.¡±


    Jin Qiu¡¯s voice sounded dispirited.


    ¡°For winning the golden ball from the frog, you ought to receive a reward. The game has been cleared by five yers who can choose¡­¡±


    Its voice paused before it continued: ¡°¡­oh, the settlement rule has been changed. yers cannot choose their own rewards. They will be distributed by the Inspector. Five pieces of frog mud can be given to the five yers. Whoever finds Jin Qiu gets a bonus of a ¡®Princess¡¯s Friend¡¯ Friendship Badge.¡±


    It sighed again, slowly floating into the air: ¡°Game rewards have been settled. You guys, make sure to cherish the rewards I gave you¡­¡±


    A familiar white light emerged in front of them. Bai Youwei blinked her eyes and found herself back in the truck.


    She had a lump of mud in her hand..

 Chapter 53 - 53: 53: The Princess’s Friend

    Chapter 53 - 53: 53: The Princess¡¯s Friend


    Trantor: 549690339


    The instant the mud touched her hand, its use immediately sprang to mind.


    [Frog Mud: Amazing mud that can rapidly heal wounds, can be used 9 times.] Bai Youwei poked it.


    It was soft and quite stic, a little like the rubber y kids y with, only its color was dire, dark and indistinguishable.


    But, seeing as its effects were so great, Bai Youwei carefully kept the mud in her bag, alongside the toy gun and the plush rabbit.


    How amusing it was ¨C every reward from the game seemed to have an element of childlike innocence.


    She looked up ahead, Shen MO and The Teacher had stepped out of the car.


    Monkey and Tan Xiao also got off the vehicle at the earliest opportunity. Each person held a clump of mud in their hands. The expression on everyone¡¯s face was extremelyplicated, as if they were dazed and shocked after escaping death. They didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry.


    As usual, Shen MO checked the rest of the people in the convoy.


    ¡ªWithout exception, those who did notplete the game have all turned into dolls.


    ¡°Has the earth been upied by some Dimensional Demon King?¡± Tan Xiao¡¯s face was full of disbelief. ¡°This game is too spiritual, this piece of mud that we¡¯re given can heal wounds quickly, no wonder the wounds on the frog healed so quickly!¡±


    He held the mud to his nose to sniff, but didn¡¯t detect any particr scent.


    He even opened his mouth to bite it, but it was as tough as a rubber band and he couldn¡¯t bite off a piece.


    ¡°How does one use this?¡± Tan Xiao asked, somewhat bewildered.


    The Teacher suggested, ¡°Is it only effective when used on wounds?¡±


    During the game, The Teacher had bumped his head. Although it didn¡¯t bleed much, the impact caused his wound to swell quite a bit.


    He held up the mud, and applied it to his head.


    Suddenly, the color of the mud changed from ck to a deep gray.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± The Teacher took down the mud in shock, ¡°The number of uses has decreased to 8.¡±


    ¡°Old chap! Your swelling has subsided!¡± Tan Xiao¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, he couldn¡¯t resist and felt the teacher¡¯s wound, ¡°It really has healed! There¡¯s absolutely nothing wrong, even the wrinkles have reduced!¡±


    The Teacherughed, feeling his own head, ¡°¡­Really? I do feel like it¡¯s not painful anymore.¡±


    ¡°Holy shit, this is incredible, truly incredible!¡± Tan Xiao was extremely excited, ¡°Invincible!¡±


    Augh emerged from the car.


    Everyone turned to the sound to see Bai Youwei leaning on the car window, her face propped up by her hand, watching them.


    Although she didn¡¯t say a word, her eyes practically spelled out the word ¡°stupid¡±- a small bump wasted a life-saving opportunity once, wow, you guys are really great-


    Everyone, for a moment, felt a bit embarrassed.


    Shen MO nced at her, then asked Tan Xiao, ¡°What about the badge? What¡¯s it for?¡±


    Everyone was taken aback.


    Oh yeah, the person who found the golden ball, in addition to the mud, also received a ¡°Princess¡¯s Friend¡± Friendship Badge.


    The mud can heal injuries, but what is the purpose of the badge?


    Tan Xiao scratched his head, his expression puzzled, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    After speaking, seeing that everyone was still looking at him, he suddenly felt a bit anxious, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t you guys believe me? Why would I lie to you! I really don¡¯t know! This badge only tells me that I helped the princess find her lost golden ball, now I¡¯m the princess¡¯s friend! I¡¯ve no idea what use it is to be friends with the princess! ¡±


    He took out the gold badge, and swore with three fingers raised, ¡°Don¡¯t disbelieve me! The most unbearable thing for me is being wrongly used! I swear if you like!¡±


    The Teacher quickly said, ¡°Believe, believe! We all believe you, we just find it strange.¡±


    Only then did Tan Xiao lower his hand.


    Holding the badge in his hand, for some reason, he nced subconsciously at Bai Youwei, as if wanting to ask, yet also a bit afraid to ask.


    Bai Youwei squinted her eves, smiled and said, ¡°Keep it. You never know, it might be your turn to depend on the princess to save your life in the next game.¡±


    After hearing this, Tan Xiao¡¯s hairs stood on end, shuddering hard!


    He almost dropped the badge from his hand!

 Chapter 54 - 54: 54: A Sincere Invitation

    Chapter 54 - 54: 54: A Sincere Invitation


    Trantor: 549690339


    ying this game once is enough to cast a lifelong shadow, no one wants a next time!


    Tan Xiao held the badge, feeling particrly hot in his hand.


    The others stood in the middle of the road, each having different expressions, none speaking.


    A gust of wind blew, causing the leaves by the roadside to rustle and the leather tassels on Tan Xiao¡¯s motorcycle to flutter wildly in the wind.


    Shen MO nced at the dark clouds on the horizon, and said lightly, ¡°Get in the car, let¡¯s leave here.¡±


    Surrounded by dolls, no one would want to stay in such a ce. Without further ado, everyone got into the car.


    Monkey, Brother Hui and Thorn Head shared a car, he threw the two turned into dolls out of the car. With two thuds, the doll-like figures tumbled on the road surface and were covered with ayer of dust.


    Shen MO saw this, frowned, but didn¡¯t say anything, and started the car.


    The storm clouds came quickly.


    About a quarter of an hourter, the wind got louder, the road was filled with flying sand and stones, dense dark clouds pressed down, roaring ominously as if they would swallow all the buildings and trees.


    Large raindrops hit the car windows, the heavy rain came pouring down.


    They stopped at a toll station on the way.


    Tan Xiao, soaked to the skin, rode his motorcycle with no cover to shield him from the rain, looking like a drenched chicken.


    Not far away was a group of bungalows, the dormitories and canteen for the toll station staff. Everyone drove their car over to take shelter from the rain. This ce had neither electricity nor inte, like the service station, nor could they see a single soul. They prepared some old newspapers and wooden tables and chairs, lit a fire for warmth and illumination.


    A sudden downpour in the summer wasn¡¯t unusual, but encountering this


    storm after surviving a life-and-death game seemed to take on extraordinary


    significance.


    Like a warning from the heavens.


    The torrential rain obscured the road ahead. Vague expressions of confusion and loss appeared on their faces, as if even the direction in their hearts had been obscured by the rain.


    No one knew what was waiting for them ahead.


    Monkey lit a cigarette and took a deep drag.


    Tan Xiao sat by the fire drying his clothes, asked for a cigarette from him, and they both puffed together, looking quite practiced.


    ¡°Where are you headed once the rain stops?¡± Tan Xiao asked Monkey.


    Monkey and Thorn Head always followed Brother Hui¡¯s lead, now that Brother Hui was gone, Monkey might not stick to the original destination.


    ¡°East, to Taizhou.¡± Monkey flicked the cigarette ash and said calmly, ¡°My hometown is over there, so I¡¯m going back to take a look.¡±


    He then asked Tan Xiao, ¡°What about you? What are your ns?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Tan Xiao nkly stared at the fire, ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about it. I heard that there are no dolls in Yangzhou, so I want to check it out¡­There¡¯s not much gas left in my motorcycle, I might need to find a ce to stay for a while.¡± ¡°Do you want toe with me to Taizhou?¡± Monkey suddenly asked.


    Tan Xiao was somewhat at a loss, staring at him nkly.


    For whatever reason, Monkey turned to look at Shen MO and Bai Youwei on the other side, asking, ¡°How about it, want to consider it? My uncle has a farm in Taizhou. If youe, you wouldn¡¯tck for food and water. We can look after each other. If we face another game, we will feel more secure.¡±


    The fire reflected in his eyes and there was a touch of madness in his gaze.


    He was sincerely inviting them, but the aged and frail teacher Cheng was not considered in his ns.


    Bai Youwei, sitting in her wheelchair, scoffed disdainfully and closed her eyes, ignoring him.


    Shen MO was silent for a moment before replying, ¡°We need to go to Yangzhou to find someone.


    Monkeyughed, ¡°No problem, if you ever want toe to Taizhou, you¡¯re always wee.¡±


    He was not making idle talk. He found pen and paper, carefully wrote down his address, and handed it to both Shen MO and Tan Xiao.


    Tan Xiao was downright baffled and bluntly asked, ¡°Monkey, what are you ying at? We all have families and homes, who would run off to Taizhou with you for no reason?¡±


    ¡°What do you think the game is?¡± Behind the firelight, Monkey¡¯s face twisted vaguely in the warm haze, ¡°Don¡¯t you understand yet? This is a selection¡­ of all mankind¡­. and we won, we are the chosen ones! We are destined to shoulder the mission of changing the world! ¡°

 Chapter 55 - 55: Going Mad

    Chapter 55: Going Mad


    Trantor: 549690339


    A selection process for all of humankind?


    The chosen one?


    ¡­Changing the world?


    Tan Xiao was dumbfounded, staring nkly at the ape. He didn¡¯t expect that anyone could dream bigger than he could.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be impulsive, don¡¯t jump to any conclusions before thoroughly investigating,¡± Teacher Chang advised calmly, ¡°Even if there really is going to be a transformative selection process, it should involve aprehensive assessment of morality, intelligence, and physical ability, with diverse questions rted to arts and science. Special talents should be given extra points, that¡¯s the scientific way¡­¡±


    The smile on the ape¡¯s face turned cold and he gave Chang Weicai a ¡°shut up, you have no idea¡± look.


    He stared at the burning fire, saying: ¡°This world is rotten through and through. Some people are scorned and work from dawn till dusk without being able to afford a meal. Others do nothing while having endless heaps of money. Why? Why are some people born rich and others destined to struggle? Even God cannot stand by and watch anymore, hence this game¡­ She was right, the trash should be cleared away! It¡¯s not we who killed those people, but their ipetence¡­ he was yed by the game, not me, not me, I am the winner, I received the divine gift, I am the chosen one¡­ I am different from them¡­¡±


    His voice trailed into a murmur, as if bewitched, repeating over and over¡ª¡±l¡¯m the chosen one, I¡¯m different¡­l¡¯m the chosen one¡­


    Tan Xiao was at a loss for words, watching the ape. Eventually, he turned to look at Shen MO and Bai Youwei, pointing at his head, implying: is this guy going mad?


    The ape said, ¡°Right.¡±


    Surprised, Tan Xiao hastily put his hand down.


    The ape stered on a smile, saying to Shen Mo: ¡°Speaking of which, I should thank your sister. If she hadn¡¯tsted until the ninth round, even if we hadpleted the game, we might not have so many opportunities to use the mud prize.¡±


    Passing the ninth round, winning the prize nine times, behind this rewardid several lives.


    Yet not only did he not bear any grudges, on the contrary, he was eagerly trying to get closer to Shen MO and Bai Youwei.


    Shen MO remained indifferent, notmenting on this topic, simply saying: ¡°The rain is not likely to stop anytime soon, we can¡¯t drive, let¡¯s get something to eat.¡±


    The ape nodded, stood up and said, ¡°There are some bowls and pots in the cafeteria. I will go and get some.¡±


    As he was saying that, he braved the rain and ran out.


    The others in the room watched his figure disappear, silent for a moment.


    The ape¡¯s reaction was abnormal, it seemed like he thought of himself as the savior, after experiencing a test of fate he began to think he was superior. Shen MO dropped his eyes to look at Bai Youwei and asked her, ¡°Do you feel better now?¡±


    Bai Youwei quietly lowered her head, her long hair covering her cheeks, hiding her expression.


    Watching the two of them, Tan Xiao felt the atmosphere had suddenly be strange and asked puzzledly, ¡°What on earth is going on with the ape?¡±


    Nobody answered.


    Teacher Chang shook his head lightly and sighed deeply:


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    It was afternoon and the sky was as dark as night.


    Tan Xiao rummaged through the trunk and found some food¡ªjust canned meat and instant noodles. Everyone made do with a pot of boiling water over the fire and hastily ate their meal.


    Bai Youwei ate very little, just a couple of bites of her instant noodles and set it aside. She looked low-spirited.


    She acted differently inside and outside the game.


    Soft and silent outside;


    Defiant and wild inside.


    Shen MO had never met a girl or woman like her.


    The female colleagues he had encountered at work were all outspoken and friendly. The cousins in his family were all knowledgeable and well-behaved, only Bai Youwei made him feel that every encounter was like getting pricked.


    It seemed that his initialparison of her to a small hedgehog was way off the mark.


    A hedgehog has sharp quills, while Bai Youwei was covered in knives!


    Killer knives, even..

 Chapter 56 - 56: Let Me Go

    Chapter 56: Let Me Go


    Trantor: 549690339


    The rain stopped at eight o¡¯clock in the evening.


    The sky was alsopletely dark.


    Shen MO stood under the eaves, looking at the pitch-ck sky, thinking: It wouldn¡¯t be possible to leave tonight.


    Despite only being less than an hour¡¯s journey away, they had to dy another day. Driving at night was too risky, they could only wait until the next morning.


    With no electricity, no inte signals, and the situation in Yangzhou unclear, various worries weighed heavily on his mind, making Shen MO feel a kind of indescribable irritation.


    Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai set up the pot again, adding a few sections of bench legs to the fire, boiling water to cook noodles.


    The monkey pried the doors of a few dormitory rooms open with wire. Inside were single beds and tables, whether the bedding was clean or not was unknown, but it should be fine for one night.


    They had dinner around nine, still instant noodles, apanied by roasted duck and goose they had brought out from the food processing factory. Without rice and vegetables, everyone ate in silence.


    Bai Youwei didn¡¯t eat much for lunch, and also didn¡¯t eat dinner, iming she had no appetite. She went to rest in a dormitory room by herself in her wheelchair.


    She had been meticulous with her diet since she was young, with three meals a day cooked by a nanny to her taste. It was normal for her not to stomach these foods; Shen MO didn¡¯t take it to heart.


    After dinner, Chang Weicai purposely boiled another pot of hot water, sterilized the clean ss jars two or three times, then filled a jar full of hot water, cooling it in cold water.


    Once the water was no longer too hot, Chang Weicai handed the jar to Shen MO, saying, ¡°Your sister seems to be feeling unwell, let her drink more warm water.¡±


    Shen MO was taken aback.


    Seeing hisck of response, Chang Weicai kindly reminded him, ¡°She barely ate anything for lunch, and hasn¡¯t even had a sip of water until now. This isn¡¯t good, she¡¯ll get sick.¡±


    Tan Xiao was gulping down water, tilting his head back. Hearing this, he paused, put down the water bottle and asked, ¡°Why doesn¡¯t she drink? Isn¡¯t she thirsty?¡±


    After asking, he answered himself: ¡°Oh, I get it now! She has been sitting still all the time, when the heart is calm, the body naturally cools down, and when it¡¯s cool, she doesn¡¯t sweat, and if she doesn¡¯t sweat, she won¡¯t be thirsty!¡­


    What kind of reasoning was that?


    Chang Weicai looked at Tan Xiao, speechless.


    However, Shen Mo¡¯s expression gradually grew somber.


    He picked up the jar and turned to leave. The dormitory where Bai Youwei was resting was the second one from where they were. He grabbed the doorknob and turned, but it was locked.


    ¡°Bai Youwei!¡± Shen MO knocked on the door, a hint of anger hidden in his tone.


    There was no response from inside.


    Shen MO held back again and again, gritting his teeth in frustration, ¡°Bai


    Youwei! Open the door!¡±


    Tan Xiao, Chang Weicai, and Monkey sensed that something was wrong, and they all came out to see what was happening, ¡°What¡¯s going on¡­¡±


    Shen MO stood outside the door, his face so gloomy it looked like rain was about to fall.


    Didn¡¯t he understand? Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t that she wasn¡¯t hungry or thirsty; she was upset with him from what had happened in the game earlier. She felt she couldn¡¯t rely on him, hence, she was refusing food and water, to avoid having to depend on him to use the bathroom!


    Just how stubborn could she be?


    To the point of neglecting her own health over a fit of pique?!


    Blind rage welled up within him. Shen Mo¡¯s scalp tingled, and he was unsure where the anger came from, whether it was directed at her attitude or his own carelessness.


    No matter how much he disapproved of her actions, he wouldn¡¯t let a disabled girl suffer because of their verbal quarrel. Yet, indeed due to his negligence, she had gone without food or drink for the better part of the day.


    After waiting another half a minute and still no response from Bai Youwei, he stopped knocking.


    With a dark expression on his face, Shen MO took a deep breath, turned around, and kicked the door! There was a loud bang!


    The door flew open!


    ¡ªBai Youwei was lying on her side on the bed, her back to him. Even such a loud noise inside the room did not prompt her to turn her head.


    Shen MO didn¡¯t say a word either, his eyes quickly scanning the single dormitory room. He picked up her folding crutches along with her bags, hanging them on either side of the wheelchair, then bent over to lift the girl on the bed.


    Bai Youwei was like a cat whose fur has been ruffled, turning around and aiming for Shen Mo¡¯s face!


    ¡°Let go of me! She screamed..

 Chapter 57 - 57: 57: Teach Her a Lesson

    Chapter 57 - 57: 57: Teach Her a Lesson


    Trantor: 549690339


    Shen MO didn¡¯t care and forcefully held her down on the wheelchair!


    Bai Youwei struggled like a madwoman! She wed and hit Shen MO! Not satisfied that it was not hurting him, she gripped his arm and bit into it!


    Her white teeth sank into the flesh, tasting a rusty tang, her eyes a fiery red!


    Everyone who rushed over was dumbfounded by the spectacle, not understanding what feud the siblings were engaged in.


    ¡°Xiaoshen¡­¡± stuttered the teacher, ¡°you guys, can you please talk things out¡­¡±


    Shen MO took a deep breath, his tight arm wrestled free from her teeth, showing two rows of bright, bloody impressions. He said impassively to them:


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡¯


    Then he pushed the wheelchair and strode away.


    Everyone was bewildered.


    Fine?¡­ Can you really call this fine?


    The air was humid after the rain, and the wheelchair was trundled into umted puddles, sshing water everywhere. Shen MO pushed Bai Youwei all the way to the public toilet across the road.


    The public toilet was for staff and had no ess for disabled, so Shen MO moved in front of the wheelchair to lift her up.


    She wouldn¡¯t let him touch her, and she pushed him, hit him, and twisted, using all her strength!


    The two had a silent wrestling match in front of the toilet, ending with Bai Youwei being defeated. She was carried by Shen MO into the toilet, with a pair of crutches tucked under her arms.


    ¡°Stand properly on your own.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s tone was icy, filled with severity.


    Bai Youwei bit her lip, leaning on her crutches to stand in the toilet. The surrounding stench made her feel sick and humiliated!


    After Shen MO opened the toilet stall¡¯s door, he ced a shlight on the cistern,id out a disposable toilet seat cover, and took out the wet tissue and toilet paper, then tried to pull her in.


    But she stubbornly refused to move.


    When his first pull didn¡¯t work, he exerted more force on the second, nearly causing her to lose her bnce. He hoisted her into the stall, and his towering figure cast a shadow over her. He ordered her again, ¡°Go to the bathroom.¡±


    Bai Youwei bit her lip, eyes tightly shut, stubbornly refusing toply even as she stood by the toilet bowl.


    Shen MO truly lost his temper then, and grasped her waist.


    Bai Youwei struggled vehemently in his arms!


    His anger peaked, nearly losing all sanity! Originally, he only wanted to scare her, but now he feltpelled to teach her a lesson! In his anger, his hand touched something soft, and he froze.


    ¡­It was a diaper.


    That item was far removed from his world, but now worn by an adult, it was nothing short of humiliating and embarrassing. So she had put this on her earlier in the room.


    Shen MO let her go.


    There were blotchy wet stains on his chest, her tears. She was crying with her eyes closed, her face stained with tears, but stubbornly refusing to make a sound.


    Shen MO simply couldn¡¯t understand why she had to be so stubborn.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you five minutes to get done.¡± he made apromise, stepping back and closing the stall door.


    Even though he had eded to her, he worried that Bai Youwei still wouldn¡¯tply, and had to continue ying the viin. He threatened her vehemently through the door: ¡°Otherwise, I will throw away all your remaining diapers.¡±


    A soft sobbing sound could be heard from the toilet stall.


    Shen MO was in a state of distress.


    He paced back and forth in the toilet, finally stepping out in frustration and leaning against a tree outside to have a smoke.


    After finishing his cigarette, Bai Youwei still hadn¡¯te out.


    He didn¡¯t rush her, and just lit another¡­


    Fifteen minutester, there was the sound of flushing from the toilet, followed by the opening of the stall door.


    Bai Youwei, with her head sagging, emerged.


    Just a trip to the toilet, yet she was like a soldier defeated on the battlefield, looking lost and without will.


    Shen MO helped her onto the wheelchair, put away the crutches, the shlight, and the tissue, and then took her to wash her hands.


    Once they returned to the dormitory, he handed her therge cup of warm water the teacher had prepared, along with a bag of biscuits.


    This time, she didn¡¯tin further.


    She ate the biscuits when she was hungry and drank water when she was thirsty.


    Later, as she nibbled on a biscuit, she said softly: ¡°I want to take a bath.¡±


    Running out of patience, Shen MO couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. He wanted to ask her if she was now pushing her luck. This run-down ce didn¡¯t even have a water heater. Where was he supposed to get hot water for her bath?


    Bai Youwei swallowed her biscuit, her voice very faint: I haven¡¯t bathed in two days and I feel ufortable..¡±

 Chapter 58 - 58: 58: Making Peace with a Handshake

    Chapter 58 - 58: 58: Making Peace with a Handshake


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°In the height of summer, who wouldn¡¯t be ufortable after not bathing for two days?


    Shen MO felt the same way.


    But the problem was, how could one take a bath at a time like this?


    Shen MO stared at Bai Youwei, slowly exhaling a breath through his nose, his mrs clenched tightly.


    Bai Youwei nibbled on biscuits, not looking at Shen MO, murmuring to herself,


    ¡°I want to take a bath.¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡®


    A momentter, he got up and walked out the dorm room door.


    At ten o¡¯clock at night, Shen MO prepared bath water for Bai Youwei.


    He found tworge stainless steel basins in the canteen, washed them clean, filled them with water and heated them. When they were about four to five parts hot, he carried them to their dorm room¡ª


    Bathing or showering was not possible, they could only use the hot water for scrubbing.


    Shen MO left the room, guarding outside the door.


    As he reminisced about the past few days, he found it amusing that he¡¯d ended up doing the things he¡¯d never done in the first half of his life.


    Who could me him when she was a patient? Caring for a patient should take precedence over any gender rted precautions. Besides, she was several years younger than him, just like a younger sister. It wouldn¡¯t hurt his pride to make a few amodations for her.


    The sound of water echoed from the room intermittently. Shen MO, free of any frivolous thoughts, focused on these trivial matters, his anxiety gradually easing.


    His earlier anger and frustration now seemed unnecessary.


    When Bai Youwei had finished bathing, she shuffled to the door with her crutch and opened it with a squeak.


    Shen MO turned around.


    She had changed into a white dress, her long hair braided and draped over the front of her body. Her wet hair ends glistened, ebony against her clean white face. Under the night sky, her face glowed like a piece of jade, elegant and beautiful, a stark contrast to her sharp in-game persona.


    He noticed a reddish-purple mark on her neck, quite eye-catching.


    It was the mark he had left when he choked her in the game.


    He had promised to bring her safely to Yangzhou, but the first injury on her body was inflicted by his own hand.


    Shen MO didn¡¯t know how to feel about this.


    ¡°There¡¯s still a basin of water, do you want to wash as well?¡± Bai Youwei looked at him, slightly furrowing her brow, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    There were no mirrors in the room, she had no idea about the mark on her neck.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Shen MO averted his eyes, and went into the room to get the water.


    As he prepared to leave, he said, ¡°If you need to use the bathroom at night, just call me. I¡¯ll be in the next room.¡±


    Bai Youwei pursed her lips upon hearing this.


    After a moment, she responded with a low ¡°Mmm¡±, and said, ¡°Know it.¡±


    Both of them knew that this was an opportunity for reconciliation.


    The journey was not yet over, and continued friction would do neither of them any good. This was especially true for Bai Youwei.


    So, when he extended an olive branch, she epted it.


    Before going to sleep, Bai Youwei needed to visit the bathroom again.


    The procedure was calm and smooth. Shen MO found that as long as she didn¡¯t lose her temper, it was easy to take care of her.


    On their way back with the wheelchair, they ran into Monkey.


    Monkey was waiting outside. Upon seeing them return, his face wore a somewhat awkward yet pleasing smile.


    ¡°We are parting ways tomorrow, so it doesn¡¯t seem right for me to keep this.


    You decide what to do with it.¡± He pulled out a cell phone and handed it to Shen MO, adding with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the phone has no signal, nothing has been sent out, this is the only copy.¡±


    Shen MO frowned, then handed the phone to Bai Youwei.


    The phone contained the video of them harassing Bai Youwei. It wasn¡¯t appropriate for him to watch it.


    After handing over the phone, Monkey turned and left.


    He used to be a small henchman following Big Brother Hui and had a low presence. Now, he seemed to have changed from before.


    Shen MO stared at his retreating figure for a moment, then wheeled Bai Youwei back into the room, saying, ¡°Delete it. If you are concerned, just take out the memory card..¡±

 Chapter 59 - 59: 59: Get Lost

    Chapter 59 - 59: 59: Get Lost


    Trantor: 549690339


    The cell phone had no lock screen password, so Bai Youwei immediately saw the video in the folder when she turned it on.


    She clicked to watch it. In the shaky video, she saw her own figure appearing weak like a frightened quail, pitifully screaming, ¡°Don¡¯te over! Don¡¯te over¡­¡±


    Shen MO didn¡¯t understand why this was worth re-watching.


    The video continued to y, and she kept on watching.


    Shen MO didn¡¯t watch, he observed Bai Youwei¡¯s reaction.


    After a while, a voice from Teacher Cheng can be heard from the phone¡­ Shortly after, Tan Xiao appeared, and then, they started fighting.


    In the chaos, the cell phone had been tossed aside, continuing to film. The footage was all over the ce, but the audio was clearly captured.


    Huige said, ¡°Just a cripple, not even a woman¡­¡±


    At this moment, Bai Youwei¡¯s face turned utterly gloomy!


    The knuckles of her hand clutching the phone turned white, her eyes fixed on the phone screen even though Huige¡¯s face wasn¡¯t shown in the video.


    Shen MO frowned, snatched the phone, deleted the video in a couple of taps, and threw the phone aside.


    ¡°Get some rest, we¡¯re leaving first thing in the morning,¡± he said.


    Bai Youwei muttered something with her head bowed.


    Shen Mo: ¡°What?¡±


    Bai Youwei looked up, her small face unveiling a cold smile: ¡°I said, it isn¡¯t satisfying.¡¯


    Shen Mo¡¯s brow furrowed deeper.


    Bai Youwei: ¡°His death was too easy, it didn¡¯t appease me at all.¡±


    Shen MO got up to leave. Their rtionship had just started to improve, and he didn¡¯t want to start a quarrel with her over words.


    ¡°Shen MO,¡± Bai Youwei stopped him, ¡°Can you stay tonight? I¡¯m scared to be alone.¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡®


    He understood her implication and was absolutely sure he hadn¡¯t misinterpreted her.


    Because that was how crazy she was, willing to risk everything for a grudge.


    Shen MO inhaled deeply without making a sound, casually nced at Bai Youwei, and said calmly, ¡°Get some sleep early. You don¡¯t need to take other people¡¯s words to heart.¡±


    After saying this, he turned and opened the door.


    Bai Youwei spoke again: ¡°Shen MO, help me up.¡±


    Shen MO stopped in his tracks, waited a second, then reluctantly returned to help her sit up, supporting her back.


    Bai Youwei leaned on her hands as if she was out of strength, and gently leaned against Shen Mo¡¯s chest.


    Shen MO stiffened.


    Bai Youweiy motionless in his arms, her body enveloped by his chest and arm, a mix of sweat, smoke, and crisp rain scent, not pleasant, but she didn¡¯t dislike it.


    She stretched her arms around his waist. His taut muscles were hard yet warm.


    Shen MO tried to pull away, but she held on tighter.


    ¡°Bai Youwei,¡± Shen MO inhaled, ¡°Don¡¯t misbehave.¡±


    ¡°Do you find me disgusting too?¡± She lifted her head up from his chest, her face calm, ¡°Right now I¡¯m not happy, if you stay tonight, I¡¯ll feel better.¡±


    Shen MO observed her silently, she neither retreated norpromised. Her eyes were clear but determined, ready to let go of all restraint, unashamed to prove something.


    Shen MO gently put his hand over hers, grasping her fingers.


    Bai Youwei began to tear up in front of him.


    He remained indifferent, sternly prying her fingers off one by one¡­


    When he got to thest two fingers, Bai Youwei suddenly pulled her hand back and released him.


    She sat in the shadows with her head bowed, and coldly spat out a word from her throat:


    ¡°Get out.¡±


    Shen MO turned and left without hesitation.


    It was difficult for him to walk away, but his movements were decisive, with no signs of hesitation.

 Chapter 60 - 60: 60 Good Morning

    Chapter 60 - 60: 60 Good Morning


    Trantor: 549690339


    Shen MO had a restless night.


    Every time he closed his eyes, the image of Bai Youwei, shrouded in gloom and vulnerability, haunted him. She sat silent in the shadows, blending into the darkness, or perhaps bing the darkness itself. A hint of wickedness in her demeanor, yet she was not one you could easily hate.


    This was always the case¡ª Ignored and pitied; Intended to help, but irked by her infuriatingly stubborn demeanor.


    Shen MO had carried out many tasks,plex, dangerous, urgent, but none had given him such a headache as this one.


    He was pretty annoyed.


    It was five in the morning. The daylight was just breaking when Shen MO awoke.


    He got up and went to Bai Youwei¡¯s room.


    He had left hastily the night before, mainly to put a stop to her sullen behavior. But leaving her alone in the room left him uneasy, given her vtile temper, he was worried she might stir up some new trouble either for him or for herself.


    He lightly twisted the doorknob, finding it unlocked.


    As Shen MO pushed the door open, in the dim light, Bai Youweiy on the bed with her eyes closed.


    Shen MO breathed a sigh of relief.


    He went over and bent down to look at her. Sleeping, she looked unusually docile, eyshes slightly upturned, lips pinkish, small face with baby fat, innocent and lovely. Combined with her skin far paler than the average person¡¯s, she looked extremely fragile and endearing.


    Without a shadow of a doubt, her appearance was utterly deceptive. Forgetting herst night¡¯s aggressive and stubborn behavior, he found himself watching her.


    She was deeply asleep, like a child, hugging a fluffy bunny in her arms, its fur rumpled.


    Shen MO imagined that she probably vented her frustrations on the bunny after he left the previous night. The thought brought a smile to his face, finding the scene rather adorable.


    Strange and muddled thoughts passed through his mind¡­


    Compelled to, he lightly brushed away her hair, to see if the strangtion mark on her neck had faded.


    As her hair swept across her cheek, the girl¡¯sshes fluttered slightly.


    A secondter, she opened her eyes and silently watched him.


    With eyes calm and tranquil, filled with a mix of drowsy disorientation.


    Shen MO withdrew his hand, unsure of what to say to her. After a slight pause he asked, ¡°Need to use the restroom?¡±


    Although he asked out of concern, Bai Youwei scoffed andughed, ¡°You woke me up at five in the morning just to remind me to pee?¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡®


    ¡°Nuts,¡± Bai Youwei rolled her eyes,ying back to continue her sleep, exuding an aura of dislike for early mornings.


    Shen MO was silent for a while, saying, ¡°I wille back at five-thirty.¡±


    Bai Youwei grabbed the stuffed bunny and hurled it at his face!


    ¡ªIndeed, she couldn¡¯t have hit him. After all, the difference in strength was far too significant, so it was unlikely she could evernd a hit.


    Catching the bunny, Shen MO exited the dorm room and stood at the door, smiling quietly. Somehow, his mood brightened up.


    Is she right? Am I nuts? He touched his nose, muttering to himself.


    The rising warm sun cast a glowingyer on the handsome man¡¯s face, gradually warming up and making the whole person rxed. Ignoring the terrible situation for the moment, it felt like a pleasant morning.


    At the end of the corridor under the eaves, there was a water basin. Shen MO turned on the tap and the cool water poured, he freshened himself with the cold water.


    Suddenly, there was a sound from behind him.


    Immediately following, Tan Xiao¡¯s hysterical yell came¡ª ¡°Damn it!!!¡±


    Brushing the water from his face, Shen MO turned his head in confusion.


    He watched Tan Xiao rush out of the room, then back into the Monkey¡¯s sleeping chamber where another torrent of curses echoed: ¡°He ran off! That coward!! He stole our y and ran off!!!¡±

 Chapter 61 - 61: 61: A Lifetime Thief

    Chapter 61 - 61: 61: A Lifetime Thief


    Trantor: 549690339


    The monkey stole Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai¡¯s Healing Mud and ran away.


    Not only that, but he also emptied the gas from Tan Xiao¡¯s motorcycle, seemingly afraid that Tan Xiao might wake up and chase him.


    ¡°That bastard! I knew he was a menace the moment he picked the lock with a wire!¡± Tan Xiao cursed, furious and frustrated. ¡°A dog can¡¯t change its habit of eating shit! Once a thief, always a thief!¡±


    Merely cursing was not enough to express his inner grief. He wailed as he tore at his hair. ¡°My precious mud! I¡¯ve never even used it once!!¡±


    The more he thought about it, the more upset he became.


    Compared to Tan Xiao¡¯s rage, Chang Weicai was calmer and earnestlyforted him, ¡°Losses can turn out to be gains. As the old wisdom says, nothing is more blessed than ack of desire, and nothing is more disastrous than ack of contentment¡­ O


    Tan Xiao continued pulling his hair,pletely not understanding what was said.


    Chang Weicai sighed, then asked Shen Mo and Bai Youwei with concern, ¡°Is


    your mud safe?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s still here.¡± replied Shen Mo.


    Hearing this, Tan Xiao felt more upset. ¡°Did he target us specifically? Why only bully us?! Damn it!¡±


    Annoyed by his constantints, Bai Youwei said, ¡°If I were him, I would have chosen you two. One of you sleeps like a log without any guard up, the other is full of old bones and easy to knock over. Who else would he rob?¡± Tan Xiao felt wronged.


    He conceded that Shen MO was formidable, and it was expected that the monkey dared not touch Shen Mo¡¯s belongings. But what about Bai Youwei? Did she really look tougher than him, a frail girl?!


    Bai Youwei gave a nonchnt yawn and said leisurely, ¡°As for why my mud went untouched, it¡¯s pretty simple to understand. He must have seen that I¡¯m a pampered youngdy. Given these harsh conditions, I certainly wouldn¡¯t have a good night¡¯s sleep, I could wake up at any time, so the risk for him is too high. Also, Shen MO was sleeping next door. If anything happened on my side, Shen MO would be alerted right away. So, of course, he wouldn¡¯t be so reckless to target me.¡±


    After finishing her exnation, she let out a cold chuckle and continued, ¡°And don¡¯t forget¡­ just yesterday, he tried to get me and Shen MO on his side. Best keep some room when you act, just to avoid any unpleasant future encounters.


    He did have this little wisdom.¡±


    ¡°Future encounters?¡± Tan Xiao, full of suppressed anger, could only threaten, ¡°If I ever see him again, I¡¯ll make him realise the consequences of messing with me!¡±


    Bai Youwei didn¡¯t care about his resolution. After another sleepy yawn, she pulled out the mud from her bag and casually threw it over to Tan Xiao¡ª


    Tan Xiao froze, but his body reacted faster than his mind and he caught it.


    ¡°Here you go, take it. There¡¯s only one piece, you and Chang can share,¡± said


    Bai Youwei indifferently.


    Tan Xiao¡¯s eyes widened. O


    Not only him, Chang Weicai and Shen MO were also taken aback, looking at Bai Youwei in surprise.


    ¡°What are you all staring at me for?¡± Bai Youwei curved her lips and didn¡¯t care,ughing dismissively, ¡°Did you think I cared a lot about this thing? Hmph, it can¡¯t cure my leg, what¡¯s the use of keeping it.¡±


    After a few seconds of silence, Chang Weicai tried to persuade her, ¡°Don¡¯t be impulsive¡­ the mud may not look like much, but it¡¯s really useful! It can heal 9 wounds! The world is bing increasingly dangerous, having a piece of this mud can probably save your life someday. Please reconsider carefully.¡± Bai Youwei nced at him emotionlessly.


    Although she didn¡¯t like his feebleness and nagging, she had to admire his ability to resist temptation.


    Tan Xiao was greedy, but to take Bai Youwei¡¯s mud clearly contradicted the code of his principles. Thus, heughed, awkwardly, ¡°I don¡¯t know how can


    I¡­.what if we¡¯ll experience a simr sort of game in the future¡­¡±

 Chapter 62 - 62: 62: There’s No Reason Why

    Chapter 62 - 62: 62: There¡¯s No Reason Why


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°The next time we face a challenge, don¡¯t worry about me. He will save me.¡±


    Bai Youwei nced casually at Shen MO beside her and said calmly,


    ¡°Either he¡¯ll save me and I¡¯ll be fine, or he won¡¯t be able to and I¡¯ll die. So, there¡¯s not much use giving me the mud, even if I get injured, aren¡¯t you guys going to use the mud to save me anyway?


    Fair point.


    Tan Xiao immediately said passionately, ¡°Of course, we wouldn¡¯t just stand by and watch you die! I¡¯ll remember the favor you did for us today. From now on, we¡¯re brothers, ready to take a knife for each other. If I ever betray this brotherhood, may the heavens strike me dead with five thunders!¡±


    Bai Youwei let her gaze drift down.


    She wasn¡¯t interested in the idea of ¡®taking a knife for each other¡¯, she just wished Tan Xiao would be a bit quieter.


    Shen MO stood next to her, nced at her silently, then withdrew his gaze. He turned to Tan Xiao and Teacher Chang to speak: ¡°You guys keep the mud, Mine will be used for her.¡±


    Teacher Chang still felt ufortable. He muttered hesitantly: ¡°How can that be¡­ We lost our mud because we were careless, and now you guys have to bear this burden¡­¡±


    Bai Youwei frowned, highly annoyed. ¡°If you¡¯re so reluctant to take it, just give it back to me when we get to Yangzhou.¡±


    Tan Xiao pulled Teacher Chang aside and spoke like a seasoned veteran, ¡°We are all brothers under the heaven! It¡¯s fate that brought us all together. Since Sister Weiwei is so generous, we shouldn¡¯t be ungrateful. If we continue to refuse, it¡¯s going to hurt our rtionship!¡±


    Bai Youwei rolled her eyes silently, thinking to herself, Since when did I be your little sister?


    But she didn¡¯t want to bother correcting him.


    After a lot of hesitation, Teacher Chang finally nodded: ¡°Ah, fine then¡­¡±


    Bai Youweizily watched the two men¡¯s interactions and thought about it. To avoid the risk of her gifted mud being ¡°identally¡± lost again, she gave Tan Xiao further instructions:


    ¡°I suggest keeping the mud safe with Teacher Chang. One, he¡¯s more careful than you, so he won¡¯t lose it; two, he¡¯s physically weaker than you. If you both get injured, you could still hold on until help arrives, but Teacher Chang might notst that long.¡±


    ¡°Sounds reasonable!¡± Tan Xiao immediately nodded.


    He believed Shen MO was stronger and Bai Youwei was smarter than him, so following their advice was surely the right thing to do. He instantly gave the mud to Chang Weicai without the slightest hesitation.


    Chang Weicai held the chunk of mud in his hands, his heart filled with mixed feelings.


    He knew he was a burden, older and physically slower than the others. But none of them had ever showed any sign of disliking him. They even trusted him with such an important item!


    Teacher Chang carefully put the small piece of ck mud into his shirt pocket, then ced the p over it and buttoned it up.


    ¡°I will take good care of it.¡± Without raising his voice, Teacher Chang said calmly, his face unusually solemn.


    Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t interested in hearing about everyone¡¯s heartfelt journeys.


    All she knew was that she was extremely tired. She was rudely awakened at 5 am and immediately thrown into a noisy dispute over a piece of rotten mud. Damn it, her mood was ruined for the entire day!


    Bai Youwei went back to her room to pack her bags with a gloomy expression.


    Shen MO followed her, pushing her wheelchair.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Bai Youwei snapped at him, looking over her shoulder.


    Shen MO gazed at her curiously, and asked, ¡°Why did you give them the mud?¡±


    No reason,¡± Bai Youwei replied coldly, putting away her clothes she had worn yesterday one by one and ced them in the storage bag.


    After a couple seconds of silence, it suddenly clicked for her, she turned around to look at Shen Mo.

 Chapter 63 - 63: 63: Are You Jealous?

    Chapter 63 - 63: 63: Are You Jealous?


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°So, you think my show of kindness is a big surprise?¡±


    Bai Youwei slightly lifts her chin, her lips curving up arrogantly:


    ¡°Sorry, I am not as idle as you are. I simply don¡¯t want to be a burden when trouble arises. There is no need for you to feel torn anymore. With Tan Xiao taking care of Teacher Cheng and mud on his body, you can wholeheartedly escort me to Yangzhou!¡±


    Having said this. she sizes Shen MO from head to toe. her voice full of sarcasm, ¡°Or do you think you¡¯re not even worth as much as mud?¡±


    Looking at her proud and arrogant demeanor, Shen MO is left speechless. After a moment of silence, he seriously asks her:


    ¡°Are you intentionally trying to provoke me because of what happenedst night, or is it because of what happened this morning?¡±


    Last night, he hurt her pride.


    This morning, he disturbed her sleep.


    Bai Youwei¡¯s face instantly turns colder, gloomy.


    Shen MO says, ¡°Before doing anything in the future, think about whether it¡¯s worth it or not.¡±


    His tone is in, yet sincere. He genuinely doesn¡¯t want to see her acting impulsively.


    ¡°You are not me, how would you know if it¡¯s not worth it?¡± Bai Youwei sneers coldly, her hands pinching the wrinkles of the long skirt on her leg. Her voice is soft, ¡°¡­But you have a point. From your perspective, now that I am like this, the best way for me to live is to eat obediently, sleep obediently, and not cause any trouble for anyone. Because¡­ since I am already like this, what right do I have to demand anything else? Right?¡±


    Shen MO frowns, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what you meant.¡± She smirks contemptuously, ¡°You people are all the same; again and again, you tell me the same old things. You tell me not to be angry, not to be willful, not to harm my own body¡­ But you don¡¯t understand that, for me, my pride is more important than my life! I¡¯d rather harm my body than beughed at, be humiliated, be insulted!¡±


    You people¡­


    Something lightly grazes Shen Mo¡¯s heart.


    He recalls a family meal, where his father invited Aunt Wang and hinted at his intention to remarry. His father always wished for a well-behaved and adorable daughter.


    But Aunt Wang immediately refused, exining that Bai Youwei¡¯s health is special, and she tends to be willful and not used to living with many people.


    Shen Mo¡¯s father disagreed, believing that letting a child live alone would make her even more antisocial.


    However, Aunty Wang was an outsider and since they were still dating, it wasn¡¯t appropriate to interfere much. In the end, the matter was dropped.


    Now, at the end of the world¡­


    Shen MO remains silent.


    Bai Youwei watches him, her tone icy, ¡°I must¡¯ve been blindst night. The world is full of men. Don¡¯t tter yourself thinking that I have to be with you¡­¡±


    Just then, Tan Xiao happens to pass by the door with a bunch of stuff in his arms¡ª


    Shen MO sees Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes glint, and a chill shoots through his heart.


    ¡°Tan Xiao!¡±


    The man and woman¡¯s voices echo simultaneously.


    Tan Xiao stops in his tracks, looking bemusedly at this pair of ¡°siblings¡±,


    What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Shen MO takes two steps forward, blocking Bai Youwei, and calmly says, ¡°Could you also load two more buckets of water into the car? It will make things more convenient on the road.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Okay, there are some drinking water buckets in the dormitory where we were resting.¡±


    Tan Xiao didn¡¯t think much about it and turned around to go fetch the buckets.


    Shen MO breathes a sigh of relief. As he turns around, he sees Bai Youwei sitting in her wheelchair, a pair of clear and bright eyes looking at him with a hint of a teasing smile, her lips curving upward in amusement.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you thought I was going to choose him?¡± Her smile is intriguing, ¡°You rushed out so hastily¡­ was it jealousy? Or are you regretting rejecting mest night?¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡®

 Chapter 64 - 64: No One

    Chapter 64: No One


    Trantor: 549690339


    After a long time¡­


    Shen MO sighed lightly, appearing a bit helpless.


    He went to the bed to help Bai Youwei tidy up the pile of clothes, the tin can of water on the table, and the folding crutch propped up at the corner of the bed¡­ Sorting everything away one by one, and then he pushed her wheelchair.


    Bai Youwei grabbed his wrist and looked up at him with clear, inquisitive eyes.


    Shen MO remained silent.


    Her fingers gently slid down into his palm, which was broad and warm. With restless intent, she idly scratched the slightly rough callouses on his hand.


    ¡°Hey, say something.¡± Her smile was all innocence, but within it was a mischievous tease, ¡°Do you need me to give you another chance?¡±


    Shen MO withdrew his hand, ignoring her yful provocations, and firmly pushed the wheelchair onwards¡ª


    This time, the spoilt girl Bai Youwei didn¡¯t fuss. She let out an icy hmph.


    Afterward, Shen MO lifted her to the passenger seat, and perhaps because she was genuinely tired, she was asleep soon after the offroad vehicle started moving.


    Tan Xiao and Professor Cheng sat in the rear seats.


    Further back, the trunk was crammed with luggage and food, two barrels filled with tap water, and that cool motorcycle, Tan Xiao had regrettably decided to leave it at the toll booth.


    So, the group hit the road once more.


    The journey from Zhenjiang to Yangzhou required crossing the Runyang Bridge, and the entire journey would not take more than about 30 minutes; however, Shen Mo¡¯s car had been getting slower and slower. Because along the way, they had not seen a single person.


    Too quiet¡­


    It was as if all life had evaporated into thin air.


    A city should not be like this.


    The Yangtze River continued to roll on, and there was no ship visible on its surface, just the sound of wind on the bridge.


    The car continued to drive forward, asionally spotting some cars by the roadside, which were empty without a single person or doll in sight.


    The extreme heat of the sun scorched the earth, but everyone¡¯s hearts felt as if they had been soaked in cold water, giving rise to a wave of chill.


    No one knew where the city¡¯s people had gone.


    Shen MO, who was driving, became even more cautious. He drove down the street, observing the surroundings, and even the usually lively Tan Xiao was staring out the car window, daring not to make a sound.


    ording to the original n, they were to first take Professor Cheng to Jhor Middle Road.


    However, when they were close to their destination, they encountered arge fog.


    Yes, just like the fogmon in autumn and winter.


    White and thick, an unexpected haze on a clear day that enveloped all the streets and buildings, making it impossible for them to see the road ahead.


    The fog was too strange, so Shen MO didn¡¯t approach it. He chose another route, slowly driving along the edge of the fog.


    They circled around most of Yangzhou City, yet they didn¡¯t see a single person! The streets, shops, squares, parks, and hospitals¡­ They were all devoid of people!


    Where were the people?


    Were they all hiding away?


    Hiding in the fog?


    Should they also go in?


    Would there be danger in the fog? What caused it?


    There were no answers.


    Professor Cheng thought of his elderly parents back home. He wrung his hands, his expression solemn.


    Tan Xiao felt a bout of panic for the first time, and asked, ¡°What should we do?¡±


    Shen MO held the steering wheel and turned the corner ahead, he spoke in a deep voice, ¡°Let¡¯s go check out the supermarket first.¡±


    Tan Xiao was even more confused, ¡°To find food? But the trunk is already full¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s to find people.¡± Bai Youwei leaned back calmly with her eyes closed, ¡°Yangzhou is rumored as one of the safe cities. It¡¯s not just amodating its citizens, but also taking many refugees from outside. Logically, it should be crowded, and food would likewise be scarce. Supermarkets are ces people frequently visit, so going to check it out. Perhaps we¡¯ll find some clues.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we should check out the supermarket¡­¡± Professor Cheng wiped his eye corner and nodded forcefully, ¡°I know a big supermarket not far ahead..¡±

 Chapter 65 - 65: Shopping at the Mall

    Chapter 65: Shopping at the Mall


    Trantor: 549690339


    The supermarket was not far away, located in the basement of arge shopping mall.


    At this moment, the shopping mall was empty, the stairway leading to the basement pitch ck, with no sign of movement within.


    Seeing this scene, their hearts were already half cold even before they descended.


    After a brief discussion, it was decided that Shen MO and teacher Chang would go down, while Tan Xiao would stay outside to watch over Bai Youwei. Firstly, Shen MO was agile, ready to deal with any sudden situation;


    Secondly, teacher Chang was familiar with the surroundings as he returned here for a short stay every year.


    Tan Xiao and Bai Youwei didn¡¯t just wait outside, they went into the mall nearby.


    The first floor of the mall was filled with various branded clothing stores, bakeries, dessert shops, jewelry stores, and so on.


    As there was no electricity, it became very dark further in. Tan Xiao shone his shlight around, seeing a few shadows and excitedly dashed towards them, only to find they were mannequins.


    He even stared at the mannequins from head to toe, suspecting they were dolls turned from humans.


    Unfortunately, they were not.


    Bai Youwei slowly browsed around in her wheelchair.


    Perhaps because fancy clothes were not necessities, the merchandise here was mostly intact. She came to a bedding store which featured high-quality cotton and linen products, exhibiting various styles of cotton and linen sheets and duvet covers.


    She touched them, finding them to be quite good, although not as good as those at her home.


    Bai Youwei waved at Tan Xiao.


    ¡°Hey, which one is better?¡± asked Bai Youwei, holding two sheets, ¡°Mist blue or grey striped?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Tan Xiao stared at her nkly, his eyes seemed to ask: Are we here for shopping?


    Bai Youwei, annoyed by his gaze, frowned and grabbed both sheets saying, ¡°Never mind. I¡¯ll take both.¡±


    Tan Xiao:


    She then patted a sample bed in the store and said, ¡°Move the mattress onto the car.¡±


    ¡°But the trunk¡¯s already filled.¡± Tan Xiao was surprisingly, he couldn¡¯t figure out why Bai Youwei wanted this mattress.


    Naturally, the use of a mattress is for sleeping, but during such unusual times, was a mattress¡­ a priority?


    Without any doubt in her voice, Bai Youwei said, ¡°If there¡¯s no space in the car, there¡¯s always the roof.¡±


    Tan Xiao was stunned, he scratched his head and lifted the mattress onto his shoulder. Fortunately, it was a foldable type and didn¡¯t require much effort.


    ¡°There are pure cotton nightgowns over there, help me get one on the way.¡± Bai Youwei ordered him around.


    Since he was already taking the mattress, he didn¡¯t mind adding a few more pieces of clothing.


    Tan Xiao picked a nightgown, notice there were men¡¯s pajamas nearby, he also grabbed one for himself. Remembering Shen MO and Chang Weicai, he figured that good brothers should share blessings! Two more!


    When Shen MO and Chang Weicai came out of the supermarket, they found a small mountain on the top of the car.


    Bai Youwei said expressionlessly: ¡°The mattress is what I wanted. The clothes, slippers, towels, nkets, thermo mug, sun hats, sunsses¡­ Tan Xiao wanted.¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡®


    Teacher Chang:


    Tan Xiao defended seriously: ¡°All useful stuff.¡±


    After saying this, his keen eyes noticed Shen Mo carrying a bag, he quickly asked: ¡°And you guys? What did you find in the supermarket?¡±


    ¡°Not much.¡± Shen MO put the shopping bag into the car, and ndly said,? ¡°The supermarket is almost empty. We found some batteries.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Tan Xiao touched his face. Batteries, were indeed very important supplies.


    Bai Youwei asked Shen Mo: ¡°What¡¯s the situation in the supermarket now?¡±


    ¡°Almost eighty percent empty inside.¡± Shen MO recalled for a moment, then added, ¡°But it¡¯s not in chaos..¡±

 Chapter 66 - 66: 66: You’re Late

    Chapter 66 - 66: 66: You¡¯re Late


    Trantor: 549690339


    Such arge supermarket, with almost eighty percent of all items gone, yet there was no hint of chaos and the shelves were still neat and tidy. Bai Youwei: ¡°No need to think about it further. It must be an organized evacuation.¡±


    After a pause, she continued: ¡°Yangzhou has no puppet, but it does have the fog. The sudden evacuation might have something to do with it.¡±


    There had to be a reason, otherwise, all these people couldn¡¯t have just vanished without a cause.


    Shen MO agreed with her view and pondered: ¡°It¡¯s too clean.¡±


    No one spoke for a while.


    Evacuating people is not a simple thing, especially when there¡¯s a power and inte outage, there shouldn¡¯t be no trace at all.


    Just to give a simple example, if people are being notified to take refuge in a certain ce, there should at least be a signboard, right? Large banners, eye-catching gs, notices stered all over the walls¡­ they didn¡¯t see any of these things.


    ¡°There¡¯s another possibility¡­¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze fell on Shen MO, ¡°If the number of people has reduced to a certain extent, it is possible to evacuate without leaving any trace.¡±


    If there are only a few dozen people left, one could evacuate swiftly just by yelling out.


    Shen MO looked into the distance: ¡°Let¡¯s search some more.¡±


    The off-road vehicle moved slowly along North Canal Road, somewhat aimlessly.


    More than half of the city was shrouded in white fog, not only was Professor Cheng unable to return home, but Bai Youwei and Shen Mo couldn¡¯t either.


    ¡ª The Shen Family had a private garden residence in Yangzhou next to the Slender West Lake Scenic Area, which now alsoin submerged within the fog, prohibiting any approach.


    The silent road seemed to have no end.


    When they were nearing Ank Road, two faint figures appeared on the road ahead.


    As the car drew closer, they could make out two middle school students in uniforms, one was holding arge bag of goods, and the other had a sack of rice on his shoulder.


    This was the first time they encountered any living being since entering Yangzhou City.


    Shen MO slowed down the car, pulling up next to the two boys, and asked them, ¡°Where did everyone in town go? Do you know?¡±


    The two boys stopped in their tracks and cautiously sized them up, as well as their car.


    Shen MO had a stern appearance and an indifferent expression, while their four-wheel drive was quite robust and covered in dust, just like its owner, it gave off an imposing aura.


    The two boys exchanged nces but remained silent.


    Professor Cheng stuck his head out of the rear car window and kindly asked, ¡°We¡¯vee to Yangzhou to take refuge, it took us two days on the road, and when we finally found the ce, we didn¡¯t see a single person. Do you two know what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Whether it was due to the natural rapport between students and teachers, the boys¡¯ expressions visibly eased.


    The taller boy said, ¡°You¡¯ve taken the wrong route. Everyone sought refuge at


    Yangzhou Port, and they can only leave when the next boat arrives.¡±


    ¡°Boat?!¡± Tan Xiao also stuck his head out, surprised, ¡°Where are we going that we need to take a boat? What if I get seasick?¡±


    The two boys:


    They both flinched upon seeing Tan Xiao¡¯s gray hair and shiny earring, once again their eyes filled with doubt, as if they suspected Shen MO and hispanions of having ulterior motives.


    ¡°Tan Xiao, you scared the kids,¡± Bai Youwei, sitting in the passenger seat, responded coolly.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Tan Xiao was even more surprised, pointing at his own face, ¡°Do I look that scary?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t look scary, but it doesn¡¯t change the fact that kids are easily frightened,¡± Bai Youwei replied in a calm and collected manner.


    The two boys blushed a bit.


    To prove his bravery, one of the boys quickly retorted, ¡°You guys came toote! A massive fog has engulfed Yangzhou, and not a single person trapped in the fog has emerged, everyone else has evacuated by boat! Only the water surface is safe now, you better rush to Yangzhou Port, if you¡¯rete there might not be any spots left on the boat!¡±

 Chapter 67 - 67: 67 Two Boys

    Chapter 67 - 67: 67 Two Boys


    Trantor: 549690339


    The boy finished speaking, hoisted his sack of rice onto his shoulder again, and with hispanion continued on, ignoring Shen MO and his group.


    ¡°No wonder the streets are empty, everyone must have gone to Yangzhou Port,¡± Tan Xiao concluded, ¡°We should go there too, see what¡¯s happening.¡± Teacher Cheng said, ¡°If we go to Yangzhou Port, we¡¯ll have to turn back.¡±


    Bai Youwei closed her eyes and immediately objected: ¡°I¡¯m not going. You can tell just by thinking about it that conditions on the ship will be terrible, people packed like livestock, getting sick and vomiting. Unless it¡¯s a Royal Caribbean, I¡¯d rather jump into the river.¡±


    Tan Xiao looked confused: ¡°Royal Caribbean, what¡¯s that?¡­A pirate ship?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a cruise ship,¡± Shen MO nced at Bai Youwei, ¡°And the most luxurious kind at that.¡±


    Tan Xiao suddenly realized: ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Teacher Cheng hesitated on one side: ¡°But those two students just now said, it¡¯s only safe on the water surface now¡­¡±


    ¡°They also used to say ces without dolls are safe, and now they¡¯re still dangerous with the emergence of this strange fog,¡± Bai Youwei dismissed, ¡°The situation keeps changing, who knows for sure? Anyway, I won¡¯t go. If you want to, then go.¡±


    Tan Xiao looked at Teacher Cheng, then back at Bai Youwei, hesitantly asking: ¡°Really not going?¡±


    Bai Youwei scoffed lightly, ¡°I¡¯m not stopping you. Just take pity on this cripple, you guys go. Just don¡¯t bother me.¡±


    Shen MO was silent for a few seconds, putting his hand gently on her head,


    Are you still grumpy from just waking up?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Bai Youwei pped his hand away, grumpily.


    Tan Xiao:


    Teacher Cheng:


    Seems like the answer is yes.


    Shen MO shook his head helplessly, gripped the steering wheel, and set off again.


    He didn¡¯t change direction, instead he directly caught up to the two boys who had not gone far.


    The boys heard movement behind them, turned around, saw the caring again, and their brows furrowed with visible nervousness.


    ¡°What do you want now?¡±


    Shen MO hit the brakes, asking, ¡°If everyone is looking to take shelter on a ship, why aren¡¯t you heading to Yangzhou Port?¡±


    The boy and his mate nced at each other.


    The taller boy was the first to speak, ¡°We are waiting for more people to join us, then we will go with everyone.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s tone was calm, emotionless as stale water, ¡°So, when do you n to go?¡±


    The other boy was getting irritated, ¡°What business is it of yours when we go?!¡±


    ¡°None.¡± Shen MO smiled faintly, ¡°I just wanted to follow you guys, see where you settle down.¡±


    On hearing this, the boys¡¯ faces soured. He nudged his mate, ignoring Shen Mo¡¯s group, and frantically quickened their pace.


    But how could they be faster than a car?


    Moreover, one carrying a bag and the other a sack of rice, they quickly became out of breath and drenched in sweat.


    ¡°What should we do?¡± The boy looked back at the off-road vehicle that consistently trailed not far behind, his eyes filled with anxiety, ¡°Should we take a detour to shake them off?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± The tall boy shook his head, huffing, ¡°Taking a detour would waste too much time, and Teacher Tu is waiting for us to bring medicine back. Don¡¯t worry about them, we all have items for protection, we don¡¯t need to be scared of them.¡¯


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s speed up then!¡±


    The two encouraged each other, relentlessly pushing forward.


    ¡°What¡¯s up with these two kids? They¡¯re acting like we¡¯re thieves,¡± Tan Xiao leaned forward, looking perplexed, ¡°They blew up at just a few questions, their temper stinks worse than mine.¡±


    ¡°During these unusual times, it¡¯s normal for people to be a little sensitive.¡± Teacher Cheng heaved a sigh from inside the car, ¡°How did things end up like this, sigh..


    ¡°So what do we do now? Keep following them?¡± Tan Xiao asked.


    From behind the wheel, Shen MO calmly said, ¡°They arrived at Yangzhou earlier than us, they¡¯ll have a clearer idea of the situation here. If they¡¯re not leaving, there must be another reason¡­Besides, wherever they¡¯ve settled should be safer than other ces..¡±

 Chapter 68 - 68: 68: A Certain Academy

    Chapter 68 - 68: 68: A Certain Academy


    Trantor: 549690339


    The search for a refuge for survivors was urgent, but Shen MO also wanted to understand what had happened in Yangzhou City.


    He drove behind the two boys until they arrived at a school.


    Some signs of the school had fallen off, leaving a few difficult-to-recognize characters: Yangzho..Academy.


    Shen MO drove in.


    He drove leisurely along while the boys ran in a hurry. They jogged towards the dormitory building. Some students came out of the dormitory to greet them, along with a female teacher, who seemed to be in her thirties, tall, thin, and sophisticated.


    The boys rushed to the teacher, speaking and pointing towards Shen Mo.


    Shen Mo: ¡®


    Tan Xiao said, ¡°Hey! Are these brats telling on us?¡±


    The teacher nced their way, she seemed nervous and ushered the students into the dormitory building.


    Shen MO parked the car under the dormitory and said, ¡°We¡¯ll rest here for a while. Tan Xiao, you move the stuff, we¡¯ll go out and find gaster.¡±


    Tan Xiao responded and quickly jumped out of the car, then he asked, ¡°Where am I moving the stuff to?¡±


    ¡°First floor, choose two dorm rooms.¡± Shen MO casually pointed it out, then got the wheelchair off the car.


    Teacher Cheng, being of older age, also helped with some small items.


    While they were moving things in and out, more than a dozen students crowded onto the railings on the third and fourth floors, their heads craning to look, curious and alert. They were like a group of wild cats startled by passers-by, tense for no reason.


    When Shen MO sat Bai Youwei in the wheelchair, there came a barely audible gasp from the building, as if they had seen something shocking.


    Bai Youwei was in a bad mood already, and the sound irritated her further. She promptly lifted her eyes and red at them ¨C


    ¡°What are you looking at! Never seen a cripple? Keep staring and I¡¯ll gouge your eyeballs out!¡±


    A few timid students beat a hasty retreat.


    Bai Youwei pointed at Tan Xiao and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you didn¡¯t kill enough yesterday? Go up and ughter them!¡±


    The students¡¯ faces changed drastically, scattering like startled crows! Then there was the sound of doors banging shut as they all hid in their dorms! Locking their doors!


    Tan Xiao: ¡°???¡±


    ¡®¡­¡±Shen Mo: ¡®


    Teacher Cheng became anxious, quickly shouting up towards the building, ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be afraid. We are just joking, just joking! We are not bad people!¡±


    Bai Youwei sneered, ¡°Yeah, we were kidding. Cheng, you got to coax them all out, then let Tan Xiao ughter them!¡±


    Teacher Cheng:


    ¡°Alright, calm down.¡± Shen MO said in aposed tone, mixed with a hint of helplessness.


    He wheeled Bai Youwei into the student dormitory, with a peacemaking tone he said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you didn¡¯t get enough sleep? Let me get your mattress for you, you can rest for a while.¡±


    Bai Youwei huffed, ¡°Forget it, these bunk beds can¡¯t fit my mattress.¡±


    Shen MO looked around the dormitory, ¡°We can put two beds together.¡±


    Bai Youwei gave him a look, she seemed to be in a slightly better mood, lifted her chin arrogantly and said, ¡°Alright, go ahead and put it together.¡±


    As Shen MO came out of the dormitory, Teacher Cheng was anxiously pacing outside. Seeing Shen MO, he quickly approached, ¡°Xiaoshen, you see this¡­¡±


    Before Cheng could speak, Shen MO, understanding his concerns, interrupted,


    ¡°I¡¯ll go upstairs and exin to them, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    He hesitated, then added. ¡°Also, don¡¯t take to heart what she just said.¡±


    ¡°No, no.¡± Teacher Cheng waved it off, ¡°I know Weiwei means no harm, she¡¯s a good girl ¡­¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡®


    No, she does have malice.


    At this moment, footsteps could be heard from the stairs. Both men looked and saw the female teacher.


    She was holding a pot, and when she got to Shen MO and Teacher Cheng, she apologized with an awkward smile, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, my students misunderstood you.¡±


    She handed them the pot, ¡°This is some vegetable congee I¡¯ve just made, you can have it if you¡¯d like..¡±

 Chapter 69 - 69: 69: The Teacher and the Student

    Chapter 69 - 69: 69: The Teacher and the Student


    Trantor: 549690339


    Shen MO raised an eyebrow slightly.


    ¡ªInteresting. He had not yet gone upstairs to apologize, but the others had alreadye down to offer their apologies first.


    The female teacher appeared to have fair eyebrows and clear eyes, with small wrinkles at the corners that were gently curved, showcasing a polite smile.


    Noticing that Shen MO and Teacher Chang showed no intention of taking over, she gently ced the earthen jar aside, kindly saying, ¡°The rice and vegetables are all cleaned thoroughly. If you find it to your liking, I¡¯ll bring some more downter. There are many students, so we tend to cook inrge quantities¡­¡±


    Her gentle exnation not only came across warm-hearted but also subtly hinted that the porridge was very ¡°clean¡±, meaning nothing had been tampered with, showcasing her meticulousness.


    Shen MO got the impression that the woman was very cautious.


    But of course, caution was necessary. After all, leading a bunch of middle school students and suddenly encountering strangers, it was naturally in her best interest to avoid any hostility.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Shen MO took the jar, diffusing the tension with just a few words, ¡°We¡¯ve just arrived in Yangzhou and are looking for a temporary ce to stay. We won¡¯t stay for long.¡±


    Teacher Chang also exined from the sidelines, ¡°We came to Yangzhou to look for someone. We didn¡¯t expect such heavy fog in the city. We live on Jhor Road. Rest assured, we are not bad people.¡±


    The female teacher nced over Shen MO and Teacher Chang¡¯s faces, then nced at Tan Xiao, who was puffing and panting while moving luggage not far away. She didn¡¯t ask more questions.


    She merely gave an euphemistic smile, ¡°We¡¯re also temporarily stopping here. You carry on with what you were doing, I have students to attend to. I¡¯ll head upstairs first.¡±


    As she went upstairs, a few students were peeking out from upstairs, seemingly worried that their teacher might be in trouble downstairs.


    Seeing that their teacher had safely returned, they sighed in relief in unison.


    Watching this scene, Chang Weicai sighed repeatedly,menting to Shen Mo,¡±Xiaoshen, the world is in chaos now. We are allpatriots, and in the future, when wee across each other, we should try to help each other.¡±


    Shen MO nodded, ¡°We should indeed.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t mere lip service. He indeed thought that it would be silly for a group of people to fight amongst themselves after a disaster.


    Teacher Chang let out a few more sighs, perhaps recalling the uncertain fate of his students and feeling mncholic.


    ¡°You should go inside and rest,¡± Shen MO pointed at the dormitory on the first floor.


    Teacher Chang waved his hand dismissively. Unable to rx due to his restless mind, he went over to help Tan Xiao organize their luggage.


    Tan Xiao had just piled his luggage haphazardly. The old man had a more meticulous approach, arranging everything separately, ensuring that food wouldn¡¯t be stored alongside foul-smelling shoes.


    Shen MO watched for a while, but didn¡¯t interfere. He picked up the jar and headed to Bai Youwei¡¯s dormitory.


    The vegetable congee was boiling until it turned into a creamy and aromatic mixture, the scent filled the room as Shen MO entered. Bai Youwei caught a whiff of it.


    Her clear and bright eyes instantly lit up and said, ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡®


    This was the first time he heard her express hunger since he started feeding her two days ago.


    It seemed that instant noodles and biscuits were indeed not suited for her.


    ¡°The teacher from upstairs sent it.¡± Shen MO ced the earthen jar on the table. Just as he was wondering where to find a spoon, he noticed a small wooden spoon hanging from the rope tied around the lid of the jar.


    That female teacher was indeed very meticulous.


    The small earthen jar, somewhat resembling a traditional Chinese medicine pot used for brewing herbal medicines, contained enough porridge for two people.


    Bai Youwei took out a packet of wet wipes, pulled one out to wipe the spoon, and started eating from the jar.


    She ate, spoonful by spoonful, saying not a word, but seemed entirely focused on her meal.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid they¡¯ve put poison in it?¡± Shen MO asked jokingly.


    ¡°Ha, she would dare?¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s lips curved into a sly smile, like a cat that had gotten the cream.¡±A woman, leading a bunch of brats in this ce, probably lives in constant fear. She wouldn¡¯t have the time to perpetrate any misdeeds, much less willingly cause trouble.¡± Shen MO chuckled.


    What Bai Youwei said matched his thoughts.


    ¡°Um¡­ the congee is really well-cooked.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s cheeks bulged as she ate, then asked, ¡°Hey, does she have a sick student?¡± Shen MO was slightly startled, ¡°Why do you say that?¡±

 Chapter 70 - 70: 70: Into the Fog

    Chapter 70 - 70: 70: Into the Fog


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit of a hassle to make porridge for so many mouths?¡±


    Bai Youwei was eating as she spoke:


    ¡°Cooking porridge is time-consuming, and it does not fully satisfy the appetite. Besides, it can easily get burnt if you¡¯re not careful. Why should we bother with porridge if the patient¡¯s digestive system is weak?¡­lt has only been a few days since the incident in the city; there should be plenty of food. Why bother to make porridge of all things? Look, there is even dried shrimp and mushrooms in it.¡±


    Bai Youwei scooped up a spoonful of porridge and waved it in front of Shen Mo. Then she stuffed it back into her mouth and spoke vaguely: ¡°Courtesy demands reciprocity. We can¡¯t just take advantage of them. Go get some food and take it upstairs. ¡±


    Shen Mo¡¯s mouth curved into a smile: ¡°Just to send food? Aren¡¯t you hoping I¡¯ll go up to gather some intelligence?¡±


    Bai Youwei remained calm, her action of eating the porridge not even the slightest bit interrupted, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to?¡±


    Shen MO chuckled slightly, openly admitting: ¡°Yes.¡±


    He and Bai Youwei hadpletely different personalities, but somehow their ideas always seemed to coincide.


    Shen MO thought for a bit and said, ¡°Let¡¯s send Teacher Cheng instead. They are both teachers, so they should be able to converse easily.¡±


    ¡°Bring Tan Xiao with you,¡± said Bai Youwei, ¡°so that the old man won¡¯t be bullied. ¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡°What, being protective?¡±


    Bai Youwei paused for a moment, as if something urred to her. After a few seconds, she said inly, ¡°He¡¯s a good person.¡±


    Shen MO gave her a deep look, got up and left. Standing in the doorway he said: ¡°Teacher Cheng, could you pleasee here¡­¡±


    While Bai Youwei and Shen MO were analyzing the teachers and students upstairs in their dormitory, they didn¡¯t know that those upstairs were also analyzing them.


    ¡°A tall one, a delinquent, an old man, a disabled person¡­¡± The students gathered together, looking at each other.


    No matter how you looked at thisbination, it was odd.


    ¡°You all don¡¯t need to worry too much.¡± The female teacher sat among them, her tone soft, ¡°If they are willing to take in the elderly and care for the disabled, they can¡¯t possibly be mean people. Let¡¯s just mind our own business and take care of ourselves.¡¯


    A girl with pigtails mumbled, ¡°But thatme one is really fierce¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, she was sternly looked at by the teacher.


    The girl, knowing she had said something wrong, was a bit aggrieved and said even more quietly, ¡°It¡¯s not me who said it, it¡¯s her who said it herself.¡± ¡°She can call herself a cripple, but we can¡¯t.¡± The female teacher looked at the student before her and reminded her again, ¡°When we¡¯re out there, we absolutely must not indulge in a war of words. It does no good to anyone, understood?¡±


    ¡°We understand, Teacher Tu.¡±


    The students chorused in agreement, with the pigtailed girl nodding awkwardly among them.


    Another student asked, ¡°Teacher Tu, when are we going into the fog?¡±


    Teacher Tu was silent for a moment, then turned her head to look to one side¡ª


    Therey a pale-faced male student, his chest wrapped in thick gauze. Hey quietly, listening to everyone¡¯s discussion with half-closed eyes.


    Tu Danmented silently in her heart, then withdrew her gaze, ¡°¡­We¡¯ll wait till Zhang Tianyang¡¯s wounds heal a bit, then we¡¯ll go inside. And when we go, we can¡¯t all go at once. We¡¯ll have to leave half of the people behind. If more than half of the food is used up and we haven¡¯te out of the fog, those left behind should take the food and move south along the Yangtze River¡­ to find another refuge.¡±


    ¡°Teacher Tu¡­¡±


    ¡°Teacher Tu, don¡¯t go¡­¡±


    A few girls with moist eyes reluctantly held on to the teacher¡¯s clothes, the boys also had tears in their eyes.


    Tu Dan looked at the young faces before her, feeling a mix of emotions. She held their hands and said word by word: ¡°We have to go into the fog. These are the clues that we have risked our lives for. Let me ask you, what¡¯s the first rule of the game?¡±


    The students choked out, ¡°Refuse to y, be a puppet!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­Refusal, evasion, they will only increase its resentment and are of no help.¡± Tu Dan looked at them, ¡°We have to go into the fog..¡±

 Chapter 71 - 71: 71: Mint

    Chapter 71 - 71: 71: Mint


    Trantor: 549690339


    Bai Youweifortably enjoyed a meal of vegetable porridge.


    The porridge was thick and sticky, leaving her mouth a little gooey afterward. She soaked a couple of mint leaves in the jar, taking a few sips of the mint water. It was refreshing and cool, making her feel even morefortable.


    Shen MO was outside checking the condition of the off-road vehicle. After tinkering around with it, he came back sweating. Upon entering the house and seeing Bai Youweifortably lounging on a thick and softtex mattress, sipping cool water, he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°You sure lookfortable.¡±


    ¡°Happinesses from such contrasts,¡± Bai Youwei, cradling the jar, replied with a grin. ¡°Watching you guys bustling around, working in the sun and tired, while I just chill inside eating and drinking, is quitefortable for me.¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡®


    After a few seconds, Shen MO said, ¡°As long as you¡¯refortable.¡±


    Beingfortable meant she wouldn¡¯t trouble him. The current routine was to make sure she was well-fed and taken care of every day, so he could eventually return her unscathed to her mother one day¡­


    What would she be like afterwards?


    This question momentarily distracted Shen Mo.


    It was hard for him to imagine, given Bai Youwei¡¯s personality, how she would fare in such a world.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Bai Youwei, hugging the stout ss jar, beckoned him over with her small hand.


    Shen MO walked over.


    She handed him the jar. ¡°Aren¡¯t you thirsty? Here, have some water.¡±


    The water looked crystal clear and refreshing, with two or three mint leaves floating, giving off a cool-green hue.


    ¡°Where¡¯d you find this?¡± Shen MO, epting the jar with one hand, asked.


    Bai Youwei pointed out the window, ¡°There¡¯s a whole bunch growing behind the dorm building.¡±


    ¡°We can pick more when we have time. Mint leaves have good anti-inmmatory and pain-relieving effects, ¡± he said nonchntly, before drinking the water straight from the jar.


    Bai Youwei just watched him swallow.


    After a while, she confidently took his other hand and gently squeezed it.


    As Shen MO quietly drank and said nothing, he cast a severe nce at her.


    This warning was lost on Bai Youwei.


    She pretended not to see it, continued pinching his hand, prodded at the thick calluses on his palm with her soft fingers, and was quite amused.


    ¡°Last time I touched it, I thought it was pretty interesting¡­ like a dog¡¯s paw,¡± she said.


    Shen Mo: ¡®


    What kind of a strangeparison was that?


    Bai Youwei took his hand and ced it against her face, enjoying the rough feel against her skin. The coarseness offered a unique experience for her.


    Feeling is always mutual.


    She could feel him, and he could feel her ¨C quiet, soft,pliant¡­


    The room was silent.


    Shen MO watched her silently. The sweetness of the water and the coolness of the mint infused the air, creating an oddly intimate atmosphere. He wanted to break the mood but considering her rare moment of vulnerability, he let her be.


    Suddenly, there was a synchronized gasp from upstairs:


    ¡®Whoa!


    The two of them were jolted back to reality.


    Shen MO paused for a moment, looked at Bai Youwei, then withdrew his hand,


    ¡°I¡¯ll go upstairs and see what¡¯s up.¡±


    Bai Youwei frowned at the ceiling, turned away dismissively, and began studying the patch of mint nts outside the window without bothering to acknowledge him.


    Shen MO watched her for a moment before putting down the jar and leaving the room.


    The sound of his footsteps gradually faded.


    Bai Youwei remained facing away, her eyes flitting here and there, her gaze ultimatelynding on the jar on the table.


    She picked up the jar,paring its size with her own hand, thinking of how easily he had held it with one hand. She then brought it close to her and sniffed where he had drunk.


    There was no particr smell.


    She reached into the jar with her slender finger and plucked out a mint leaf, popping it into her mouth and chewing thoughtfully. She found the absence of his presence somewhat dull¡­

 Chapter 72 - 72: 72 Discussion

    Chapter 72 - 72: 72 Discussion


    Trantor: 549690339


    Shen MO returned quickly.


    Following closely behind him were Teacher Cheng and Tan Xiao.


    Just as Bai Youwei was about to ask them about what happened upstairs, she heard the lively sound of footsteps, thump, thump, thump, descending from the floor above.


    Two male students rushed over, hauling in a bag of rice and a bag of flour into the dorm. They said, ¡°Teacher Cheng, Brother Xiao, thank you so much! This is just a small token of our appreciation, please ept it! We¡¯re truly grateful!¡±


    After quickly finishing their sentence, they turned around and dashed back up the stairs without giving anyone a chance to refuse their gifts.


    Bai Youwei was dumbfounded, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Up until a moment ago, they were seriously criticizing Tan Xiao, yet now they were addressing him as ¡°Brother Xiao¡±?


    How can she continue her viinous plot now?


    ¡°One of their students got injured. Teacher Cheng used a mud patch, ¡± exined


    Shen MO, after a slight pause. ¡°The injury happened in the game.¡±


    Bai Youwei asked, ¡°Is it serious?¡±


    Tan Xiao gesticted with his hand and said nervously, ¡°He has a huge bloody wound on his body. I don¡¯t know what kind of animal bit him. It¡¯s a miracle that he is still alive!¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Bai Youwei tilted her head in thought, ¡°So if he made it out of the game alive, it means he cleared the level¡­ Do they have any items? What are they?¡± Tan Xiao was taken aback, he hadn¡¯t considered that possibility.


    Seeing his reaction, Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes. ¡°Well done, both of you. Not even finding out what items those guys have while revealing your own.¡±


    Teacher Cheng looked guilty. ¡°It was an emergency¡­¡±


    The mud patch was Bai Youwei¡¯s item. He felt a bit guilty as he hadn¡¯t informed her before using it, nor had he managed to get any valuable information.


    ¡°Nevermind,¡± Bai Youwei saidnguidly, ¡°Expecting you guys to gather information was my mistake. I was too naive and too trusting.¡±


    Tan Xiao:


    Teacher Cheng:


    They were at a loss for words.


    But Shen MO, ustomed to Bai Youwei¡¯s sarcasm, intervened on their behalf,


    ¡°Although we didn¡¯t get much information, I did see Teacher Cheng and


    Teacher Tu talking when I was upstairs.¡±


    Bai Youwei: ¡°So thatdy¡¯s surname is Tu?¡±


    Teacher Cheng hurriedly followed up: ¡°Yes, her name is Tu Dan, a teacher from Hangzhou High School. All those students are from her ss, in their first year of high school. They too came to Yangzhou to seek refuge, but were caught in the massive fog. Everyone else fled, but Teacher Tu stayed behind with an injured student. They were unable to board the ship due to the injury, so they¡¯ve been held up here for a few days, nursing the wound and looking for medicine.¡±


    After finishing all in one breath, he looked expectantly at Bai Youwei.


    Bai Youwei: ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Both Teacher Cheng and Tan Xiao heaved a sigh of relief.


    Bai Youwei: ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid?¡±


    Teacher Cheng:


    The honest old man was stupefied, unable to react immediately.


    ¡°So a teacher expects all the students to abandon their escape and stay behind with one injured student? Does that sound like something a teacher would do?¡± Bai Youwei sneered, ¡°Over a dozen students staying here, and you¡¯re telling me there¡¯s no plot? Fat chance.¡±


    Nobody spoke a word in the room.


    Perhaps out of embarrassment.


    Bai Youwei gave them a scornful nce and saidzily, ¡°Whatever, as long as they don¡¯t provoke me, who cares what they¡¯re plotting.¡±


    Teacher Cheng finally reacted, ¡°No, no, I believe Teacher Tu is a very responsible person, she wouldn¡¯t harm her own students, nor would she harm us.¡±


    ¡°Teacher Cheng, you never know what people are thinking.¡± Tan Xiao¡¯s expression turned serious as he patted Cheng¡¯s shoulder, ¡°The most important thing in our lives is one word: Caution!¡±


    Bai Youwei didn¡¯t even bother to roll her eyes this time.


    How many words are there in that sentence? Could you please count it again?!


    Suddenly, Shen MO said, ¡°Someone ising.¡±


    Everyone in the room looked startled, and then fell silent.


    The sound of footsteps gradually grew closer until there was a knock at the door. Teacher Tu¡¯s voice could be heard from the outside, ¡°Mr.. Shen, may Ie in and talk with you all?¡±

 Chapter 73 - 73: 73 Exchange Game

    Chapter 73 - 73: 73 Exchange Game


    Trantor: 549690339


    Everyone in the room exchanged nces.


    Finally, Shen MO reached out and opened the dormitory door.


    Tu Dan had long prepared herself mentally outside the door, yet, she was still taken aback when the dormitory door opened.


    It was¡­


    The double decker bed Bai Youwei upied had surprised her.


    But going through such trouble for a disabled girl reassured her in her judgement: the people in this group were worthy of trust.


    Tu Dan quicklyposed herself and walked into the room calmly.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Shen MO asked casually.


    He could guess the purpose of her visit by about seventy to eighty percent, but still asked for formality¡¯s sake.


    Tu Dan looked around at everyone. Finally, she rested her gaze on the rice and flour against the wall and said apologetically, ¡°Just now¡­ the game prop that Teacher Chang gave to Zhang Tianyang to use¡­ I feel really guilty for letting you use such a valuable prop. I should express my thanks to you properly. But at the moment. besides some food. T don¡¯t know what else T can offer to show my appreciation. I deeply apologize.¡±


    She said this, then sincerely bowed to everyone.


    Tan Xiao, having not been treated with such formality before, was taken by surprise.


    Chang Weicai quickly rushed forward to help her up, ¡°Saying too much, saying too much! The kid was badly injured, we couldn¡¯t just stand by and do nothing, right? Ah! Is he okay now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s fully recovered.¡± Tu Dan smiled, ¡°He wanted toe down and personally thank you, but he hadn¡¯t been eating properly for a few days since he was confined to his bed. Even though his wound has healed, he¡¯s still weak.


    So I left him in the dormitory to rest.¡±


    ¡°He should rest well, have him rest assured. Health is the most important!¡± stated Teacher Chang.


    Tu Dan smiled and nodded, then directed her gaze to Shen MO, ¡°My students and I don¡¯t have any props that can assist you. However, we could chat about the game. It might be helpful in the future.¡± They were now getting to the main topic.


    Shen MO nced at Bai Youwei.


    She had been leaningnguidly on the bed, her head drooped, silent, seemingly aloof. However, Shen MO was certain she was observing every minute action of this female teacher.


    ¡°Was the game your student got injured in very dangerous?¡± Shen MO asked.


    ¡°What game isn¡¯t dangerous?¡± Tu Dan bitterly smiled, ¡°However, his injury¡­wasn¡¯t caused by the game, but by another yer¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re joking, right?¡± Tan Xiao interjected, ¡°His wound looked like it was from an animal bite!¡±


    ¡°It indeed was an animal bite¡­¡± Mentioning this matter, Tu Dan¡¯s face turned grim, ¡°That yer has a prop¡­that summons beasts. Many of my students were killed by it. In the end, only I, Zhang Tianyang, and that yer sessfully cleared the game.¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡°The other students upstairs didn¡¯t enter the game?¡±


    Tu Dan shook her head: ¡°No, the maximum number of yers for the game is eight. Once it reaches its limit, the game area automatically locks and prevents anyone else from entering.¡±


    Shen MO asked again: ¡°What¡¯s the theme of the game?¡±


    ¡°The Little Mushroom Picker,¡± Tu Dan exined with transparency, ¡°Once yers enter, they¡¯re separated and locked into eight rooms. The room¡¯s door only opens at dawn, which happens every two hours, at which time they must go out and pick mushrooms. To clear the game, the bamboo basket in the room must be filled with mushrooms.


    Picking mushrooms?


    Everyone in the room exchanged nces.


    At least by the sound of it, this game was a lot morefortingpared to their chaotic frog and tadpole battle..

 Chapter 74 - 74: 74 The Essence of Games

    Chapter 74 - 74: 74 The Essence of Games


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°The only variable in this game is the weather.¡±


    Tu Dan said seriously:


    ¡°We must pay attention to the weather. Depending upon it, mushrooms appear at different times. And yers always need to pre-select a time slot for going out. For example, if the daylightsts for a total of 30 minutes, the yer¡¯s harvesting time is 10 minutes. So one must choose, whether to go in the first 10 minutes, the middle 10 minutes, or thest 10 minutes¨C


    If one chooses the wrong time slot, either the mushrooms won¡¯t have grown yet or they will have already withered. If one doesn¡¯t pick any mushrooms, that round will be counted as a failed harvest.


    She exined as thoroughly as possible, saying to Shen MO and the others, ¡°If the harvest fails, as a penalty, your body will sink a few inches into the ground. You can only fail up to three times. If you fail a fourth time¡­ your body will be stuck in the ground and cannot be pulled out, and then¡­ you be a mushroom.¡±


    What she said at first was ordinary, but thest sentence was bone-chilling.


    Tan Xiao had goosebumps all over, he rubbed forcefully and couldn¡¯t believe,


    ¡°Be, be a mushroom? A human head mushroom?¡±


    Tu Dan¡¯s expression was somewhat lost, as if remembering that scene, ¡°¡­will shrink¡­ like being absorbed of water by the ground, humans shrink smaller and smaller, growing mycelium¡­¡±


    ¡°How did you eventually pass the game?¡± Shen MO interrupted her memories.


    Tu Dan came back to herself, ¡°¡­It was still the weather. Allocate time properly. The 10 minutes for going out cannot be all used for finding mushrooms. One must reserve time for predicting the weather for the next round! The sky color, clouds, temperature, and even the ants on the ground, every detail could be a clue for weather changes!¡±


    Shen MO nodded, ¡°Understood.¡±


    With this, if they encounter a game with this theme, they will have an idea of what to do.


    ¡°What about you?¡± Tu Dan naturally asked, ¡°Your game items are very practical.


    The danger level of your game must be very high, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it was high!!!¡± Once Tan Xiao heard this question, he couldn¡¯t help but rave, ¡°We encountered a freaking giant frog! As tall as a five or six-story building, can you believe it?! It treated us like bugs and ate us. Its tongue, swish, swish, swish¡­¡±


    Tan Xiao, without thinking, spilled everything about the game!


    The teacher felt it might not be appropriate, but remembering that Tu Dan had many students with her, if they also encountered ¡°The Golden Sphere of the Frog¡±, by knowing more clues, they would have more chances of survival.


    Moreover¡­


    The teacher cautiously nced at Shen MO and Bai Youwei.


    These two, none of them spoke to stop it.


    Tu Dan listened very carefully.


    After learning that Shen Mo¡¯s team passed the game through calction of crucial points, she couldn¡¯t help but look somewhat regretful on her face. Even though they know the method, the calction¡­ she and her students, probably no one can do it.


    Tu Dan made a grim effort to cheer up and said with a smile, ¡°Knowing these makes me feel much better. But still, I hope we won¡¯t run into any games in the future.¡¯


    She was being sincere.


    The teacher sighed, ¡°It¡¯s a pity that we don¡¯t have ess to the inte now. If everyone could share their experiences with the games, the survival rate of humanity would certainly increase significantly.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible¨C¡± Bai Youwei, who had been silent, chimed in lightly.


    Everyone looked at her.


    Tu Dan was also studying her with a curious look.


    The teacher asked in confusion, ¡°Isn¡¯t sharing information and helping each other a good thing?¡±


    Bai Youwei, resting her chin on her hand, her arm resting on the bedside table, drawled, ¡°It sounds good, Teacher, but you¡¯ve forgotten a crucial point.. What¡¯s the fundamental purpose of the existence of these games?¡±

 Chapter 75 - 75: 75: A Ruthless Person

    Chapter 75 - 75: 75: A Ruthless Person


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡­The essence of the game?


    Chang Weicai was stunned.


    ¡°It¡¯spetition, Mr. Chang.¡± Bai Youwei sighed lightly, looking at Chang Weicai and Tu Dan as if she were looking at two naive children.


    ¡°Eliminate a group of people and let another group seed. if that¡¯s notpetition, what is?¡± Bai Youwei said calmly, ¡°Reward items will be part of thepetition. If everyone has the ¡®Frog Mud¡¯, Mr. Chang, you will lose a significant advantage in the game.¡±


    Tu Dan slowly recovered, her voice trailing off: ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ indeed. Just like when everyone takes an exam, some people know how to solve a particr problem, and this knowledge bes their scoring advantage. But if everyone knows, the advantage is totally lost.¡±


    As soon as people realize this, they will never easily share information.


    Because the next time the game begins, the person sharing the information might be their ownpetitor. To hold onto their advantage, they naturally need to keep the secrets of the game.


    This is a very simple truth. It¡¯s not that the people here can¡¯t figure it out; it¡¯s just that the world¡¯s anomalies have only just begun, and everyone is still in a peace-and-love helping-each-other phase.


    Of course, even end-of-the-world type helpers can provide assistance and love.


    ¡ªEnd-of-the-world love and assistance is rarer, and therefore more precious.


    Bai Youwei delicately cuddled the rabbit in her arms, sighing softly, ¡°Ah¡­ I wonder where that item that can summon beasts came from. I really want it.¡± The way Tu Dan gazed at Bai Youwei became much more guarded.


    A girl who looked like a teenager dared to say such things¡­ More importantly, her tone sounded very confident.


    ¡°I¡¯m not too sure, he summoned a cat and a tiger once, to snatch mushrooms from us.¡± Tu Dan replied.


    Bai Youwei seemed a bit disinterested, propping up her chin and said: ¡°Ms. Tu, tell us about your other game.¡±


    Tu Dan was stunned.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Bai Youwei looked at her, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, you¡¯ve only entered the game once. You said earlier, ¡®Is there a game that isn¡¯t dangerous?¡¯ This tone doesn¡¯t seem like someone who has only yed once.¡± Tu Dan¡¯s eyes widened, bbergasted and shocked.


    Did she say that? She didn¡¯t even remember!


    Bai Youwei: ¡°It was you who said that, thanking Mr. Chang for saving your student with the item. You said you had no items to help us, so you offered to share information about the games aspensation¡ªwe shared one game each, which makes us even. However, if you still want to express gratitude, you should obviously share one more game, that¡¯s logicalpensation, right?¡±


    Tu Dan:


    It seems she¡¯s run into a formidable character.


    Tu Dan came down to give her thanks and divulge the games she¡¯s been through in order to demonstrate sincerity and establish friendly rtions with Shen MO and the others.


    But being taken off track by Bai Youwei, it seemed as if she were deliberately hiding something. Not only did this trip not achieve the desired effect, but it may also leave a bad impression!


    Even the most honest and simple Mr. Chang would doubt her sincerity due to this.


    Unless she didn¡¯t mind offending these people in front of her, otherwise¡­ she really had no choice but to speak.


    Tu Dan fell silent for a moment, weighing her options.


    Tan Xiao and Mr. Chang looked at her curiously.


    ¡°Ms. Tu¡­¡± Mr. Chang asked in astonishment, ¡°You and your students, have you encountered many games?¡±


    ¡°Impressive.¡± Tan Xiao also eximed, ¡°I nearly lost my life encountering it once. You wouldn¡¯t know it looking at you.¡±


    Tu Dan finally gave a wry smile and replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to hide it from you.


    It¡¯s just that game¡­ even if I tell you, it won¡¯t be of any help to you..¡±

 Chapter 76 - 76: 76 Thank You

    Chapter 76 - 76: 76 Thank You


    Trantor: 549690339


    Tu Dan thought long and hard, but in the end, she told them about the game¡ª


    That day, she was in her ssroom teaching her students when a sudden bell rang, followed by the dean running down the corridor, shouting for everyone to head downstairs, saying that something had happened, and everyone needed to evacuate urgently.


    She immediately took students to gather in the yground, under the ring sun, students whispered theirints, not knowing what was happening.


    While calming her students down, she inquired from other teachers what had urred.


    It was said that a deadly white fog that consumed humans had appeared in the city center and was spreading rapidly, all departments were evacuating their personnel.<div>


    Everyone was waiting for the school to arrange transportation for the students, and when a few buses finally arrived, chaos ensued before anyone could board¡­


    36 of them, including herself, found themselves on a huge roulette.


    There were 36 chairs on the roulette, they were fixed to their seats, waist, legs, feet, were all chained, with a strange metal ring around their necks.


    It was a game called ¡°Lucky Q&A¡±. The rules were simple, a total of 36 questions, answer incorrectly and face instant death, answer correctly to advance to the next round until all the questions were answered correctly, only then would the game be cleared.


    Of the 36 people, under her guidance, 17 survived in the end.


    While making their way to the evacuation siteter, they were caught in a mushroom picking game and lost four more students¡­


    Tu Dan told them everything in fine detail.


    At first, she was reluctant to share, but once she had told everything, she suddenly felt much more rxed.


    Tu Dan breathed a sigh of relief and said, ¡°There¡¯s no trick to clearing this game, just cooperate well with your teammates, choose the type of questions that fit you, the chance of getting the right answers would be high. But if you don¡¯t have any teammates..then you can only rely on luck, just like the game¡¯s title, ¡°Lucky Q&A¡±.


    After saying all this, she looked at the people in the room, smiled faintly, and said, ¡°That¡¯s all I know, I hope it can be of help to all of you. Now¡­l¡¯ll leave you be, I won¡¯t bother you.¡±


    She turned around and opened the door.


    ¡°Miss Tu.¡± Bai Youwei called out to her slowly.


    Tu Dan turned to look at Bai Youwei.


    She had slowly begun to understand that the ¡°disabled girl¡± in this group wasn¡¯t in a simple protective position, on the contrary, her leadership was possibly stronger than that of the always silent man.


    ¡°Who among you and your students knows how to calcte the mandatory point of the Frog¡¯s golden ball?¡± Bai Youwei asked her.


    Tu Dan hesitated, then gave a slight smile, and replied gently, ¡°It¡¯s a bitplicated, we¡¯ll have to think more about it¡­¡±


    Bai Youwei directly interrupted her: ¡°If you don¡¯t know how, you can observe the snail shells more.¡±


    Tu Dan was taken aback again.


    Bai Youwei said, ¡°The more the snail is struck, the higher and dirtier its shell will be when it sinks. You should flip those snails with dirtier inner shells. The probability¡­ is about 25%. Flip a few more, you¡¯re bound to guess one right.¡± Looking at Bai Youwei, Tu Dan was overwhelmed with a mix of surprise, warmth, and a sudden sense of shame.


    She opened her mouth, her myriad feelings reduced to two words:


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Bai Youwei¡¯s response was far colder, as shezily propped up her cheek, she replied, ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±


    Tu Dan left.


    When the footsteps faded upstairs, Shen MO looked at Bai Youwei with a smirk, ¡°I thought you would make her reveal her item before you taught her how to clear the game.¡±


    The Frog game isn¡¯t far from Yangzhou, if Tu Dan were courageous enough, she couldpletely take her students for a trip. Even though thates with risks, being able to obtain the miraculous mud that can heal all external wounds, the risk is worth taking.


    With Bai Youwei teaching Tu Dan how to pass the game, it was as though she was essentially handing the mud over to Tu Dan.


    ¡°There is no need to ask.¡± Bai Youwei sighed softly, ¡°¡­Tsk, so as not to give off the impression that I am battling kids over toys. That wouldn¡¯t look good..¡±

 Chapter 77 - 77: 77: The Issue of Candidate Selection

    Chapter 77 - 77: 77: The Issue of Candidate Selection


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°By the time Tu Dan returned upstairs, all the students had gathered around Zhang Tianyang¡¯s bed.


    Unable to resist, the boys started to touch the spot where his injury used to be. They found it incredible that such a severe wound could heal in no time, leaving not even a scar behind.


    The girls, though shy to touch, could not help but sneak peeks at his chest.


    Zhang Tianyang, feeling both helpless and amused, repeatedly assured everyone, ¡°It really doesn¡¯t hurt anymore. I also do not understand the principle behind it. When the mud was applied, it didn¡¯t feel extraordinary¡­¡±


    While he was speaking, he noticed Tu Dan returning from outside and quickly called out, ¡°Teacher Tu!¡± Everyone turned their attention to Tu Dan and gathered around her¡ª ¡°Teacher Tu, you¡¯re back.¡±<div>


    ¡°You¡¯ve been talking with them for quite a while¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Teacher Tu, did you find out which game this mudes from? If we could bring this kind of mud into the fog, our chances of victory would increase significantly, right?¡±


    With a dozen students speaking at the same time, the not-so-spacious dormitory instantly became noisy.


    Tu Dan gestured for everyone to stay quiet.


    ¡°I¡¯ve discovered it, as well as the method to clear the game, but the danger remains high. If you want to go, we will split into two teams as before, based on volunteers. The first team will go first, and if there¡¯s no problem, the second team will follow,¡± said Tu Dan.


    The risk for the first team is significant, but they get ess to the props first.


    The second team may seem safer, but they usually consist of the more timid ones, who might mess things up.


    The students began to discuss privately about the pros and cons of both options.


    Zhang Tianyang, now fully recovered, slowly got up from his bed and asked,


    ¡°Teacher, have the names of those entering the fog been decided yet?¡±


    Tu Dan paused briefly, ¡°Not yet, do you have any suggestions?¡±


    Zhang Tianyang hesitated for a moment before gathering the courage to say, ¡°Teacher, I want to go into the fog.¡±


    As his words fell, the entire dormitory went silent.


    All students were looking at Zhang Tianyang.


    A girl voiced softly, ¡°Tianyang, your injury has just healed¡­¡±


    ¡°My injury is fine now.¡± Zhang Tianyang smiled casually, his gaze sweeping across his ssmates¡¯ faces. ¡°Though it might sound a bit audacious, but¡­ I have the best academic and physical performance in the ss, and I also have experience from two games, so I should be the most suitable candidate, right?¡±


    He looked at Tu Dan again, his voice pleading, ¡°Teacher, let me go. I really want to know what the doll game is all about, and what happened to our families swallowed by the white fog. If I can¡¯t make it, I fear the other students definitely won¡¯t.¡±


    Tu Dan looked at the student in front of her, her heavy heart filled with a sense of helplessness.


    If possible, she did not want to see any student take such a risk, but the world had changed. She could no longer protect them and at times, she even needed their protection.


    Tu Dan sighed deeply, failing to respond directly, she replied tactfully, ¡°¡­This matter is extremely important, I need more time to think about it.¡±


    Zhang Tianyang tried to say something more, but Tu Dan patted his shoulder and left the dormitory.


    At night, Tu Danid in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.


    Initially her mind was upied with each student, but then her thoughts unconsciously drifted to the people downstairs.


    If¡­the people entering the fog were them, would they be as troubled as she was?


    ¡°Teacher Tu.¡±


    Tu Dan came back to her senses at the sound, turned her head and saw a girl from the adjacent bed, named Chen Hui, watching her with bright ck eyes.


    The dorm room housed six people, where Tu Dan and a few other female students shared. The girl sleeping next to her was Chen Hui, the ss study representative.


    Zhang Tianyang wasn¡¯t always the one who ranked first. asionally, Chen Hui would take the top spot.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you asleep yet?¡± Tu Dan asked her, while keeping her voice as low as possible to avoid waking the other two girls.


    In a soft voice, Chen Hui asked, ¡°Teacher Tu, are you still thinking about the issue of who should enter the fog?¡±

 Chapter 78 - 78: 78 How Old Are You

    Chapter 78 - 78: 78 How Old Are You


    Trantor: 549690339


    Tu Dan remained silent for a while before giving a soft acknowledgment.


    ¡°Although we have obtained a clue¡­what dangers exactly lie in the fog, nobody knows,¡± Tu Dan whispered. ¡°Whether or not we should enter the fog should be a decision made voluntarily.¡±


    After all, she¡¯s only a teacher. She couldn¡¯tmand the students to risk their lives. But the most troubling part was this ¨C those who are willing to go might not be the capable ones, and those who are capable might not be willing.


    This wasn¡¯t a situation where numbers equate strength. If a team of unevenly qualified individuals were brought into the fog, it would only increase the risk!


    Tu Dan thought about this, her eyebrows furrowing tighter, mumbling to herself: ¡°If we let those people downstairs go¡­¡±<div>


    ¡°If they could bring an old man and a disabled man out of the game unscathed, it only shows their ability far surpasses ours,¡± said Chen Hui. ¡°But, Teacher, didn¡¯t you mention that we can¡¯t just reveal the clues to others?¡±


    Tu Dan was taken aback, and then realized that Chen Hui had heard her mutterings.


    Nevertheless, this young girl has always been perceptive and calm. Even with only a few bits of information, Chen Hui probably could piece together what was going on.


    Tu Dan gently told her: ¡°I don¡¯t want people to find out because I¡¯m afraid that after everyone enters the game, allies turn into enemies, not only killing each other, but also using you as shields. You guys are just teenagers, how would you stand a chance in a fight against adults?¡± Chen Hui asked again: ¡°So, Teacher thinks that they can¡¯t be trusted?¡± Tu Dan was unable to respond immediately.


    After a few seconds, she hesitantly said, ¡°Let me think¡­ let me think a little more¡­¡±


    The night drags on.


    Downstairs, two dorm rooms were upied by Shen Mo¡¯s group. Shen MO and Bai Youwei shared a room, while Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai shared another.


    Shen MO slept on the top bunk, above Bai Youwei.


    With hisrge stature, if hey t then the bed would seem too short, revealing half of his ankles.


    Therefore, he could only curl up a little as heid down, secretly sighinz in his heart: this was more ufortable than sleeping on the floor.


    There was a knock on the bed board, producing a clear ¡®thump, thump¡¯ sound in the darkness.


    ¡°Shen MO, are you up there?¡± Bai Youwei asked from below.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Shen MO responded. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±


    He answered her, but she said nothing more.


    After a moment, Shen MO asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on, do you need to go to the bathroom?¡±


    The voice from the lower bunk was filled withint: ¡°Do I have ¡®toilet¡¯ written on my face? You always ask me if I need to go!¡±


    Shen MO couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    Wasn¡¯t he just trying to take care of her in case she was too shy to mention it¡­.?


    After a while, Bai Youwei knocked on his bunk again: thump, thump, thump.


    ¡°Shen MO, why don¡¯t you make any sound when you sleep?¡± Bai Youweiined. ¡°It¡¯s so quiet, not even a sound when you turn around. It feels like


    I¡¯m the only one in the room, and it scares me.¡±


    She said she was scared, but her tone hardly showed it.


    Shen MO knew she was just being dramatic, troublesome, and loved to be coquettish.


    Not in the mood to argue with her, heplied and turned over in the bed.


    Creak¡­ creak¡­


    ¡­creak¡­


    Bai Youwei: ¡°That¡¯s too noisy, now I can¡¯t sleep.¡±


    ¡® He was silent for a while, then patiently asked her, ¡°So what do you want me to do?¡±


    ¡°Put your hand down so that I know you¡¯re there.¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡®


    Without a word, she continued knocking on the bed ¨C thump, thump, thump.


    Shen MO had no choice but to hang one arm down.


    Half a secondter she grabbed hold of it. Her small hand holding his big one.


    Staring up at the ceiling, Shen MO felt the softness in his palm and casually remarked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you acting childish? Earlier, you were criticizing the middle school kids upstairs for being immature, but I don¡¯t see you as much better.¡± Pausing for a moment, he asked, ¡°How old are you?¡±


    Bai Youwei red at the bottom of the top bunk and deflected the question with a chilly retort, ¡°How old do you think I look?¡±


    Without giving it a second thought, Shen MO responded: ¡°Three years old.¡±


    Bai Youwei:


    After a while, she huffed in annoyance.


    However dissatisfied she was, she didn¡¯t let go of the ¡®paw¡¯ in her hand..

 Chapter 79 - 79: 79: Should we go into the fog?

    Chapter 79 - 79: 79: Should we go into the fog?


    Trantor: 549690339


    She couldn¡¯t remember when she had fallen asleep, but when she woke up again, the sky was already bright.


    Shen MO was not in the room.


    Bai Youwei slowly yawned, saw a mouthwash cup, toothbrush and toothpaste on the table, and a basin of cold water prepared.


    She didn¡¯t immediately get started, but sat on the bed in a daze for a while, then slowly changed her clothes, got out of bed, sat in the wheelchair, brushed her teeth and washed her face.


    She had umted two days worth of dirty clothes that she desperately wanted to throw away. However, she reluctantly washed them in the independent bathroom of the dormitory considering she had no more money to waste.<div>


    It was a nuisance indeed. She had never washed clothes before in her life.


    Teacher Chang was cooking in the hallway outside.


    He borrowed a stove and a pot from upstairs. There were bottles of rice, oil, salt, vinegar, and various other condiment ced next to it. Hearing Bai


    Youwei getting up, he immediately said, ¡°Weiwei, breakfast will be ready soon. We have porridge and eggs, and Teacher Tu also sent a pack of instant noodles. Which would you like to have?¡±


    ¡°Any will do¡­¡± Bai Youwei asked from inside the room, ¡°Where¡¯s Shen MO?¡±


    ¡°He and Tan Xiao went to Yangzhou Port early this morning.¡± Teacher Chang looked in the direction of the school gate, ¡°They should being back soon.¡± Bai Youwei responded with a casual ¡°oh,¡± absentmindedly scrubbed her clothes a few times, not concerned about whether they were clean or not, and hung them all in the dormitory.


    Then with nothing else to do, she went to the back of the dormitory building in her wheelchair, grabbing handfuls of mint leaves from the garden.


    She pulled out quite arge bunch.


    She meticulously washed each leaf and dried them in the shadow of the corridor.


    Perhaps it was because she and Chang Weicai were soid back, one cooking and the other drying leaves, the students from upstairs didn¡¯t know what to say when they saw them.


    Tu Dan was preparing to take his students to y a frog game today, so the atmosphere was tense from early morning.


    Bai Youwei, while watching them bustling about and sipping her porridge, felt a pang of regret because Teacher Chang¡¯s cooking was clearly not as good as Tu Dan¡¯s.


    She saw thirteen students, along with Tu Dan, in total fourteen people get on their bikes, raise their arms and waved:


    ¡°Safe travels.


    Tu Dan also waved back at her, before setting off with his students.


    Fourteen bicycles left one after another, riding on the campus road, like a school of fish darting through the water. The rhythm and zeal they carried were neat and full of energy.


    Watching the wheels of those speeding bicycles, Bai Youwei took a sip of her porridge and murmured, ¡°I¡¯m so envious¡­¡±


    Not long after Tu Dan and his group left, Shen MO and Tan Xiao returned.


    They had acquired gasoline and collected some living supplies, filling the SUV fuller than ever before, nearly bursting.


    ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± Bai Youwei remarked coldly, ¡°It looks like finding a shelter is out of the question, otherwise they wouldn¡¯t have bothered to bring back so many supplies.¡±


    Chang Weicai was anxiously watching Shen MO and Tan Xiao, hoping they could bring back good news.


    Facing the old man¡¯s gaze, Shen MO, usually so decisive, found it difficult to speak.


    He pondered for a long time before finally saying, ¡°¡­the ship never came.¡± Teacher Chang¡¯s eyes immediately dimmed.


    Shen MO continued, ¡°The craft responsible for transporting people used toe every two hours, but in recent days, not a single one has showed up. Some people, unable to wait, seized the ferry at the dock, and some others went south along the Yangtze River bank. Now there are only a dozen tents left at Yangzhou Port. I estimate that the remaining people will also leave in a couple of days.¡±


    ¡°You mean¡­the ship will nevere?¡± Teacher Chang asked shakily, ¡°Those people are not going to wait any longer?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t wait any longer.¡± Tan Xiao sighed on the side, ¡°They say the mist in the city is continuously expanding. At first, it was only asrge as a residential area, but now, the entire city district has been swallowed! If we wait any longer, even Yangzhou Port will not be safe!¡±


    Teacher Chang stared nkly, ¡°Then we¡­we¡­¡±


    ¡°My suggestion is¡­.¡± Shen MO looked at them and said, ¡°Should we go and check out the mist?¡±

 Chapter 80 - 80: 80: In the Mist

    Chapter 80 - 80: 80: In the Mist


    Trantor: 549690339


    After Shen MO finished speaking, Tan Xiao, Chang Weicai, including Bai Youwei, all three of them remained silent.


    Shen Mo¡¯s gaze swept over each of their faces before he spoke again, ¡°From my experience, if the rescue ship hasn¡¯t returned, there are only two possibilities


    First, the rescue ship encountered trouble and couldn¡¯t save itself;


    Second, the rescue ship encountered no trouble, but the shelter could only amodate a limited number of people, so the remaining people were abandoned.


    Regardless of the situation, there¡¯s no reason for us to wait any longer.<div>


    Moreover, I¡¯ve heard at Yangzhou Port that this sort of fog isn¡¯t limited to Yangzhou, but also found in Shanghai and Hangzhou. Let¡¯s daringly assume, is it that cities withrger poptions have the urrence of the white fog? Yangzhou originally didn¡¯t have much poption, but recently arge influx of people gathered, so could it have also produced the white fog?


    If this hypothesis holds, and the white fog keeps expanding, instead of passively being cornered, it may be better if we take charge and venture into it ourselves.


    Shen Mo¡¯s words held such significant information, once again it took the group a while to respond.


    He wasn¡¯t in a rush. He turned his head towards Bai Youwei, inexplicably confident in his heart that she would agree with his suggestion.


    ¡°What do you think is in the fog?¡± Shen MO asked Bai Youwei.


    Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes whirled a bit, mimicking his phraseology, ¡°From my experience, there are two possibilities¡ªI¡¯


    First, the game environment has expanded, and we are all part of a game where the white fog kills upon contact simr to that frog we encountered;


    Second, the game environment has been split; the white fog is a part of a separate reality game, different from the game we have encountered on the road.¡±


    A smile tugged at the corner of Shen Mo¡¯s mouth.


    Tan Xiao kind of understood and kind of didn¡¯t, asking her, ¡°Does that mean¡­we have a fifty percent chance of dying?¡±


    Bai Youwei nced at him, ¡°Consider this, the first option vites the game¡¯s fairness policy, so I think the second possibility is more likely.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Tan Xiao nodded.


    Being the indecisive type, he usually found Shen MO and Bai Youwei¡¯s words making sense. He hesitated and then asked, ¡°When¡­when do we go?¡±


    MO looked at Teacher Chang, ¡°You stay here and wait for us¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ming too.¡± Teacher Chang¡¯s tone was sorrowful yet very firm, ¡°As an old man, I¡¯d be just as useless here, might as well go into the fog and see, maybe I can see my parents again.¡±


    Bai Youwei was silent for a moment, then said, ¡°If we really are going¡­the sooner, the better. Let¡¯s try to get out before it gets dark.¡±


    ¡°We leave after we finish eating,¡± Shen MO decided.


    If Tu Dan were still here she¡¯d probably die of frustration. She¡¯d been struggling with her decision for days, but they casually decided to go after a few sentences.


    The white fog, dense and endless.


    If you look at it from far away, it resembles an unending spider¡¯s web. When you get up close, it looks like evaporating frost or snow.


    Such heavy fog made driving impossible, so the four of them formed a line and began walking. Shen MO was pushing the wheelchair.


    The fog was quiet.


    The sort of absolute quiet.


    There was no chirping of birds, no buzzing of insects, even the wind seemed to stop here.


    Under such conditions, where they could see neither the road ahead nor hear any sounds, they walked around for about three to five minutes until the fog started to clear.


    The sun¡¯s rays pierced through the fog, lighting up everything brightly¡ª


    All four of the fog-traversers were shocked to silence, their eyes widened in disbelief at the scene before them.


    All the buildings werebined in strange forms, stacking to form huge walls before their eyes and creating countless winding passages!


    The city had morphed into a giant maze!


    Tan Xiao walked a few steps forward in shock, touched the ¡°wall¡± that consisted of power poles, trees, steel bars, tile from single-story houses and vending machines twisted together, turned around with a look of stupefaction and said to Chang Weicai, ¡°Old Chang¡­ I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll find your way home..¡±

 Chapter 81 - 81: 81: Huge Labyrinth

    Chapter 81 - 81: 81: Huge Labyrinth


    Trantor: 549690339


    All four of them were shocked.


    Chang Weicai walked over, touching the ¡°hybrid¡± wall bit by bit with disbelief, mumbling, ¡°This isn¡¯t scientific¡­ How can these different materials bebined so perfectly?¡±


    Trees were embedded in reinforced concrete, with green-grey tiles growing on the trunks. A skewed vending machine was squeezed into a corner, as if it were chopped in half, but its branches and leaves were still lush as if they were all naturally one entity.


    Bai Youwei looked at the faint light in the vending machine and asked, ¡°Who has coins?¡±


    ¡°I do¡­¡± Chang Weicai had quite a few small change in his wallet.<div>


    Bai Youwei took the coins and tossed a few into the vending machine. With a few clinks, a bottle of Coke rolled out The group was stunned even more.


    They didn¡¯t see any power source, but this vending machine was somehow electrified! And it was functional!


    This is insane!


    Inspired, Tan Xiao sprinted forward. A bathtub was embedded in the wall across from him. When he turned on the tap, water immediately gushed out!


    Tan Xiao screamed, muttering, ¡°It¡¯s even freaking hot!


    ¡°The city has been dismantled into individualponents, and then rbined.¡± Shen MO pulled out his long-unused phone and nced at it,


    Water, electricity, and the inte seem to be operating as if the city hasn¡¯t changed. ¡±


    Bai Youwei¡¯s phone had long since run out of power and she didn¡¯t bring it with her. She looked at Shen Mo¡¯s phone and couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°Even with cell towers built into the walls, there is still phone signal.¡±


    This isn¡¯t scientifically possible.


    Shen MO fiddled around with his phone and shook his head slightly, ¡°We can¡¯t contact the outside world, it seems we can only use it within this area.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine too.¡± Bai Youwei looked around, ¡°This ce is so big, in case we get separated, we can still use our phones to contact each other. Should we find a ce to charge first?¡±


    ¡°No rush.¡± Shen MO turned around, looking in the direction they came from,


    ¡°Let¡¯s see if we can turn back first.


    Shen MO pushed his wheelchair, retracing their steps.


    As expected, they couldn¡¯t get out.


    When they arrived, they only walked tor a few minutes before passing through the fog, but now no matter how they moved, they remained within the fog.


    ¡°It seems we are indeed in a standalone replica.¡± Bai Youwei sighed softly, ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    The group returned to the maze. Sure enough, it only took them two minutes this time to walk out of the fog.


    They stopped at the entrance of a corridor, not in a hurry to go in.


    ¡°No Inspector, no rule guide, and no other yers.¡± Shen MO stared into the depth of the maze, ¡°If the range of the fog coincides with the range of the maze, then the area of the maze in front of us is about 35 million square meters, or 35 square kilometers. Once we go in, we probably won¡¯t be able to get out for several days.¡±


    Tan Xiao had no concept of these numbers, but just hearing Shen MO describe it, he felt that the maze was incredibly huge!


    Bai Youwei calmly said, ¡°Although it¡¯s a bit big, water, electricity, and inte can all be used as normal, so at least for a short time we won¡¯t have to worry about supplies.¡±


    Tan Xiao didn¡¯t understand why the two big shots were so calm, but as they were calm, he seemed to feel less anxious.


    ¡°So, it seems¡­ it¡¯s quite nice to stay in the maze.¡± Tan Xiao scratched his head, a bit unsure, ¡°There¡¯s water, electricity, plentiful food, and we don¡¯t have to worry about suddenly falling into some game. It¡¯s¡­ prettyfortable.¡± Bai Youwei chuckled lightly, ¡°What a beautiful thought you have.¡±


    Tan Xiao:


    What did he say wrong?


    ¡°If it¡¯s reallyfortable¡­¡± Bai Youweiughed, gazing deep into the maze, ¡°Then how do you exin the people who have disappeared into thin air within these walls?¡±

 Chapter 82 - 82: 82 Mirror

    Chapter 82 - 82: 82 Mirror


    Trantor: 549690339


    The fog almost covered the entire central district of Yangzhou.


    In this area, modern business buildings stood side by side with preserved ancient structures. There were banks, hotels, shopping malls, universities, hospitals, stadiums, Daming Temple, recreational parks, and even the Slender West Lake Scenic Area!


    How many people would this areaprise of normally?


    But the maze was eerily silent, devoid of any human sound or sight of a single person.


    Everyone knew one thing for sure: there was undoubtedly an unknown danger lurking within the maze.<div>


    ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡± Shen MO nudged Bai Youwei into the passage.


    Chang Weicai, the teacher, followed. Tan Xiao remained at the rear.


    The journey was smooth and calm.


    Shen MO strode along the main path, oblivious to the bifurcations on either side.


    After walking continuously for over ten minutes, something started to feel off. The walls nking them were increasingly teeming with mirrors.


    The reflections and refractions of these mirrors made the forked paths appear convoluted, causing further confusion.


    ¡°Is this a Mirror Maze?¡± Tan Xiao observed the sides. ¡°I once yed in one at a science museum. It was filled with mirrors, even more than here. Walking around, you could see countless reflections of yourself. It was disorienting.¡± Bai Youwei responded in surprise, ¡°You¡¯ve been to a science museum?¡±


    Tan Xiao nodded in earnest, ¡°Yes, I handed out flyers and balloons to children there when I was low on money.¡±


    Bai Youwei formed an unspoken smirk.


    Ahead, the entire side of an unknown skyscraper waszing on the ground. Its pure ss walls made entirely of mirrors reflected their moving figures, and also the clear blue sky and white clouds.


    Continuing, they found two rows of public bathroom sinks, each with a mirror above. One could see themselves in the mirrors stretching out for at least a hundred meters.


    Although they hadn¡¯t reached the end yet, from what they could see, it seemed like ahead was infested with dense mirrors.


    Shen MO came to a halt.


    The rest stopped too, casting puzzled looks.


    ¡°Look at the mirrors.¡± Shen MO instructed.


    Mystified, everyone turned to look at the mirrors around them.


    ¡°What are we looking at the mirrors for?¡± Tan Xiao examined his reflection.


    Wearing the same T-shirt and jeans, sporting the same granny hair, but¡­


    something was amiss. He stepped closer to the mirror in bewilderment, and after two or three steps, he jumped back in rm!


    ¡°Holy shit!¡± Tan Xiao nearly peed his pants, ¡°Take a look at the mirrors! ¡±


    In the mirrors, they were still themselves, yet, not themselves.


    Inside the mirrors, they had turned into dolls!


    Bai Youwei subconsciously touched her face; her reflection did the same. She touched her hair, and so did her reflection.


    Bai Youwei removed her gaze from the mirror, looking down at her hands and pinching herself.


    It hurt a bit, turning a little reddish.


    She was clearly still human, but the reflection in the mirror showed her as a doll!


    This feeling nauseated her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving forward.¡± Shen MO said calmly, ¡°These mirrors are strange.


    Try to stay away from them as much as possible.¡±


    The abnormality of the mirrors was their first slight disturbance since entering the maze, startling but harmless.


    After another 20 minutes, they arrived at an open area


    With a perfect squared shape, t and even, there was a round fountain right in the middle, like a standoutndmark.


    ¡°It¡¯s a public square,¡± Chang Weicai remarked while surveying the surroundings, his voice slow and solemn. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s this ce¡­ but the trees and flowers are gone, the square was by the canal, but there¡¯s no river here either¡­ ¡®


    Only countless mirrored walls stood here, and between the mirrors, there were maze interconnections pointing to all directions.


    Bai Youwei wheeled herself to the edge of the fountain and noticed her reflection in the water: a doll holding a teddy bear.


    She reached out to touch the water surface, but Shen MO caught her wrist, his eyes shing a warning.


    Bai Youwei reluctantly withdrew her hand.


    Shen MO turned to Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai, ¡°Although there are no inspectors and rule exnations here, it seems that the condition for clearing this area is to find the exit of this maze. If you have any ideas, don¡¯t hesitate to share..¡±

 Chapter 83 - 83: 83: I Wish

    Chapter 83 - 83: 83: I Wish


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Shen MO tried to gather everyone¡¯s opinions as much as possible.


    He knew that by involving everyone, he could strengthen their unity and keep an eye on everyone¡¯s status. His approach wasrgely the same as when he trained his previous squad before.


    Master Cheng said, ¡°Mazes are generally divided into simple mazes andplex mazes. There are two methods to navigate them; one is from the outside in, and the other is from the inside out. We seem to be in the center of the maze now. If this is the starting point of the maze, then the end point should be around the edges.¡±


    Tan Xiao also, surprisingly, made a seriousment, ¡°I have experience with mazes. With three steps, you can navigate any maze¡ª


    First, choose any path and move forward once you enter the maze;<div>


    Second, if you encounter a dead end, immediately turn back and make a mark at the intersection;


    Third, if youe across a fork, choose a path you haven¡¯t taken yet. If you¡¯ve taken all paths, turn back and mark the original fork.


    Repeat the second and third steps until you find the exit.¡±


    After he spoke, he touched his nose and added in a quieter voice, ¡°I searched for maze strategies on gaming forums. With these, I cleared the Crystal Tower in ¡®Final Fantasy¡¯, the Poker Maze in ¡®Legend of Hope¡¯, and the Four Towers in ¡®Trails in the Sky¡¯¡­¡±


    Shen MO, who never yed games, asked, ¡°What is that?¡±


    Bai Youweiughed, ¡°Those are RPG games from a hundred years ago.¡±


    Tan Xiao gave Bai Youwei an approving look!


    ¡®¡­¡± Shen Mo was speechless. He turned his gaze away and looked down at Bai Youwei, ¡°And you, what are your thoughts about this ce?¡±


    ¡°My thought is¡­¡±


    Bai Youwei pondered with her chin in her hand.


    ¡°I think¡­¡± she started slowly, ¡°¡­ I want to have a barbecue first.¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    Bai Youwei feigned innocence, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with wanting something different to eat after days of ramen and in porridge?¡±


    Tan Xiao quickly added, ¡°There¡¯s a Korean barbecue restaurant on the way here! They¡¯ll definitely have meat in their freezer!¡±


    Master Cheng said, ¡°Since the maze is sorge and we can¡¯t leave for a while, we should gather supplies first. We need many things for food, clothing, shelter, and transportation¡­¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡®


    He somehow felt that he had been demoted.


    From an adventure team leader to a tour guide.


    Two hourster.


    Top-quality snowke-style beef and pork belly were sizzling on the grill. There were other uncooked ingredients such as three different types of pork belly, tender beef tongue, squid tentacles, chicken wings, bacon, beef tripe, onions, potatoes, and enoki mushrooms¡­


    Shen MO sat amid the bustling, smoky atmosphere, feeling somewhat out of ce.


    ¡°Why the long face?¡± Bai Youwei bit down on a chicken bone, her crunching sounds full of satisfaction.


    Shen Mo, still on high alert, muttered, ¡°I¡¯m not hungry, you guys eat.¡±


    Bai Youwei: ¡°You may not eat, but you can grill, right?¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡®


    She pushed a te of ribeye steak into his hands: ¡°Here, grill this.¡±


    Shen MO was quiet for a while, then sighed inwardly, picked up the tongs, and joined the grilling team.


    The grill sizzled with the aroma of grilling meat wafting in the air.


    Tan Xiao was sweating profusely from the heat, drinking chilled beer inrge gulps. He hadn¡¯t enjoyed himself this much in a long time.


    He bit into a piece of streaky bacon and mumbled, ¡°Is it really¡­ appropriate for us to eat like this?¡±


    Shen MO transferred the grilled meat into Bai Youwei¡¯s te. He thought to himself: I knew it was inappropriate.


    ¡°Eat up.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°We¡¯ll need our strength for the work ahead.¡± Shen MO gave her a nce.


    As she casually ate, Bai Youwei remarked, ¡°Actually, I have an idea¡­.¡±

 Chapter 84 - 84: 84: Two Teams of People

    Chapter 84 - 84: 84: Two Teams of People


    Trantor: 549690339


    Everyone was looking at her.


    The mood should have been serious and tense, but because everyone was holding food and wine, it strangely felt like the gossip chatting after a party.


    Shen MO asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Have youe up with a way out yet?¡±


    ¡°Not really,¡± Bai Youwei replied, ¡°If it was a regr maze, Tan Xiao¡¯s method would be sufficient. But¡­ in this maze, I think looking for the exit is secondary.


    What we really need to find is people.¡±<div>


    ¡°People?¡± Tan Xiao gobbled up a piece of ox tongue, ¡°Which people?¡±


    Professor Chang Weicai carefully wrapped bacon around an enoki mushroom and sighed. ¡°Weiwei must be referring to those who have disappeared.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°We need to identify the crisis to know where survival lies. The only clue we have now is that there¡¯s something wrong with the mirrors here. Are there any other dangers in the maze? Are there any traps? Are there any taboos? To answer these questions, I¡¯m afraid we have to find those missing persons first.¡±


    Shen MO pondered,saying slowly, ¡°We won¡¯t know what threats or opportunities there are, until we venture deeper into the maze. Given its size, we will need at least two days to navigate the entire maze. If the maze is even moreplicated, it might even take us three days.¡±


    This is going to be a war of attrition.


    Unlike the games that ended in a few minutes, in this maze, it is thest ones standing who win.


    As they chatted, they made a n to explore:


    Using the fountain in the center of the maze as the starting point, dividing the maze into eight exploration areas in the shape of a Chinese character ¡®9,¡± exploring two to three areas each day. This way, by the third day, they would have figured out the entire maze.


    To expedite the exploration of the maze, items such as phones, ropes, paint, spray guns, along with glue and paper for marking were all added to the list of supplies to find.


    Bai Youwei stated, ¡°We also need to find some tents. I don¡¯t want to have to sleep facing the mirrors.¡±


    The rest area they were currently located in was in the center of the maze. Surrounded by mirrors on all sides, a casual nce would show their puppet-like reflection in the mirror, an unsettling feeling.


    Shen MO nodded.


    He agreed that sleeping in tents would be safer.


    After all, no one could guarantee what might happen if they constantly exposed themselves to the mirrors.


    ¡°After we finish eating, we will search an area while gathering supplies,¡± Shen MO calmly ordered, ¡°Keep in mind this is just our first day, no need to rush. Remember to conserve energy, we¡¯ll take turns keeping watch tonight.¡±


    Everyone nodded in agreement as the barbecue wasing to an end.


    Just as they were preparing to clear up the leftovers, the sound of footsteps and faint voices came from not far off, gradually getting closer.


    ¡°I seem to smell grilled meat¡­¡±


    ¡°Yang Yi, you¡¯re drooling over meat, haha!¡±


    ..Hey, it does indeed smell like grilled meat, I also smell it¡­¡±


    ¡°I smell it too!¡±


    ¡°Professor Tu! There are people up ahead!¡±


    Tu Dan led a group of students out of the passage and found Shen MO, Bai Youwei, Tan Xiao, Chang Weicai, along with their grill and barbecue.


    Tu Dan¡¯s group was stunned.


    So was Shen Mo¡¯s group.


    . Oh my.¡± One of the girls expressed in disbelief, ¡°They are actually barbecuing in the maze.¡±


    Because of the silence, her voice echoed in the air clearly, making the awl?vard atmosphere even more palpable¡­


    Tan Xiao, having size up the situation, casually invite them: ¡°Have you guys eaten? Join us?¡±


    Tu Dan:


    The students: .


    Professor Chang was enthusiastic, ¡°I¡¯ll go gather some more charcoal.¡± ¡®IN-no, there¡¯s no need, Professor Chang,¡± Tu Dan stammered. ¡°We¡¯ve already eaten¡­¡±


    Her gaze reluctantlynded on Shen MO and Bai Youwei, ¡°So¡­. you guys are also here inside?¡±

 Chapter 85 - 85: 85: Asking So Much

    Chapter 85 - 85: 85: Asking So Much


    Trantor: 549690339


    Shen MO replied naturally, ¡°Let¡¯s give it a shot.¡±


    He then asked Tu Dan, ¡°Did you guys get the mud?¡±


    Tu Dan curled the corners of her mouth and smirked, ¡°Yep, we got it.¡±


    Although she said she got it, she didn¡¯t seem too thrilled, as did the students around her, wearingplex expressions.


    However, they weren¡¯t close enough for Shen MO to probe.<div>


    After exchanging pleasantries, they busied themselves.


    Shen Mo¡¯s team was to clean up a heap of leftovers and greasy tes.


    Tu Dan¡¯s team was evidently prepared. They brought bundles of ropes and different colored gs. By exploring the route and getting the results, they nted differently colored gs at the intersections¡ª


    Red for dead ends, green for passable routes, and yellow for unexplored paths.


    These fifteen or sixteen-year-olds, still half children, had more energy than adults. They were so busy that they had quickly nted numerous colorful gs nearby.


    There was no progress on Shen Mo¡¯s side.


    Bai Youwei whispered to him, ¡°I want to take a shower.¡±


    Shen MO didn¡¯t respond verbally but gave her a look which clearly asked, ¡°Are you sure you have to pick this moment?¡±


    Bai Youwei got the message.


    ¡°I have to shower, I can¡¯t stand the smell of meat on me, it¡¯s ufortable.¡¯ She shouldn¡¯t be ufortable.


    Because once she became ufortable, it would make everyone around her feel ufortable too.


    ¡°We have to explore anyway. If we find a ce to take shower along the way, just wait for me, it¡¯s not a big deal,¡± Bai Youwei said nonchntly.


    A passing female student heard her and couldn¡¯t help but make a surprised face.


    Inside a maze, their lives were hanging by a thread. Not only did they have the mood to eat barbecue, but they even wanted to find a ce to take a shower now?!


    Did theye here on a vacation?


    Finding it tedious to argue with the delicate and coquettish Bai Youwei, Shen MO casually agreed.


    ¡ªThe maze walls were a chaotic patchwork. A bus was squished against a double bed, half a bathroom stuck to the kitchen, a toilet suspended in cement. It was a regr freak show. With her obsession for cleanliness, it was unlikely to find a suitable ce for a shower, wasn¡¯t it?


    The four of them got ready to explore.


    To avoid interfering with Tu Dan¡¯s team, they set off in the opposite direction.


    Bai Youwei asked Shen MO to turn on the phone¡¯s built-in pedometer.


    Walking and recording simultaneously.


    Whenever they encountered a fork in the road, she stopped and recorded, like 38 meters ahead ¨C left turn ¨C intersection 1, 89 meters ahead ¨C right turn intersection 2¡­ The more detailed the numbers, the more urately they could reproduce the site map on paper.


    Whenever she came across a minimally damaged shop, Bai Youwei would note it down as well to ensure they didn¡¯t scramble around like headless flies when gathering supplies.


    Fairly speaking, when Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t acting out, she was truly a reliable partner.


    But when she started to¡­


    ¡°I want to take a shower.¡± Bai Youwei stopped in front of a budget hotel chain, refusing to take another step.


    Shen MO nced ahead, ¡°There are two intersections left and this corridor will be explored.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not moving. I¡¯m not going anywhere unless I can shower,¡± she sat sulking in the wheelchair. ¡°I want to take a shower right now.¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡®


    The teacher looked around and said, ¡°There¡¯s adder over there, I¡¯ll go get it.¡± Tan Xiao also went to help move thedder.


    Forgot to mention that only half of this hotel chain squeezed into the wall. The part with the elevator and stairs was gone, so to ess the second-floor rooms, they needed to find a way to climb¡­


    The three unlikelypanions, old and young, went to great lengths to enable Bai Youwei to take a shower.


    Bringing adder wasn¡¯t enough; they also salvaged boxes, tables, cabs, sofas from nearby¡­the hotel¡¯s lobby ceiling was too high. After stacking severalyers, they finally managed to set thedder on the second floor. Shen MO carried Bai Youwei on his back to the second floor, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you at the door. Don¡¯t take too long, call me every three minutes. If you don¡¯t want to talk, just hum so I know you are okay¡­ Don¡¯t wash your hair, drying it would be a waste of time, it¡¯s best if you rinse ande out.¡±


    Bai Youwei: ¡°With so many requirements, why don¡¯t you help me shower?¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡®

 Chapter 86 - 86: 86 Crying

    Chapter 86 - 86: 86 Crying


    Trantor: 549690339


    On the fourth day away from home, Bai Youwei finally got her wish and took a hot bath.


    Without the help of a servant, it was a bit tricky to get cleaned up, but she still washed thoroughly from head to toe.


    Every few minutes, Shen MO knocked on the door.


    On average, Bai Youwei would respond once for every two knocks.


    When Bai Youwei almost finished bathing, she looked at her own white skin, dark wet hair, and shiny droplets of water¡­ Spontaneously, she had a ¡°mischievous idea¡± to tease Shen MO by staying silent on purpose.<div>


    ¡°¡­Bai Youwei?¡± Shen MO knocked on the door again, sounding irritated, ¡°Bai


    Youwei, respond if you can hear me.¡±


    Bai Youwei:


    It¡¯s hard to say exactly why, but she just wanted to see a hint of a crack on his cold, stern face¡­


    Even if it infuriates him, it must be pretty fun.


    Of course, she also hoped for something else to appear on his face, but she couldn¡¯t put her finger on what it was just yet.


    ¡°Bai Youwei, are you there? I¡¯ming in.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s voice sounded somewhat through gritted teeth, ¡°¡­you better not be joking.¡±


    Bai Youwei chuckled under her fluffy hair as she wiped her long locks with a dry towel.


    Her hair quality wasn¡¯t great. Being naturally unhealthy, it was thin and soft. However, owing to careful maintenance, it was very smooth, with a beautiful, pale-ink color.


    She wiped her hair carefully, and as she reached the ends, she looked at her own legs.


    They were legs deformed from long periods of sitting¡ªpale, thin, and even a bit atrophied¡­


    Bai Youwei¡¯s actions halted.


    It was odd ¨C why did she want him to see her like this?


    The subtle exhration she felt just now dissipated like a breeze, leaving only nd emptiness.


    The door handle of the bathroom rattled, seemingly, Shen MO was genuinely nning toe in.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± She croaked, her voice calm, ¡°Don¡¯t rush me, so annoying.¡±


    The rattling noise stopped.


    After a brief silence, the man outside grumbled and dropped two words, ¡°Hurry up.¡±


    Bai Youwei repeated: ¡°If you think I¡¯m slow, why don¡¯t youe in and help me bathe?¡±


    There was no sound from outside the door.


    Bai Youwei slowly dried herself and put on her clothes.


    The steam in the bathroom gradually dissipated, and the mirror that was covered in condensation became clear again. As she fixed her hair in front of the mirror, the doll in the mirror was also holding a silken brush andbing its hair.


    Maybe her outlook is inherently different from most people¡¯s, because for her, there was nothing scary about the doll in the mirror when looking at it after a while.


    Studying more closely, the doll was indeed exquisite, with a full forehead, soft hair, and individually clear eyshes.


    Whilebing her painstakingly grown hair, the doll in the mirror did the same for a while, but then stopped, looking upset, and even began to cry.


    Bai Youwei was curious, how could a doll cry?


    She stared at her reflection in the mirror, watching as ¡°she¡± cried withrge tears streaming down her cheeks, sobbing so sincerely, so weak and helpless¡­


    Strangely, it felt familiar.


    But she was sure she had never seen such a scene before. Because she couldn¡¯t possibly cry like this, like aplete coward.


    Bai Youwei looked in the mirror, staring at ¡°herself¡±, and gradually lost focus.


    Her thoughts started running off on a bizarre tangent, thinking: Why am I crying? What am I crying for?¡­


    A scream suddenly came from outside!


    Bai Youwei was jolted awake, realizing that she had unknowingly leaned close to the mirror, and the tear-streaked doll inside had actually reached out half an arm through the mirror!


    Bai Youwei instantly sucked in a cold breath!


    Anger welled up in her heart, and she flung the towel in her hand at it!


    ¡°Cry my ass off!¡±

 Chapter 87 - 87: 87: Suddenly Awakened from the Dream

    Chapter 87 - 87: 87: Suddenly Awakened from the Dream


    Trantor: 549690339


    Bai Youwei tossed her towel aside, rushing away from the bathroom in her wheelchair.


    Shen MO was no longer outside the door.


    He had jumped down directly! At the moment, he was on the first floor, having just pulled Tan Xiao out of the Koi pond in the hotel lobby!


    The hotel lobby had a pond on one side, home to dozens of koi fish. Tan Xiao, bored, had been idly trying to catch the fish when he identally fell in and couldn¡¯t get out!


    The depth of the pond was just up to his calves!<div>


    ¡°This ce is haunted by water ghosts!¡± Tan Xiao cried out in fright, soaking wet. ¡°A water ghost pulled me into the water! Let¡¯s get out of here!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a water ghost!¡± The teacher next to him saw it clearly, his face pale as he eximed, ¡°It¡¯s a doll, the doll came out from your reflection!¡±


    Shen Mo¡¯s face paled at these words. He turned his head to look upstairs, only to see a shadowy figure looming behind Bai Youwei!


    Upon closer inspection, it was a mannequin doll! It reached out its hands, all stiffness like a corpse creeping up on Bai Youwei!


    ¡°Bai Youwei!¡± Shen MO roared, ¡°Jump down!¡±


    Even before Shen MO had started showing rming signs, Bai Youwei already sensed something was off. But hell! How was she supposed to jump?! She was paralyzed for God¡¯s sake?!


    Bai Youwei didn¡¯t look back. She pushed with her hands, shifting her weight forcefully!


    And from the second floor, her entire body toppled over


    The ttering sound next to her ear was her wheelchair toppled over, falling with her.


    She quickly closed her eyes as she descended, her heart pounding with fear. She couldn¡¯t tell whether she would get hurt from the fall first or get hit by the falling wheelchair.


    Arge hand wraps around her waist. She had a hard fall due to inertia, then that hand steadily lifted her, swaying her in the air for half a circle¡ª She felt dizzy, opening her eyes to see Shen MO holding her with one hand while gripping onto adder rung with the other.


    In his arms, she looked at him, from this angle, his profile was handsome, resolute, with a cold stare. His thin lips pursed into a line, revealing an authoritative aura hidden within his seriousness and restraint.


    With a dazed backdrop, this scene unfolding before her was truly breathtaking.


    Bang!


    A loud noise.


    Bai Youwei snapped back to reality.


    She twisted her head to see her wheelchair had hit the ground, lying sideways with its wheels spinning unhurriedly and reflecting the cold metallic light from the axle.


    The mannequin doll upstairs had vanished without a trace.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go out,¡± The teacher suggested, his voice trembling with fear as he righted the wheelchair, looking around him. Everywhere seemed unsafe.


    Shen Mo¡¯s voice was calm, ¡°Be mindful of reflective surfaces when going out.¡±


    Reflective surfaces included mirrors, ss, water surfaces, and any other objects that could reflect images.


    For a moment, everyone felt danger even from the tile under their feet!


    They hurriedly rushed out of the hotel.


    In thebyrinthine corridor, Shen MO put Bai Youwei on the wheelchair and checked her up and down. Although her hair was messy and scattered, the fact that she was sitting there unharmed was a great fortune.


    ¡°If the doll in the mirror is the game¡¯s difficulty created for us, then wouldn¡¯t the exit be in the vicinity where the mirrors are most concentrated?¡± Shen MO thought out loud.


    Bai Youwei shook her head gently, ¡°The mirrors are concentrated in the middle of the maze, it¡¯s too easy if the exit and the starting point coincide, that would be cheating.¡±


    After a pause, she continued: ¡°I think the doppelganger in the mirror should be a clue or a hint.¡±


    She turned to Tan Xiao and asked, ¡°Did you notice anything different about your reflection as you were trying to catch the fish?¡±


    Tan Xiao hesitated, ¡°I didn¡¯t pay attention¡­¡±


    ¡°Did your doppelganger seem unusual?¡± Shen MO asked Bai Youwei.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Bai Youwei pondered, ¡°¡­ well, if you guys have a chance, you should carefully observe your reflections in the mirror. Of course, for safety¡¯s sake, someone should be by your side.¡±


    As they all looked at each other, finally, they all nodded in agreement..

 Chapter 88 - 88: 88: Return to the Center of the Maze

    Chapter 88 - 88: 88: Return to the Center of the Maze


    Trantor: 549690339


    In the following time, they finished the remaining stretch of their path, then turned into the branching path, calcting the number of steps they had taken whilst scavenging for supplies.


    Chang Weicai found a redwood walking stick from a shop.


    He was not yet old enough to need a cane, but witnessing Tan Xiao¡¯s attack had unsettled him. Having something in his hand that would serve as a weapon gave him sce.


    Tan Xiao, on the other hand, was forgetful. Seeing a tap on the side of the road, he immediately ¨C and thoughtlessly ¨C took a cold shower.


    His bathing process was less cumbersome than Bai Youwei¡¯s. He just stood directly underneath the tap, rubbed his T-shirt, and washed his clothes in the process.<div>


    ¡°Look at this,¡± Chang Weicai pointed at a poster on the wall with his walking stick, ¡°We¡¯ve been seeing these posters and flyers all over since we entered here¡­¡±


    Using his walking stick to lift a corner of a poster, a polished mirror was revealed. As soon as he saw it, he dropped the poster.


    Shen MO said, ¡°These must have been put up by people from before.¡±


    Everyone nced at the road ahead, noticing more posters messily affixed to the walls. Some mirrors weren¡¯t covered, instead smeared with streaks of paint, looking quite ghastly.


    The fact that the people previously trapped in the maze also feared mirrors indicated their danger.


    They became increasingly wary of mirrors.


    They continued onward.


    Gradually, they found traces of human activity, such as discarded meal boxes, leftover drinks, and beds that had once served as temporary rest spots. However, there were no signs of people.


    As the light dimmed, dusk came.


    They decided to return to the starting point of the maze.


    Because they had been counting their steps all along, they could easily calcte their way back.


    Halfway through their return, there was a hissing sound of electric current in the air. Then, the entire maze lit up remarkably!


    ¨C -It was brightly lit.


    The darkened houses illuminated their windows, and the high-profile neon lights kept flickering. The maze, imbued with light, resembled a noisy and bustling market from the old days, making people feel as if nothing had changed in a trance.


    Bai Youwei had never felt that the night view was so beautiful.


    Although it had only been three or four days since the power outage, she felt as though a century had passed, and was so moved by the sight of the lights. It was ironic.


    However, beauty always concealed danger. When the brilliant lights reflected on the mirrors, the constant reflection and refraction was enough to disorient people.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Shen MO, pushing the wheelchair forward. ¡°Chang Weicai should stick to the middle, and Tan Xiao will keep an eye on the rear.¡± The two of them nodded in acknowledgment.


    When they returned to the center of the maze, Tu Dan and the others were having dinner.


    The things Shen MO and his group brought from the Korean barbecue restaurant were still there. Chang Weicai volunteered to cook dinner. Having had barbecue for lunch, they decided to have something light for dinner. Bai Youwei was picky and didn¡¯t want to have noodles. In the end, she put several bags of frozen dumplings into the pot, and also made arge pot of seaweed egg soup.


    Chang Weicai was not particrly skillful at cooking porridge, but his soup was superb. The egg flowers were evenly distributed, bright yellow in color, and silky in texture. Some bits of shrimp skin and scallions were addedst, making even the simplest dish tempting and fragrant, carrying a warm sense of home.


    The neighboring students were having a simple meal of instant noodles and sausages, and at the sight of both dumplings and soup on their side, jealousy red up in their eyes.


    At this point, they saw Tu Dan and Zhang Tianyang heading their way. The students continued to tease, ¡°Tianyang! Bring back some dumplings!¡±


    Zhang Tianyang retorted with a smile, ¡°Can¡¯t you cook it yourself if you want some!¡±


    He wasn¡¯t heading there to get dumplings.


    Zhang Tianyang nced at the solemn expression on Teacher Tu and felt a heavy weight in his heart.


    With two groups having entered the maze at the same time, they were either friends or foes. He hoped that he could convince the others to team up with


    Teacher Tu this time and reach a cooperation agreement¡­.

 Chapter 89 - 89: 89: Different Ways of Walking

    Chapter 89 - 89: 89: Different Ways of Walking


    Trantor: 549690339


    Having an extra ally is always better than having an extra enemy.


    Tu Dan brought Zhang Tianyang over to Shen Mo¡¯s side, and first thanked Teacher Chang. Zhang Tianyang, the sunny, tall boy, straightforwardly bowed to Chang Weicai.


    Chang Weicai, holding a pot in his hand, couldn¡¯t avoid it and put down the soup pot to smile at him and asked, ¡°Are you fully recovered now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯mpletely fine!¡± Zhang Tianyang said with a smile, ¡°I was unable to eat due to the pain from my wound, and was bedridden for two or three days due to hunger. Now, after a good meal and drink, there¡¯s no problem at all!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± Chang Weicai replied with a pleasant expression, ¡°Be careful in the future. Consider carefully before taking action, so as to avoid future troubles.<div>


    Zhang Tianyang repeatedly affirmed his words.


    After expressing gratitude, it was time to delve into the main topic.


    Tu Dan carefully sorted out her words, and cautiously proposed, ¡°In thest game, we coincidentally obtained some information about the maze. We thought of trying our luck, but didn¡¯t expect to meet you guys¡­ Since we¡¯re together again, should we cooperate in the next few days and try to find the exit together?¡±


    ¡°Cooperate?¡±


    The soft voice of Bai Youwei was unusually noticeable at this time.


    She stared at him with cat-like eyes, looking at Tu Dan and then Zhang


    Tianyang standing next to her, and said, ¡°We probably can¡¯t cooperate, can


    Shen MO lightly tussled her hair and said, ¡°Stop being silly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not being silly, we just can¡¯t cooperate.¡± Bai Youwei said innocently, ¡°Didn¡¯t you see the ropes and gs they brought? There are probably only about a hundred gs, divided into three colors, which means only about thirty gs of each kind. It¡¯s definitely not enough to cover the entire maze. They probably n to go forward in a progressive manner, which is different from us.¡±


    Zhang Tianyang¡¯s eyebrows lifted in surprise as he looked at Bai Youwei.


    Though he had already heard from his teacher that she was smart, he never thought that from the ropes and gs in their hands, she could deduce their uing strategy.


    gs are of limited quantity. If the maze has ten thousand forks, they could not possibly prepare ten thousand gs. So, they had to choose a starting line and orderly advance forward. The areas they¡¯ve passed were left behind, bing a ¡°waste area¡±, while the gs were always ced in the ¡°new area¡± ahead, repeating this cycle.


    If the maze was likened to a face of a clock, then they were like the second hand, eventually tracking aplete circle.


    Shen MO, who didn¡¯t pay much attention to the surprise on Tu Dan and Zhang


    Tianyang¡¯s faces, casually asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Oh, then what is our strategy?¡±


    Bai Youwei pondered for a while and turned to look at Shen Mo: ¡°Yarn Ball Method? Sunflower Method? ¡­ Which one sounds better?¡±


    Zhang Tianyang understood, ¡°You guys are using the point-to-area method? Starting from one point, dividing the maze into several areas, and then exploring each area one by one. Is that it?¡±


    Bai Youwei ignored him, she tugged at Shen MO and asked, ¡°Which one sounds better?¡±


    Zhang Tianyang,


    Shen MO loosened Bai Youwei¡¯s hand, and responded to Tu Dan, ¡°Our strategies are indeed very different. Besides, seeing how well-prepared you are, I don¡¯t think you would switch to our method. Likewise, it seems unnecessary for us to join you. Since we can¡¯t cooperate, we better move separately.¡±


    Tu Dan looked disappointed, but she could understand and nodded, ¡°Fine, it seems there¡¯s no other way.¡±


    It was a pity that she was unable to form a strong alliance, but her main goal of this trip was not to create enemies, so she reluctantly epted this oue.


    Just as she was about to say goodbye, Zhang Tianyang could not stay silent and said, ¡°Mr. Shen! Your method is too time-consuming, why don¡¯t you join us?¡± ¡°Tianyang.¡± Tu Dan frowned and called out to him.


    Zhang Tianyang insisted, ¡°Isn¡¯t it faster to find the exit if we work together? Teacher Tu, you also persuade them!¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­ this is killing me,¡± Bai Youwei again clung to Shen Mo¡¯s arm,¡± Don¡¯t pay them any heed. Their method has a major w.. Let them fumble around!¡±

 Chapter 90 - 90: 90: Brocade Bag Prop

    Chapter 90 - 90: 90: Brocade Bag Prop


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡ªBug, refers to some undiscovered ws or loopholes.


    Upon hearing Bai Youwei¡¯s words, Zhang Tianyang was taken aback, even a little disbelieving.


    ¡°Our movement has a bug?! What bug?¡±


    This was the strategy he and his ssmates had discussed together. They had the advantage of numbers, and using a continuous approach would maximize their manpower and allow them to find the correct path as quickly as possible. And Bai Youwei was saying their method had a bug?!


    Bai Youwei nced at him indifferently, her tone cold, ¡°Interesting. Why should I tell you?¡±<div>


    ¡°¡­¡± Zhang Tianyang was speechless.


    ¡°Unless you can give a reason for entering the maze, I might consider helping.¡±


    Bai Youwei raised a corner of her mouth, a cunning smile on her face, ¡°So, shall we exchange information?¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Tan Xiao snapped to attention, looking puzzled towards Tu Dan, ¡°You¡¯re a female teacher. Unlike us, you don¡¯t have the abilities or experience. You don¡¯t know anything, so why did you bring students into this and stir up trouble?¡±


    Being frank can be a double-edged sword.


    Tu Dan went crimson, a look of embarrassment on her face.


    Bai Youwei, on the other hand, didn¡¯t hold back herughter.


    Tu Dan is usually careful. Of course, she didn¡¯te here to make trouble, but it¡¯s hard to deal with someone like Tan Xiao, who has his own unique logic. It¡¯s really unspeakable, there¡¯s no way to exin.


    Shen Mo quietly squeezed Bai Youwei¡¯s palm, signalling her to control herughter.


    Whether she didn¡¯t understand or deliberately misinterpreted his intentions, she responded with a beaming smile and squeezed his palm back, giggling, even scratching in a yful manner.


    Shen Mo: ¡®


    He did not want to engage in such childish behavior.


    Shen MO withdrew his hand, looking indifferent, ¡°The reason Ms. Tu is unwilling to speak up could well be rted to the final reward of the maze game, right? The reward of an independent instance must be quite tempting. It¡¯s only human, we understand.¡±


    He lowered his eyelids, continuing without emotion, ¡°Since we are all in the maze, we¡¯ll rely on our own skills from now on.¡±


    All along, Tu Dan¡¯s attitude has been less than candid, including her current attempt at cooperation, which was a mix of truth and testing, without showing any sincerity.


    So let¡¯s each rely on our own skills¡ªdon¡¯t actively harm others, but don¡¯t actively help either. This was the most goodwill Shen MO could offer.


    Tu Dan¡¯s face reddened further in embarrassment, ¡°Mr. Shen, that¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand, it¡¯s not that Ms. Tu doesn¡¯t want to tell you.¡± Zhang Tianyang interrupted Tu Dan, exining, ¡°It¡¯s because it involves my tool, Ms. Tu was afraid that I would mind, so she didn¡¯t fully exin to you. It¡¯s actually this thing¡­¡±


    He took a piece of paper from his pocket and calmly handed it to Shen Mo.


    There were only two sentences on the paper: ¡°Collect all the pieces of the puzzle to clear all games.¡±


    ¡°Location of the puzzle: The misty ce.¡±


    Zhang Tianyang said, ¡°In the lucky question game, I had obtained the highest score and received a Brocade Bag as a reward. With the Brocade Bag, I could ask the Inspector any question, and he would have to answer.¡±


    He paused for two seconds, seeming a bit embarrassed, then continued, ¡°I used the item on the spot. The question I asked was¡­ ahem, how to make the


    puppet game disappear and restore peace to everyone¡¯s lives.¡±


    Wow, that¡¯s quite ambitious.


    Bai Youwei craned her neck to take a look, asking him, ¡°You can¡¯t determine that the maze is within the mist just based on this.¡±


    They had brought so many ropes and gs when they entered, so it was obvious they were well-prepared, unless the Inspector had revealed other information to them.


    Zhang Tianyang did not immediately respond this time, but instead looked at Tu Dan first.


    Tu Dan frowned and nodded at him. Only then did Zhang Tianyang continue, ¡°I suppose Ms. Tu has already told you about my injury, which was caused by another yer. Actually, after leaving the game at that time, they wanted to continue attacking us, but luckily some people happened to pass by and saved us. We learned about the maze from those people.¡±


    Bai Youwei curiously asked, ¡°What kind of people were they?¡±

 Chapter 91 - 91: 91: There’s a Puzzle in the Maze

    Chapter 91 - 91: 91: There¡¯s a Puzzle in the Maze


    Trantor: 549690339


    There were five people who saved the students, three men and two women.


    After they rescued Tu Dan and her group, they asked her whether there was fog in Hangzhou City. At that time, Tu Dan had just escaped from Hangzhou with her students and encountered the game; she was in a state of shock.


    She didn¡¯t understand why these people were courting death, but still guided them. Meanwhile, she heard a fat man saying, ¡°Hurry up, don¡¯t let others beat us to it!¡±


    Another woman casually replied, ¡°What¡¯s the rush? Everyone in the maze is probably dead. Who willpete with us¡­¡±


    In the time it took for these exchanges, their vehicle had already driven off. Tu Dan didn¡¯t take it to heart. She was focusing on how to seek refuge in Yangzhou, but never expected that there was a dense fog in Yangzhou, too, and the rescue ship hadn¡¯t arrived.<div>


    Later, Tu Dan and the students gradually calmed down.


    They found a ce to settle down, then re-analyzed the message in the Brocade Bag,bing it with thest twoments from the group, and concluded:


    One, there¡¯s a maze in the fog;


    Two, there¡¯s a puzzle within the maze.


    The quantity of the puzzle should be limited, otherwise the fat man wouldn¡¯t use the word ¡°snatch¡±. The note in the Brocade Bag mentioned, ¡°Completing the puzzle will clear all the games¡±, which proves the puzzle is extremely valuable.


    That is why Tu Dan hesitated and didn¡¯t clearly exin everything to Shen Mo.


    She wanted to fight for more chances for herself and the students.


    Now, Zhang Tianyang made everything clear, stared at Bai Youwei, and asked, ¡°Now can you tell me? What¡¯s the problem with our approach?¡±


    Bai Youwei said, ¡°There¡¯s no problem.¡±


    Zhang Tianyang¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°You!¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t rush. There¡¯s a ¡®but¡¯.¡± Bai Youwei smiled. ¡°There¡¯s no problem with the approach, but the error tolerance is almost zero. That is to say, once a mistake is found along the way, you must start over.¡±


    ¡°So, you are quite sure that we will make a mistake?¡± Zhang Tianyang asked, unconvinced.


    ¡°Because you are human.¡± Bai Youwei shrugged, expressing a matter-of-fact manner. ¡°As long as you¡¯re human, you¡¯ll certainly make mistakes. You can¡¯t guarantee that your ssmates are as smart and careful as you, or that they won¡¯t go in the wrong direction in the corridor. Just think, when you progress 80% through the maze using your advancement method, and then find that thetest corridor is a dead end, and the correct corridor has been missed without your realizing it, if you go back to check, how are you going to do it?


    Don¡¯t you have to start from the beginning?¡±


    Zhang Tianyang¡¯s face turned from white to a forbidding shade of green.


    Bai Youwei spread her hands, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, that¡¯s alright. After all, if I were you, I would now go and check if there is any problem with the progress just made.¡±


    Zhang Tianyang was silent for a moment with his lips tightly pressed, then suddenly turned and walked towards the maze passage.


    ¡°Tianyang!¡± Tu Dan quickly reached out to stop him. ¡°Don¡¯t be reckless, it¡¯s gettingte! ¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Teacher Tu, I¡¯m just going to take a quick look, I won¡¯t go too deep.¡± Zhang Tianyang forced a smile and replied, ¡°Besides, there are lights everywhere here; there¡¯s enough light.¡±


    He insisted on going.


    Tu Dan had to look after the other students and couldn¡¯t apany him, so she yelled to the group of students, ¡°Yang Yi, go with Zhang Tianyang.¡±


    A tall boy stood up and went with Zhang Tianyang.


    The other students were left with mixed expressions, clustered in front of their tents, discussing quietly:


    ¡°Is our approach really not working?¡±


    ¡°I am not sure¡­ Hey, did you nt the gs correctly when you were doing it?¡±


    ¡°I think I did, how about you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    After a short while, Zhang Tianyang and Yang Yi returned.


    Both boys had their heads down and shoulders drooped, looking somewhat disheartened.


    Chen Hui brought over two bottles of water and asked, ¡°How did it go? Did you find anything?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Yang Yi took a sip of water, his gaze shifted to Zhang Tianyang beside him, ¡°There was a g misced..¡±

 Chapter 92 - 92: 92: The Argument Begins

    Chapter 92 - 92: 92: The Argument Begins


    Trantor: 549690339


    As soon as the words were spoken, there was a slight uproar among the students.


    ¡°Were we really wrong?! ¡±


    ¡°What should we do now?¡­ Did we work in vain today?¡±


    ¡°How could this happen! Who nted the g wrongly?!¡±


    ¡°Lin Zihang, was it you? You said earlier that you were not sure about one ce!¡±<div>


    ¡°What are you talking about?! Didn¡¯t you say that you were also unsure?!¡±


    The students started arguing.


    Zhang Tianyang walked to his tent with a stern face, entered without saying a word and ignored everyone else.


    Tu Dan was also confused, but as a teacher, she had to appease the students¡¯ emotions.


    ¡°Everyone, stop arguing! If we find a mistake, we correct it. ming each other won¡¯t solve anything!¡± Tu Dan spoke in a slightly stern tone, ¡°Now, everyone pack up and get ready to rest!¡±


    A student raised their hand and asked, ¡°But teacher, our routing is wrong now, shouldn¡¯t we solve this problem first?¡±


    ¡°What good solution woulde out of chattering?¡± Tu Dan said seriously, ¡°There is no problem with the routing itself, it¡¯s everyone¡¯s carelessness that led to this situation. Just be more careful tomorrow and now go to sleep. No more disputes over this matter!¡±


    They were all fifteen or sixteen-year-old children. They would quiet down as quickly as they would start a ruckus.


    Bai Youwei watched themotion from afar. Seeing them quiet down, she lost interest and lightly curled her lips.


    Understandably, the teacher was worried, so he asked Shen MO, ¡°Should we guide them?¡±


    Shen MO shook his head, ¡°There are too many of them.¡±


    Not only were there arge number of them, but they were all adolescent boys and girls. People of this age, lying between children and adults, are individualistic, energetic and yet childish. They are hard to control.


    The teacher sighed in sympathy for Tu Dan, ¡°Tu Dan shouldn¡¯t have brought all the students here. What if something happens¡­how could she get away with it, ah¡­¡¯


    ¡°Actually¡­¡± Tan Xiao interrupted, ¡°It seems that only half of the students got the frog gadgets. They were afraid of missing out on the maze bonus gadgets, so they all came in.¡±


    Bai Youwei looked at him with curiosity, ¡°How do you know?¡±


    Tan Xiao replied, ¡°I overheard some students talking when I went over there to use the bathroom. Tu Dan originally divided them into two groups. The first group sessfully got the mud, but before the second group could go in, the game disappeared, saying it was to prevent brushing.¡±


    ¡°Pfft!¡± Bai Youweiughed, gloating over their misfortune, ¡°No wonder their expressions were soplicated when they came in, this is not fear of scarcity but inequality, haha!¡±


    ¡°These students are rather clever, I suspect Tu Dan won¡¯t be able to control them for long.¡± Shen MO remarked.


    Tu Dan inherently was not a dominating person.


    Perhaps when the apocalypse just began, the students sought the help of their teacher out of fear and instinct. But once they got deeply involved in this world, epted the rules and understanding of the game, they would definitely stop obeying the teacher¡¯s orders.


    This wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing, and even a necessary part of growth, but of course, there would be pros and cons involved in the process.


    Shen MO, who wasn¡¯t concerned with other people¡¯s affairs, brought Bai Youwei into the tent he had set up, retrieved the rabbit she had been charging all afternoon and handed it to her.


    ¡°Is it fully charged?¡± he asked.


    Bai Youwei felt around the rabbit and shook her head.


    Shen Mo: ¡°How much do you think it¡¯s charged?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say¡­¡± After a moment, Bai Youweizily replied, ¡°In any case, there isn¡¯t much power.¡±


    Shen MO replied, ¡°Continue charging it tomorrow.¡±


    Bai Youwei only responded with a nod.


    After a while, she nced at him, seeming a bit upset, ¡°It seems like you care a lot about this gadget.. What, you think that once I have a gadget in my hand, you won¡¯t need to worry about me anymore?¡±

 Chapter 93 - 93: 93: You Should Not Ignore Me

    Chapter 93 - 93: 93: You Should Not Ignore Me


    Trantor: 549690339


    Here we go again.


    ¡® Shen MO closed his eyes weakly.


    Opened them again¡­


    ¡°What do you think?¡± he looked at her indifferently, his voice devoid of any emotion. ¡°Do you think a fully charged bunny can make you so strong that you don¡¯t need anyone¡¯s help?¡±


    Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes rolled, and she replied, ¡°That¡¯s hard to say. After all, I¡¯m quite formidable myself.¡¯<div>


    Shen MO got up, ¡°Fine, from now on, I won¡¯t look after you.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Bai Youwei suddenly grabbed his hand, squeezing it tightly. ¡°I can do without your help, but you can¡¯t abandon me!¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡®


    What does that even mean?


    Is this a tongue twister? It could be a bit more awkward.


    ¡°Let go.¡± said Shen Mo.


    Bai Youwei: ¡°No!¡±


    Shen MO took a deep breath and said calmly, ¡°Weren¡¯t you asking me to look after you? Now, I want you to let go.¡±


    Bai Youwei:


    After a couple of seconds, she relented. She let go of his hand, her voice full of resentment. ¡°So, where are you going then?¡±


    Seeing her yield was a novelty to Shen MO, so he said, ¡°I¡¯m going back to the tent to sleep. I will watch over the second half of the night, so I n to sleep early. ¡±


    Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief, ¡°You¡¯re not sharing a tent with me?!¡± Shen MO didn¡¯t understand what was so surprising about this.


    They had been sharing a room solely due to circumstances. Now that they had everything they needed in the maze, why did they need to cram into one tent?


    ¡°If I¡¯m in the tent alone and something happens, what would I do? What about when I have to go to the toilet at night?!¡± Bai Youwei stared at him intently. ¡°Do you want me to scream your name in the dead of the night and let the entire world know I need to go to the toilet?!¡±


    Having said all this, she suddenly deted, saying dejectedly, ¡°Forget it, just go.¡±


    Shen MO was rendered speechless.


    The tent was dark. She was hugging a stuffed bunny, her head hung low in silence. Her entire demeanor portrayed a sense of fatigue and gloom. For a moment, he had a torrent of words at the tip of his tongue.


    He pursed his lips and left the tent.


    Outside, it was bustling and lively.


    Though it was night, the ce was far from lonely due to the electricity. Some people sat in front of their tents chatting; others fetched water together. Some even yed music to ease the tense atmosphere.


    Everything was abuzz.


    For some odd reason, Shen MO grabbed his backpack and nket from his tent. As he turned, Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai were both looking at him.


    Suddenly, he felt an inexplicable toothache.


    He stayed silent for a while and then exined insipidly, ¡°She is afraid of being alone.¡±


    The two in front of him showed understanding.


    ¡°You really should be with her.¡± Chang Weicai said understandingly. ¡°Even though she¡¯s usually strong, she¡¯s still just a girl. It¡¯s too much asking her to stay in this ce alone. Poor Weiwei.¡±


    Shen MO nodded, picked up his belongings and went over.


    Watching Shen Mo¡¯s retreating figure, Professor Chang turned to Tan Xiao and asked, ¡°Xiaotan, are you close to Xiaoshen?¡±


    ¡°We met him at the same time.¡± Tan Xiao looked puzzled. ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°Oh, nothing.¡± replied Professor Chang. ¡°I just find it odd. They are siblings, right? But why does one bear the surname of Shen and the other Bai? They never seemed to avoid any suspicion even if they were cousins¡­ ¡®


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± Tan Xiao casually replied. ¡°One took the father¡¯sst name, and the other the mother¡¯s!¡±


    Professor Chang had a sudden realization, ¡°I see, it¡¯s my narrow-mindedness. I forgot that a surname can also be matrilineal. You young folks really think fast.


    Tan Xiao disyed his teeth in a grin, ¡°Just so-so-.

 Chapter 94 - 94: 94: Quite Fragrant

    Chapter 94 - 94: 94: Quite Fragrant


    Trantor: 549690339


    The tent was dim and muted, with light seeping through the gaps, diffusing everything indistinctly. Faces of the upants were barely discernible to each other.


    ¡°Close your eyes,¡± Shen MO said.


    Bai Youwei closed them for a moment, only to open them again, ¡°How would you know if I closed my eyes if yours were open?¡±


    Shen MO was no stranger to her antics. Looking down at her, he asked faintly, ¡°Not sleepy?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am.¡± She shuffled a bit closer to him, ¡°I just wanted to see what ¡®I¡¯ look like in your eyes.¡±<div>


    His breath hitched involuntarily.


    In the silent dimness, her breath wafted around him, light and sweet, with a subtle coolness, like minty honey and a faint scent of flowers, possibly from the shampoo in her hair.


    Unaware of their closeness, she looked straight into his eyes, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible: ¡°Eyes are like mirrors, right¡­¡±


    Shen MO gazed quietly at her. After a moment, he asked, ¡°Can you see clearly?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too dark, I can¡¯t see clearly.¡± She shook her head slightly.


    Strands of her hair brushing against his arm tickled him, and he moved away subconsciously.


    Bai Youwei reached out and grabbed his retreating arm, ¡°You look at mine as well. ¡±


    She opened her eyes wide and tilted her face up for him to look.


    She has a pair of beautiful doe-like eyes that often give people the misperception of her being innocent and weak, but when she smiles, the corners of her eyes curling slightly upwards radiate an entrancing aloofness, making her resemble a proud kitten.


    ¡°Did you see it?¡± she asked him, ¡°A person or a puppet?¡±


    Shen MO went silent for a while, replied, ¡°I can¡¯t see clearly.¡±


    Without emotion, he pulled her hand away from his arm, ¡°Go to sleep.¡±


    This time she didn¡¯t lean in again, butzily yawned and mumbled, ¡°Shen MO, remember to look at yourself in the mirror tomorrow, you have to look¡­¡±


    With that, she turned her back towards him, her breath gradually slow and steady.


    Seemed like she fell asleep¡­


    For some reason, Shen MO let out a sigh of relief.


    The night was long and he wasn¡¯t the only one who couldn¡¯t sleep.


    From the neighbouring tent came the rhythmic sounds of someone ying a mobile game. It was Tan Xiao entertaining himself, level after level, it was quite lively.


    Later, the noises around decreased, and even the sound of the game had disappearedpletely.


    The maze was steeped in silence.


    Gauging that the time was about right, Shen MO got up quietly and stepped out of the tent.


    He pulled a packet of cigarettes out of his pocket, lit one for himself, and exhaled slowly. The wispy pallor of the smoke fluttered before his eyes.


    Without that faint minty sweetness, his head seemed to clear up a lot more.


    Sometimes he felt she understood everything, other times he felt she was just teasing him.


    He wondered since when an errand of picking someone up had be so troublesome. On a second thought, had he not picked her up, where would he be at this moment?


    Probably it would have been quite boring¡­


    Shen MO gave a silentugh, breathed out lightly, and softly blew away the smoke before him.


    Night watch was dull and tedious.


    He sat in front of the tent, quietly surveying his surroundings.


    From some tent, a girl¡¯s murmuring voice could be heard:


    ¡°The mirrors here are so scary. If we had known, we shouldn¡¯t have entered¡­¡±


    Another girl¡¯s voice sounded cold: ¡°You were worried that you wouldn¡¯t get enough props, so you insisted oning in, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Chen Hui, why are you talking like that¡­¡± the girl sounded hurt, ¡°Everyone else wasing in, I didn¡¯t want to be left outside alone.¡± ¡°Since we¡¯re already here, stop overthinking. Sleep.¡±


    ¡°But I can¡¯t sleep. Talk to me for a bit¡­¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­did you notice? Thatme guy actually took a shower. He even came back with his hair still wet.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with someone taking a shower? Just go to sleep, it¡¯s almost three.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know? Many paralyzed disabled people can¡¯t feel the lower part of their bodies and have dder and bowel incontinence. This means they always have a strange smell and need to bathe regrly¡­¡±


    In Shen Mo¡¯s mind a thought emerged: No, she smells quite nice..

 Chapter 95 - 95: 95 Too Deeply Involved in the Drama

    Chapter 95 - 95: 95 Too Deeply Involved in the Drama


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°¡­Chen Hui? Can you hear me speaking?¡±


    ¡°I hear you.¡±


    ¡°Then why aren¡¯t you responding?¡±


    ¡°Liao JingJing, can you just be quiet for a moment? You¡¯ve beenining since we entered the maze, now you¡¯re discussing others¡¯ rights and wrongs, don¡¯t you find yourself incredibly boring?


    ¡°Chen Hui, what did I do to upset you? You sound so harsh today¡­¡±<div>


    ¡°I sound harsh?¡± Chen Huiughed in frustration, she was just down on her luck to be sharing a tent with Liao JingJing.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that so?¡± Liao JingJing said, ¡°I didn¡¯t provoke you, why are you picking on me for defending a stranger? Disabled people naturally have issues with incontinence, and they¡¯re filthy. I didn¡¯t say anything wrong¡­¡±


    Chen Hui rolled over, not wanting to listen to her nonsense.


    Liao JingJing paused for two seconds before suddenly saying: ¡°Ah¡­Chen Hui, you¡¯ve been defending that cripple. You can¡¯t be falling for her brother, can you?¡±


    Chen Hui:


    The phrase ¡®holy shit¡¯ doesn¡¯t evene close describing how she felt at this moment.


    Liao JingJing: ¡°Her brother is pretty handsome, and unlike the boys in our ss, he has a certain rugged manliness. Right? ¡­Hey, where are you going?!¡±


    Chen Hui picked up her things and stormed out of the tent without looking back: ¡°I¡¯m going to squeeze in with Teacher Tu!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that¡­¡±


    The young girl grumbled in the tent, feeling that Chen Hui was being too heartless.


    As soon as Chen Hui took a couple of steps, she saw Shen MO nearby. She felt her face burn with embarrassment as she thought about Liao JingJing¡¯s words likely being overheard. She covered her face and dashed into Tu Dan¡¯s tent- Shen MO casually averted his gaze.


    He wasn¡¯t one to bicker with a young girl, but thinking about Liao JingJing¡¯s words left a bitter taste in his mouth, indeed leaving him displeased.


    Luckily she was asleep.


    He nced at the tent.


    One look was enough to be a p in the face. Because Bai Youwei hade out from the tent.


    ¡°What are you looking at me for?¡± Bai Youwei leaned on her arm, half lying down at the entrance to the tent, ¡°Come over here and hold me.¡±


    Shen MO paused, then stood up to carry her, not asking whether she overheard anything. He naturally lifted her onto the wheelchair next to them.


    However, Bai Youwei wouldn¡¯t let it go easily, she asked: ¡°What were you just staring at me for?¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡°Your hair was messy, I thought Sadako wasing out.¡±


    Bai Youwei:


    Shen MO looked at her, ¡°Don¡¯t be upset, Sadako is quite beautiful.¡±


    Bai Youwei: ¡°Thanks for that.¡¯


    Shen Mo: ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±


    Bai Youwei even more upset, questioned him: ¡°Are you in a particrly good mood?¡±


    ¡°Are you not in a good one?¡± Shen MO looked at her.


    Huh, how could she be in a good mood after getting ndered?


    Bai Youwei¡¯s cold voice said: ¡°There¡¯s no telling when this maze will end, it¡¯s incredibly irritating. ¡±


    Shen MO handed her a bottle of water, saying: ¡°We¡¯ll make it out.¡±


    The water was a sports drink, lime voured. Although the path ahead was unknown and full of danger, at least they didn¡¯t have to worry about food and drink here. Staying a few more days wouldn¡¯t cause any burden.


    Bai Youwei held the bottle of water, her eyes gloomy, lost in thought.


    Just as Shen MO was about to tell her to go back to sleep, she suddenly pointed with an anxious look: ¡°Brother, look over there¡­.¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡®


    He looked around and saw nothing.


    ¡°Over there¡­the fountain, something¡­something is crawling out of the water¡­¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s voice trembled slightly, as though she had seen something terrifying, about to break into tears.


    Shen MO looked towards the fountain, but there was still nothing.


    Just as he opened his mouth to ask, Bai Youwei hushed him: ¡°Shh¡­ Don¡¯t talk, don¡¯t let it notice us¡­¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡®


    He gave her a warning look: stop making things up.


    But Bai Youwei was too lost in her act:


    ¡°It looked like a puppet¡­lt was crawling out, soaking wet, where is it going?


    ..What do we do? It¡¯s crawling towards the red tent. Should we inform everyone?¡­No, better not. What if it notices us?


    God, its mouth and eyes were spurting water, so scary¡­


    It¡¯s getting closer¡­ah, it¡¯s going to crawl in¡­.¡±

 Chapter 96 - 96: 96 General Happiness

    Chapter 96 - 96: 96 General Happiness


    Trantor: 549690339


    Bai Youwei clung to her drink bottle: ¡°Waaaah, bro, I¡¯m scared¡­..¡±


    She squeezed the bottle hard!


    A clear stream of water shot out with a hiss and sshed all over the red tent!


    At the same time, a girl¡¯s scream echoed throughout the camp: ¡°AAAAAH!!! Don¡¯te in! Don¡¯te in, ahhhh!!!


    ¡°Who¡¯s screaming, who¡¯s screaming?! What happened?!¡± Tan Xiao mbered out of his tent.<div>


    Themotion also woke up all the students on Tu Dan¡¯s side.


    Bai Youwei quickly shoved the drink bottle back into Shen Mo¡¯s hand.


    Shen Mo: ¡®


    Bai Youwei calmly patted her own legs, ¡°If she hits me, I can¡¯t run away. You will surely run faster than her.¡±


    Shen MO was quiet for a moment, then finally said, ¡°You could also choose not to provoke her.¡±


    Bai Youweiughed, ¡°The night is long, we have to find something to do.¡± Shen MO became increasingly speechless.


    Elsewhere, Trailing off in the distance, the scared girl gradually calmed down under thefort of her teacher and ssmates. Tu Dan led a group of people over and asked Shen Mo: ¡°Mr. Shen, what happened just now? My student said that you guys saw a mannequin crawling out of the fountain and heading for her tent.¡±


    Shen MO, who was holding the drink bottle, was at a loss for words.


    After a while, he said, ¡°We didn¡¯t see anything.¡±


    Tu Dan was taken aback.


    Tears streamed down Liao JingJing¡¯s face as she eximed, ¡°You clearly saw it! Just now your sister told you¡­¡±


    Her voice suddenly stopped when she saw the nonchnt expression on Bai Youwei¡¯s face. She also noticed the half-filled water bottle in Shen Mo¡¯s hand and suddenly shook with anger


    ..Right! You did it on purpose! You are bullying me, making up lies to scare me!!!¡±


    ¡°Who scared you?¡± Bai Youwei asked impatiently with a frown. ¡°My brother and


    I were just messing around. We didn¡¯t know you were awake.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you ssh water on my tent!¡± Liao JingJing was furious.


    ¡°Do you have evidence?¡± Bai Youwei coldly asked. ¡°How are you so sure the water on your tent came from us? Did you taste it?¡±


    Liao JingJing was insulted by this response, getting so angry that she was almost choked. Her face turned beet red!


    Bai Youwei nced down and chuckled at Shen MO, ¡°Bro, I think she wet her pants.¡±


    Shen MO gently responded, ¡°That¡¯s enough, stop talking.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I shouldn¡¯t have said that.¡± Bai Youwei nodded solemnly, ¡°After all, I learned a new phrase today ¡ª urinary incontinence, right?¡±


    Liao JingJing could not hold back her tears anymore. She burst into tears, turned around, and ran back to her tent.


    The students looked at each other nkly.


    Zhang Tianyang couldn¡¯t help but stand up and say to Shen MO and Bai Youwei,


    ¡°You guys have gone too far.¡±


    Bai Youwei: ¡°Wow, I kindly told you that you took a wrong path, and you are still angry at me?¡±


    Zhang Tianyang:


    Chen Hui, standing next to him, rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Idiot.¡± Chen Hui pulled Tu Dan back to their tent.


    Zhang Tianyang was stunned. He was just helping his dorm mate fight injustice, and yet he was being scolded for it?


    Bai Youwei reached out to grab Shen Mo¡¯s hand again, ¡°Brother, don¡¯t today¡¯s students know how to respect their elders and care for the young, the sick, and the handicapped? I worry about our country¡¯s future.¡±


    Shen MO quietly looked at her, his gaze questioning: Are you really that happy just being annoying?


    Bai Youwei looked back at him: Mmm, I¡¯m just averagely happy.


    Of course, she could try something even more fun, depending on whether he¡¯d allow it.


    ¡°Brother, I¡¯m sleepy.¡± She stated, holding his hand.


    Shen MO sighed silently, and without any change in his facial expression, he picked her up and returned to their tent.


    From a distance, Tu Dan heard about the whole story from Chen Hui. She was so angry that she couldn¡¯t utter a word. Restraining her anger, she shouted outside: ¡°Everyone, go back to your tents and rest! Zhang Tianyang, you too!


    Don¡¯t cause a scene!¡±


    Zhang Tianyang: ¡°But I didn¡¯t do anything¡­¡±


    The students gradually dispersed.


    Tan Xiao, who had been straining his neck for a while to observe the scene, found that nothing was happening, lost interest, and returned to his own tent.


    Unbeknownst to them, numerous shadowy figures had gathered in the surrounding mirrors. After a brief pause, they too slowly dispersed¡­.

 Chapter 97 - 97: 97: Morning

    Chapter 97 - 97: 97: Morning


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Second day in thebyrinth¡ª


    In the morning, everyone packed their things and set off to explore thebyrinth.


    As usual, Bai Youwei carried her pen and paper, counting steps as they walked.


    Tu Dan¡¯s group still used the push-forward method, but they had made some improvements to it. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t know or care about the specifics. The two groups split in opposite directions and quickly delved into the depths of thebyrinth.


    Bai Youwei and Shen MO kept their gear light. As their strategy led them back to the starting point no matter how far they ventured, they didn¡¯t need to carry much luggage. Zhang Tianyang deemed this as the most time-consuming method.<div>


    Tu Dan¡¯s group was loaded with bundles big and small, carrying everything from tents to stoves. The nature of their push-forward method necessitated staying in one ce with the g, so they couldn¡¯t afford to retrace their steps.


    Along the way, Tan Xiao asked, ¡°They are more in number. Will they find the exit before us?¡±


    ¡°If they find it first, so be it.¡± Bai Youwei responded indifferently. ¡°It would save us some trouble.¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Tan Xiao felt that Bai Youwei had a point!


    So, they continued their journey in a more rxed state of mind.


    Bai Youwei then asked them, ¡°Did you all look into the mirror as I told you to yesterday?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we did.¡± Tan Xiao replied while walking, ¡°Didn¡¯t notice anything unusual, just a doll that looks just like me.¡±


    Bai Youwei turned to Chang Weicai: ¡°What about you, Professor Chang?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Professor Chang reminisced for a moment, then slowly stated, ¡°it was a bit odd, my doll¡­ it seemed quite aged¡­¡±


    Everyone looked at him.


    Professor Chang: ¡°Why are you all looking at me? I meant that it appeared older than my current age, like maybe¡­ maybe eighty or ny years old.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Tan Xiao asked, curious, ¡°The dolls reflected in the mirror can differ from us, then?¡±


    Conveniently, there was a mirror in front of them. Bai Youwei said: ¡°Go on, reflect in it. Just don¡¯t stand too close.¡±


    Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai stopped about ten steps from the mirror. The mirror revealed two dolls: Tan Xiao¡¯s doll looked just like him, but Professor Chang¡¯s appeared two to three decades older!


    His face was marked with wrinkles and age spots, his hair waspletely white, his sparse teeth were nearly all missing, and even his height seemed to have shrunk. He appeared hunched over, half a head shorter than the current Professor Chang.


    Professor Chang couldn¡¯t bear to look at it for long, and he shifted his gaze with a sigh.


    Tan Xiao was in extreme shock, scrutinizing it from all sides. ¡°What¡¯s the principle behind this? Is it a distorting mirror or something spooky? ¡­How can it make people look so old? Why haven¡¯t I changed? Why? Why?


    He rambled on without end.


    Bai Youwei turned to Shen MO, who was pushing the wheelchair behind her,


    ¡°Do you want to give it a try?¡±


    Shen MO was silent for a moment, then said, ¡°I¡¯m the same as Tan Xiao. There¡¯s no change.¡±


    Despite his words, he walked up to the mirror¡ª The mirror revealed his doll.


    It must be said, he was greatly favored by nature. His good looks reflected in his exquisite doll. Standing there, tall and long-legged, the figure looked like a model in a disy window, invoking admiration and yearning, while also seeming distant and unreachable.


    Shen MO imed no change, but Bai Youwei sensed otherwise.


    Yet, the change was subtle, concealed in intricate details ¨C the curve of his mouth, the wrinkles between his eyebrows, and the indifference in his eyes.


    Shen MO always came off as indifferent.


    This indifference was embodied in his perennially emotionless face.


    It was not that he was devoid of emotions; he was just better at controlling himself, more rational, and calmer than ordinary people. His smile was faint, and he would suppress even intense anger.


    But his doll gave off an icy air of apathy.


    As if devoid of a heart, indifferent to everything around.

 Chapter 98 - 98: 98 Lunchtime

    Chapter 98 - 98: 98 Lunchtime


    Trantor: 549690339


    In the noon, with the temperature rising and the shadows thrown by the walls on either side bing short and narrow, there were no shaded spots, so the four people decided to halt their exploration temporarily.


    They took a break in a fruit shop.


    The ¡°wall¡± was made up of numerous shops and mixed concrete.


    The fruit shop had watermelons, and the ice shaver next door had ice cream. That store was decorated with numerous mirrors. Tan Xiao quickly grabbed a few ice cream bars and ran, not daring to stay any longer.


    Bai Youwei, sitting in the cool air conditioning while enjoying her watermelon, once again marveled inwardly at how electricity was such a great invention.<div>


    Tan Xiao spotted a sporting goods store sitting above the fruit shop and, on a whim, decided to climb up to take a look. Fearing he would fall, their teacher held a watermelon slice and nervously watched him from below.


    The surroundings were peaceful; the only sound that could be heard was the gentle hum of the air conditioner.


    Bai Youwei paused from eating watermelon after a few bites, her eyes slightly squinting in the afternoon tranquility, giving her a drowsy feeling.


    The dozen or so watermelon pieces in front of her all had been nibbled at once, with each triangr piece missing the top corner.


    Shen MO was speechless.


    While she was free to eat any watermelon in the entire shop, such wasteful behaviour was not something most people would do.


    He was about to admonish her, but upon seeing her squinting her eyes dozing off, decided to let it go.


    Bai Youwei¡¯s nap didn¡¯tst long.


    Tan Xiao threw down a baseball bat from upstairs, startling her awake with a thud.


    Shen MO saw her eyes widen in fear in that instant as if she were a startled cat. Even her pupils shone brightly. He thought she was about to have a fit, but she just nked out for two seconds before returning to normal.


    She didn¡¯t seem grumpy at all.


    Tan Xiao continued to throw down multiple items, and despite being in a wheelchair, her excitement was undeterred: ¡°Is there more? Is there more?¡±


    Tan Xiao shouted from above, ¡°Do you want roller skates?¡±


    Bai Youwei: ¡°Throw it down, throw it down!¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡®


    He asked, ¡°What do you want roller skates for?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want them for anything,¡± Bai Youwei looked up with bright eyes, ¡°I just find it fun watching him throw stuff.¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡®


    Tan Xiao loved sports, so he ransacked the sports goods store and tossed down a heap of sporting goods. He and their teacher then started sorting and selecting his way through the pile of goods.


    Shen MO, standing not too far away, chatted with Bai Youwei, ¡°Why is it that


    Tan Xiao hasn¡¯t changed?¡±


    ¡°Because he¡¯s just too straightforward, I guess,¡± Bai Youwei replied with a faint smile, ¡°He has no hidden side, no secret thoughts. His positives and negatives are all out in the open, so the mirror probably wouldn¡¯t affect him.¡± Shen MO looked thoughtful, ¡°So what¡¯s in the mirror is our shadow side?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t exactly call it the shadow side¡­¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment before rephrasing, ¡°It¡¯s more of a negative representation, the things in our subconscious that we dislike or avoid, the things we don¡¯t want to ept. Our teacher seems very open-minded, but he is actually afraid of getting weaker and growing old. You, on the other hand, appear righteous and selfless, like a hero¡­¡±


    She paused, her eyes narrowed as she looked at Shen MO, ¡°But in reality, you don¡¯t really care about the world at all. You save and help people simply because it¡¯s your job or due to the influence of your upbringing. Your heart is colder than anyone else¡¯s.¡±


    Shen MO stared at her, his gaze intense.


    His pupils were pitch ck, like an endless abyss where all his emotions were hidden deep within.


    After a long pause, he finally asked, ¡°And what about you?¡±


    ¡°1VTe?¡­


    Bai Youwei recalled the crying face and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


    ¡°I am a coward..¡±

 Chapter 99 - 99: 99: Evening

    Chapter 99 - 99: 99: Evening


    Trantor: 549690339


    In the evening, Shen MO and others returned to the center of the maze, and saw Tu Dan and her students again.


    Everyone was surprised.


    Normally, Tu Dan and the others should be staying where they set their gs, rather than returning to the starting point.


    There was a heated argument taking ce even from afar, Tu Dan was speaking anxiously, her forehead covered in sweat, but her students¡¯ voices only got louder and louder.


    Just like Shen MO had predicted: Tu Dan was losing control over her students.<div>


    They hastened their pace and the voices over there became clearer.


    ¡°Enough! I will never agree to this! It¡¯s only the second day, we have plenty of time to explore the remaining passages. There is absolutely no need to take such risks! None of you are allowed to go! Got it?!¡±


    Tu Dan summoned all her authority, emphasizing sternly to the group of students: ¡°Nobody can go, and nobody is allowed to go near there!¡±


    ¡°But why, teacher? The exit is right in front of us! If we go in, we will get the reward right away!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, teacher, even considering the danger, you can¡¯t possibly stop us from even trying, right?¡±


    ¡°If we found the exit but are not allowed to go in, then what¡¯s the point of exploring the passages?¡±


    The students mored and their words were filled with defiance.


    Tu Dan¡¯s chest heaved violently, and her face became increasingly pale.


    ¡ª Whether it was the chance to escape or the rewards of the maze, the temptation was too great for these students.


    Upon their return, Shen MO and Bai Youwei exchanged surprised looks.


    ¡­Exit?


    They¡¯ve found the exit so soon?


    ¡°Liao JingJing, cut it out! Stop stirring up trouble here!¡± Chen Hui, standing by Tu Dan¡¯s side, said indignantly, ¡°The exit won¡¯t run away, Tu Dan is just asking you to wait for safety¡¯s sake, what¡¯s the rush?!¡±


    ¡°How am I stirring up trouble? I am just thinking about everyone¡¯s best interests.¡± Liao JingJing replied aggrievedly, ¡°This ce is too dangerous, which is why I hope we can leave as soon as possible. Several students encountered that thing in the mirror today. If we stay any longer, who can guarantee our safety? Tu Dan?¡±


    Tu Dan¡¯s face turned ashen with anger, yet she couldn¡¯t muster a word of rebuttal.


    Yes, she couldn¡¯t guarantee it! As a woman, herbat power was even lower than that of these students. Her only advantage was her constant prudence and caution!


    However, at this point, even this advantage had be something the students found annoying!


    Without mincing words, Chen Huished out at Liao JingJing: ¡°If Tu Dan can¡¯t guarantee, can you? Can you promise that once the students enter, they will clear the game with no incidents?¡±


    Liao JingJing bit her lip, her eyes reddening: ¡°What are you implying, Chen Hui? You¡¯ve been targeting me sincest night. Now that I¡¯ve found the exit, instead of offering a few words of praise, you continue to trample on me¡­¡±


    Chen Hui: ¡°The strategy was devised by Zhang Tianyang. The details were decided collectively. You just happened to be in the group that ced the gs. How could you im to have found the exit? If it were someone else, they wouldn¡¯t have found it? Ah, now I see why you¡¯re so spirited today. You probably found the exit and are taking all the credit for yourself!¡±


    Chen Hui¡¯s words were harsh, like repeated ps to the face.


    Tears welled up in Liao JingJing¡¯s eyes from anger. Seeing Shen MO and his group return, she immediately pointed at Shen MO and shouted: ¡°You¡¯re just doing all this because you don¡¯t want us to leave so he won¡¯t be left alone!¡±


    Chen Hui:


    She felt as if her head was about to explode, unable to find the words to retort.


    She just wanted to p her to death!

 Chapter 100 - 100: 100 Nightfall

    Chapter 100 - 100: 100 Nightfall


    Trantor: 549690339


    Although high school students are primarily focused on academics, most of them already know what it feels like to be in love, to feel emotions. It¡¯s not umon for even younger middle school students to get it, passing love notes and exchanging small gifts.


    But, if it is brought up publicly, it is truly embarrassing!


    Seeing that Chen Hui is getting angry, the students quickly separate the two, for fear that they might start fighting.


    Teacher Tu is thoroughly exhausted.


    When she sees Shen MO and the others return, she immediately feels a kinship with the grownup group. She approaches them and says: ¡°Mr. Shen, we¡¯ve found the exit!¡±<div>


    ¡°Hmm, I heard.¡± Shen Mo casts a casual nce at the students. ¡°Where¡¯s the


    exit?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you there.¡± Teacher Tu leads the way, speaking hurriedly. ¡°The exit looks like a door, but the inside ispletely white and visibility is non-existent. We can¡¯t determine if it¡¯s safe. Plus, there are many dolls around the door! I wouldn¡¯t dare let them risk it, but these kids are impatient and have been arguing about it the entire way! ¡±


    The students behind Teacher Tu Dan listen to her rattle on, casting embarrassed looks at each other.


    Zhang Tianyang noticed that Chen Hui, who was looking pissed, had fallen behind the group. He thought for a moment, then approached her, asking curiously: ¡°You really like that guy, huh? He seems much older than us.¡±


    Chen Hui shot him a side nce: ¡°Go like your grandpa!¡±


    Zhang Tianyang:


    Chen Hui angrily walked away.


    Zhang Tianyang, staring at her retreating figure: ¡°Hey! Why are you cursing?¡±


    The path through the maze twisted and turned, seeming to have no end.


    Following the markings they had made, the group walked for a long time. It wasn¡¯t until daylight hadpletely faded and all the lights were on that they finally arrived at the marked exit.


    It was a straight path that led to a tall, white glowing door at the end.


    As Teacher Tu Dan had said, the sides of the path were lined with dolls¡ª hundreds, even thousands of them, its pale faces illuminated in the light, lined the walls.


    Walking amidst them, there was an eerie illusion that the dolls were saluting them.


    This unsettling feeling made Bai Youwei frown, but she didn¡¯t sound off.


    ¡°Here we are.¡± Tu Dan tried her best to make Shen MO agree with her, ¡°I didn¡¯t see any dolls outside, but there are so many here! How can I not be worried? We¡¯ve only explored a quarter of the maze so far. The remaining three-quarters are unknown. Are there other exits? No one knows. So, why can¡¯t we explore more of the maze before making a decision?¡±


    She looked at her students and emphasized once more: ¡°I¡¯m not going to stop any of you from leaving. But, this exit appeared too quickly and too strangely! Look at these dolls! Isn¡¯t it a bit odd?!¡±


    Nobody spoke.


    The exit was within their reach, but they had to pay heed to their teacher¡¯s warning.


    Liao JingJing murmured quietly, ¡°Maybe the maze is using these dolls to deter people from entering the exit.¡±


    The silence became deeper.


    Zhang Tianyang, supporting his chin with his hand, pondered, ¡°Hmm, that could be possible¡­¡±


    Chen Hui: ¡°Hmmph.¡±


    Zhang Tianyang felt ufortable under her snideugh, as if he had be a traitor.


    The students imperceptibly divided into two small groups. Some wanted to leave, others wanted to stay.


    Shen MO didn¡¯t pay much attention to the students¡¯ disputes. He studied the dolls lining the passage and then went to take a look at the door.


    Inside the door was a vast sea of fog, while outside, there were mirrors on either side. The mirrors were tall and big, covering half of the wall. The remaining area was crammed with dolls.


    Very strange.


    Shen MO stood in front of the mirror, but his reflection was not in it.


    ¡°Shen Mo.¡±


    He turned around.


    Bai Youwei, herplexion pale, looked at him, ¡°I¡¯m not feeling well, let¡¯s go back..¡±

 Chapter 101 - 101: 101: A Kind of Hint

    Chapter 101 - 101: 101: A Kind of Hint


    Trantor: 549690339


    It was already veryte.


    Only the ghastly white lights, the quiet puppets, and a door leading to an unknown ce surrounded them.


    No one would feelfortable staying in such a ce for long.


    Shen MO asked Bai Youwei, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Bai Youwei pursed her lips, her tone resolute, ¡°I don¡¯t feel well, take me back.¡±<div>


    ¡°Then let¡¯s leave.¡± The teacher, concerned about her health, said, ¡°Weiwei has been with us the whole day, it¡¯s time for her to rest in the tent. If you¡¯re worried about missing anything, Xiaotan can record or take pictures.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Tan Xiao took out his phone from his pocket and started to take pictures of the surroundings.


    He took a picture of the mirrors on both sides of the door, marvelling with a sense of wonder, ¡°Wow, what a magical mirror! It can¡¯t capture me- it can¡¯t capture me~¡±


    Bai Youwei¡¯s face turned pale instantly and she shouted, ¡°Stay away from there!¡±


    Tan Xiao stopped, turned around, and looked at her.


    The other students looked at Bai Youwei with various expressions.


    The vague sense of eeriness that hovered around them became more evident because of Bai Youwei¡¯s unusual behavior¡­


    Tan Xiao paused for a second, dropped his yful face, quickly took a few more pictures, then retreated behind Shen MO, as if he was afraid of upsetting Bai Youwei.


    The other students also hastily took a few photos with their phones before running back together.


    No one wanted to stay there any longer.


    On their way back, Bai Youwei fell silent.


    Shen MO asked her, ¡°Is it because of the mirror?¡±


    At first, she shook her head, then after a while, she nodded.


    Shen MO whispered, ¡°You said before that the priority is to find the people, not the exit. Those puppets we just saw, they are probably the people we¡¯re looking for. They walked into that door and turned into puppets ¡ª otherwise, I can¡¯t exin why there are so many puppets around the door.¡±


    Bai Youwei kept her head down thinking, without saying a word.


    Shen Mo¡¯s voice lowered, sounding like he was murmuring to himself, ¡°If the door isn¡¯t the exit, then where is the actual exit?¡±


    ¡°And another thing¡­¡± Bai Youwei reminded him, ¡°Where did our reflections in the mirror go.¡±


    In a game without any rule exnation, every single detail cannot be meaningless. The presence and disappearance of the puppets in the mirror must have a certain reason, it can¡¯t be simply to scare people.


    Bai Youwei thought they were a hint. Only by deciphering this hint, could they trulyplete the game.


    But what exactly was the hint?


    She needed to think more¡­


    Think more¡­


    Everyone had a restless night that day.


    The next morning, Bai Youwei woke up early. She opened her eyes and stayed in the tent without moving. Outside the tent, there were sounds of talking, footsteps, and the clings and ngs from pots and pans.


    The bustling noises slowly woke up her brain.


    She got up, opened the tent, and saw the teacher outside cooking tomato noodles.


    In each bowl of noodles, there were two poached eggs. The red soupplemented the soft white eggs; with one poke of the chopsticks, golden yolk flowed out, mixed with the soup, swirled around the noodles, delighting the taste buds.


    The teacher, regretting the food left uneaten in the maze, cooked lots. If they couldn¡¯t finish it here, he would give the leftovers to Tu Dan¡¯s students.


    In return, the students frequently offered their own food to the teacher. Each call of ¡°Master Cheng¡± sounded particrly affectionate.


    Chen Hui saw Bai Youwei sitting alone by the tent p. After a moment¡¯s thought, she brought over a bowl of noodles and asked, ¡°Want some?¡± Bai Youwei didn¡¯t look at her and repliedzily, ¡°I haven¡¯t brushed my teeth.¡±


    Following Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze into the distance, Chen Hui realized she was waiting for Shen MO, so she said, ¡± Your brother went to fetch water, he will be back soon.¡±


    Bai Youwei answered with a soft ¡°Hmm¡±.


    Chen Hui noted her dismissive demeanor and turned to leave. But after a couple of steps, she bit her lip and came back, saying to Bai Youwei, ¡°About yesterday, don¡¯t get the wrong idea..¡±

 Chapter 102 - 102: 102: Do You Like Him?

    Chapter 102 - 102: 102: Do You Like Him?


    Trantor: 549690339


    Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze slowly shifted to Chen Hui¡¯s face.


    ¡°Yesterday?¡± she asked in confusion, ¡°What happened yesterday?¡±


    Chen Hui¡¯s face turned red, and she blurted out, ¡°Yesterday, Liao JingJing said I like your brother. Don¡¯t believe it, she was just spouting nonsense.¡±


    Bai Youwei calmly looked at Chen Hui.


    Feeling somewhat embarrassed under Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze, Chen Hui was about to say something when Bai Youwei calmly voiced an ¡°Oh,¡± and then she shifted her gaze away, no longer looking at her.<div>


    Chen Hui sighed with relief.


    Soon after, she felt a mix of emotions. She had lost a whole night¡¯s sleep over this matter, only for Bai Youwei to have such a nonchnt reaction.


    Forget it, forget it. As long as it didn¡¯t cause any misunderstandings, it¡¯s good enough.


    As she was about to turn and leave, she heard Bai Youwei slowly ask: ¡°Why don¡¯t you like him? Isn¡¯t he good?¡±


    Chen Hui¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°He¡¯s so much older than me!¡±


    She was only fifteen, whereas Shen MO seemed to be in his mid-twenties! ¡°Oh, so you like younger ones¡­.¡± Bai Youwei asked, ¡°Like Tan Xiao? He just turned 20.¡±


    ¡°Why do I have to like them?!¡± Chen Hui felt like Bai Youwei was making fun of her and her irritation rose, ¡°At this point, I won¡¯t consider any emotional issues! I just want to focus on my studies, so in the future¡­..¡±


    She stopped mid-sentence, her expression freezing.


    ¡­focus on my studies, so in the future, I can attend a good university. But now, even her school was gone. Was there any meaning in her dreams?


    Forget it.


    She didn¡¯t want to chat with Bai Youwei about this. Dejected, she turned to leave, only for Bai Youwei to stop her again, ¡°Hey, do me a favor.¡±


    Chen Hui turned back to look at her suspiciously.


    Bai Youwei raised her chin, signifying her to look the other way, ¡°That student over there, do you know him? Call him over.¡±


    Chen Hui was confused, ¡°Why should I call him over?¡±


    Bai Youwei answered, ¡°For food.¡¯


    Chen Hui:


    She looked at Bai Youwei, bewildered, and then called out in the directed way,


    ¡°Lin Zihang,e here!¡±


    He wasn¡¯t too far away, but for some reason, the male student sat there nkly among a group of students, as if he had just woken up, showing no reaction.


    Chen Hui frowned and called out a couple more times, ¡°Lin Zihang!¡­ Lin


    Zihang! Come here!¡±


    The students next to him heard her, nudged him and said, ¡°Hey, Lin Zihang, Chen Hui is calling you.¡±


    Only then did Lin Zihang respond.


    However, his response was just ever so slight.


    He slowly lifted his head to search for Chen Hui¡¯s figure in the crowd. Once she waved at him energetically, he finally saw her.


    He lumbered his way towards her¡­.


    ¡°Lin Zihang is acting really weird today.¡± Chen Hui was worried, ¡°Isn¡¯t he sick?


    There¡¯s no doctor here. I hope he isn¡¯t ill.¡±


    Bai Youwei watched the student get closer and asked in her usual calm manner, ¡°Do you like him?¡±


    Chen Hui was thoroughly annoyed, frowning at her, ¡°Why do you have to chat like this!¡±


    ¡°Good if you don¡¯t.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s expression was still calm, ¡°He looks out of sorts. Just give him your bowl of noodles.¡±


    Bai Youwei¡¯s words made Chen Hui ufortable. However, Lin Zihang indeed didn¡¯t seem well. She handed the bowl of noodles to him and said, ¡°Why do you look so down? Here, have some noodles cooked by Mr. Cheng. Hold it by the bottom so it doesn¡¯t burn your hand¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, she felt Bai Youwei tugged at her clothes.


    Caught off guard, the bowl of noodles in her hand tipped over, spilling soup and noodles all over Lin Zihang!


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Astonished, Chen Hui saw Lin Zihang¡¯s blue and white uniform stained withrge patches of tomato soup. Panicked, she wanted to help wipe it off but saw Lin Zihang standing there unresponsive.


    Didn¡¯t he feel the hot soup?


    Chen Hui was aghast.


    Her gaze instinctively darted to Bai Youwei, only to see Bai Youwei reach out, pick up a crutch nearby, raise it and poke it forward¡­ She didn¡¯t use much force, yet Lin Zihang toppled over!

 Chapter 103 - 103: 103: It’s Turned Around

    Chapter 103 - 103: 103: It¡¯s Turned Around


    Trantor: 549690339


    Thud!


    The student¡¯s body fell to the ground, unmoving.<div>


    A profound silence pervaded the area, reducing everyone to mute spectators.


    With another tter, Chen Hui¡¯s bowl slipped from her grasp and shattered onto the ground.


    Staring incredulously at the fallen ssmate before her, a chilling sensation crept from her feet, inducing shivers throughout her body.


    ¡°Lin Zihang¡­¡±


    She whispered his name.


    And repeated it.


    ¡°Lin Zihang¡­¡±


    Hey there, eyes wide open, his body immobile, even his facial expression frozen.


    Tears welled up in Chen Hui¡¯s eyes, ¡°Lin Zihang, don¡¯t frighten me¡­ speak to me¡­¡±


    The other students slowly gathered around.


    Noticing the activity, Tu Dan rushed over and, finding her student lying on the ground, reached out in instinctive panic to help him up<div>


    However, the moment she lifted the body halfway, her hands hastily withdrew as if scalded by its touch!


    His torso lost its support and fell back down. His head knocked visibly against the ground, bouncing a little beforeing to rest as if it were filled with some gtinous substance.


    At this point, everyone sensed something was dangerously amiss.


    No one dared to speak.


    Even if they had an inkling of what might be happening, they could only watch in horror, incapable of doing anything.


    The oppressive silence persisted until Shen MO returned.


    He found everyone crowded around a male student lying on the ground.


    The student¡¯s condition was peculiar. He seemed to be breathing faintly, yet there wasn¡¯t a hint of vitality in him. And then, there was his skin¡­ taking on a stic-like quality.


    Shen MO surveyed the scene and asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    No one answered.


    Chen Hui was jolted awake by his voice. She focused her gaze on Bai Youwei inside the tent¡ª


    And suddenly lunged towards her!


    Shen MO reached out to intervene.


    With Chen Hui¡¯s shoulder blocked, she stumbled, her tear-filled eyes locked on


    Bai Youwei as she cried out, ¡°Why is this happening?! Why?!!¡±


    Bai Youwei furrowed her brow and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Unepting of her answer, Chen Hui sobbed in protest, ¡°You do know! You must know! Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have asked me to call him over!¡±


    ¡°I just noticed that his school uniform was on backwards,¡± Bai Youwei responded.


    Everyone was taken aback.


    And then, their attention was drawn back to the copsed student.


    The uniform was sportswear¡ª the school emblem was embroidered on the right chest. However, the emblem on Lin Zihang¡¯s uniform was on the left.


    At first nce, it seemed like a manufacturing mistake. But upon closer inspection, the abbreviated letters on the emblem were also reversed.


    Reversed¡­


    Everything was reversed.


    His parted hair had switched sides, his wristwatch had moved from his left wrist to his right, even the logo on his sneakers was backward. The entire person, Lin Zihang, had flipped!


    Emotions are contagious.


    Fear and sadness swiftly spread among the crowd.


    They had witnessed ssmates gruesomely killed in the game, but this¡­ this transformation of a living, breathing person into a lifeless doll before their very eyes, sent chills down every student¡¯s spine!


    Shell-shocked, Tu Dan hardly registered when Shen MO spoke. Only when he prompted her again did she snap back to reality,manding two male students to carry Lin Zihang back into the tent in an anxious voice.


    Lin Zihang¡¯s body was anomalously light, the two students lifted him with ease.


    His body was bing rigid, his body temperature slowly fading. His lifeless eyes stared at the sky as if it might answer the unspoken question: why has this happened?


    Witnessing a familiar face turning into a doll was nothing short of psychological torture. It left many students wiping away their tears.


    Bai Youwei calmly surveyed them and asked, ¡°Who did this male student usually hang out with? Did he end up like thisst night or did it just happen this morning?¡±

 Chapter 104 - 104: 104 The Second Exit

    Chapter 104 - 104: 104 The Second Exit


    Trantor: 549690339


    The students exchanged nces until finally, all eyesnded on a tall young man.


    ¡°Yang Yi and Lin Zihang bunked together, they shared a tent.¡±<div>


    Tu Dan asked the young man: ¡°Yang Yi, was anything unusual about Lin Zihang yesterday? Where did you guys go?¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡­¡± thenky boy said with red-rimmed eyes, his voice barely more than a croak. ¡°He was okay when we got backst night, we chatted for a bit before sleeping¡­ I woke up before him this morning, called him to get up, he was just staring nkly, I thought he hadn¡¯t slept enough, so I went to wash up first.¡¯


    He buried his head, seemingly unable to face the fate of his ssmate, choking on his words. ¡°¡­and then, he turned into this.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no reason for him to turn into this for no reason, think carefully.¡± Bai


    Youwei questioned, ¨C ¡°Could it be that he went out after you fell asleep?¡±


    Yang Yi clutched his head, unable to utter a word.


    At this moment, a gasp from Zhang Tianyang in the crowd.


    Everyone turned to look at him.


    Zhang Tianyang said: ¡°Lin Zihang seemed to have gone to the restroomst night. I went to bedte and heard someone leaving the next tent, but I am not sure who it was, looking at it now¡­ if Yang Yi was asleep, then it must have been Lin Zihang.¡±


    Shen MO picked up on the crucial point, his brows furrowing: ¡°Is there a mirror in the ce where you go to the toilet?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but we had it covered.¡± Zhang Tianyang stood up and said, ¡°I will take you there.¡±<div>


    The toilet used by the students was located at a corner from thebyrinth¡¯s center, in an ¡°L¡±-shaped caf¨¦.


    The caf¨¦ was essentially intact, with a private restroom inside.


    Any reflective object around was either stered over with paper or covered with cloth, the mirror in the restroom was also utterly covered with caf¨¦ flyers bound by tape.


    Shen MO had a quick look around.


    Then, he raised his head to look at the ceiling.


    The ceiling¡­ was mirrored.


    Reflecting its dark ss, were the vague shapes of ¡®them¡¯ silently watching everybody right now.


    Those who followed Shen Mo¡¯s line of sight all gasped in shock.


    Without another word, everyone retreated, step by step, until they were outside the caf¨¦¡­ They then returned to the center of the maze.


    Upon their return, Lin Zihang had fully transformed into a human-sized doll.


    Tu Dan zipped up the tent door, sealing the doll-like Lin Zihang inside. As if out of sight, the heaviness in their hearts would lighten just a bit.


    And the n to explore the maze was put on hold.


    As the incident had shocked every student, Tu Dan, their team leader, was also in disarray and unsure of what to do next, choosing instead to regroup on the spot.


    During their break, they collected more paper and tape, covering every visible mirror with paper.


    As for Shen MO and Bai Youwei, they continued to explore the maze as nned.


    Bai Youwei, distracted by thoughts about the dolls as they navigated the maze, delegated the task of counting to Teacher Cheng. Following yesterday¡¯s path deeper into thebyrinth, they found dolls¡ª


    Wedged into concrete walls, with only their heads and shoulders visible, about a dozen or so.


    But as they moved forward, the number seemed to grow.


    At the end of the passage, they turned a corner and found another corridor leading towards a ¡°door¡±.


    Just like the previous one, both sides were crammed full of dolls.


    The four of them stalled in the middle of the intersection, no one taking a single step forward.


    Teacher Cheng looked at hispanions with unease: ¡°Should we go back and tell them?¡±


    Shen MO considered this, then said, ¡°Let¡¯s move on.¡±


    He looked at Bai Youwei and asked, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Bai Youwei stared at the unopened door for a long while before finally replying, ¡°Since there¡¯s no unique exit, let¡¯s move forward..¡±

 Chapter 105 - 105: Missing Two Persons

    Chapter 105: Missing Two Persons


    Trantor: 549690339


    They made their mark and then took another path, setting off again into the depths of the maze.


    They once again explored until dusk and then returned along the same path they had taken.


    Back at the center of the maze, everyone was exhausted. The teacher, Cheng, didn¡¯t cook dinner. Everyone had lost their appetite due to Lin Zihang¡¯s incident anyhow. They made do with a quick meal of instant noodles.


    Just as they were about to go to bed, another incident took ce ¨C Tu Dan was missing two students.


    During the day, everyone moved freely. Tu Dan didn¡¯t put too many restrictions on the students, only reminding them that wherever they went, they must not go alone. Whether it was for food or restroom breaks, they should always go in groups of at least two.


    However, when they did a headcount in the evening, two people were missing.


    Tu Dan found himself in a dilemma.


    It was alreadyte, and the missing students still hadn¡¯t returned. Should he look for them, or not?


    ¡ªIf he decided to look for them, what would happen if something else went wrong?


    ¡ªBut if he didn¡¯t look for them, what if the students were in danger? At this moment, a girl stood up and said, ¡°How about¡­ I go look for them?¡± The one who spoke was Liao JingJing.


    Tu Dan¡¯s faced darkened instantly, ¡°Sit down. Girls should not run around at night to avoid danger.¡±


    ¡°There won¡¯t be any danger¡­¡± Liao JingJing managed a weak smile, pulling a boy beside her closer, she said, ¡°Yang Yi and I will go together. We¡¯ll be fine.¡± Yang Yi?


    Tu Dan looked at him in surprise. Yang Yi hung his head low, muttered an indistinct ¡°Hmm¡± in response but offered no exnation.


    Liao JingJing linked her arm with his and said to Tu Dan: ¡°They might be lost somewhere. Although we are all familiar with the surroundings, many ces are not marked. Yang Yi and I will look for them nearby and return shortly¡­¡±


    As she was speaking, she began to lead Yang Yi towards the entrance of the maze.


    ¡°Stop right there!¡± Tu Dan¡¯s face was grim as he stared at Liao JingJing. ¡°Are you nning to go to the door?¡±


    A momentary stiffness crossed Liao JingJing¡¯s face. She stifled a grimace and said softly, ¡°If we can¡¯t find them nearby¡­perhaps we¡¯ll check there. They might have gone to the door.¡± ¡°Liao JingJing!¡± Tu Dan stood.


    There was a suppressed rage in her voice, and all the students turned to look.


    ¡°I said, no one is allowed to go there until we have discussed it!¡± Tu Dan questioned Liao JingJing sternly. ¡°Are you trying to take advantage of this situation to go to the exit? Have you forgotten everything I saidst time?¡± Liao JingJing¡¯s face flushed and then turned pale.


    Tu Dan turned to Yang Yi: ¡°Yang Yi! Do you want to go too? Was it your decision or did she force you?!¡±


    Tu Dan knew her students. Although Yang Yi was the tallest and the strongest in the ss, he was the most easily persuaded. It wouldn¡¯t be strange if he was influenced by Liao JingJing, especially after Lin Zihang¡¯s incident.


    Just as she suspected, after she confronted him, Yang Yi awkwardly pulled his arm free and muttered to Liao JingJing, ¡°You can go alone¡­ I¡­ I won¡¯t go¡­¡± ¡°You promised me just now!¡± Liao JingJing was embarrassed and annoyed.


    ¡°Liao JingJing, go back to your tent!¡± Tu Dan reprimanded her sternly. ¡°Stop causing trouble! It¡¯s dangerous there! What on earth are you thinking?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s you, Teacher Tu!¡± Liao JingJing shouted anxiously. ¡°What are YOU thinking? We¡¯ve already found the exit, but we¡¯re not doing anything about it! Why would we continue to stay in a ce like this?! Are we waiting for death?


    Huh?!!¡±


    Her indignation was mixed with a sense of aggrievement. Throwing a resentful re at Yang Yi, she said, ¡°Forget it! I¡¯ll go on my own!¡±


    With that, she turned and stormed towards the entrance of the maze! ¡°Liao JingJing! Come back!¡± Tu Dan shouted frantically, standing up to give chase.


    The two struggled and scuffled around the fountain.


    Liao JingJing, irritated by Tu Dan¡¯s pulling and tugging, resolved to push her away with all her might!


    ¡°Leave me alone!!!¡±


    ¡°Teacher Tu!????? ¡± The students gasped in shock!


    Tu Dan¡¯s body recoiled back, her pupils dting in fear.. The next instant, she fell into the fountain pool!

 Chapter 105 - 105: 105: Missing Two Persons

    Chapter 105 - 105: 105: Missing Two Persons


    Trantor: 549690339


    They made their mark and then took another path, setting off again into the depths of the maze.


    They once again explored until dusk and then returned along the same path they had taken.<div>


    Back at the center of the maze, everyone was exhausted. The teacher, Cheng, didn¡¯t cook dinner. Everyone had lost their appetite due to Lin Zihang¡¯s incident anyhow. They made do with a quick meal of instant noodles.


    Just as they were about to go to bed, another incident took ce ¨C Tu Dan was missing two students.


    During the day, everyone moved freely. Tu Dan didn¡¯t put too many restrictions on the students, only reminding them that wherever they went, they must not go alone. Whether it was for food or restroom breaks, they should always go in groups of at least two.


    However, when they did a headcount in the evening, two people were missing.


    Tu Dan found himself in a dilemma.


    It was alreadyte, and the missing students still hadn¡¯t returned. Should he look for them, or not?


    ¡ªIf he decided to look for them, what would happen if something else went wrong?


    ¡ªBut if he didn¡¯t look for them, what if the students were in danger? At this moment, a girl stood up and said, ¡°How about¡­ I go look for them?¡± The one who spoke was Liao JingJing.


    Tu Dan¡¯s faced darkened instantly, ¡°Sit down. Girls should not run around at night to avoid danger.¡±


    ¡°There won¡¯t be any danger¡­¡± Liao JingJing managed a weak smile, pulling a boy beside her closer, she said, ¡°Yang Yi and I will go together. We¡¯ll be fine.¡± Yang Yi?


    Tu Dan looked at him in surprise. Yang Yi hung his head low, muttered an indistinct ¡°Hmm¡± in response but offered no exnation.<div>


    Liao JingJing linked her arm with his and said to Tu Dan: ¡°They might be lost somewhere. Although we are all familiar with the surroundings, many ces are not marked. Yang Yi and I will look for them nearby and return shortly¡­¡±


    As she was speaking, she began to lead Yang Yi towards the entrance of the maze.


    ¡°Stop right there!¡± Tu Dan¡¯s face was grim as he stared at Liao JingJing. ¡°Are you nning to go to the door?¡±


    A momentary stiffness crossed Liao JingJing¡¯s face. She stifled a grimace and said softly, ¡°If we can¡¯t find them nearby¡­perhaps we¡¯ll check there. They might have gone to the door.¡± ¡°Liao JingJing!¡± Tu Dan stood.


    There was a suppressed rage in her voice, and all the students turned to look.


    ¡°I said, no one is allowed to go there until we have discussed it!¡± Tu Dan questioned Liao JingJing sternly. ¡°Are you trying to take advantage of this situation to go to the exit? Have you forgotten everything I saidst time?¡± Liao JingJing¡¯s face flushed and then turned pale.


    Tu Dan turned to Yang Yi: ¡°Yang Yi! Do you want to go too? Was it your decision or did she force you?!¡±


    Tu Dan knew her students. Although Yang Yi was the tallest and the strongest in the ss, he was the most easily persuaded. It wouldn¡¯t be strange if he was influenced by Liao JingJing, especially after Lin Zihang¡¯s incident.


    Just as she suspected, after she confronted him, Yang Yi awkwardly pulled his arm free and muttered to Liao JingJing, ¡°You can go alone¡­ I¡­ I won¡¯t go¡­¡± ¡°You promised me just now!¡± Liao JingJing was embarrassed and annoyed.


    ¡°Liao JingJing, go back to your tent!¡± Tu Dan reprimanded her sternly. ¡°Stop causing trouble! It¡¯s dangerous there! What on earth are you thinking?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s you, Teacher Tu!¡± Liao JingJing shouted anxiously. ¡°What are YOU thinking? We¡¯ve already found the exit, but we¡¯re not doing anything about it! Why would we continue to stay in a ce like this?! Are we waiting for death?


    Huh?!!¡±


    Her indignation was mixed with a sense of aggrievement. Throwing a resentful re at Yang Yi, she said, ¡°Forget it! I¡¯ll go on my own!¡±


    With that, she turned and stormed towards the entrance of the maze! ¡°Liao JingJing! Come back!¡± Tu Dan shouted frantically, standing up to give chase.


    The two struggled and scuffled around the fountain.


    Liao JingJing, irritated by Tu Dan¡¯s pulling and tugging, resolved to push her away with all her might!


    ¡°Leave me alone!!!¡±


    ¡°Teacher Tu! ¡± The students gasped in shock!


    Tu Dan¡¯s body recoiled back, her pupils dting in fear.. The next instant, she fell into the fountain pool!

 Chapter 106 - 106 Teacher Tu

    Chapter 106: Teacher Tu


    Trantor: 549690339


    All the students surged forward!


    ¡°Teacher Tu!¡±


    ¡°Teacher Tu!..¡±


    Liao JingJing was frozen in ce in fright. She hadn¡¯t meant to hurt anyone. She¡¯d just wanted Tu Dan to stop pulling on her!


    Zhang Tianyang jumped into the water quickly, yelling at Liao JingJing, ¡°Have you gone mad, Liao JingJing?! Teacher Tu has been so good to us!¡±


    Liao JingJing bit her lip, feeling ashamed but refusing to admit her mistake, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to¡­ and besides, the fountain pool isn¡¯t deep¡­¡±


    No one listened to her excuses.


    Everyone was searching for the teacher around the fountain pond. Zhang


    Tianyang and a few male students were moving in and out of the water. The more they searched, the more anxious they became, the more dread grew in their hearts!


    The water was only knee-deep! Why couldn¡¯t they find Teacher Tu?!


    A female student started crying.


    When one cried, it set off a wave of red-rimmed eyes among more students.


    Chen Hui also jumped into the pond, bending over and using both hands to search in the water, tears dropping down relentlessly, ¡°Teacher Tu!¡­ Where are you, Teacher Tu?!¡­¡±


    Shen MO stood on the edge of the fountain pond, looked around, and then shook his head silently at Bai Youwei.


    He hadn¡¯t seen Tu Dan either.


    After Tu Dan fell into the pool, it was as if she had disappeared into thin air.


    Bai Youwei silently watched the panicked students in front of her. After pondering a bit, she wheeled herself over to the edge of the fountain pond.


    This was a verymon fountain pond. The edges were tiled and the base of the pool was filled with cobblestones. The middle featured an ascending tower-like sculpture that would spray water once electricity was connected.


    The sculpture was not spraying water at the moment, and the water in the fountain pond has been churned up by the searching students.


    Bai Youwei watched for a while and then said, ¡°Everyone,e out. You won¡¯t find Teacher Tu like this.


    A few male students stopped to look at her.


    Zhang Tianyang and Chen Hui were still searching.


    ¡°Even if we can¡¯t find her, we have to keep looking! Teacher Tu is here! I saw her fall in, she can¡¯t just disappear!!!¡± Chen Hui stared at the water surface, her eyes burning red.


    Bai Youwei closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and said, ¡°Everyone, get out! Let the water surface return to calm. Maybe then we¡¯ll find her!¡±


    Chen Hui stopped suddenly, ¡°¡­Yes, Teacher Tu didn¡¯t fall into the water, she fell into the mirror! That¡¯s why we can¡¯t find her!¡±


    She climbed out of the pool immediately, pulling others out, and shrieked, ¡°Everybody out! Let the water calm down! Everybody out! ¡± One by one, the students climbed out of the fountain pond.


    Water ripples shimmered, light danced upon the water surface, and after everyone held their breath in anticipation¡­ the water finally calmed.


    They huddled together and saw their own reflections in the water ¨C reflections that mirrored them as puppets.


    Slowly, the figure of Tu Dan started superimposing faintly with their reflections, bing clearer and clearer.


    Zhang Tianyang quickly reached out and pulled Tu Dan out of the water!


    With a ssh.


    The soaking wet Tu Dan was pulled up!


    Zhang Tianyang couldn¡¯t help but look at Bai Youwei, his eyes full of unspeakable shock.


    She had been right!


    But there was no time for questions now. Everyone frantically lifted Tu Dan onto the ground, Tu Dan threw up a few mouthfuls of water, and gradually regained consciousness.


    She sat up, seeming a bit confused. Looking around at the students, she asked,


    ¡°Why¡­ are you all looking at me?¡±


    The students anxiously asked her, ¡°Teacher Tu, are you okay? Do you feel unwell anywhere?¡±


    Tu Dan stared at them nkly, not saying anything, as if her reactions were slow. After a long time, she finally moved her lips and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡± Liao JingJing watched from the periphery of the crowd, and she felt ill at ease.


    Just now, so many people went into the water to search and yet they couldn¡¯t find her. But as soon as the water surface calmed, she suddenly appeared¡­ She must have been dragged into ¡°that world¡±. So how could she possibly be okay?


    Her eyes darted up and down at Tu Dan, then she suddenly widened her eyes and shouted, ¡°Teacher Tu¡¯s button on her clothes is backward! Just like Lin Zihang, Teacher Tu¡¯s is also backward!¡±


    As soon as her words hit the air, the crowd scattered in an instant!


    Everyone retreated in panic, staring in terror at their teacher in front of them, except for Chen Hui and Zhang Tianyang who stayed on either side of Tu Dan.


    Chen Hui rose silently, walked up to Liao JingJing, and fixed her gaze on her.


    Just as Liao JingJing was feeling puzzled, she saw Chen Hui raise her hand and deliver a fierce p!

 Chapter 107 - 107: 107: The Mirror Can Bring (Added when Zhou’s Activity Ranking Enters Top 50)

    Chapter 107 - 107: 107: The Mirror Can Bring (Added when Zhou¡¯s Activity Ranking Enters Top 50)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    p!


    A red mark appeared immediately on Liao Jingjing¡¯s face, she was stunned for two seconds, then she looked toward Chen Hui in shock: ¡°You pped me?!!¡±<div>


    Liao Jingjing opened her eyes wide, feeling extremely wronged: ¡°It¡¯s not my fault that Teacher Tu turned out like this! It¡¯s those dolls! You have no right to hit me!!!¡±


    Just as Chen Hui attempted to p her again, Zhang Tianyang stopped her: ¡°Chen Hui! Come and look at Teacher Tu!¡±


    Chen Hui bit her lower lip, red at Liao Jingjing with resentment for a moment, and finally let go, turning back to Tu Dan.


    Tu Dan waspletely oblivious to the students¡¯ quarrel.


    Her thoughts seemed exceedingly dull, her speech slow. In her usual tone, she said: ¡°It¡¯ste¡­ everyone, just go back to your tents and rest¡­¡±


    The students stared at her, none of them moved.


    Chen Hui supported Tu Dan¡¯s upper body with an arm and wiped her face with her other hand, asking softly, ¡°Teacher Tu, how do you feel now? Do you feel ufortable anywhere?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± Tu Dan, her eyes drooping powerlessly, voice weakening, stated, ¡°Just feeling¡­ tired¡­ Let me sleep for a while, just a little while¡­¡¯ Tu Dan closed her eyes.


    Her students surrounded her, none of them left or spoke.


    All emotions sank into this deathly silence¡­


    After a while, Bai Youwei and Shen MO returned to their own tents.<div>


    Chang Weicai and Tan Xiao stayed outside, afraid that these students would mess up again.


    Tu Dan¡¯s ident was like a bolt from the blue for everyone. They hadn¡¯t found the way out of the maze yet, the people were dropping one by one, there was no defense against the mirror-infested ce. It was impossible to cover all of it even if they wanted to!


    As long as they survived a day in the maze, they faced the threat of the mirror dolls for a day.


    They didn¡¯t know how many would be gone by tomorrow.


    Shen MO sat in his tent without a trace of sleepiness. Looking at the paper Bai Youwei used to draw, she had already restored about one-third of thebyrinth map through counting and inference. If they continued at a faster pace, within two days at most, they could restore the wholebyrinth map.


    But Shen MO did not feel rxed at all.


    Because the ultimate goal of restoring the map was to find the exit, but the exit had already appeared before them.


    Only that they couldn¡¯t distinguish now, which exit was real, which exit was fake, or maybe¡­all were fake.


    ¡°Maze, maze¡­at the end of the day, it¡¯s still a game.¡± Bai Youwei, holding her pen deep in thought, ¡°Every game must have rules and solutions.¡±


    Shen MO looked at her: ¡°But this game didn¡¯t give us any rules, nor even arranged an Inspector.¡±


    ¡°No, the rules were given to us long ago, we just might not have understood them¡­¡± Bai Youwei stared at the unfinished map in front of her, murmured, ¡°If<div>


    I were the maze, what would I do?¡± ¡°If I were the maze¡­


    She drew a circle on the paper.


    ¡°First, I would create a starting point for the yers.¡±


    She drew a circle of horizontal lines outside the circle.


    ¡°I would mark the starting point with mirrors, letting the yers know that this is the starting point.¡±


    She scattered a few small ck dots in other parts of the map.


    ¡°Then, I would establish the finishing point location. The real finish line would be unique, with a unique path out of thebyrinth.¡±


    ¡°However, discerning the real from the fake wouldn¡¯t be enough challenge for such arge-scale game. I need to continue to create difficulties for the yers, especially since I¡¯ve already provided them with enough food and water.


    She drew danger symbols near the ck dots, murmuring to herself:


    ¡°I would need to increase the difficulty, creating mirror dolls and forcing the yers to find the real exit amid heightened danger¡­¡±


    As she spoke, she abruptly stopped.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Shen MO asked her, ¡°Did you think of something?¡±


    Bai Youwei stared in silence, ¡°Mirrors can bring death, but they can also bring life. Tomorrow I want to go and see the first exit..¡±

 Chapter 108 - 108: 108 Fourth Day in the Maze

    Chapter 108 - 108: 108 Fourth Day in the Maze<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    At three in the morning, Bai Youwei was startled awake by a round of crying.


    With her physical disability, she did not leave the tent, only Shen MO did.<div>


    Shen MO returned and told her that Tu Dan hadpletely transformed into a doll, and this maze seemed to automatically ¡°digest¡± dolls. Tu Dan¡¯s body was uncontrobly sinking, gradually being absorbed into the concrete ground.


    That¡¯s why all her students were crying.


    Chen Hui cried the hardest.


    She did everything she could to hold onto Tu Dan, but she couldn¡¯t resist the force of the maze. Not only could she not stop it, but she was forced to cruelly witness the entire process of Tu Dan disappearing.


    Afterward, she crazily searched for hammers and power drills, wanting to pry open or drill open the b of concrete and dig Tu Dan out from underground!


    No one could stop her.


    It wasn¡¯t until Shen MO knocked her unconscious that things finally quieted down.


    With moistened eyes, Chang Weicai quietlymented, ¡°She¡¯s just a pitiful child. ¡±


    ¡ªWho among those trapped in this maze isn¡¯t pitiful?


    The fourth day in the maze.


    Zhang Tianyang took Tu Dan¡¯s ce, bing the leader of the students, leading them to continue searching for the exit.<div>


    Bai Youwei, on the other hand, headed to the location of the exit they had first discovered.


    As they passed a corridor whose whole wall was made of ss mirrors, Shen MO acutely sensed that something was amiss. He was the first to stop, looking at the reflections of the dolls in the mirror.


    The others followed suit and halted as well.


    In the mirror, the positions of the dolls had changed.


    Although the four of them were clearly standing in a line, the dolls in the mirror were of various sizes and were clearly not standing in a straight line. In other words, some dolls were exceptionally close to the mirror surface.


    ¡°Damn,¡± Tan Xiao was horrified in his heart and cursed quietly.


    His doll was the closest among the four; it felt like if he took another step forward, he could break out of the mirror.


    Next were Shen MO and Teacher Chang.


    The doll representing Bai Youwei was the farthest.


    Shen MO said, ¡°We need to look for food and water everywhere and it¡¯s difficult to avoid looking into mirrors. It is likely that this distance is calcted based on how long and often we look into mirrors. Seems like Teacher Tu¡¯s death wasn¡¯t a simple ident.¡±


    Teacher Tu¡¯s doll must have been very close to the mirror, creating an opportunity to be taken advantage of.<div>


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t we notice this earlier?¡± Tan Xiao was puzzled.


    Chang Weicai sighed, ¡°Everyone is afraid to look into the mirror. All the mirrors near the tent are blocked, how could we discover it?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re running out of time.¡± The color drained from Bai Youwei¡¯s face, her hands unconsciously clenched into fists, ¡°Even if everyone can guarantee that they will avoid the mirror, with the passage of time, they will eventuallye out. We need to find the exit as soon as possible.¡±


    The four of them nced at each other and hastened their pace, continuing forward.


    When they arrived at the exit, all around them were still those intricately stacked dolls, with a hazy white light still filling the area inside the door.


    The giant mirrors on both sides reflected no human figures, only countless dolls endlessly repeating on the mirror-covered wall, over and over again¡­


    ¡°Ah, this is¡­¡± Teacher Chang gasped in surprise.


    Everyone turned their heads at the sound.


    Pointing at the dolls on the wall, Teacher Chang¡¯s finger was trembling,


    ¡°¡­these are the two students of Teacher Tu who had gone missing.¡±


    Shen MO frowned and said, ¡°It seems those students guessed right; Teacher Tu didn¡¯t allow them to get near the exit, so these two students secretly ran over here.¡±


    Teacher Chang asked in a trembling voice, ¡°So this exit is fake? So¡­so, is the exit we found real?¡±


    ¡°Something is not right¡­¡± Bai Youwei seemed to have thought of something.. Her breath quickened, her face turning even paler, ¡°Go find Zhang Tianyang and the others quickly! If they haven¡¯t realized that the dolls¡¯ distance in the mirror is changing, something bad might happen!¡±

 Chapter 109 - 109: 109: Returning to the Starting Point

    Chapter 109 - 109: 109: Returning to the Starting Point<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    The group of people hurriedly tried to return, but before they could reach the starting point, terrified screams rang out from among the students!


    As they rounded a corner, they saw several panic-stricken students running toward them!<div>


    ¡°What happened?!¡± Shen MO stopped them.


    Zhang Tianyang, still shock-stricken, gasped, ¡°The dolls¡­ the dolls in the mirror, they came out! ¡­ Two, two ssmates, were pulled into the mirror!¡±


    He turned to look at the people behind him, saw Chen Hui, immediately reached out to pull her to him and looked her over, ¡°No, you¡¯re okay¡­ We¡¯re okay¡­¡±


    Shen MO took a quick look at the students. There were only six of them. He furrowed his brows: ¡°Where are the others?¡±


    Chen Hui lifted her head, her eyes full of bloodshot streaks, ¡°They¡­ They turned into dolls after running through a door.¡±


    ¡°A door?!¡± Professor Cheng asked in disbelief, ¡°Did you find another exit?¡±


    Zhang Tianyang nodded, struggling to respond: ¡°A veryrge door¡­ there were so many dolls, more than before, not only on the walls, but also all over the floor ¡­¡±


    Recalling the sensation of stepping on what felt like a pile of skulls, his face turned increasingly pale as he broke out in a cold sweat. ¡°Was there a mirror?¡± Bai Youwei asked anxiously.


    Zhang Tianyang was stunned upon hearing this.


    ¡°There weren¡¯t any mirrors.¡± Chen Hui interjected, ¡°There¡¯s not a single mirror near that door.¡±


    Liao JingJing cried out, ¡°I told you before that the first exit was the real one! Let¡¯s go now! I don¡¯t want to stay here anymore! I want to leave! I don¡¯t want any rewards!<div>


    ¡°Enough!¡± Chen Hui roughly shoved her, ¡°If you want to go, then go by yourself! Stop whining!¡±


    Liao JingJing burst into tears and helplessly reached out for Zhang Tianyang¡¯s arm.


    Zhang Tianyang was both annoyed and pitied her, he tried to unsp her hand from his sleeve to no avail. Hecked the energy to keep on struggling with her and looked towards Shen MO and Bai Youwei: ¡°Mr. Shen, did you find anything on your end?¡±


    Shen MO said, ¡°We also found an exit.¡¯


    A bitter smile crossed Zhang Tianyang¡¯s face, ¡°So now, we have three exits.¡±


    Chen Hui said: ¡°The maze has four main parts, so there might be four exits, but there will only be one real exit.¡±


    ¡°There should be a mirror at both the starting point and the endpoint.¡± Bai Youwei looked at them with both calm and determination in her voice, ¡°If you trust me, let¡¯s go back to the starting point together, gather our things, and I will lead you out of the maze.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go back!¡± Liao JingJing shrieked, ¡°Why should we go back?! The dolls are right behind us! If we go back, we¡¯re sure to run into them!¡± ¡°We must return to the starting point.¡± Bai Youwei said expressionlessly,


    ¡°Otherwise, even if we find the exit, we won¡¯t be able to leave.¡¯


    ¡°I won¡¯t go back!¡± Liao JingJing frantically shook her head, crying out, ¡°Why should I trust you?! Since Professor Tu died, you just want to use us students as guinea pigs, to send us back to die! Isn¡¯t it?! You don¡¯t even know which exit is the right one!!¡±


    Liao JingJing¡¯s mental state was on the brink of copse, she turned to run, ignoring the shouts of the other students urging her to stop.<div>


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about her.¡± Bai Youwei responded calmly, ¡°Even if she makes it to the exit, she will not go through.¡¯


    Zhang Tianyang: ¡°But¡­


    ¡°She won¡¯t go in.¡± Professor Cheng sighed heavily, ¡°We saw your ssmate¡¯s dolls at the exit. If she sees them¡­ she definitely won¡¯t dare to go through.¡±


    The other students fell silent upon hearing this, their faces showing even more fatigue and confusion.


    Chen Hui turned to go back.


    Zhang Tianyang hesitated: ¡°Chen Hui, where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Back to the starting point.¡± Chen Hui didn¡¯t turn back as she responded, ¡°Didn¡¯t she just say it? If you don¡¯t go back to the starting point, you can¡¯t get out of the maze.¡¯


    Can we really get out?¡± Zhang Tianyang stared nkly ahead. Bai Youwei closed her eyes and mumbled: ¡°Let¡¯s give it a try¡­¡±

 Chapter 110 - 110: 110: Can We Go Faster?

    Chapter 110 - 110: 110: Can We Go Faster?<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    They returned to their starting point and indeed saw a few life-sized dolls standing nearby.


    The dolls moved slowly, seemingly without any intention to attack them, though the mere sight of them standing there motionlessly was unnerving enough.<div>


    Bai Youwei insisted everyone to grab their belongings.


    Everyone followed her order.


    In reality, there wasn¡¯t much to take along. Most of the items they had were supplies collected from within the maze; dispensable extras. Desperate as they were to get out, there was no time for meticulous packing.


    Inside Tu Dan¡¯s tent, Chen Hui found ady¡¯s purse. Tu Dan¡¯s ID card, bank cards, house keys and a family photograph were kept within.


    In the photo, Tu Dan shared a warm smile, sandwiched between her son and husband.


    After a brief look, Chen Hui collected the purse and hoisted her backpack, exiting the tent.


    Outside, Zhang Tianyang was busy tearing papers from mirrors with his ssmates.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Chen Hui approached to ask.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Zhang Tianyang looked aghast and nced at Bai Youwei in the distance, ¡°She ordered us to tear off all the paper on the mirrors.¡±


    Chen Hui frowned, ¡°But that¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    ¡°I know¡­¡± he began, but before he could finish, a hand reached out from the half-torn paper mirror. Chen Hui quickly pushed Zhang Tianyang away!<div>


    The doll in the mirror kept its hand extended.


    Chen Hui warned, ¡°Be careful.¡±


    Zhang Tianyang wiped his cold sweat, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Working together, they quickly stripped away all the paper from the nearby mirrors.


    Each mirror reflected their miniature selves. The sight of countless reflections was chilling¡­


    ¡°They¡¯reing out¡­¡± one of the students said in trembling voice, his knees went weak.


    Everyone gathered together, back against back, keeping their watchful eyes on the dolls creeping closer through the surrounding mirrors. Some reaching out a hand, some half-emerging and some still trapped in the mirror, eager to escape.


    Wheelchair-bound Shen MO asked Bai Youwei, ¡°What are the odds of sess?¡±


    ¡°Initially, it was fifty percent,¡± scanning the dolls surrounding them, she added, ¡°Now, it¡¯s eighty percent.¡±


    Surprised, Shen MO cast a quiet nce at her, the surprise fading swiftly, being reced by an anticipated understanding.


    Because she was always like this.<div>


    She was not only smart, but her thought process mysteriously aligned with the game. On this point, Shen MO felt he could neverpare.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Bai Youwei maneuvered her wheelchair, gesturing lightly, ¡°No need to push me, just follow me and avoid any unnecessary detours.¡±


    She led the way sitting in her wheelchair, followed by the rest of the group.


    Trailing them were the slow-moving dolls¡­


    Bai Yuwei, sitting in her wheelchair, was also not quick. There were even instances where she would pause to instruct the others to tear away the posters on the two side walls.


    As a result, their progress slowed down even further.


    Watching the dolls inching closer, Zhang Tianyang was petrified.


    Every time they tore off a poster, revealing a mirror that projected a new doll, their number grew exponentially all along the way!


    Upon reaching the next road junction, Bai Youwei paused once more.


    Close to losing his mind, Zhang Tianyang asked anxiously, ¡°Can we¡­hurry up?


    No one else said a word, their desperate gazes aimed at Bai Youwei though:


    could they walk faster? Could they? ¡°No.¡± Bai Youwei responded coldly.


    Everyone fell silent.


    While reviewing the map in her hands and observing the intersection¡¯s environment, Bai Youwei said calmly, ¡°We can¡¯t rush. I need to ensure that every step we take is within the mirrors¡¯ coverage range. Otherwise, we¡¯ll have to go back and restart.¡±


    Go back?


    Everyone turned pale and dare not look back.


    A sea of dolls, creeping from every mirror, had almost blocked the alley behind them.


    Everyone eximed almost at once, ¡°It¡¯s perfectly good to go slow! Please, take your time!¡±


    Just as long as they don¡¯t make any mistakes!

 Chapter 111 - 111: 111: The Road to the End

    Chapter 111 - 111: 111: The Road to the End<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    The exit was getting closer, the number of puppets behind them increasingly numerous.


    Hundreds of Shen MO, hundreds of Bai Youwei, hundreds of Tan Xiao, Chang Weicai, Zhang Tianyang, Chen Hui, Yang Yi¡­<div>


    Another poster was torn off, revealing his puppet¡¯s face in the mirror. Zhang Tianyang quickly balled up the torn poster and tossed it. His face was numb with routine.


    Upon finishing, he nced back.


    Followed by so many¡­ so many puppets, it was an impressive sight.


    Chen Hui asked Bai Youwei, ¡°The puppets seem to have stopped attacking us, but why do they keep following us?¡±


    ¡°Because they also want to get out¡­¡± Bai Youwei scribbled on paper, mapping out routes, ¡°The maze traps us, it traps them too.¡±


    Her voice paused, then she looked up and added, ¡°They are us, just another version of us. So, if we want to get out, we must plot a path to the exit for them as well.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Chen Hui nodded, ¡°By using the reflection and refraction in the mirror to move the puppets within, only the doors with mirrors would be the real exits.¡±


    Bai Youwei didn¡¯t respond, scratching out another path on paper before wheeling herself towards it.


    Chen Hui caught up and asked, ¡°When did you find out?¡±


    ¡°This morning.¡±


    ¡°This morning?¡±<div>


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°This morning we went to the exit and confirmed that the mirrors on either side of the door couldn¡¯t reflect us. Surprisingly, the mirrors on the outside of the exit corridor couldn¡¯t reflect us either. As I was reverse engineering on our way back, I found that some mirrors could reflect, while some couldn¡¯t. If the exit is urate, the issue must lie in the path we¡¯re taking.¡±


    She paused for a moment, looking ahead, and then added, ¡°Once we reach the exit and the mirrors reflect us sessfully, that means our current path is correct. ¡±


    ¡°What if they still can¡¯t reflect us?¡± Zhang Tianyang asked.


    Bai Youwei paused, nced at him, and said:


    ¡°Then we wait for death.¡¯


    Zhang Tianyang:


    Tan Xiao sympathetically patted his shoulder, giving him a silent look that said: cheer up!


    Teacher Chang sighed on the side, ¡°People have always revered mazes, believing that the entire life of a person is akin to a maze. Only through a difficult and circuitous search can one leave deception and sin behind, finding their true self. In this way, this maze game has been reminding us from the very beginning that we must face the light and darkness of ourselves correctly to avoid being consumed by inner demons.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a pretentious game, how can it possibly contain such profound truths?¡± Bai Youwei scoffed, ¡°Even if it did, it¡¯s just the maze adorning itself.¡±


    She walked alone at the front of the group, her cold tone filled with scorn, .


    Furthermore, whether to leave behind deception and sin, whether to find one¡¯s true self, that¡¯s my business, not the maze¡¯s!¡±<div>


    Everyone was left feeling conflicted upon hearing her words.


    They look back again at the puppets behind them.


    Those puppets, with faces identical to theirs, followed at just the right distance, crying,ughing, angry, disgusted, seemingly always present¡­


    They were the puppets, the puppets were they.


    In the maze, they were all mere puppets manipted by the rules of the game.


    ¡°Alright.¡¯


    The girl in the wheelchair in front of them stopped, giving them a temperature-less smile, ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±


    Everyone hesitantly moved forward, turned the corner, and saw the door leading to the exit.


    They also saw the mirrors on either side of the door.


    The mirrors reflected their images¡ªthis time, they were real, living and breathing people.


    Shen MO, sensing something, suddenly turned around.


    The others quickly followed suit.


    The puppets that had been following them, filling the entire road, had all disappeared..

 Chapter 112 - 112: 112: Congratulations on Clearing the Second Maze

    Chapter 112 - 112: 112: Congrattions on Clearing the Second Maze<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Chen Hui stared nkly at the vacant road, muttering, ¡°They¡¯ve disappeared¡­¡±


    ¡°Because they¡¯ve gone into the mirror.¡±<div>


    Bai Youweiughed scornfully:


    ¡°ording to the logic of the maze game, we understand our real selves through the mirror, and to prove that we have epted the ¡®real me¡¯, we must leave the maze with them. Only then will it be considered a perfect ending ugh, I feel like throwing up.¡±


    She moved forward in her wheelchair.


    Shen MO held her back.


    Bai Youwei looked up at him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I was 80% sure before, but now I¡¯m 100% sure.¡±


    Shen MO frowned, did not try to convince her otherwise, but simply held the armrest of her wheelchair and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go in together.¡±


    Bai Youwei looked at him, paused for a moment, and then nodded, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Both of them stepped through the door together, their figures soon merging into the white mist and disappearing from sight.


    Tan Xiao looked left and right, didn¡¯t notice anything unusual, so he just went in too.


    Then came Chen Hui.


    Followed by Zhang Tianyang and his ssmates.<div>


    Teacher Chang was thest to stay behind, estimating that everyone had safely exited before he reluctantly moved into the doorway, leaning on his cane.


    Not far away, Liao JingJing huddled at the entrance of the passage, her bloodshot eyes staring intently at the exit.


    After a long time, she mumbled disbelievingly, ¡°Why¡­ why are they alright? Why didn¡¯t they turn into dolls?¡±


    She looked down at her right hand ¨C from fingertips to forearm, it had turned into numbing stic.


    She had merely tested the waters by extending her hand in for a moment, and it had turned out like this. After that, she found her ssmate¡¯s doll, and realized something was wrong with the exit! But why could Bai Youwei get out?!


    ¡°That crippled girl¡­ she said she was going back to the starting point, said she was going to reflect herself out from the mirror¡­¡± Liao JingJing clutched her forearm, turning around unsteadily to return, ¡°I need to leave, I must leave this ce¡­¡±


    Bai Youwei was surprised. She had obviously entered with Shen MO, but now Shen MO was nowhere to be found.


    She sat in her wheelchair, alone, surrounded by endless white mist.


    At that moment, a voice resonated in the air:


    ¡°Congrattions to the yer for clearing the No. 2 maze.¡±


    ¡°The reward settlement for this round of the game will now begin.¡±<div>


    ¡°As the first yer to clear the No. 2 maze, you will receive a doll jigsaw piece.¡±


    ¡°The leaderboard for the yers who cleared the game this round is as follows, first, now upgrading the yer¡¯s data¡­ding, the upgrade is nowplete.¡±


    ¡°The reward settlement isplete. Please continue with the game, strive to clear


    As the voice concluded, the white mist dissipated.


    In the blink of an eye, Bai Youwei realized everyone was still there.


    Everyone stood dazedly on a broad and straight road, only regaining their senses when they saw each other, realizing they had finally escaped from the maze!


    The mist still lingered behind them.


    They all gathered together, each examining the jigsaw piece in their hand.


    ¡°Why are there only five?¡± Tan Xiao held his jigsaw piece,pletely puzzled.


    He turned to Chang Weicai, ¡°Old Chang, didn¡¯t you get a jigsaw piece?¡±


    Teacher Chang shook his head, ¡°No.¡±


    Bai Youwei, Shen MO, Tan Xiao each had a jigsaw piece in their hand, Zhang Tianyang and Chen Hui also had one, but the remaining three ssmates didn¡¯t get one.


    ¡°They must have been given in order.¡± Zhang Tianyang said, ¡°When the game ended, the system said my rank was five. I reckon the jigsaw pieces would only be given to the first five who walked out the maze.¡±


    Yi Yang, standing beside him, heaved a sigh of relief. He looked exhausted and flopped down right on the roadside. He pped the ground hard with his palm and sighed, ¡°Just being able to make it out alive is lucky enough! The jigsaw doesn¡¯t matter anymore!¡±


    The other ssmate who didn¡¯t obtain a jigsaw piece also nodded vigorously, recalling the horrifying scenes in the maze with a lingering fear.


    Chen Hui suddenly said, ¡°Yi Yang, stand up.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Yi Yang was taken aback.


    Chen Hui walked over and pulled his hand away. Where Yi Yang had pped, the brick had cracked.


    Everyone was stunned.


    Chen Hui looked at them, ¡°Do you remember? The system also said¡­


    Upgrading yer¡¯s data..¡±

 Chapter 113 - 113: 113: What Effect Does Data Upgrading

    Chapter 113 - 113: 113: What Effect Does Data Upgrading<div>


    Have?


    Trantor: 549690339


    Yes.<div>


    No matter where that voice came from, everyone heard it clearly; it said: Upgrade the yers¡¯ data.


    This statement was indeed diforting. They were not machines, what did it mean to upgrade data?


    Chang Weicai hesitated, then spoke: ¡°Now that you mention it¡­ after we left the maze, I felt like my body has be younger¡­¡±


    ¡°No way.¡± Tan Xiao scrutinized him, ¡°You still have a lot of wrinkles on your face.


    Chang seemed embarrassed, ¡°Not¡­not that type of ¡®young¡¯, I mean physically, my arms and legs seem more agile, and I feel stronger than before.¡±


    ¡°Now that you mention it¡­ I also feel like¡­ something has changed with me¡­¡± Tan Xiao scratched his head, looked around, spotted a tree by the side of the road, walked over and threw a punch!


    Bang!


    The tree didn¡¯t break.


    However, the spot that was hit, the rough bark split directly! The branches and leaves shook, and the leaves began to rustle down!


    Tan Xiao¡¯s eyes widened, almost popping out of his sockets in astonishment!


    ¡°No way¡­¡± He murmured, raising his fist again. This time he used all his strength and fiercely hit the tree trunk¡ª<div>


    ¡°Behold my unstoppable Herculean punch! ! !¡±


    Bang!


    The trunk was split from the inside!


    The result was indeed astonishing. At the same time, Tan Xiao squatted down, clutching his fist in pain.


    It hurt.


    Seeing this, others began to make their attempts. Some tested their strength, some their speed, some their bodily resilience, and others simply jumped on the spot to see how high they could go.


    Even Chang began doing push-ups on the ground.


    For a moment, the scene looked absurd.


    Only two people remained motionless:


    One was Bai Youwei, and the other was Shen Mo.


    ¡°It seems the maze rewards are much more substantial than game rewards. Previous games only rewarded one-time use items, while the maze can upgrade physical abilities in aprehensive manner.¡± Shen MO said, ¡°With this physical ability, if we participate in a ¡®Tortoise and the Hare¡¯ styled game, it is almost impossible to lose.¡±<div>


    Bai Youwei slowly nodded, ¡°¡­Also, those who possess a puzzle piece have a chance to skip a game.¡±


    When grasping the puzzle piece, its function automatically appeared in the mind¡ª


    [1: Collect all puzzle pieces to win any game]


    [2: Each puzzle piece grants one additional game exemption]


    In a world where life-or-death games were encountered at any moment, gaining the right to opt-out of a game is equivalent to gaining an extra life!


    ¡°But¡­¡± Bai Youwei gently rubbed the puzzle piece with her fingertips, ¡°the information didn¡¯t tell us how many pieces constitute aplete puzzle¡­¡±


    ¡°Tu Dan said, Hangzhou also has the fog.¡± Shen MO spected, ¡°If the areas with concentrated poptions all have mazes, we may be able to estimate the number of mazes from the number of cities.¡¯


    Bai Youwei pondered for a moment, then turned to Chang Weicai and asked, ¡°In terms of poption, where does Hangzhou rank among our nation¡¯s cities?¡±


    Chang Weicai was taken aback for a moment, then responded, ¡°Around 20th ce.¡±


    ¡°This ranking may not be a valid reference.¡± Shen MO said, ¡°Chongqing, Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou have thergest poptions and were the first ones affected. Later, arge number of people in Shanghai moved to Suzhou and Hangzhou, so Hangzhou¡¯s current poption ranking should be significantly higher than 20.¡±


    Upon hearing their discussion, Tan Xiao naturally asked, ¡°So, are we going to Hangzhou next?¡±


    The only way to obtain a puzzle piece is by entering a maze.


    If they want to collect all pieces of the puzzle, they must aim for the cities engulfed in the fog.


    Shen MO pondered for a moment, then turned to students like Chen Hui and Zhang Tianyang, and asked, ¡°What are your ns for whates next?¡±

 Chapter 114 - 114: 114 Where Is Everyone Going

    Chapter 114 - 114: 114 Where Is Everyone Going<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    When you¡¯re trapped in a maze, the greatest wish is to escape the maze.


    Now that they¡¯re out, they feel even more lost.<div>


    With the world having undergone drastic changes and life hanging by a thread, where should they go?


    Five students huddled together, discussing in hushed tones.


    Bai Youwei sat in her wheelchair, watching them quietly, her face expressionless as her hands tenderly stroked her stuffed bunny.


    She could feel a tingling sensation in her legs.


    Ever since the car ident at twelve, her legs had for the first time regained their sense of touch, yet she stayed silent, not telling anyone.


    Because she hated false hope.


    If one data upgrade could make her legs regain feeling, would a second data upgrade allow her to stand again?


    What is a maze?


    ¡­God bless, or devil curse, she doesn¡¯t care.


    She just wants to stand up again.


    The students finally came to a decision.<div>


    Zhang Tianyang said, ¡°We n to head south along the Yangtze River, see if we can find any assistance, or meet up with other survivors¡­¡±


    He paused, looking at Chen Hui, ¡°Chen Hui wants to head north, she wants to go to Beijing to find Teacher Tu¡¯s son.¡±


    Everyone was surprised.


    Teacher Chang said: ¡°It¡¯s such a long journey, you¡¯re just a young girl¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, Chen Hui, Teacher Tu¡¯s son must have taken shelter by now. There¡¯s no way to find him.¡± Her ssmates also tried to dissuade her.


    Chen Hui pulled out Tu Dan¡¯s wallet and showed them a family photo from inside.


    ¡°Teacher Tu left a letter to her child. I¡¯m thinking of returning it to its rightful owner.¡±


    There was a message written on the back of the photo.


    Calling it a letter was probably overblowing it; it was merely a brief message, containing only two sentences.


    ¡ªXiaohui, Mom misses you a lot.


    My child, I hope you¡¯re safe.<div>


    The varying shades of ink indicated that thetter sentence was added recently.


    Everyone fell silent upon seeing the photo.


    Chen Hui said, ¡°The address is on the ID card, if I can¡¯t find him, I¡¯ll leave the photo at Teacher Tu¡¯s house. Don¡¯t worry, I know my limits, I won¡¯t do Anything


    She paused, her voice growing softer, ¡°Teacher Tu has brought us this far, I¡¯d like to do something for her in return.¡±


    After listening to her, Zhang Tianyang felt a pang of sadness, he couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Let me apany you!¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Chen Hui gave a light chuckled, ¡°Your task is to finish what Teacher Tu couldn¡¯t, to bring everyone to a safe ce. Besides, I have puzzle pieces, so I can protect myself from the game. If all of youe along, even if we use up two pieces, we won¡¯t be able to save everyone. So, it¡¯s enough for me to go alone.¡±


    She and Zhang Tianyang each had a puzzle piece, but there were five students in total, not enough to let everyone opt-out of the game.


    After weighing up the situation, they found that Chen Hui¡¯s arrangements were indeed the most suitable.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Chen Hui said with a faint smile as she gestured her clenched fist, ¡°I¡¯m pretty tough now. I may not be as strong as you guys, but I can definitely hold my own against those who haven¡¯t been in the maze.¡± Havinge to a consensus, no one tried to persuade her any longer.


    Shen MO then asked Tan Xiao and Teacher Chang.


    Tan Xiao was an orphan with no roots, who had lost touch with his wild group of brothers. With no other ce to go, he naturally continued to follow Shen


    Mo.


    Teacher Chang, on the other hand, hesitated for a moment.


    His wife passed away when she was still young, and his children all lived overseas. He came to Yangzhou as he missed his elderly parents. However, considering the circumstances, the possibility of his parents getting on a rescue ship was incredibly slim.


    After thinking for a long time, Chang Weicai let out a sigh, ¡°Let¡¯s go to Hangzhou. I¡¯m old, I¡¯ve lived long enough. If putting together the puzzle can really bring about some good, then I¡¯d die a worthy death.¡±


    Rather than dying pointlessly in the game, one might as well die for something valuable, something meaningful.


    Even if it was just a tiny bit.


    (Author¡¯s note: Recently there has been a serious crackdown on romance, not even fake ones are tolerated.. So, I had to change the setting of the story! Originally, I nned to have the heroine¡¯s mom and the hero¡¯s dad divorced, but that wasn¡¯t enough! Now, the hero¡¯s dad is just a friend of the heroine¡¯s mom! Just friends! Pure friends!)

 Chapter 115 - 115: 115 Tai Lake Service Area

    Chapter 115 - 115: 115 Tai Lake Service Area<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    The group bid each other farewell before parting.


    As a token of gratitude for leading them out of the maze, Chen Hui offered Bai Youwei a plump mushroom before he left.<div>


    Zhang Tianyang, concerned about the dangers Chen Hui might face on his journey alone, gave him a block of frog mud as well.


    Afterward, Chen Hui set off north.


    Zhang Tianyang took his ssmates and began heading south.


    Shen MO, Bai Youwei, Tan Xiao, and Chang Weicai formed a group and traveled by car to Hangzhou¡ª


    From Yangzhou to Hangzhou, the entire distance was about 297 km, approximately 3 hours and 39 minutes by car.


    This was the travel time before the Apocalypse.


    As for now, the congested highways and the neverending dolls were enough to


    drive them mad.


    The only convenience was that their enhanced physical abilities allowed Shen


    MO and Tan Xiao to manually move cars and clear the road when the congestion wasn¡¯t too severe.


    Chang Weicai also gained a substantial amount of strength. Although he couldn¡¯tpare to the younger men, his stamina had rejuvenated as if he were twenty years younger. He truly didn¡¯t feel tired, dizzy, or short of breath.<div>


    The direct effect of this change was an improved morale within the group. They seemed to resent the doll game less too.


    Bai Youwei was unsure if this change was for the better.


    If it was a positive change, it could mean that everyone¡¯s ability to adapt to the end of the world had increased.


    If it was a negative change, this could be the game¡¯s first step to domesticate them¡­


    It was as if they were smacked across their faces and then given a sweet date.


    Once they entered the Changshen Expressway, their journey became smoother.


    There were no congested cars nor dolls in sight.


    That night, they passed by Tai Lake and decided to rest in the Tai Lake service area.


    Under the bright moonlight, with the night sky hanging high, they lit a fire in an open section of the service area to heat water and make dinner.


    ¡°Maze life was better. We had watermelons, roast meat, even a microwave. Now we¡¯ve returned to primitive living. Who knows what the Hangzhou maze will be like¡­¡± Tan Xiaomented as he threw branches into the fire.


    Chang Weicai, who was preparing mung bean soup at the side, asked Tan Xiao with a smile, ¡°Aren¡¯t you scared, Xiaotan?¡±<div>


    ¡°I am.¡± Tan Xiao responded off-handedly.


    After pausing for a moment, he added with a grin, ¡°But now that we¡¯re out, it doesn¡¯t seem so scary¡­ Ah, forget it! As adventurers, we¡¯ve got to brave the wind and rain. What¡¯s there to fear in this? Just a drizzle! Like MO here, his face never changes no matter what happens. What¡¯s that phrase again? Described as steady as a mountain in the face of chaos!¡±


    Chang Weicai exined with a chuckle, ¡°Theplete version is ¡®As firm as a rock in face of danger, asposed as a deer in a rut.¡¯ It means that even when Mount Tai copses, his facial expression remains unchanged, or when a deer crosses his path, he doesn¡¯t even blink.¡±


    For once, Tan Xiao didn¡¯t tease Chang Weicai¡¯s schrly manners but praised him, ¡°Being a teacher really shows, very refined.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Chang Weicai¡¯s expression darkened slightly, ¡°Nowadays, having skills is more valuable than being cultured. Besides teaching, there¡¯s nothing much else I can do¡­¡±


    As they chatted, Bai Youwei emerged from her tent, asking, ¡°Who touched my rabbit?¡±


    Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai stared back at her, shocked.


    Shen MO, who was studying the map, turned to ask, ¡°Has your rabbit gone missing, Youwei?¡±


    Bai Youwei, furrowing her brows, responded, ¡°No, it¡¯s in the tent.¡±


    Everyone was left puzzled.


    If the rabbit hadn¡¯t gone missing, why was she asking?


    ¡°Never mind.¡± Bai Youwei, appearing slightly annoyed, grabbed her walking stick and strolled closer to the fire, prodding at it. ¡°Are the sweet potatoes ready?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. They need to roast for a while longer before they¡¯re fully cooked,¡± replied Chang Weicai, quickly pulling her away from the fire. ¡°Be careful not to burn yourself or get sparks on your clothes.¡±


    Bai Youwei, leaning on her walking stick, moved aimlessly around, expressing her hunger.


    Tan Xiao offered her a roasted sausage, ¡°Have this one first to soothe your hunger.¡±


    Disliking the greasiness, Bai Youwei didn¡¯t ept the sausage. Instead, she continued to wander around with her walking stick. Spotting Tai Lake not far


    away¡ª


    Under the moonlight, the mountain scenery was captivating. The water reflected the glimmers of light,rge patches of lotus leaves spread on the water¡¯s surface. The breeze stirred the lotus leaves, making them sway and ripple like waves.


    Bai Youwei suddenly felt an urge and nced at Shen MO, ¡°I want lotus seeds.¡±


    Shen MO,

 Chapter 116 - 116: 116 Team Name

    Chapter 116 - 116: 116 Team Name<div>


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    Shen MO asked, ¡°Not eating anymore?¡±


    Bai Youwei pouted, ¡°This is just an appetizer.¡±<div>


    Shen MO didn¡¯t want to go, frowning at the distantke water, ¡°You just want to offer me up as an appetizer to the mosquitoes.¡±


    ¡°Ahahaha!¡­¡± Tan Xiao burst intoughter, ¡°Brother MO, you are so funny!


    Serving as food for mosquitoes hahahaha¡­ hic¡­¡±


    Bai Youwei¡¯s little face fell. She turned around with her crutch and went back to the tent.


    She didn¡¯t say anything, but the implication was clear: she wasn¡¯t going to eat anymore.


    She was acting rather high and mighty, refusing not only to eat the lotus seeds but also not having any dinner!


    Shen MO put down the map in his hand and said to Tan Xiao, ¡°What you said earlier was quite urate.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Which part?¡± Tan Xiao asked with wide-open eyes, ¡°The funny part?¡± Shen MO slowly took off his upper garment, ¡°You said, it¡¯s better in the maze.¡± In the maze, she never acted this way.


    Eh? Brother MO, where are you heading? Are you seriously going to feed the mosquitoes?¡­ Ah, take me with you, take me with you! I¡¯ll go catch a fish!¡±


    Half an hourter.


    They started eating.<div>


    Bai Youwei sat by the fire, arge lotus leafid on herp, happily peeling lotus seeds to eat.


    The green lotus seeds made a rustling sound as they fell onto the lotus leaf, forming a pile before being shaken off into the fire, producing a fragrant grassy smell.


    After eating two lotus seeds, Shen MO, fearing she might have an upset stomach, didn¡¯t let her eat anymore.


    He dug a well-roasted sweet potato out of the fire, put it in arge porcin bowl, peeled off ayer of the ashen skin to reveal the honey-orange flesh, gave her a small spoon, and let her dig in.


    The sweet potato was steaming hot, and the inside was sweet and gooey. You take a bite, blow on it, and then swallow, it¡¯s so soft and sweet that it makes your teeth feel sugary.


    Teacher Chang gave her a bowl of mung bean soup, without sugar. The taste was mild, but it was perfect for counteracting the sweetness of the roasted sweet potato.


    Eating and drinking, Bai Youwei found herself content andfortable.


    Tan Xiao, nibbling on a sausage and poking at the fire with a wooden stick, said, ¡°Don¡¯t you guys think¡­ we¡¯re kind of like a group? Do we remind you of a pilgrimage? They faced the eighty-one trials, weplete puzzles while gaming. ¡±


    Teacher Chang chuckled upon hearing this, ¡°In the ¡®Journey to the West,¡¯ they faced the sea of death, who would be their boat? As they passed through the long night of ignorance, who would be their torch? If we are fortunate this time, we can emte Xuanzang and be a light for the lost souls in the sea of suffering.¡±


    Tan Xiao didn¡¯t quite understand, but he found the grouping of four words used by Teacher Chang intriguing and suggested, ¡°Teacher Chang, since you¡¯re so cultured, how about youe up with a group name for us?¡±


    Teacher Chang was taken aback, ¡°A group name?¡±<div>


    ¡°How do you not know?¡± Tan Xiao began to exin using his fingers, ¡°The Two


    Elders of the Mysterious Void, The Three Sages of Kunlun, The Four Heavenly Kings, The Five Elders of Kongtong, The Six Immortals of Taoyuan, The Seven Freaks of the South¡­ like these.


    Teacher Chang suddenly understood, ¡°Oh, let me think¡­¡±


    Bai Youwei grinned as she kept eating, amused that Teacher Chang, with his stern countenance, was seriously considering Tan Xiao¡¯s suggestion and brainstorming names.


    ¡°We are four people,ing from different ces, being together like a family, how about¡­ Four Oceans, One Family?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Tan Xiao said, ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound very imposing. Try again.¡±


    Chang Weicai suggested, ¡°In the old days, there were the Four Talents of the Study, representing the brush, ink, paper, and ink-stand. We could each take one character from there.¡¯


    ¡°Oh, let me think¡­¡± Tan Xiao mused, ¡°Flowers, birds, fish, insects?¡­ Wolves, tigers, leopards? Demons, ghosts, ghouls, goblins? Hey, why can¡¯t we find any good words with four characters?¡±


    Bai Youwei could no longer hold back herughter and eximed, ¡°How about calling us and the Old, Young, Sick, and Crippled!¡±


    Tan Xiao:


    Chang Weicai: ¡®


    Shen MO, while tending to the fire, asked nonchntly, ¡°So, which one am I among the Old, Young, Sick, and Crippled?¡±

 Chapter 117 - 117: 117 Sister Weiwei

    Chapter 117 - 117: 117 Sister Weiwei<div>


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    ¡°Chang is old, Tan is young, I¡¯m crippled, and you¡­¡± Bai Youwei narrowed her eyes, curling her lips, ¡°You¡¯re sick!¡± Shen Mo: ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Straight man cancer!¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡®<div>


    Bai Youwei: ¡°Hahahahahaha ¡­¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help it, herugh threshold was particrly low tonight.


    On the side, Tan Xiao moaned, ¡°Why am I ¡®young¡¯? I¡¯m turning 20 at the end of the month.¡±


    Bai Youwei confidently replied, ¡°You¡¯re the youngest among us! If you¡¯re not young, what are you?¡±


    ¡°Impossible!¡± Tan Xiao looked at her with wide eyes, ¡°I can¡¯t be younger than you! How old are you?¡±


    Shen Mo¡¯s lips curled imperceptibly, as if he had thought of something.


    Bai Youwei replied, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how old I am, I¡¯m older than you!¡±


    Tan Xiao, in disbelief, eximed, ¡°You look so young! You must not be of legal age!¡±


    Bai Youwei coldly replied, ¡°Sorry¨C I haven¡¯t developed properly since the ident.¡±


    With this, everyone fell silent, not knowing how to continue the conversation.


    But Bai Youwei didn¡¯t seem to mind and cheerfully continued to tease Tan Xiao,<div>


    ¡°Since you call him Brother MO, ording to the rules, what should you call


    Tan Xiao with a bitterness on his face said, . Sister Weiwei.¡±


    Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes immediately curved into two crescents.


    Shen MO felt that she was a lost cause and silently shook his head, continuing to stoke the fire with the stick in his hand. The fire reflected in his dark eyes, waxing and waning, like the active glowworms in the night sky.


    Arge lumpy, overcooked object was pulled out of the fire ¡ª it was soy-sauce-marinated chicken, pork feet, and duck neck wrapped in lotus leaves.


    The taste was the same, but the addition of lotus leaves appeared to add a touch of sophistication to the vacuum-packed food; the rich aroma of lotus leavesplemented the savory vor of the sauce.


    Bai Youwei reached out to grab a bite. Shen MO gave her a once-over, ¡°You still can eat?¡±


    Sweet potatoes are quite filling.


    Bai Youwei licked her lips, eyeing the chicken in his hand, ¡°Let me try it.¡±


    Shen MO tore off a chicken leg, thought it was too much, cut off a part with a knife, and then handed it to her.


    After Bai Youwei finished the chicken leg, she moved on to the duck neck, eating with her oily hands, and then ate two fresh lotus seeds.<div>


    Shen MO was genuinely worried that she would overeat, and asked with a furrowed brow, ¡°Do you feel that there will be a food shortage once we reach Hangzhou?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s rare for me to have a good appetite, so of course I have to eat more.¡± After eating, Bai Youwei sucked her fingers and breezily replied, ¡°otherwise, it would be a waste of this good mood.¡±


    Shen MO thought to himself: indeed, your good mood is hard toe by.


    After dinner, everyone freshened up and prepared to rest.


    Shen MO had been driving all day, so the person in charge of the night shift was Tan Xiao. Chang Weicai, who wasn¡¯t feeling sleepy yet, decided to keep himpany.


    Presumably because of his improved physical condition, Chang felt staying up all night wouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    ¡°Should we put out the campfire?¡± Tan Xiao asked.


    At night, a burning campfire is conspicuous.


    Shen MO casually said, ¡°Let it be, it wille in handy when we want to boil hot water or cook food in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go gather more firewood.¡± Tan Xiao was full of enthusiasm.


    Chang Weicai advised, ¡°Try to find dry firewood, wet ones create too much smoke when burnt.¡±


    Finding dry firewood in a modern city wasn¡¯t an easy task. Tan Xiao decided to burn the tables and chairs in the service area.


    Bai Youwei, who had finished freshening up, hummed a tune as she returned to the tent. Just as she was about to crawl inside, she suddenly stopped.


    The rabbit toy that she had put in her bag had reappeared at the entrance of her tent.


    Bai Youwei frowned and looked around ¡ª Shen MO was packing his personal hygiene supplies, Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai went to collect the tables and chairs, and there was no one else nearby.. Who could have moved her toy rabbit?

 Chapter 118 - 118: 118 My Rabbit Can Move

    Chapter 118 - 118: 118 My Rabbit Can Move<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Perhaps she lingered outside the tent for too long, so Shen MO noticed something was off and asked her, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Bai Youwei thought for a moment, not hiding anything, she pointed at the plush bunny by the door curtain and said, ¡°My bunny seems to be moving on its own.¡±<div>


    Shen Mo: ¡®


    If Bai Youwei¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t so serious, he would have truly believed that she was ying some kind of prank on him again.


    Bai Youwei picked up the plush bunny, examined it carefully, and not finding anything wrong, right in front of Shen MO, threw the plush bunny back into the tent.


    Thud.


    The bunnynded on the cushion, rolled twice, and then stayed still.


    Bai Youwei frowned as she watched for a while, the bunny remained still. ¡°Could it be that you ced it there yourself and then forgot?¡± Shen MO walked over and asked.


    Bai Youwei gave him a sideways nce, ¡°I remember putting it in my bag, twice.¡±


    Bai Youwei has arge canvas bag, specifically for holding personal items like tissues, wet wipes, her mobile phone, her purse, as well as toy guns, frog mud, and the sponge mushroom Chen Hui gave her. Usually, the bunny is also stored inside.


    After all, it¡¯s not practical to keep holding it in her arms when it¡¯s hot. Bai


    Youwei only takes it out when she is sleeping at night, using it as a pillow.


    She thought for a while, then lightly pped her hands together: ¡°Ah! I got it.¡±<div>


    Shen MO asked, ¡°Understand what?¡±


    Bai Youwei said, ¡°The ¡®one-tenth me¡¯ function allows the user to release electric energy within a radius of 2 meters, so doesn¡¯t this mean, it cannot leave me beyond 2 meters?¡±


    She let go of her hands and, pushing the wheelchair wheels, moved back, ¡°¡­The current distance is about 1 meter, let me move back a bit more and try again. ¡±


    Shen MO raised his eyebrows, but before he could say anything, the plush bunny in the tent twitched.


    Bai Youwei saw it too and smiled, ¡°This thing is sort of interesting.¡±


    She continued to move backward.


    The plush bunny wiggled its ears, slowly sat up, then, its head turned precisely towards Bai Youwei¡¯s direction, then it stood up and started walking out with its short little legs.


    The bunny really moved!


    Although the scene should have been incredibly eerie, Bai Youwei wasughing uncontrobly. The round, chubby plush bunny walking was just too hrious!


    Its legs are so short, it got stuck at the tent curtain and couldn¡¯t move forward, its short legs desperately tried to step over the lower half of the tent but just couldn¡¯t!


    Bai Youwei burst intoughter, maneuvering her wheelchair even further back.<div>


    Shen MO reached out and stopped her.


    ¡°If you roll any further back, it will self, burn.¡± Shen MO said.


    The wheelchair was close to the fire.


    Bai Youwei didn¡¯t roll back any further, she returned to the tent to pick up the bunny and saidughingly, ¡°What if I throw it further, how about that?¡±


    Shen MO reminded her, ¡°It will get dirty.¡±


    Then she won¡¯t be able to use it as a pillow tonight.


    Bai Youwei: ¡°Then, will you catch it for me?¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡®


    Bai Youwei took his silence as agreement, and waved at him, ¡°You move back a bit more.¡±


    Shen MO remained silent for a moment, somewhat exasperated, he turned and walked about ten steps away, then looked back at her. Bai Youwei was still gesturing, ¡°Even further back!¡±


    ¡® Shen MO took about ten more steps back.


    Bai Youwei: ¡°I¡¯m going to throw it now.¡±


    Shen Mo¡¯s expression changed slightly. He wasn¡¯t sure if he was overthinking it, but he felt like they were ying a game of catch, like ying fetch with a dog.


    ¡°If you miss, you must still pick it up for me.¡± Bai Youwei called from a


    distance.


    Shen Mo: ¡®


    While Shen MO still hadn¡¯tpletely lost his patience, Bai Youwei swung her arm and threw the plush bunny!


    The bunny soared through the air in a white parab before being caught by Shen Mo.


    He immediately felt the bundle of fluff in his hand struggling.


    Its short arms and legs were all moving, he couldn¡¯t hold it tightly, he squeezed a bit harder and suddenly felt a sharp pain in his palm! Out of reflex, he loosened his grip¡ª


    The bunny fell to the ground and started scampering towards Bai Youwei!


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Bai Youwei rolled her wheelchair over. As soon as she entered the 2-meter radius, the bunny immediately stopped moving.


    She picked up the bunny, brought it to Shen MO and saw a bit of red on his palm.


    Bai Youwei: ¡°Did it bite you?¡±


    Shen MO looked at her despairingly: ¡°It electrocuted me..¡±

 Chapter 119 - 119: 119: Rabbit Experiment

    Chapter 119 - 119: 119: Rabbit Experiment<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Bai Youwei¡¯s plush rabbit could move by itself.


    If it was more than 2 meters away from her, it would seemingly activate a program and begin its unyielding journey to find its owner.<div>


    In this process, if it was obstructed by a living object, it would release a small amount of electric energy for defense.


    However, if the object was inanimate, such as a tent, stone, tree trunk, wall, etc., the rabbit wouldn¡¯t react at all.


    Bai Youwei and Shen MO conducted a few more experiments together.


    For example, Bai Youwei ced the rabbit on the windowsill of a room on the first floor, closed the ss window, and then retreated to a position more than 2 meters outside the window.


    Afterward, the rabbit would continually press and push against the ss window even though the room¡¯s door was clearly open; it wouldn¡¯t leave through the door.


    This indicated that the plush rabbit had certain intelligence, but not too advanced.


    ¡°If the maze¡¯s data upgrade also affects items, why haven¡¯t other items changed?¡± Shen MO spected, ¡°Could the maze system have taken the ¡®tenth of me¡¯ as a game yer?¡±


    Bai Youwei shook her head: ¡°If it was deemed by the system as a game yer, then it should¡¯ve been ranked along with me as first ce when wepleted the level together. Why didn¡¯t it receive a puzzle piece?¡±


    The top five yers who left the maze all received puzzle pieces.


    Hence, this hypothesis wasn¡¯t valid.


    Shen MO furrowed his brows, thinking again, ¡°The system upgrades yers based on certain criteria. Supposing that the system targets all beings with intelligence ¨C this item perfectly fits this criterion. However, since the Inspector¡¯s role is inherently excluded from the game, it cannot earn puzzle pieces?¡±<div>


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s possible.¡± Bai Youwei, while stroking the rabbit¡¯s fluffy ears, slowly said, ¡°After all, the Inspector¡¯s status in the game is extraordinary. Even if it¡¯s only a tenth, it cannot be ced on the same scale as regr gamers.¡±


    While speaking, she suddenly smirked, seemingly thinking about something.


    ¡°I wonder what extent this data upgrade can reach¡­ Will it turn into a fifth, a third, a quarter¡­ until it bes aplete Inspector?¡±


    Shen MO was left speechless for a moment.


    He found Bai Youwei¡¯s theory baffling and was equally baffled by the existence of the Inspector.


    Speaking of upgrades, though¡­


    Whether they could safely exit the next maze was still uncertain.


    Shen MO fell into silence for a moment before finally saying, ¡°We¡¯ll see once we reach Hangzhou.¡±


    Bai Youwei simply responded with a hum.


    After a while, she quietly said, ¡°I thought you would choose to follow Zhang Tianyang and the others.¡±


    Upon hearing her, Shen MO turned to look at her.<div>


    She was gazing into the distance.


    During the peaceful night, the moonlighty scattered on the industrial cement road, creating an illusion of frost and piled snow.


    The two of them sat side by side in front of the tent p.


    Bai Youwei said, ¡°I¡¯m not close to my mother, so it¡¯s normal for me not to go look for her. What about you? Have you ever thought of looking for your dad?¡±


    Shen MO was silent for a moment, his tone still as calm as water, ¡°Given my dad¡¯s personality, he wouldn¡¯t trust in any temporary rescue team. He would most likely seek out his own path.¡±


    Pausing for two seconds, he continued, ¡°Moreover, what difference would it make if we found him? We¡¯d still need to figure out these games, and the maze¡­¡±


    As he slowly spoke, his gaze dropped to her slightly bent legs.


    Thinking about the data upgrade and her physical condition, he wanted to ask, but at that moment, Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai came running from a distance, shouting at them, ¡°Brother MO! Weiwei! Something ising across theke!¡±


    Their shouts were breathless and somewhat unclear. Shen MO stepped forward and asked, ¡°What¡¯sing?¡±


    ¡°Looks like a boat!¡± an excited Tan Xiao replied, ¡°There are lights on the boat!


    And electricity! It¡¯s also rumbling loudly!¡±

 Chapter 120 - 120: 120: Rescue Team

    Chapter 120 - 120: 120: Rescue Team<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Chang Weicai was a bit more rational than Tan Xiao, saying: ¡°It¡¯s too far to see clearly, we don¡¯t know who is on it, but in a few minutes, it should be near the shore.¡±


    Meeting others was a blessing, as it provided warmth in numbers, a chance to exchange information, and mutual assistance.<div>


    But ever since they heard from Tu Dan¡¯s students, about people attacking others to seize tools, they dared not take others lightly.


    If that was the case for tools, wouldn¡¯t a jigsaw puzzle be even more tempting?


    However, currently, not many people have cleared the maze, so the information about the puzzle was rtively isted. Most people should not know about the existence of the puzzle.


    After a little thought, Shen MO said to everyone, ¡°Don¡¯t be too anxious, let¡¯s go and see the situation first.¡¯


    Even though he said that, Teacher Chang still brought his crutch, Tan Xiao carried a baseball bat, and Shen MO held the inconspicuous folding fruit knife.


    As for Bai Youwei, everything was in her bag.


    The four of them arrived at theke and found that the boat was already docking.


    It was an amusement park sightseeing boat, designed in an antique style, with a big red hull, bright yellow curtains, dragon and phoenix carvings, and many rednterns hanging outside the window grilles.


    A few people got off the boat and yelled at them, ¡°We are the rescue team! How many of you are there?¡±


    Everyone was surprised.


    Having wandered for so many days, they had lost hope of rescue, but now, they had stumbled upon a rescue team?<div>


    ¡°It must be a rescue team organized by civilians,¡± said Shen MO, ¡°the officials wouldn¡¯t use such a boat for rescue operations.¡±


    After hearing this, everyone¡¯s excitement calmed down slightly.


    That¡¯s right.


    If it were really a rescue team, why would they use a sightseeing boat from the park to collect people? However, encountering a civilian rescue team is also just their luck.


    The leader was a muscr man, sturdy and tanned, looking a bit fierce but giving an honest and friendly smile.


    He led two young men over and said to Shen MO and the others, ¡°Fortunately, you had a fire, or we wouldn¡¯t have found you. Is there anyone else? Pack your things and get on the boat, we will take you to a safe ind!¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡°A safe ind?¡±


    ¡°Over there¨C¡± The muscr man pointed, ¡°Sanshan Ind, all of our people are there, but it¡¯s too dark now, you definitely can¡¯t see it.¡±


    A young man next to him, who was clearly impatient to stay on the shore any longer, urged: ¡°Hurry up and get on the boat, Uncle Zhao said, it¡¯s not safe onshore.¡±


    Shen MO frowned imperceptibly.


    How could they get on the boat without getting the full picture?<div>


    ¡°Big brother, it¡¯s pitch-dark over there, I¡¯m scared¡­¡± Bai Youwei pulled on Shen Mo¡¯s hand, her voice soft and pitiful, ¡°Can we not go?¡±


    Tan Xiao and Teacher Chang were both taken aback by her voice and looked at her in silence.


    Shen MO, however, was used to it and calmly told the muscr man, ¡°We don¡¯t need to be rescued for now, thank you.¡±


    Perhaps it was their first encounter with people who refused rescue, the muscr man and the young man were stunned, ¡°What about the fire just now¡­¡±


    Teacher Chang quickly exined, ¡°We were cooking something, it¡¯s not a rescue signal, sorry for the misunderstanding.¡±


    The other party stared at them with a strange look. Everyone they had seen before was overjoyed at the sight of rescue, but Shen MO and the others were¡­


    Well, rescue is a matter of mutual consent. If someone doesn¡¯t need rescuing, of course, there¡¯s no need to push.


    The muscr man said: ¡°Well¡­ then, you guys be careful.¡±


    Having said that, he got back on the boat with his people.


    Shen MO also led his group back to the service area.


    But they had only walked a few steps when someone on the boat called out to them again: ¡°Hey! ¡ªWait! Please wait a moment¡­.

 Chapter 121 - 121: 121 Civilian Rescue

    Chapter 121 - 121: 121 Civilian Rescue<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    The voice sounded slightly hoarse and weathered, like an old man.


    Everyone stopped in their tracks and turned to see another man disembarking from the boat. He was short and nimble on his feet, his trousers rolled up to his knees, looking like an old sailor who frequently worked on boats.<div>


    The young men from earlier were all trailing behind the old man, their demeanorpletely respectful.


    Upon reaching the shore, the old man grinned at Bai Youwei, ¡°Youngdy, don¡¯t be afraid! Our ind is very safe, there are no dolls, and no people-eating fog. You will be safe there and need not worry about food or lodging. It¡¯s practically like your life before, barring theck of inte connection.¡±


    Bai Youwei kept up her act, her face full of anxiety as she asked, ¡°But¡­once on the ind, will anyone bully me and my brother?¡±


    She seemed genuinely frightened, her pitiful lookpounding as she clung onto the corner of Shen Mo¡¯s clothes.


    Shen MO could feel her small hand touching his waist through the thin fabric of his t-shirt¡­


    He warned her with a stern look: Behave.


    But she was so engrossed in her performance that she ignored him. The old manughed and waved his hand, ¡°No one will bully you.¡±


    The burly man behind him also reassured, ¡°Although we¡¯re only a civilian organization, if you work hard and perform well, there¡¯s a chance to go to a safety base established by the government! So, it¡¯s perfectly safe on the ind, no one will deliberately cause trouble for you.¡±


    Shen MO calmly stopped her mischievous hand and asked, ¡°What kind of safety base are you talking about? Can you borate?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s established by the Suzhou rescue organization, located on West Mountain Ind, which isrger than Sanshan Ind and has more resources. However, due to the influx of people sent from neighboring rescue teams, they¡¯ve imposed restrictions on admissions.¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡°Is there a way to get in touch with them?¡±<div>


    The burly man: ¡°You can submit your information tomorrow. If you¡¯re lucky, you might be selected, and then naturally you can go over to that base.¡± Shen MO asked again: ¡°To whom do we submit it?¡±


    ¡°Just give it to Uncle Zhao.¡± The burly guy pointed to the old man next to him.


    That¡¯s when everyone understood. The elderly man known as Uncle Zhao was currently the only person who could make contact with the government officials. That¡¯s why the young men were so respectful towards him. Shen MO wasn¡¯t very interested in the civilian rescue organization, but the government-established safety base had piqued his interest.


    If there really were government personnel there, perhaps he could use them to make contact with the Household Registration Department.


    He still couldn¡¯t believe that a fully-functioning, orderlyrge-scale organization had actually crumbled and disappeared after the doll invasion.


    After a brief discussion, the four of them decided to board the boat.


    They left their SUV in the service area and brought their personal belongings and some food onboard. On the boat, they learned about some specific conditions on the ind from the burly man ¨C


    For instance, everyone on the ind had their own roles. Some were responsible for fishing, others for chopping wood, and others for cooking. Even the elderly, women, and children could find work suitable to them.


    As the saying goes, you reap what you sow.


    If someone showedziness, hindered others, or bullied the weak, they would be immediately expelled from the ind once discovered.


    Therefore, the atmosphere on the ind was great. Everyone was united and helped each other wholeheartedly. It truly was a breath of fresh air in this end-of-the-world situation.<div>


    Of course, all of these were the words of people on the boat. As for the reality, Shen MO and hispanions would have to experience it for themselves when they got on the ind.


    Theke was broad and tranquil, bordered by mountains under the cover of night. They rolled up and down in session, towering and majestic. One could only wonder what kind of beautiful scenery it would present during the day.


    In the distance, they saw faint flickering lights.


    As the boat neared, the lights gradually became denser, forming a cluster. Although it didn¡¯t match the ¡°lights of thousands of families¡± sight, it didn¡¯t fall short.


    In context to an uninhabited backdrop, this bit of light brought about a feeling of homing..

 Chapter 122 - 122: 122: Chatting in the Evening

    Chapter 122 - 122: 122: Chatting in the Evening<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Sanshan Ind is a small ind within the Tai Lake nature reserve.


    Being a tourist attraction, it¡¯s not short of vacation hotels.<div>


    Upon arrival, they were allocated two twin rooms and a burly man also brought them a bag of rice, ensuring their needs for food and amodation on the ind would be met, just as he¡¯d promised before.


    Of course, although the rice was free, they would have to work to earn their meals after that.


    With it beingte in the day, everything else would have to wait until tomorrow. Everyone returned to their rooms to rest.


    The soft bedding was much morefortable than the tents, yet it gave off an unreal sensation.


    In her bed, Bai Youwei kneaded her slightly sore and numb legs. Whether she moved or remained still, it was ufortable.


    After closing her eyes for a while without falling asleep, she burrowed into her nket and asked, ¡°Shen MO, are you asleep?¡±


    Shen MO, from the next bed, remained still, merely grunting in a low, hoarse voice.


    ¡°I can¡¯t sleep,¡± said Bai Youwei. ¡°Let¡¯s chat for a while.¡±


    After a moment of silence, Shen MO turned his head to her and asked, ¡°Chat about what?¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°About feelings?¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡®


    He turned his head back away, no longer looking at her.<div>


    Bai Youwei: ¡°If you don¡¯t want to chat about feelings, we can discuss our bodies.¡±


    ¡°Bai Youwei¡­.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s voice held a mix of irritation and a hint of helplessness. ¡°Are you going to sleep or not?¡±


    Bai Youwei also felt troubled: ¡°I want to sleep, but I can¡¯t because we¡¯ve suddenly switched ces.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t sleep so you¡¯re bothering me?¡±


    ¡°If I don¡¯t bother you, should I bother myself?¡± she replied in surprise. ¡°I¡¯m not dumb!¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡®


    He stopped talking again.


    Bai Youwei, realizing she¡¯s annoyed him, sighed quietly, turned over in her bed and stared at the mountains outside her window.


    ¡°It¡¯s so chilly in here¡­¡± she whispered wistfully, ¡°So chill that it doesn¡¯t feel like summer at all.¡±


    After a while, Shen MO replied casually: ¡°There¡¯s a significant temperature difference in the mountains.¡¯


    Bai Youwei, d he was willing to engage with her again, continued their chat: ¡°There¡¯re more mountains on the other ind, it must be even colder there at night. Do you think there¡¯s really a safety base there? I somehow find that hard to believe. The mountains there look dark and menacing, without a single light.¡±<div>


    Shen MO answered quietly: ¡°Whether there¡¯s a safety base there or not, we¡¯ll find out tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°How will we find that out?¡± Bai Youwei asked. ¡°Uncle Zhao said that he sends people to the base every week, and the next round isn¡¯t until the day after tomorrow. Unless you¡¯re nning on swimming over there tomorrow¡­¡±


    ¡°If there truly is arge safety base, there will inevitably be ships transferring goods.¡± Shen MO said calmly, ¡°The dolls have only appeared a few months ago, so the safety base can¡¯t possibly be self-sufficient yet. Therefore, there should be transport ships out on theke tomorrow. If there aren¡¯t, it means Uncle Zhao¡¯s information was fake.¡¯


    At this point, he lowered his voice: ¡°As for why he would give out fake news¡­


    either it¡¯s to keep people calm, or to conceal a secret. Besides, where do all the people who were sent to West Mountain Ind go?¡±


    If there was no safety base on West Mountain Ind, where did all the people who were sent there go? Why hadn¡¯t theye back?


    ¡°It¡¯s too early to discuss these matters now, we¡¯ll see what happens tomorrow¡­¡± Shen MO mused.


    After a while, he received no response from Bai Youwei.


    He turned his head to look, and found that she had fallen asleep, her eyes closed.


    Shen MO was filled with a sense of helplessness.


    Yet, her sleeping face was truly adorable, innocent like a well-behaved child.


    How could a person show such massive contrast?


    Silently sighing, Shen MO got up to tuck the corner of her nket in, then went back to bed..

 Chapter 123 - 123: 123 Let Me Guess

    Chapter 123 - 123: 123 Let Me Guess<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    At seven in the morning, someone from the ind knocked on their door, saying they needed to register their information.


    Bai Youwei, who was disturbed from her sleep, wore a face so gloomy it could rain.<div>


    With Shen MO shielding her, she somehow managed to not burst out angrily. But once the registration was done and the person left, she couldn¡¯t take it anymore; she immediately returned to bed to catch up on sleep.


    During this time, she vaguely heard Shen MO say to her, ¡°Let¡¯s go out for a bit. You stay inside by yourself, but don¡¯t wander off.¡±


    She thought she was dreaming, her mind still groggy from sleep, she murmured under her nket, ¡°Can I even leave? You¡¯re overestimating my legs.¡±


    She faintly heard him chuckle.


    Then she heard his footsteps move away, the door was shut, lightly but distinctly, with a ¡°click¡±.


    Strangely, she felt very sleepy, but upon hearing this ¡°click¡±, her mind gradually became clear.


    She realized she could no longer sleep.


    She checked the time on her phone, it was only seven-thirty.


    Last night they sat on a boat, disembarking upon reaching the ind, then they had to re-arrange their room at the resort, they only got sleepte at night,pletely sleep-deprived!


    But now, she was wide awake!


    The sullen-faced Bai Youwei got up, took a moment, began washing up, changing her clothes¡­ and then wheeled herself out.<div>


    The holiday hotel was situated by the mountains and the waters, the nearby surroundings were naturally beautiful, tranquil valleys, evergreen trees and a sight of green hills and clear waters as far as the eye could see.


    Teacher Chang, dressed in a white shirt styled typical of a government official, was sitting in the hotel garden, chatting with someone.


    The other person was wearing a linen shirt, crowned with a straw hat. Half his face was obscured by the eaves of the hat. It was only when Bai Youwei got closer, and heard his voice, that she realized it was Uncle Zhao, the man who invited them on the boat yesterday.


    Upon seeing Bai Youweie out, Teacher Chang smiled and said, ¡°Weiwei, you¡¯re up. Why didn¡¯t you sleep a bit more? I just brought back breakfast, but it¡¯s still hot right now. The air is good here, why don¡¯t you go for a stroll while it cools, then you can eat.¡±


    There was soy milk and buns on the stone bench, she didn¡¯t know what they were filled with.


    Bai Youwei responded absentmindedly with an ¡°Oh,¡± she didn¡¯t go far, just found a cool spot under a tree nearby.


    The morning was peaceful, and there was a lively human touch to this tranquility. From time to time, people walked by through the garden¡ªa group of young men carrying fishings, women with basketsughing and chatting, and the aunties and uncles busily airing clothes and sheets.


    A bit further away, just-baked buns were steaming in the restaurant kitchen. The white steam drifted far, carrying the sweet scent of the grains.


    It was peculiar. Life was tense on the outside, yet it was so quiet and peaceful here, it almost felt unreal.


    Chang Weicai was still chatting with Uncle Zhao.


    Perhaps because they were of simr age, they seemed to enjoy the conversation.<div>


    Uncle Zhao spoke highly of Chang Weicai¡¯s knowledge and culture; Chang Weicai praised Uncle Zhao for being ambitious.


    Chang Weicai gave Uncle Zhao a thumbs-up and eximed, ¡°I¡¯ve been teaching all my life, confined to a single ssroom. You¡¯re different. You¡¯re someone who embraces the wider world, which is why you¡¯ve managed to organize the ind¡¯s basic necessities so well that everyone can live here peacefully. Your ce is not much different from paradise indeed!¡±


    Excited, he even recited a poem: ¡°Path to Wuling is deep and secluded, Qin people live in the middle with their chickens and dogs. Who are the initial visitors? The source now flows with peach blossoms again!¡±


    Uncle Zhaoughed heartily, saying, ¡°It¡¯s not that extraordinary, it¡¯s just the result of everyone¡¯s hard work. We did nt some corn in July, if the harvest is good in October, followed by a batch of wheat, we might actually be able to build a paradise.¡±


    Teacher Changughed, ¡°It¡¯s within our reach.¡±


    Bai Youwei squinted,zily watching the two old men.


    The sun gradually rose, and the shade from the tree shifted ordingly.


    Bai Youwei¡¯s wheelchair followed the shifting shade.


    Around eleven, Shen MO and Tan Xiao finally returned. Seeing Bai Youwei lounging in the shade, they walked over.


    ¡°Don¡¯t speak yet,¡± Bai Youwei smiled as she looked at them, ¡°Let me guess¡­.you didn¡¯t see the transport ship, did you?¡±

 Chapter 124 - 124: 124: Reap the Consequences of One’s Actions

    Chapter 124 - 124: 124: Reap the Consequences of One¡¯s Actions<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°How would you know?¡± Tan Xiao gaped.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Bai Youwei lowered her eyelids,¡± I¡¯ve said I¡¯m just guessing.¡±<div>


    Shen MO gripped the arm of the wheelchair, pushing her back to the hotel. Seeing herck of energy, he asked, ¡°Have you eaten?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Bai Youweizily replied, ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you to return.¡±


    Shen MO said, ¡°This afternoon, Tan Xiao and I will go to explore another part of the ind. You and Teacher Cheng stay here, no need to wait for us. If you¡¯re hungry, eat first.¡¯


    She pouted, ¡°I have no appetite.¡±


    Shen MO remained silent, then asked a few secondster, ¡°Are you sulking?¡±


    Bai Youwei: ¡°Yes, so?¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡®


    Tan Xiao suddenly felt the atmosphere was a bit off, but racking his brains, he couldn¡¯t see why. He hesitated and asked, ¡°Weiwei, after we left, did someone upset you?¡±


    ¡°No one upset me.¡± Bai Youwei said ndly, ¡°Just bored being alone, so ying some tricks on myself.¡±


    This was a novel reason, leaving Tan Xiao at a loss for words.


    However, Shen MO understood her perfectly well.<div>


    When she said she was ¡°bored being alone,¡± she was really ming him for leaving her at the hotel by herself.


    Shen MO pushed her silently back into the hotel room, closed the door behind them, and asked her with annoyance, ¡°What now?¡±


    Bai Youwei replied, ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Shen MO pressed his lips together, ¡°When I was leaving, you didn¡¯t utter a word. Isn¡¯t it a bitte to me me now?¡±


    ¡°Did I me you? When did I me you?¡± Bai Youwei widened her eyes, ¡°For god¡¯s sake, can¡¯t I even sulk by myself? While you were out admiring flowers and girls, what¡¯s wrong with me sulking a bit?¡±


    Her unreasonable tantrum infuriated Shen MO, but her sour words also made him find it amusing.


    Shen MO asked her, ¡°Who¡¯s the girl?¡±


    ¡°Brother Shen, may Ie in?¡± A female voice sounded from outside the door,


    ¡°It¡¯s your first day here, and Uncle Zhao is concerned you might not be ustomed to the local cuisine, so he¡¯s prepared a feast for you at the restaurant. Let¡¯s go eat.¡±


    Bai Youweimented, ¡°Oh, that voice is even more coquettish than mine.


    Don¡¯t tell me the person outside is a man.¡±<div>


    Shen Mo: ¡®


    Getting pped in the face was like a whirlwind.


    Always catching one off guard.


    Shen MO was left with mixed feelings for a moment.


    ¡°That¡¯s the tour guide Uncle Zhao arranged for Tan Xiao and me.¡± He exined.


    ¡°Hm-¡± Bai Youwei talked in a light tone, ¡°The scenery shown by a female guide would definitely be the most beautiful- I¡¯


    Her words had an undertone.


    What kind of scenery did the female guide show them? Was it mountains, water, or something else?


    Shen MO gave up exining, stood up to open the door.


    After two steps, he stopped, fearing her sarcastic remarks might make things awkward, he turned back, held her chin, and warned her, ¡°Behave yourselfter, understand?¡±


    His words were not at all polite, even autocratic, and hard, but somehow, all the suppressed feelings she had from 7 in the morning until 11 noon suddenly vanished¡­


    Watching Shen Mo¡¯s back, Bai Youwei contemted: Could it be that I¡¯m a masochist?


    The door opened, a woman in her twenties, dressed in casual clothes, with an average appearance. Makeup had colored her face and her friendly smile added an extrayer of affability.


    She left a not unlikeable impression.


    ¡°I was careless this morning, forgetting to remind you all to wear sunscreen. The sun is intense during the day, you can¡¯t go outside at noon. I¡¯ve brought hats, sunsses, and sunscreen.¡± She went on with her offer generously.


    ¡°No need, thank you.¡± Shen MO declined.


    The young woman stuffed a big bag into his arms,ughing, ¡°Brother Shen, don¡¯t be put off because these are women¡¯s items. Under the harsh sun, we don¡¯t differentiate between men and women. You must apply sunscreen, or you¡¯ll suffer at night. Sunburn is no joke.¡±


    Following behind Shen MO silently, Bai Youwei thought to herself: This woman is unbearable..

 Chapter 125 - 125: 125: It’s Him

    Chapter 125 - 125: 125: It¡¯s Him<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    As much as they disliked it, they still had to sit at the same table and eat with those they were annoyed with.


    Eight people were seated at the table. Apart from the four of them, there was also Uncle Zhao, the female tour guide, the sturdy man from the boat and a young man sitting next to him.<div>


    The meal was mainly fish with plenty of vegetables.


    They hadn¡¯t had a decent meal like this in a long time.


    Tan Xiao was gobbling up his food, the professor was clinking sses and making merry with Uncle Zhao. The robust man and thed next to him barely spoke, only smiling merrily. The female tour guide was busy serving food and adding water to everyone¡¯s sses.


    She offered food to Shen MO most frequently.


    ¡ªWell, he was irresistibly attractive in both appearance and physique.


    But Shen MO didn¡¯t eat anything she offered. Otherwise, Bai Youwei wouldn¡¯t have been able to maintain her calm demeanor till now.


    After the first round of drinks, Uncle Zhao asked Shen MO with a smile, ¡°I heard you spent the morning exploring the ind?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Shen MO responded indifferently, ¡°we were just walking around, hoping to spot any passing cargo ships.¡±


    He didn¡¯t hide their actions, the ind was too small to keep their movements a secret. Besides, he wanted to gauge their reactions by bringing it up.


    Tan Xiao chimed in, ¡°We walked around for half a day and didn¡¯t see anything!¡±


    Uncle Zhaoughed, ¡°That¡¯s because the ferry dock of West Mountain Ind isn¡¯t on our side, it¡¯s in the opposite direction, blocked by a mountain. Of course, you couldn¡¯t see it.¡±<div>


    The old man seemed usual, showing no obvious reactions.


    Shen MO asked, ¡°Besides the selection to go to the safe base, are there any other ways to contact the people there?¡±


    ¡°Do you have an urgent matter?¡± Uncle Zhao put down his wine ss and asked kindly, ¡°If it¡¯s something urgent, you can tell me. I can pass the message when I go there next time. But I can only speak to the people at the dock, if it involves those higher up, it¡¯d be a problem.¡±


    The robust man poured another drink for Shen MO, ¡°What are you rushing for, buddy? Every week, a group of people is selected to go there, a dozen or so a week. There are¡­umm¡­sixty or seventy people on the ind now, just wait for three or four more weeks and you¡¯re bound to be selected.¡±


    ¡°Only sixty to seventy people on the ind?¡± Shen MO was slightly taken aback. The number was much less than he had anticipated. While he and Tan Xiao were observing the situation on the ind, they had noticed signs of human habitation in many ces.


    The robust man said, ¡°There used to be more, over three hundred at the peak, but then people slowly started moving to the base.¡±


    Tan Xiao wondered, ¡°Why are you still here then?¡±


    ¡°Heh heh, just bad luck.¡± The robust manughed, ¡°My name was never called during the selections. But it¡¯s okay, life on this ind is quitefortable. There are too many rules in the base, I like it here.¡±


    At the end, he nudged hispanion, ¡°Right, Xiaozhang?¡±


    Xiaozhang pushed him back,ughed and scolded him, ¡°In your dreams! Xiaomei is at the base, of course, I want to go!¡±


    The burly man burst intoughter, ¡°This guy misses his wife!¡±<div>


    Everyone at the tableughed.


    The meal was enjoyable. Apart from Shen MO, the rest of the men drank a bit too much. The professor was a lightweight, his face turned red after a few sses with Uncle Zhao. His steps were unsteady when he walked, and Tan Xiao wasn¡¯t better off either.


    Shen MO helped Tan Xiao up, asking Xiaozhang to assist the professor back to the hotel room.


    When they returned to the hotel room, Xiaozhang put the professor down and prepared to leave, only to find that the door was mysteriously closed Shen MO, Bai Youwei, and Tan Xiao were staring at him in silence.


    Shen MO asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Are you sure you want him?¡±


    Bai Youwei nodded with a smile, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s him.¡±


    Xiaozhang was confused, ¡°Wha¡­what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Behave yourself!¡± Tan Xiao suddenly dropped his drunken act, brandished his baseball bat menacingly, ¡°Do what my big brother tells you to do, or you¡¯ll regret it!¡±

 Chapter 126 - 126: 126: Making Trouble

    Chapter 126 - 126: 126: Making Trouble<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    The young man was instantly flustered, but tried to calm himself and asked, ¡°What do you want to do?! If you dare to mess around, Uncle Zhao will certainly expel all of you from the ind!¡±


    Tan Xiao leaned in and whispered to Bai Youwei, ¡°Weiwei, what were we supposed to do to him again?¡±<div>


    Bai Youwei nced at him indifferently, ¡°You just watch from the side.¡±


    Tan Xiao thought for a moment, then nodded, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Bai Youwei said to Xiaozhang, ¡°Actually, there¡¯s nothing in particr, being new here, there are some things we don¡¯t understand, so we wanted to ask you a few questions. Just answer them honestly, once you¡¯re done, we will let you go.¡±


    Xiaozhang looked at them suspiciously, ¡°What do you want to ask?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°¡­Zhang Qi.¡¯ ¡°How long have you been here?¡±


    ¡°Two months.¡±


    ¡°Have you been to West Mountain Ind?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been with Uncle Zhao for so long, why doesn¡¯t he make some allowance and take you there?¡±


    Zhang Qi wore a look of annoyance on his face, yet feared these people and didn¡¯t dare to make a scene. He responded sternly, ¡°Uncle Zhao is only responsible for transport. He takes whomever West Mountain selects, he can¡¯t make decisions!¡±


    ¡°He can¡¯t make decisions huh¡­¡± Bai Youwei seemed to think to herself, then asked him, ¡°What kinds of people have been selected to go to West Mountain in the past?¡±<div>


    Zhang Qi frowned, ¡°Why are you asking this?¡±


    ¡°You just answer.¡± Bai Youwei smiled at him, ¡°As for the rest, you don¡¯t need to worry about.¡±


    In the closed room, Zhang Qi told them everything he knew about the people who went to West Mountain Ind. Men and women, old and young, at first nce, the selection of people seemed random, the age range was also even¡­ After listening, Bai Youwei didn¡¯t say anything, she just nced at Shen Mo.


    Shen MO was also looking at her.


    Tan Xiao was caught in the fog, watching the two of them exchange nces. He was anxious, ¡°Could you two stop justmunicating with your eyes, please say something so I can hear it, too!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Bai Youweiughed lightly, her gaze once again falling on Zhang


    Her eyes seemed tough and seemed not to, making Zhang Qi feel chills all over. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°I¡¯ve already told you everything I know! Can I go now?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°We will keep our promise, but before that, I have a gift for you¡­¡±


    Zhang Qi asked cautiously, ¡°What gift?¡±


    ¡°Come here.¡± Bai Youwei beckoned to him, ¡°It¡¯s a great secret.¡±


    Zhang Qi, ncing at Shen MO and Tan Xiao, clenched his teeth and walked over.<div>


    ¡°Bend down.¡± Bai Youwei ordered, ¡°I¡¯m only telling you.¡±


    Zhang Qiplied and bent down.


    Bai Youwei whispered something into his ear.


    Zhang Qi¡¯s face changed dramatically, his eyes showing shock.


    Bai Youwei smiled, ¡°Alright, you can go now.¡±


    Shen MO, standing to the side, opened the door for him.


    Zhang Qi made no move to leave.


    He stood still, for a long, long time¡­ Finally, he took a step outside, his face was ashen.


    After he had gone some distance, Shen MO closed the door and looked at Bai


    Youwei, ¡°The selection of people is suspicious, but it¡¯s a bit of a stretch to hold Uncle Zhao ountable based solely on that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s two things, actually.¡±


    Bai Youwei lifted two slender, pale fingers, with a glowing smile:


    ¡°First, Uncle Zhao had people nt grains as early as July, showing that he had never considered seeking the safety of the base, but rather wanted to be self-sufficient. That¡¯s pretty strange, isn¡¯t it? When a disaster strikes, normal people would think of seeking help first, but he simply sticks to this small ind.


    Even if he can¡¯t bear to leave his homnd, how do you exin the second point? The people he sends away are either the elderly or sick who can¡¯t do physicalbor, or unstable characters like alcoholics and gamblers. Shouldn¡¯t a normal base select people with special skills first?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not right¡­¡± Tan Xiao interrupted from the side, ¡°Aren¡¯t Zhang Qi and Sun Wei also on the ind?¡±


    Sun Wei was the strong man.


    Bai Youwei scoffed, ¡°If I were Uncle Zhao, I would also keep them. They¡¯re strong, obedient,ck brains, and are well-behaved.. Why not keep them?¡±

 Chapter 127 - 127: 127: Pure Boredom (Extra update if we enter top 50 on the Weekly Activity Chart)

    Chapter 127 - 127: 127: Pure Boredom (Extra update if we enter top 50 on the Weekly Activity Chart)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    After she finished speaking, the room fell silent.


    Only the rhythmic snoring of the teacher on the bed could be heard.<div>


    Tan Xiao scratched his head, still finding it hard to believe. ¡°He¡¯s old and feeble.


    If he really sent hundreds of people over there and something was wrong, wouldn¡¯t someone have noticed? Yet, he¡¯s still alive and well?¡±


    Bai Youwei smiled, ¡°That¡¯s because there¡¯s a ghost over there. Everyone who goes neveres back so, of course, no one discovered anything.¡±


    Tan Xiao replied, ¡°If I went to the ind and found out I was tricked, I would definitely wait for him at the ferry! Isn¡¯t he sending people over every seven days? I would wait there for him for seven days! And then, revenge is due, retribution as well!¡±


    ¡°Maybe you won¡¯t evenst seven days.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s voice was light and breezy.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Shen MO frowned interrupted them, ¡°In any case, there¡¯s something fishy about this ind. From now on, everyone should remain vignt. While safeguarding yourself, save anyone you can.¡±


    There were still about seventy lives on the ind.


    Shen MO then asked Bai Youwei, ¡°What did you say to the one called Zhang Qi?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Bai Youwei drawled, ¡°I thought you might find my two points insufficient, so I made up a third reason.¡±


    Shen Mo¡¯s eye twitched, ¡°What reason?¡±


    ¡°I told Zhang Qi that if he pretends to break his leg, his name might appear on the selection list tomorrow.¡± Shen Mo: ¡®<div>


    Tan Xiao: ¡°Is that even possible?!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s the third reason.¡± Bai Youwei grinned, ¡°If Zhang Qi does as I said, and his name happens to be on the list, it means my deduction is absolutely correct-¡±


    Tan Xiao curiously asked, ¡°Will Zhang Qi do as you said?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, it doesn¡¯t matter even if he doesn¡¯t-¡± Bai Youwei nced at Shen


    MO, ¡°Anyway, Shen MO and I should be on tomorrow¡¯s list.¡±


    ¡°But why would that happen?¡± Tan Xiao was surprised again, feeling bombarded by Bai Youwei¡¯s words¡ªonce it was fours of a kind, another time it was a pair of kings. He felt overwhelmed!


    ¡°Because I¡¯m a crippled drag, as for Shen Mo¡­¡± Bai Youwei gave a mischievous smile, ¡°Surveying the ind as soon as he arrived, and attempting to contact the security base? Such a person is too restless and needs to be dealt with soon!¡±


    She ced her hand on Shen Mo¡¯s abdomen and mimicked a disemboweling movement on his abs.


    Shen MO grabbed her hand and put it back, ¡°Stop messing around.¡± Tan Xiao:


    ¡°Tsk-¡± Bai Youwei withdrew her hand, looking disdainful, ¡°Anyway, the probability of what I just said is very high. Otherwise, why would old man Zhao invite you all to dinner the moment he heard you were surveying the ind? No other neers received such a treatment. Clearly, he¡¯s testing you!¡±


    Tan Xiao looked at Shen MO in confusion, ¡°Brother MO, I¡¯m getting goosebumps from what Weiwei said. If we really get chosen tomorrow, should we go or not?¡±<div>


    Bai Youwei clung to Shen Mo¡¯s waist, whining adorably, ¡°Wherever big brother goes, I¡¯ll follow-¡±


    Shen MO gently pushed her away, ¡°You go back to your room and pack your luggage first.¡±


    Having been rejected twice, Bai Youwei looked crestfallen and wheeled herself into the next room.


    As Bai Youwei left, Tan Xiao asked Shen MO hesitantly, ¡°Brother MO, why does Weiwei sometimes talk like that?¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡°How so?¡±


    Tan Xiao thought for a moment and made a whining sound, ¡°Like this, with whines¡­¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡®


    Tan Xiao: ¡°Professor Cheng said Weiwei is very smart, and she may be trying to confuse the enemy by acting weak, but just now, we were the only ones in the room. She¡­ um¡­


    Tan Xiao struggled to exin, his face puzzled and uncertain.


    After a moment of contemtion, Shen MO patted his shoulder, ¡°She¡¯s just bored.¡±


    Tan Xiao:

 Chapter 128 - 128: 128: Wu Lili Gets Hurt

    Chapter 128 - 128: 128: Wu Lili Gets Hurt<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Master Chang slept until five in the afternoon.


    He felt ill from the drunkenness. It wasn¡¯t until after he had consumed several cups of hot water upon waking that he finally felt better. Seeing that Tan Xiao and Shen MO had already packed their luggage, he realized they had no intention of staying long.<div>


    Master Chang pondered for a while, then sought out Tan Xiao, Shen MO, and Bai Youwei to discuss. ¡°Uncle Zhao¡¯s ce is quite pleasant and stable, maybe I should stay here¡­¡± he proposed.


    Reading their expressions, he slowly exined, ¡°I¡¯m older, and although I¡¯m willing to pull my weight, I might inevitably slow you down. Perhaps it¡¯s better for me to stay here and help Uncle Zhao. What do you think?¡±


    Tan Xiao instinctively looked at Bai Youwei.


    Bai Youwei¡¯s face remained expressionless.


    Tan Xiao then looked at Shen Mo.


    Shen Mo¡¯s expression was equally indifferent.


    ¡°As long as you have made up your mind, we won¡¯t object. But you don¡¯t need to feel as though you¡¯re dragging us down. Throughout our journey here, you have been of great help to us.¡± Shen MO said.


    Tan Xiao nodded in agreement, ¡°Exactly, good buddies share both the blessings and the burdens. How can we talk about who¡¯s dragging whom? What sort of camaraderie would that be!¡±


    An emotion stirred in Chang Weicai, moving him deeply yet leaving him feeling conflicted.


    Although he had not been travelling with them for long, the bond they had forged through shared life and death experiences was naturally profound. However¡­ He hadn¡¯t obtained a piece of the puzzle during thebyrinth adventure. If another game surfaced, he might be a burden.


    While pondering this, amotion suddenly broke out outside.<div>


    There were shouts, interjected by the sound of rushing footsteps in the hallway.


    Shen MO opened the door, and they all followed him outside, only to see Zhang Qi carrying the female tour guide into the hotel lobby. His franticpanion beside him was shouting, ¡°Xiaohe! Xiaoher, quickly! Lili is injured!¡± A middle-aged woman rushed out of her room with a medical box.


    In just a few short minutes, the hotel lobby was crowded with people.


    The injured tour guide was surrounded in the middle of the crowd. Uncle Zhao also quickly came over, asking the middle-aged woman, ¡°What happened to Lili


    ¡°My leg!¡­ My leg hurts so badly!¡­¡± The tour guide was writhing in pain, clutching her knee. There was no blood, but her pants were covered in mud.


    ¡°We¡¯re not sure yet.¡± The middle-aged woman replied worriedly, ¡°The pain is quite intense, it might be a fracture. I can¡¯t treat that, and we don¡¯t have any equipment for diagnosis here!¡±


    Upon hearing this, a sigh swept through the crowd. Everyone knew that in the current environment, where medical resources were scarce, even if a fracture wasn¡¯t life-threatening, it would surely hinder future mobility.


    In the crowd, Zhang Qi, who was next to the injured tour guide, happened to make eye contact with Shen MO and his group, before quickly looking away¡­


    Uncle Zhao arranged to take the injured guide back to her room and had the doctor put on a splint. The woman doctor used to work at amunity clinic, treating minor ailments. The injuries the tour guide sustained were beyond her expertise, so she could only estimate how to treat it.


    Shen MO and Bai Youwei returned to their room.


    ¡°Wu Lili¡¯s injury likely has something to do with Zhang Qi.¡± Bai Youwei spected with delight, ¡°The question is, did she cooperate voluntarily, or was she tricked by Zhang Qi?¡±<div>


    Shen MO was slightly stunned, ¡°Are you talking about the tour guide?¡±


    His reaction pleased Bai Youwei.


    ¡°Yeah, didn¡¯t you know her name?¡± Bai Youwei said with a grin, ¡°Xiaowu, Lili,


    Wu Lili, that¡¯s how everyone calls her at the dining table.¡±


    Shen MO frowned, saying, ¡°She didn¡¯t fracture her leg.¡±


    ¡°How would you know?¡± Bai Youwei blinked curiously, ¡°She seemed to be in a lot of pain..¡±

 Chapter 129 - 129: 129: There’s Something Fishy about This List

    Chapter 129 - 129: 129: There¡¯s Something Fishy about This List<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Shen MO said indifferently, ¡°When you¡¯ve seen enough, you naturally understand it. A fracture doesn¡¯t look like that.


    Bai Youwei: ¡°Oh¡­¡±<div>


    Resting her chin in her hands, she thought for a moment and spoke slowly, ¡°If


    Wu Lili was pretending¡­then there are only two possibilities now. First, Zhang Qi told Wu Lili what I had said, and Wu Lili wanted to go to the safe haven, so she pretended to be injured.¡±


    Shen MO asked, ¡°What about the second?¡±


    Bai Youwei narrowed her eyes, her gaze at Shen MO became significant. ¡°Second, Wu Lili has motives towards you. So, she has been lingering near our rooms, paying close attention. She saw Zhang Qi leave from here and, motivated by curiosity, she bluffed her way to the truth from Zhang Qi and persuaded her to cooperate with her in performing a y.¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡®


    She was analyzing things but insisted on dragging him into the drama and seasoning it with her own assumptions.


    ¡°This possibility is very high.¡± Bai Youwei stuck out a finger, shaking it yfully in a knowing manner.


    Shen MO ignored her pointed finger and concluded directly, ¡°Teacher Chang wants to stay here, what do you think?¡±


    Bai Youwei hesitated, ¡°¡­he¡¯s old now, so it¡¯s perfectly natural that he doesn¡¯t want to roam around. And he seems to get along well with Uncle Zhao, so it would be suitable if they kept each otherpany.¡±


    After a brief pause, she muttered, ¡°If we were wrong in our analysis and Uncle


    Zhao is a good man, I wouldn¡¯t be against Teacher Chang staying.¡±<div>


    It¡¯s natural that joining a secure haven, or even a shelter, would be better than camping with them.


    Shen MO nodded indifferently.


    The next day, everyone got up early, gathering outside Zhou¡¯s bungalow, waiting for the results of the selection.


    There was arge tree outside the house and the list of potential candidates from the previous batch was posted on the trunk.


    Sun Wei, holding a cup of paste, came out from the house, walked under the tree, smeared the old list with paste, and then took a new piece of paper from Uncle Zhao and pasted it on top.


    The paper wasn¡¯trge, just about the size of an A4 sheet, with some names printed on it.


    Everyone rushed forward to see. Some faces were brimming with joy, while others were once again disappointed.


    Shen MO and Bai Youwei nced at each other, both understanding what the other was thinking ¡ª no wonder Uncle Zhao had never been suspected for a long time. The list was printed indicating that the shelter had a generator.


    This detail was indeed very convincing and easy to deceive people.


    ¡°They are really lucky, they registered just yesterday, and they were picked today.¡±


    Someone murmured softly in the crowd.<div>


    The names of Shen MO, Bai Youwei, and Chang Weicai were written on the list. ¡°The old man is more ruthless than I thought¡­¡± Bai Youwei looked at the list on the tree, her eyes cold.


    She didn¡¯t expect the old man Zhao to add Chang Weicai¡¯s name to the list. Although Chang Weicai was old, he was still not at the age where he could not move. Plus, Chang Weicai was knowledgeable and willing to contribute to the ind¡¯s development. Why wouldn¡¯t Uncle Zhao keep him?


    They seemed to be getting along well when they were chatting yesterday¡­ Bai Youwei¡¯s cleverness was unable to understand theplexities of the human heart.


    Sun Wei stood under the tree and said, ¡°Alright, everyone step back. The people on the list need to get ready. Gather at the dock at 10 0¡¯clock sharp! Did everyone hear that?¡±


    Everyone gradually dispersed.


    At this moment, Zhang Qi suddenly stood up and shouted, ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with this list! I don¡¯t ept it!¡±


    Everyone was taken aback and looked over in unison.


    Including Old Man Zhao and Sun Wei.


    ¡°Zhang Qi! What are you raving about?!¡± Sun Wei shouted.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been on this ind for two months! I¡¯ve never been selected! I¡¯m not pleased!¡± Zhang Qi¡¯s voice was harsh with anger easily seen on his face, ¡°Even Wu Lili with a broken leg can be selected! Why can¡¯t I go to the shelter?!

 Chapter 130 - 130: 130: Must Get on the Ship

    Chapter 130 - 130: 130: Must Get on the Ship<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Why me?! I¡¯ve been here longer than you and I haven¡¯tined! What are you whining about!¡± Sun Wei yelled in anger, ¡°The list is decided by the safety base, not us! If you have problems with it, go argue with them! What are you trying to prove by yelling at Uncle Zhao?!¡±


    Zhang Qi: ¡°Great! I am going to go and inquire about it today! I will find out how they came up with this list even if I cannot enter the base!¡±<div>


    Sun Wei, looking frustrated, spoke, ¡°Xiaozhang, what¡¯s wrong with you today? Did you take the wrong medicine?!¡±


    Uncle Zhao responded calmly, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Everyone wants to go to the safety base. It¡¯s natural to feel resentment when you¡¯re not chosen after waiting for a long time. It¡¯s human nature, but¡­¡±


    His voice shifted as he turned to the crowd and spoke slowly, ¡°However, there¡¯s definitely nothing wrong with the list, and no one is manipting it. You can all trust me, and if you don¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Uncle Zhao, don¡¯t say that. We all trust you!¡±


    ¡°Yes, without Uncle Zhao, we wouldn¡¯t even know what to do right now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Uncle Zhao, Xiaozhang just got a bit upset. We will talk to him.¡±


    Everyone started to speak, trying to defuse the tension.


    Zhang Qi, standing in the crowd, was still visibly angry ¡ª his face filled with fury.


    Old Zhao tried to reason with him, ¡°The base is now overcrowded. Deciding who to bring in must involve certain considerations. I reported Wu Lili¡¯s condition just yesterday, thinking they may select her due to better medical conditions in the base.¡±


    Zhang Qi, still arguing with Old Zhao, snorted, ¡°Anyway, I will go today! If I can¡¯t go, none of you will get on the ship!¡± He then took an axe from his pocket!


    The crowd gasped in horror and scattered away!


    ¡°Zhang Qi! Have you gone mad?!!¡± Sun Wei roared. He couldn¡¯t believe his friend would do something like this!<div>


    Uncle Zhao¡¯s face became cold and expressionless as he looked at Zhang Qi, ¡°Even if I take you there, the base will not allow us to dock if the number doesn¡¯t match. You still won¡¯t be able to step foot on the ind.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s your problem! You deal with it!¡± Zhang Qi said, still holding on to the axe. ¡°One way or another, I am boarding that ship today!¡±


    The atmosphere was tense.


    Zhang Qi clenched the axe.


    Uncle Zhao remained silent.


    Neither of them was willing to back down.


    It was then that Chang Weicai, hesitatingly stepped forward and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t ¡­ let¡¯s give my spot to Xiaozhang?¡±


    Everyone¡¯s mood lightened for a moment, only to be followed by surprise. They couldn¡¯t believe someone could be so selfless and willing to give up the chance to go to the base.


    ¡°Mr. Chang, think twice about this.¡± Sun Wei couldn¡¯t help but advise.


    Chang Weicai smiled softly, ¡°There¡¯s nothing to think about. Xiaozhang is anxious to be with his friends and family in the base. Let him go first. I can wait here a few more weeks. There will still be opportunitiester.¡±


    Everyone remained silent, thinking: Everyone knows there will be more opportunities, but who would want to miss it when it¡¯s right in front of them?<div>


    Chang Weicai lightly patted Zhang Qi on the shoulder, took the axe from his hand, and said amicably, ¡°Go get your luggage. The ship leaves at ten. Don¡¯t bete.¡±


    Zhang Qi¡¯s eyes reddened, he lowered his head, loosened his grip, and left without saying a word.


    The others approached Chang Weicai to express their gratitude before gradually dispersing.


    From a distance, Bai Youwei observed the scene. A thought began to form in her mind as to why Uncle Zhao had written Chang Weicai¡¯s name on the list¡­.

 Chapter 131 - 131: 131: Friends Gathering

    Chapter 131 - 131: 131: Friends Gathering<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    At ten o¡¯clock in the morning, the selected individuals promptly boarded the boat.


    It was a small cruise ship, with two rows of seats in the cabin, each row could amodate 12 people, together with the bow and stern, it could hold quite a few people.<div>


    Legend has it that in the past, the base could select more than thirty people in one batch, and luggage alone could fill the boat to capacity.


    Now, only 18 people were seated in the boat, making it appear quite empty.


    Bai Youwei, confined to a wheelchair, felt cramped inside the boat and chose to stay with Shen MO at the back of the boat.


    There were people on both the deck and the cabin, so they chose to stay silent and enjoy the scenery.


    In the distance, the green mountains and blue sky were perfectly blended with the gentle waves of theke and the sparkling of the water surface. It was hard to imagine that such a serenendscape concealed such dangerous hazards.


    The distance from Sanshan Ind to West Mountain Ind was very close, only about 4 kilometers if you travelled to the ancient vige of Mingyue Bay on West Mountain Ind.


    However, Uncle Zhao did not dock at Mingyue Bay, but chose to take a roundabout route in the opposite direction, circling for more than ten kilometers before starting to dock near the Great Saint Bay.


    Everyone gradually got off the boat.


    There was not a soul on the shore, and the surroundings were so silent that not even the sound of a bird could be heard, causing everyone to look at each other with apprehension.


    ¡°Uncle Zhao, where are the base staff members?¡± Wu Lili, using a branch as a crutch, was limping near the back of the group. ¡°Uncle Zhao, could you ask a staff member to bring over a car? I can¡¯t walk any further with this leg.¡±


    Old Zhao walked ahead, his strides firm. Without looking back, he responded,<div>


    ¡°Hang on a little longer, we are almost there.¡±


    Zhang Qi raised his voice and asked, ¡°Why is there no one on shore? Where are the safety base employees?!¡±


    ¡°Ahead,¡± Old Zhao¡¯s voice remained steady, while his feet didn¡¯t stop, ¡°We are almost there.¡±


    Everyone felt uneasy, but since they hade this far, they could only continue forward.


    After a while, they arrived at a slope where there were stairs built from bluestone. Everyone followed Uncle Zhao, lugging their luggage along the


    steep slope, growing increasingly weary.


    Soon after Uncle Zhao reached the top of the slope, his figure quickly disappeared from sight on the other side of the hill. By the time everyone struggled to climb up, Uncle Zhao was nowhere to be found.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Someone was dumbfounded.


    Without Uncle Zhao, they were like a ship without a rudder.


    The eighteen people stood atop the hill, gazing down at the vast expanse of houses and trees, but no matter how hard they tried, they couldn¡¯t spot Uncle Zhao!<div>


    Then, suddenly, the scenery in front of them started to vibrate!


    ¡ªThe hill beneath their feet seemed to transform into a dense carpet, rippling after shaking, and then quickly changing from ash-gray to lush green!


    The entire hill was covered in luxuriant green grass as far as the eye could see! The houses and the vegetation had disappeared!


    ¡°Ding! Wee to the Doll Game! The theme of this game is ¡®Friends Gathering.¡¯ The rules are as follows:


    One, refuse the game and be a doll!


    Two, fail the game and be a doll!


    Three, clear the game and win a doll!¡±


    As this familiar narration rang out, everyone on the hill changed their expressions!


    ¡°It¡¯s the Doll Game!¡± Someone yelled in terror, ¡°Why is there a Doll Game here?!¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t the Doll Game only appear in ces where there are dolls?¡±


    Those who had already experienced the game were totally panicked, and those who had not were scared due to the hearsay, their faces turning pale. ¡°Where is Uncle Zhao? Why would Uncle Zhao bring us to a ce like this?¡±


    Wu Lili burst into tears, threw her crutch, and then charged at Zhang Qi, punching and kicking, ¡°You are going to get me killed! I wanted to go to the safety base! I don¡¯t want to y the game!!!¡±


    Zhang Qi¡¯s face turned ashen. As he turned his head towards Shen MO and Bai Youwei, preparing to question them, a soft, cold male voice rings out from behind them ¡ª


    ¡°Oh, miss, please stop. The game is about to start, and attacking the yers is against the rules.¡±


    Everyone turned around at the sound of the voice, seeing a man leisurely walk up the hill.


    When they saw the man¡¯s face clearly, they all collectively gasped!

 Chapter 132 - 132: 132: The Third Inspector

    Chapter 132 - 132: 132: The Third Inspector<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°This was the third Inspector that Shen MO and Bai Youwei had encountered.


    They didn¡¯t know how many Inspectors were part of the game, but so far, each Inspector they had met was extremely unique.<div>


    The first one was a rabbit-headed gentleman. It had a snow-white rabbit head and a delicate adolescent-like body, conversing in such a detached and calm tone, as if it was an emotionless robot.


    The second one was Jin Qiu. Itcked the humanoid form but possessed the tone and temper of a human child. Merry and crafty, bad-tempered, and mischievous, it liked to hide the rules like some kind of prankster.


    The third one was the one right before their eyes.


    They could say that, it was the most ¡°human¡± inspector they had encountered so far.


    Its appearance was simr to that of a blond, blue-eyed male model from a magazine, dressed in aplete white suit, with an overwhelmingly striking and handsome face.


    However, the shocking thing was that it was incredibly tall! Unusually long! Its long arms and long legs were like a character straight from aic book!


    Such an appearance would naturally look good in aic book, but to see it in real life, right in front of them, its impact was indescribable, sending chills down their spines!


    It walked up the hill, standing close to them, even towering over Shen MO, who was the tallest among them, by several heads!


    If Shen MO had a perfect nine-head figure, then this being would have at least a terrifying twelve-head figure.


    ¡°Wee all, I am the Inspector for this game, I hope we can have a pleasant time together.¡± The Inspector said with a smile. There was silence as nobody spoke a word.


    Everyone watched him nervously.<div>


    It was impossible for them to have a pleasant time. They could only hope they wouldn¡¯t die too soon.


    The Inspector¡¯s gaze calmly swept over everyone¡¯s faces, its tone was casual, ¡°There are a total of 18 yers. I wonder who among you will be my friends?¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brows slightly.


    She remembered that the theme of the game was ¡°Sophia¡¯s Meeting¡±, and now the inspector said it wanted to be friends with them. Could it be that the Inspector would also be participating in the game?


    ¡°Ladies and Gentlemen, do you see the long white table down the hill?¡± the Inspector asked.


    Everyone looked where it pointed.


    Unbeknownst to them when, a long table appeared in the field under the hill, covered with a white tablecloth, and there were 18 beautifully crafted ss vases ced on it.


    Each vase did not contain any flowers; it was filled with half a bottle of clear water, which was pure and transparent, reflecting the glow of gold.


    ¡°The theme for this game is ¡®Sophia¡¯s Meeting.¡±¡® The handsome Inspector told them, ¡°Being a part of the meeting requires bringing a beautiful flower as a token of courtesy. Only those who bring me the most beautiful flower will be considered my beloved friends.¡±


    Shen MO asked, ¡°Where are the flowers?¡±


    The inspector pointed in the distance, ¡°Follow the path down the hill, walk through the forest, and you wille upon a ¡®Sea of Flowers¡¯¡­¡±


    It paused slightly, the smile deepening on its face.<div>


    ¡°Four hundred years before the Common Era, the great philosopher Socrates, took his students to an apple orchard, asked each of the students to pick the biggest and best apple. They were allowed to choose only once and they couldn¡¯t turn back on their path. Now, you must do the same. I want you to go into the flower sea, which is home to every variety of flower in the world. Each one of you should bring back a flower, choose only once, and you cannot turn back on your path. In the end, I will select the ten most beautiful flowers from the eighteen and the ones who bring back those flowers will be my friends and will get to partake in Sophia¡¯s meeting.¡±


    Everyone realized the implications.


    It turned out that this was just a pre-selection, and the real ¡°Friend¡¯s meeting¡± had not even started yet.


    ¡°What will happen after bing a friend?¡± Bai Youwei asked, ¡°What will we need to do at the meeting?


    The Inspector turned its sharp, azure eyes towards her, revealing a hint of a smile, ¡°Oh, deardy, that¡¯s a secret, I can only tell my friends.¡±


    So, only those who qualified as ¡°friends¡± would get to know what this meeting was really about..

 Chapter 133 - 133: 133: The Most Beautiful Flower

    Chapter 133 - 133: 133: The Most Beautiful Flower<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Whether they liked it or not, everyone walked down the hillside along a small path, half a meter wide, running through the middle of the grasnd.


    The Inspector stood by the long table, seemingly kindly reminding them: ¡°When making a decision, be resolute and firm, for when the sun goes down, those beautiful flowers will go to sleep.¡±<div>


    Everyone quickened their pace.


    ¡ª The most beautiful flower should, of course, be picked at its most stunning bloom.


    This game seemed quite easy right now, just involving picking a flower. Anyone of normal aesthetic judgment could differentiate between beauty and ugliness. Picking a beautiful flower should be pretty effortless. But, such an apparently easy game had around a 50% elimination rate.


    Of the 18 people, only 10 would remain.


    ¡°In the story of Socrates, the ending was that nobody picked an apple they were satisfied with.


    Shen MO pushed Bai Youwei¡¯s wheelchair, walking steadily through the bushes, his voice as calm andposed as his steps.


    ¡°Some students find a good apple, and because they want to find one even better, they continue moving ahead, only to discover at the end of the orchard, that the first apple they saw was the best. Some students pick the apple they think is the best earlier on, onlyter to find a better one, leading to regrets. They ask Socrates for another chance to choose, and Socrates tells them, life is a one-time irreversible choice.¡±


    They walked into the woods, and the dense branches and leaves darkened their surroundings, making the scent of flowers in the air gradually stronger.


    Shen MO asked Bai Youwei, ¡°What do you think, referencing Socrates, what could be their intention?¡±


    ¡°Their intentions¡­¡± Bai Youwei rested her chin in her palm and contemted, ¡°There are many versions of this little story, choosing apples, wheat ears, trees, all of them essentially teaching us to be cautious when making choices.


    However, I don¡¯t think the Inspector would kindly give us a philosophy lesson.¡±<div>


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Shen MO nodded, ¡°Maybe it is to mislead us, after all, the way to choose apples and the way to choose flowers arepletely different.¡± Choosing a big and good apple, the criteria are clear-cut.


    But selecting the most beautiful flower, ¡°beauty,¡± is a word inherently subjective.


    Bai Youwei thought of the Inspector¡¯s golden hair, blue eyes, and long limbs, and felt ufortable all over, ¡°That guy¡¯s aesthetics must be terrible.¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡°¡­Okay, this isn¡¯t the time to discuss this.¡±


    They walked in the woods for about a quarter of an hour and then out into the open where the fragrance of flowers hit their faces.


    It was a vast valley.


    A long, low depression naturally formed between two mountains¡ªa straight path led into the depths, and the end couldn¡¯t be seen. Both sides were full of colorful flowers!


    Whether it was the snow lotus from the frigid regions or the cactus from the tropics; whether it was the magnolia blooming on the trees or the water lily growing in the water; whether it was the kerria blooming in March or the osmanthus blooming in August! They were all there! There was no scientific reason for it!


    Everyone was stunned by the spectacle before them.


    The seemingly endless sea of flowers left everyone bbergasted!


    ¡°There¡­ are so many flowers¡­¡± Wu Lili gazed in shock, and when her eyes fell upon a bunch of violets just by her side, she couldn¡¯t help reaching out, ¡°Are these flowers¡­ all real¡­?¡±<div>


    ¡°You can only choose once!¡± warned Zhang Qi, frowning.


    Wu Lili froze, turned around, andughed awkwardly, ¡°I know, I just wanted to touch it, I can¡¯t believe these are real flowers¡­


    Still nursing a grudge over her pretending to injure her leg, Zhang Qi ignored her, keeping a straight face and moving on.


    Everyone moved slower, afraid of missing the most beautiful flower.


    Walking and discussing:


    ¡°There are so many flowers¡­ how do we choose the ten most beautiful ones¡­.¡±

 Chapter 134 - 134: 134: King of Flowers

    Chapter 134 - 134: 134: King of Flowers<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    This sea of flowers perfectly embodies the visceral experience of the phrase ¡°a feast for the eyes.¡±


    A ten-meter walk ahead, Bai Youwei saw lotus flowers nestled amidst the florae. With petals as white as snow and gold stamens, clusters of them gracefully stood among the lush, spreading an air of elegance and allure.<div>


    Bai Youwei tugged at Shen Mo¡¯s clothes, asking him to help her stand up. She wanted to pick lotus flowers.


    ¡°Did you choose so quickly?¡± The nearby Wu Lili asked in surprise, ¡°there are still so many flowers up ahead.¡±


    ¡°I just like this one.¡± Bai Youwei leaned against Shen MO and rose, holding onto her crutch. Then she used another crutch to hook the lotus flowers in the thickets.


    She brought them closer, grabbing their thick, sturdy, dark green stems, covered in tiny thorns.


    She thought it would take some effort, but to her surprise, it snapped off easily, and the white lotus fell into Bai Youwei¡¯s hands.


    Everyone else looked at her in disbelief, they couldn¡¯t understand why someone would pick flowers so quickly. Is she not going to consider it? There are still so many beautiful flowers up ahead!


    The next second, Bai Youwei reached out again!


    ¡°You can only pick once!¡± Someone couldn¡¯t help but remind her.


    This time it was not Zhang Qi, but a plump auntie. The way she looked at Bai Youwei only fell short of writing the word ¡°fool¡± on her face.


    Bai Youwei ignored her, reached out and hooked a lotus seed from next to the lotus flower she had just picked, and deftly picked it.


    Shen Mo: ¡®<div>


    ¡°Do you think we can eat the lotus seeds here?¡± Bai Youwei asked him, holding up the fresh lotus seed.


    Shen MO was silent. Then he looked around, indeed, the others were all staring at them agape.


    He looked down and saw Bai Youwei had already begun to peel the lotus seed.


    Everyone else:


    Bai Youwei was sitting in her wheelchair, prying out the tender, plump lotus seeds one by one, and putting them on her skirt. She then started to eat them one by one.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit nd, not as sweet as the ones you picked for mest time.¡± She peeled another one,pletely oblivious to her surroundings, and handed it to Shen Mo¡¯s mouth, ¡°You try.¡±


    Shen MO looked at her with pursed lips.


    Everyone else probably thought this pair of siblings had some issues. They nced at them withplex expressions and stopped paying them attention, each going off to find flowers.


    After holding it out for a while, Shen MO didn¡¯t take it. Bai Youwei, feeling the ache spread her arm, retracted her hand and ate the lotus seed herself, a bit upset.


    Shen MO asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of breaking the rules?¡±


    ¡°I picked lotus seeds, not flowers, there¡¯s nothing to fear.¡± She dismissed it with a pout, ¡°besides, aren¡¯t there still puzzles?¡±<div>


    Shen MO shook his head, unable to deal with her, and continued on ahead.


    Bai Youwei trailed behind in her wheelchair, specting, ¡°Which one are you thinking of picking?¡±


    Shen Mo¡¯s gaze lingered leisurely on the flowers along the path, saying casually, ¡°There are 450,000 species of flowers in the world. Even by a rough estimate, there are five thousand. It¡¯s quite unrealistic to find the ten most beautiful ones from so many, but¡­¡±


    He bent down and picked a brightly pink flower from the thicket. Itsyered petals resembled the skirt of a princess, luxurious and imposing, dripping with vivid color.


    ¡°Peonies have been regarded as the King of Flowers since ancient times. Not many flowers canpare to them. If you choose peonies, there¡¯s likely to be a greater chance of winning.¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­ Elder brother, that makes a lot of sense.¡± Bai Youwei looked at the flower in his hand, ¡°But, it seems like you¡¯ve picked a peony.¡± ¡® Shen MO raised his eyebrows at her, ¡°Is it a peony?¡±


    Bai Youwei: ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s a peony.¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡°Then what does a peony look like?¡±


    Bai Youwei thought for a moment, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s pretty simr to this.¡± ¡°Then that¡¯s fine.¡± Shen MO pushed the wheelchair, ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go back..¡±

 Chapter 135 - 135: 135: Too Much Happiness

    Chapter 135 - 135: 135: Too Much Happiness<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Both of them had picked the flowers they wanted and returned to the foot of the slope without traversing the entire flower sea.


    On the way, Shen MO felt as if his flower was wilting rapidly. It was not an illusion; the time he passed through the woods was only a quarter of an hour, and the outer petals began to show wrinkles, no longer as rxed as they were when he first picked it.<div>


    This was obviously not normal.


    If it were in the real world, such a flower couldst for at least a few hours after being picked, right?


    Shen MO nced at Bai Youwei¡¯s lotus.


    The lotus was still fine,rge and full of size. Water droplets slid on the snow-white petals, shining with crystal-clear light. Bai Youwei said, ¡°Because yours is not thick enough.¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡®


    Bai Youwei pointed to the lotus stem, ¡°The thicker it is, the more nutrients it can provide to the flower, and the longer the flower can maintain its shape. But the stem of the Peony is fine too, let¡¯s hurry up and put the flower in a vase.¡± Shen MO remembered the transparent ss vases on the table were filled with water.


    He asked Bai Youwei hesitantly, ¡°Did you choose the lotus because you noticed that the flowers here would wilt rapidly once picked?¡±


    Bai Youwei: ¡°I don¡¯t foresee the future- I chose the lotus because the first flower I received from a man was a lotus. I picked it because I liked itShen Mo: ¡®


    He remembered helping her pick lotus seedsst time, he did take a lotus back for her to y with.


    Shen MO nced at Bai Youwei and said faintly, ¡°Your attitude is getting better and better.¡±


    Usually, she was just joking around, but now she dared to goof off with him even in the game.<div>


    Bai Youwei lifted the lotus flower andughed, half of her face hidden behind the flower, revealing a pair of clear and mischievous eyes.


    She said with augh, ¡°When I saw the water in the vase, I indeed guessed something like this. After all, flowers and apples are quite different. An apple can be left for a few days without spoiling, but flowers, especially small nts¡­ daisies, evening primroses, tuberose, these will wilt within minutes of being picked.¡±


    Shen MO nodded slightly, ¡°So you knew.¡±


    Not only did she know, she also did not remind others.


    Realizing this, Shen Mo¡¯s brows wrinkled slightly without a trace. Bai Youwei sensed this and asked him, ¡°You¡¯re not ming me, are you?¡± ¡°No,¡± Shen MO replied.


    Eighteen people had to eliminate ten, this rule obviously had a confrontational nature, and Bai Youwei had no obligation to tell everyone the secret to passing the game.


    Shen MO truly did not me her.


    His slight displeasure now stemmed from the increasing feeling of being obliged to submit to the game rules and theck of freedom.


    ¡°It¡¯s good if you¡¯re not ming me.¡± Bai Youwei said lightly, ¡°After all, I¡¯m still young and not mature enough. I don¡¯t want to y mother quite yetShen MO stopped in his tracks, raising an eyebrow at her.


    Was he old then? What was this about?


    Bai Youwei understood his expression, she exined, ¡°I mean like a saint, bing everyone¡¯s motherShen Mo: ¡®<div>


    Bai Youwei: ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡°No reason, I just think you must be very happy.¡±


    So happy that she was looking for fun all the time.


    Bai Youwei smiled, ¡°Because I¡¯ve found the source of happiness- I¡¯


    Shen MO nced at her and continued forward with his Peony flower, replying, ¡°Take it easy, be careful not to turn it into a source of pain.¡±


    Bai Youwei looked around herself.


    How could it be painful?¡­ In such a game, even ying it a hundred times wouldn¡¯t be boring. At least for her, it was much more enjoyable than the real world¡­.

 Chapter 136 - 136: 136: Remove the First Character

    Chapter 136 - 136: 136: Remove the First Character<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    When they returned to the small hillside, the Inspector was leisurely enjoying his afternoon tea.


    An unknown small white round table held delicate English teaware and a golden three-tiered dessert stand. On the first tier was a savoury sandwich, the second tier had scones with cream and strawberry jam, and on the third tier were pretty little cakes.<div>


    Such a non-human creature, surprisingly, was deeply familiar with human customs and was indulging in them.


    Seeing Shen MO and Bai Youwei return, it paused, slightly surprised, before cing down its tea cup and rising graciously from its seat.


    ¡°It appears you two have chosen your flowers already, much sooner than I expected.¡± It nced down at its wrist, though there was no watch to be found, ¡°Hmm¡­ You only took forty-five minutes, less than an hour.¡±


    After finishing, the Inspector looked at them sceptically, asking, ¡°Are you certain you¡¯ve chosen the flowers you wanted?¡±


    Shen MO found all these contrivances in the game rather bothersome, so he didn¡¯t pick up on the Inspector¡¯s prompt and directly asked, ¡°Can we put them in the vases now?¡±


    The Inspector was slightly taken aback, ¡°Of course you can.¡±


    Shen MO ced a peony in one of the vases, and then helped Bai Youwei ce her lotus flower as well.


    The Inspector¡¯s gaze lingered between the two of them, filled with curiosity.


    It approached Bai Youwei, intentionally striking up a conversation: ¡°This lovelydy, your flower is beautiful. It seems you hold the winning ticket for this game, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Bai Youwei replied with a smile, ¡°Not at all, I think his Peony Flower is prettier. After all, the peony is known as the King of Flowers.¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡®<div>


    The Inspector squinted his eyes, sizing up the flower that Shen MO brought back, ¡°Hmm¡­ Miss, you must be mistaken. The peony is a woody nt, and this flower is obviously a herbaceous nt. The flower head is round andrge, the flower color is soft and delicate, the petal texture is tender¡­ This is a variety of peony that was bred a hundred years ago.¡±


    Bai Youwei blinked, ¡°You¡¯re quite knowledgeable. So, is the judging criterion based on the variety of flowers?¡±


    ¡°Of course not, the judging criteria are¡­.¡± The Inspector paused mid-sentence, apparently realizing that Bai Youwei was trying to get information out of him. He chuckled, ¡°Miss, you are very unique. I can smell a familiar scent on you.¡±


    Bai Youwei, with a serious face, responded, ¡°I think yournguage learning system needs to be upgraded. Otherwise, you should know that casually telling a girl such things really makes you sound like a pervert.¡±


    The Inspector: .


    Bai Youwei turned her head to look at Shen MO, raising her arm to him, ¡°Feel this; I have goosebumps. He said it smelled something in my scent. How nauseating! ¡±


    Her soft, white and tender arm glistened. Shen MO casually brushed her hand back, ¡°That is quite disturbing.¡±


    The corner of the Inspector¡¯s eye twitched.


    It was the first time he has ever encountered such entric duo in all these games he has overseen.


    He began, ¡°Miss, I think¡­


    ¡°Could you stop calling me ¡®Miss¡¯ all the time?¡± Bai Youwei interrupted him.<div>


    The Inspector pursed his lips, trying hard to maintain an elegant smile, ¡°Then, how should I address you?¡±


    Bai Youwei thought for a moment, suggesting in a negotiating tone, ¡°How about you drop the first word?¡±


    The Inspector: .


    Shen Mo¡¯s lips curved into an almost imperceptible smile. He lightly ruffled Bai


    Youwei¡¯s hair, ¡°Be careful not to upset him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just joking.¡± Bai Youwei replied innocently, ¡°This time the Inspector¡¯s form is very humanoid, so it seems like we can carry on a conversation like normal people. You can¡¯t me me.¡±


    ¡°Quite an interesting joke.¡± The Inspector replied with a smile, though there was an icy cold look in his sea-blue eyes, ¡°However, we Inspectors did not take on humanoid forms deliberately. We merely choose forms that are convenient for yers to understand.¡±


    Bai Youwei pondered for a moment, ¡°So you¡¯re saying if you were to reveal your true form, it would be an existence difficult for humans to understand?¡±

 Chapter 137 - 137: 137: The Favorite Part

    Chapter 137 - 137: 137: The Favorite Part<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    The words ¡°Show your true form¡± made the Inspector feel as if his grace had been degraded by a hundred notches.


    But the sentence that followed subtly improved his mood.<div>


    ¡°Of course, there are many things in this world that humans don¡¯t understand, aren¡¯t there?¡± replied the Inspector.


    ¡°So, your humanoid appearance, is it really just for convenience?¡± Bai Youwei nced at the tea and pastries on the small round table, and asked candidly, ¡°Does having afternoon tea also serve some kind of purpose?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a small indulgence of mine.¡± It took its seat once again, crossing its legs. The long, slender legs ovepped like two folded sugarcane stems.


    ¡°Engaging in popr human activities allows me to have a more urate understanding of human reactions and changes in the game.¡± It took a delicate sip of tea, smiling elegantly. ¡°A cup of tea, some pastries, they create a cozy and rxed atmosphere, providing a sense of peace and warmth. It¡¯s a soothing end to a tiring day. Quite fascinating, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Bai Youwei said, ¡°Afternoon tea is even more fascinating when enjoyed with others, would you like to give it a try?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Unable to hold back any longer, Shen MO grabbed her shoulder, ¡°Stop fooling around.¡±


    Bai Youwei whispered back, ¡°What if it actually agrees?¡±


    The Inspector chuckled, ¡°What a pity, the time for afternoon tea is always fleeting.¡±


    It wiped the corners of its mouth lightly with a napkin and stood up, adjusting its golden bow tie. As it finished, the small round table, together with the tea set and pastries, vanished as if by a masterful magic trick.


    ¡°Dear youngdy,¡± said the Inspector, his voiceced with condescension tinged with a potential honesty, ¡°If you manage to survive this party, we might have a chance to enjoy afternoon tea together in the future.¡±


    Bai Youwei simply uttered ¡°Oh,¡± and continued her inquiries without changing her demeanor: ¡°So, not only did you monitor this game, but there are other games you are involved in as well? If two or more games were activated at the same time, which one would you go to? Do you have any helpers?¡±<div>


    The Inspector:


    Bai Youwei shrugged, ¡°If you think I am trying to trick you, just pretend I never asked.¡±


    The Inspector gave Bai Youwei a fleeting nce and then directed his gaze towards the distance, ignoring her with a cold demeanor.


    Bai Youwei, barely phased, sneered and muttered to Shen Mo: ¡°I¡¯m sure it has some form of assistance, otherwise how could it handle so many games? It even has time for afternoon tea.¡¯


    ¡°Not necessarily an assistant,¡± Shen MO replied, ¡°There could potentially be more than one body for the Inspector.¡±


    Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, ¡°Yes, there might be multiple bodies for the Inspector¡­ Brother, you are so smart!¡±


    The back-and-forth between the two was indeed noisy, causing slight annoyance to the Inspector. Fortunately, a few individuals emerged from the direction of the forest, which somewhat improved the Inspector¡¯s mood¡ª His favorite part had finally arrived.


    ¡°Tell me quickly, have you picked the flowers you wanted?¡± The Inspector couldn¡¯t wait to inquire from the five individuals who had returned.


    With wilted flower stems in their hands andplicated expressions on their faces, they even appeared to be in pain.


    They had indeed all chosen the most beautiful flowers, but no one had expected that on the return journey, the condition of the flowers would drastically decline with loss of moisture, even the most beautiful of flowers were losing their luster!


    ¡°If they aren¡¯t put in water soon, they¡¯ll wither for good.¡± Bai Youwei remarked coldly.<div>


    Upon hearing the reminder, the people no longer dared to dy, and quickly ced their flowers into a ss vase¡ª


    There were roses, lilies, orchids, tulips¡­ rare King flowers, and the truly beautiful peonies.


    What a pity that all these flowers were withering to some extent. The petals of the peony and rose had lost their vibrancy, instead were fading into a state of decay with a light brown hue..

 Chapter 138 - 138: 138: Green Blanket

    Chapter 138 - 138: 138: Green nket<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Five people stared at their flowers uneasily.


    Their gaze frequently darted towards Bai Youwei and Shen Mo¡¯s flowers¡ª pristine white lotus, dignified Chinese peonies, almost undamaged atop the ss vase¡ªmarkedly contrasting from the rest.<div>


    The atmosphere was stifling.


    Anxiety, impatience, jealousy, and unease tightly wrapped around them like an invisible, restricting their breath.


    Only when someone else returned from the direction of the woods, their flowers wilting gravely, did the gloomy look in the five¡¯s eyes dissipate slightly.


    Among the third batch of returnees, Zhang Qi¡¯s flower stood out.


    He brought back a lush, vibrant cactus, the top of which bloomed a golden flower. Thanks to the nutrients supplied by the cactus, there was no trace of wilt on the flower.


    However, Zhang Qi¡¯s hands were punctured and stained with blood.


    Bai Youwei spected that Zhang Qi must have encountered other returnees on the way and noticed their flowers were wilting. That¡¯s why he came up with this method¡ªit was quick thinking.


    Except for Zhang Qi, the flowers of the third batch were all wilted beyond recognition. Some could not even be identified.


    There was no need forparison. One nce and it was evident who were on Without question, the first two were Bai Youwei and Shen MO, followed by the second batch of returnees. Zhang Qi¡¯s flower could surely make it into the top ten. By this count, only two spots remained¡­


    The Inspector cheerfully said, ¡°Well then, please ce your chosen flowers into the empty vases.¡±


    Zhang Qi ced his flower in the 8th vase.<div>


    The remaining ten vases were still empty.


    Everyone held their flowers tightly, well aware that the moment they inserted their flowers, they were likely to face elimination.


    Being eliminated in the doll game would have dreadful consequences.


    Some had started to tremble¡­


    The Inspector¡¯s grin widened as he patiently repeated, ¡°Everyone, please ce your chosen flowers in the vases.¡±


    No one moved.


    Wu Lili was panicking inside, her eyes kept ncing at others¡¯ flowers as she mentallypared whether she could secure a spot among the top ten.


    The flower in her hand had wilted, just barely maintaining its blooming shape, but its color was bleak. Of course, others¡¯ flowers didn¡¯t look any better.


    She bit her lip and, summoning courage, lifted her flower to ce it into the vase-


    Suddenly, a hand reached out! It grabbed her flower and yanked!


    The wilted petals werepletely shattered!<div>


    Wu Lili¡¯s face distorted instantly with rage as she angrily questioned: ¡°Aunt He! What are you doing?!¡±


    The middle-aged woman, called Aunt He, disregarded her and swiftly inserted her own flower into the vase!


    Wu Lili was incensed to the brink and wanted to smash the other¡¯s vase. However, she found that once the flower was in the vase, she could no longer touch that area, as though there was ayer of transparent shield!


    Everything happened so swiftly, everyone stood in shock.


    Wu Lili gritted her teeth, made up her mind! One hand buried the naked stem of her flower into a vase, while the other armed with a tree branch, swung fiercely at others!


    Instant chaos ensued! Shouts and curses filled the air!


    Some ducked, some fought back. Lazy men, nagging women, weak patients, sneaky kids ¨C everyone turned to enemies together, engaging in life-threatening brawls!


    Vases without flowers were smashed!


    Wu Lili¡¯s branch was long taken away. She huddled on the ground, beaten ck and blue, her vision blurred, her body in agony as if she would be beaten to death in the next second!


    However, all punches and kicks suddenly ceased in one instant.


    She opened her eyes and saw the lush grasnd in front of her curling up like a green nket, revealing moist earth below and plump roots.


    The roots were like raw, white flesh.


    On the flesh was a bright red mouth.


    Mouth filled with countless teeth.


    In those sharp teeth, there were people, one after another, being swallowed alive¡­

 Chapter 137 - 137: The Favorite Part

    Chapter 137: The Favorite Part


    Trantor: 549690339


    The words ¡°Show your true form¡± made the Inspector feel as if his grace had been degraded by a hundred notches.


    But the sentence that followed subtly improved his mood.


    ¡°Of course, there are many things in this world that humans don¡¯t understand, aren¡¯t there?¡± replied the Inspector.


    ¡°So, your humanoid appearance, is it really just for convenience?¡± Bai Youwei nced at the tea and pastries on the small round table, and asked candidly, ¡°Does having afternoon tea also serve some kind of purpose?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a small indulgence of mine.¡± It took its seat once again, crossing its legs. The long, slender legs ovepped like two folded sugarcane stems.


    ¡°Engaging in popr human activities allows me to have a more urate understanding of human reactions and changes in the game.¡± It took a delicate sip of tea, smiling elegantly. ¡°A cup of tea, some pastries, they create a cozy and rxed atmosphere, providing a sense of peace and warmth. It¡¯s a soothing end to a tiring day. Quite fascinating, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Bai Youwei said, ¡°Afternoon tea is even more fascinating when enjoyed with others, would you like to give it a try?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Unable to hold back any longer, Shen MO grabbed her shoulder, ¡°Stop fooling around.¡±


    Bai Youwei whispered back, ¡°What if it actually agrees?¡±


    The Inspector chuckled, ¡°What a pity, the time for afternoon tea is always fleeting.¡±


    It wiped the corners of its mouth lightly with a napkin and stood up, adjusting its golden bow tie. As it finished, the small round table, together with the tea set and pastries, vanished as if by a masterful magic trick.


    ¡°Dear youngdy,¡± said the Inspector, his voiceced with condescension tinged with a potential honesty, ¡°If you manage to survive this party, we might have a chance to enjoy afternoon tea together in the future.¡±


    Bai Youwei simply uttered ¡°Oh,¡± and continued her inquiries without changing her demeanor: ¡°So, not only did you monitor this game, but there are other games you are involved in as well? If two or more games were activated at the same time, which one would you go to? Do you have any helpers?¡±


    The Inspector:


    Bai Youwei shrugged, ¡°If you think I am trying to trick you, just pretend I never asked.¡±


    The Inspector gave Bai Youwei a fleeting nce and then directed his gaze towards the distance, ignoring her with a cold demeanor.


    Bai Youwei, barely phased, sneered and muttered to Shen Mo: ¡°I¡¯m sure it has some form of assistance, otherwise how could it handle so many games? It even has time for afternoon tea.¡¯


    ¡°Not necessarily an assistant,¡± Shen MO replied, ¡°There could potentially be more than one body for the Inspector.¡±


    Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, ¡°Yes, there might be multiple bodies for the Inspector¡­ Brother, you are so smart!¡±


    The back-and-forth between the two was indeed noisy, causing slight annoyance to the Inspector. Fortunately, a few individuals emerged from the direction of the forest, which somewhat improved the Inspector¡¯s mood¡ª His favorite part had finally arrived.


    ¡°Tell me quickly, have you picked the flowers you wanted?¡± The Inspector couldn¡¯t wait to inquire from the five individuals who had returned.


    With wilted flower stems in their hands andplicated expressions on their faces, they even appeared to be in pain.


    They had indeed all chosen the most beautiful flowers, but no one had expected that on the return journey, the condition of the flowers would drastically decline with loss of moisture, even the most beautiful of flowers were losing their luster!


    ¡°If they aren¡¯t put in water soon, they¡¯ll wither for good.¡± Bai Youwei remarked coldly.


    Upon hearing the reminder, the people no longer dared to dy, and quickly ced their flowers into a ss vase¡ª


    There were roses, lilies, orchids, tulips¡­ rare King flowers, and the truly beautiful peonies.


    What a pity that all these flowers were withering to some extent. The petals of the peony and rose had lost their vibrancy, instead were fading into a state of decay with a light brown hue..

 Chapter 140 - 140: 140: The Rules of the Ghost

    Chapter 140 - 140: 140: The Rules of the Ghost<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    The Inspector¡¯s finger lightly tapped in the air, and a long table covered with a whitece tablecloth appeared in the courtyard.


    His finger tapped on the table again, and ten ck cards were seemingly summoned and distributed.<div>


    Bai Youwei received the number 3 card.


    Shen MO is number 4.


    Wu Lili and Zhang Qi respectively got the numbers 7 and 10.


    The numbers on the cards served only as the order for speech, without any reference significance.


    No one knew what other people¡¯s words were.


    Bai Youwei looked at her own card and found it nk, without any words.


    She didn¡¯t know whether it was for confidentiality that the phrases would be revealed only when the game officially started.


    Here, the Inspector began to announce the rules:


    ¡°Ten friends, each of you will receive two sets of different words. You will take turns describing the words you¡¯ve got and, after one round, all ten will vote for the person whose word set is different from their own. The two with the most votes will be eliminated from the game.¡±


    Everyone listened silently, unwilling to miss any detail.


    The slender Inspector stood at the closest end of the table, casting a slender shadow and maintaining an elegant smile as he looked at the faces in front of him:<div>


    ¡°There are three rules that you must pay attention to.


    First, do not use any words from the phrase during the description process;


    Second, do not use foreignnguages, dialects, codes, etc. to transmit information;


    Third, the game will end when there are only yers with the same phrase left. Finally, the winning yers will attend a party in the cabin.¡±


    Shen MO frowned: ¡°There are five spots. If there are not enough yers when the game ends, what should we do?¡±


    ¡°Teammates automatically get resurrected.¡± The Inspector replied with a smile, ¡°yers eliminated during the game are only temporarily eliminated. If their teammates eventually win, they will also get the chance to attend the party.¡±


    After he spoke these words, many people breathed a sigh of relief.


    Because this rule meant that even if they were eliminated, they would not necessarily lose.


    With his blue eyes, the Inspector nced around at people¡¯s faces, ¡°Now, does everyone understand the rules? If you have any doubts, feel free to ask.¡± No one spoke.


    Everyone was still digesting the information they had just received.


    The Inspector raised the corner of his mouth, ¡°Then let¡¯s get started Everyone lowered their heads to look at their own cards.<div>


    Bai Youwei furrowed her brows because her card was still nk.


    ¡°Right.¡± The Inspector suddenly spoke again, ¡°I almost forgot. Before the game starts, I need to exin the Ghost Rules.¡±


    Everyone looked up at him with puzzled expressions.


    ¡°Among you, two people have no words on their cards.¡± The Inspector smiled and said, ¡°The person who got the Wordless Card is the Ghost. The Ghost is free to form alliances with any team, but only one of the two ghosts can survive. The first Ghost to be eliminated does not have the right to be revived.¡± Bai Youwei:


    ¡°Alright, does anyone have any questions now?¡± asked the Inspector.


    Bai Youwei wanted to curse.


    If she asked questions now, wouldn¡¯t it expose her as the ghost?!


    She bit her lower lip, turned her head to look at Shen MO, said nothing, and gazed at him with a pitiful look in her eyes.


    Shen MO slightly raised his eyebrows as if understanding the message in her eyes: Are you the Ghost?


    The game doesn¡¯t allow privatemunication, so Bai Youwei said nothing and turned back with a sullen pout.


    Shen MO now realized: She is the Ghost.


    He lowered his gaze to look at his own card, contemting how he can form an alliance with her.


    ¡°The game begins now¡ª


    The Inspector looked to his right with a smile, ¡°Number 1, please speak first..¡±

 Chapter 140 - 140: 140: The Rules of the Ghost

    Chapter 140 - 140: 140: The Rules of the Ghost<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    The Inspector¡¯s finger lightly tapped in the air, and a long table covered with a whitece tablecloth appeared in the courtyard.


    His finger tapped on the table again, and ten ck cards were seemingly summoned and distributed.<div>


    Bai Youwei received the number 3 card.


    Shen MO is number 4.


    Wu Lili and Zhang Qi respectively got the numbers 7 and 10.


    The numbers on the cards served only as the order for speech, without any reference significance.


    No one knew what other people¡¯s words were.


    Bai Youwei looked at her own card and found it nk, without any words.


    She didn¡¯t know whether it was for confidentiality that the phrases would be revealed only when the game officially started.


    Here, the Inspector began to announce the rules:


    ¡°Ten friends, each of you will receive two sets of different words. You will take turns describing the words you¡¯ve got and, after one round, all ten will vote for the person whose word set is different from their own. The two with the most votes will be eliminated from the game.¡±


    Everyone listened silently, unwilling to miss any detail.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The slender Inspector stood at the closest end of the table, casting a slender shadow and maintaining an elegant smile as he looked at the faces in front of him:<div>


    ¡°There are three rules that you must pay attention to.


    First, do not use any words from the phrase during the description process;


    Second, do not use foreignnguages, dialects, codes, etc. to transmit information;


    Third, the game will end when there are only yers with the same phrase left. Finally, the winning yers will attend a party in the cabin.¡±


    Shen MO frowned: ¡°There are five spots. If there are not enough yers when the game ends, what should we do?¡±


    ¡°Teammates automatically get resurrected.¡± The Inspector replied with a smile, ¡°yers eliminated during the game are only temporarily eliminated. If their teammates eventually win, they will also get the chance to attend the party.¡±


    After he spoke these words, many people breathed a sigh of relief.


    Because this rule meant that even if they were eliminated, they would not necessarily lose.


    With his blue eyes, the Inspector nced around at people¡¯s faces, ¡°Now, does everyone understand the rules? If you have any doubts, feel free to ask.¡± No one spoke.


    Everyone was still digesting the information they had just received.


    The Inspector raised the corner of his mouth, ¡°Then let¡¯s get started Everyone lowered their heads to look at their own cards.<div>


    Bai Youwei furrowed her brows because her card was still nk.


    ¡°Right.¡± The Inspector suddenly spoke again, ¡°I almost forgot. Before the game starts, I need to exin the Ghost Rules.¡±


    Everyone looked up at him with puzzled expressions.


    ¡°Among you, two people have no words on their cards.¡± The Inspector smiled and said, ¡°The person who got the Wordless Card is the Ghost. The Ghost is free to form alliances with any team, but only one of the two ghosts can survive. The first Ghost to be eliminated does not have the right to be revived.¡± Bai Youwei:


    ¡°Alright, does anyone have any questions now?¡± asked the Inspector.


    Bai Youwei wanted to curse.


    If she asked questions now, wouldn¡¯t it expose her as the ghost?!


    She bit her lower lip, turned her head to look at Shen MO, said nothing, and gazed at him with a pitiful look in her eyes.


    Shen MO slightly raised his eyebrows as if understanding the message in her eyes: Are you the Ghost?


    The game doesn¡¯t allow privatemunication, so Bai Youwei said nothing and turned back with a sullen pout.


    Shen MO now realized: She is the Ghost.


    He lowered his gaze to look at his own card, contemting how he can form an alliance with her.


    ¡°The game begins now¡ª


    The Inspector looked to his right with a smile, ¡°Number 1, please speak first..¡±

 Chapter 141 - 141: 141: Detrimental to Social Harmony

    Chapter 141 - 141: 141: Detrimental to Social Harmony<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Bai Youwei was frustrated.


    She was number 3, which meant that she could only receive two pieces of information at the most!<div>


    The ghost identity seemed all right, as it allowed her to ally with any team. But in reality, it was the most dangerous. Without a word to describe, it was easy to be the target of a public vote.


    Number 1 was a slovenly old man, the kind of guy who was always idle, neither working nor doing housework, and who loved bragging around when he was out and leading a muddle-headed life.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    People like him could talk about everything when idle, but when something happened, they would be of no help at all!


    Inspector: ¡°Number 1, have you figured out how to describe it to your friends?¡±


    Number 1 stuttered: ¡°Uh¡­ it¡¯s something¡­ we often use at home.¡±


    ¡ª -Ding!


    Suddenly, a clear sound like the enter key afterpleting the input rang out. A line of words appeared above the old man¡¯s head: ¡°It is often used at home.¡±


    Everyone was staring at him with wide eyes.


    Number 1 was startled, ¡°Why are you¡­why are you all looking at me?¡±


    He raised his head to look above, reached out and touched his head, but found nothing.


    ¡°Number 2, please describe the word on your card.¡± The inspector said.<div>


    Number 2 was a petite and fragile woman, the kind who was mistreated by her inws and abused by her husband but never had the courage to fight back. When her friends and neighbors stepped in to help, she would me them instead, using them of making matters worse and then return to her family,menting her miserable life with no one to turn to.


    Almost all those selected by Uncle Zhao, are set to cause disarray in society.


    Number 2 was terrified, her weak body shivering. She stammered: . it¡¯s used a lot in the summer, and¡­you can, you can hold it to wipe¡­¡±


    Her voice suddenly stopped.


    Number 2 disappeared!


    Roger in front of everyone, she disappeared without warning!


    Inspector: ¡°Number 2 vited the rules and disclosed the words, thus being automatically eliminated. Now we will rece the word, please all of you recheck your new wordsm.¡±


    Bai Youwei raised her eyebrows, flipped open her card and took another look.


    Bai Youwei:


    She remained silent, staring at the inspector.


    He was still feigning a smile, his blue eyes full of malice.<div>


    She suddenly wanted to ask, does the game rule allow the inspector to target the yers like this?


    Why was her card still without words? Got selected as the ghost twice in a


    Inspector: ¡°Number 1, please describe your words¡±


    Number 1, the old man, wore a distressed expression, opened his mouth and said: ¡°It¡¯s something you eat¡­¡±


    His words trailed off, and he added: ¡°But you can¡¯t really eat it.¡±


    Ding!


    Two lines of text floated above number I¡¯s head:


    ¡°It¡¯s something you eat.¡± ¡°But you can¡¯t really eat it.¡±


    Bai Youwei:


    The inspector turned to Bai Youwei and said cheerfully: ¡°Number 3, please describe your word.¡±


    Since number 2 was eliminated, the turn came directly to Bai Youwei after number 1.


    Bai Youwei pursed her lips.


    Number I¡¯s first sentence, ¡°it¡¯s something you eat,¡± suggested that the first association the word gave him was food. As for his second sentence, it should be used to fill a gap, to prevent misunderstanding.


    For example, eating coconut, actually means drinking it; or eating betel nut, which actually means chewing it.


    No matter what word it was, they all had one thing inmon-


    Bai Youwei spoke calmly: ¡°It can be bought at many supermarkets.¡±


    ¨C -Ding!


    A line of words floated above Bai Youwei¡¯s head: ¡°It can be found in many supermarkets.¡± Of course, she couldn¡¯t see the line of words.


    She observed everyone¡¯s reaction.


    When she found that the others had no reaction after hearing her description, she knew that her deduction was correct.


    Perfect¡­.


    She just needs to listen to the remaining seven descriptions calmly. With her brains, she is not afraid that she would not be able to guess the word group.


    After all, she has yed a simr game before..

 Chapter 142 - 142: 142: Who is the Undercover Agent?

    Chapter 142 - 142: 142: Who is the Undercover Agent?<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    In the real world, there¡¯s a game called ¡°Who¡¯s the Undercover¡±, simr to Friend Game, where you eliminate others through describing words.


    The slight difference is that in ¡°Who¡¯s the Undercover¡±, usually one undercover hides among seven or eight yers, whereas Friend Game divides yers into two bnced teams, making the information easily confused and the game more difficult.<div>


    No matter how the rules change, one point must be remembered: Concealment is far better than exposure.


    Correctly describing your own idea is secondary, the most important thing is to quickly guess the other party¡¯s phrase so you can adjust your descriptions ording to the situation.


    Inspector: ¡°yer number 4, please describe your phrase.¡±


    Shen MO nced at Bai Youwei and said indifferently, ¡°Inedible, stic.¡±


    Ding!


    Two lines of text floated above Shen Mo¡¯s head.


    Bai Youwei:


    By putting ¡°Inedible¡± first, was he hinting that his word was different from yer number 1?


    So, when it¡¯s time to vote, should she join him to vote out yer number 1?


    Bai Youwei secretly gritted her teeth.


    No¡­<div>


    She is yer number 3, yer number 2 is already out, if yer number 1 is out, she will be the first to speak in the next round, which would be unfavorable to her.


    At least she needs to ensure that yer number 1 survives this round of voting.


    Inspector: ¡°yer number 5, please describe your phrase.¡±


    yer 5: ¡°Umm¡­ It¡¯s sold in supermarkets, price¡­ not too expensive.¡±


    Next¡ª


    yer 6: ¡°We asionally buy it from the supermarket.¡±


    yer 7: ¡® . . It¡¯s a bit sticky.¡±


    yer 8: ¡°It¡¯s white¡­ well, not quite, there are also other colors.¡±


    yer 9: ¡°This thing¡­ can change shape.¡±


    Finally, it was yer number 10, Zhang Qi, he looked gloomily at yer number 5: ¡°My word is different from yer number 5, this thinges in many types, some are cheap, some are expensive.¡±


    Bai Youwei:<div>


    She was a bit frustrated.


    Inspector: ¡°The first round of descriptions has ended, please point out who you want to vote for.¡¯


    Heads turned, arms were raised.


    The sight of everyone pointing fingers at each other was quite spectacr.


    yer number 1 and yer number 5, voted for Zhang Qi, yer number 10.


    yer number 6, yer number 7, as well as Shen MO and Bai Youwei, all voted for yer number 5.


    yer number 8 voted for Shen Mo.


    yer number 9 abstained, did not vote.


    Every round, two people were eliminated, therefore, yers 5 and 10 were voted out.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Before they could even make a sound, the two of them disappeared instantly.


    Inspector: ¡°Now, let¡¯s begin the second round of description. Please pay attention to the description above each yer¡¯s head. Your description for the second round cannot be the same as the first round, otherwise, you will be immediately disqualified.¡±


    Bai Youwei finally understood. So, that¡¯s what the floating words above her head meant.


    Now there are seven people remaining in the game, their corresponding descriptions are:


    yer 1 It is a kind of food, but you can¡¯t really eat it.


    yer 3¡ªCan be bought in many supermarkets.


    yer 4 Inedible, stic.


    yer 6 asionally bought at the supermarket.


    yer 7 bit sticky.


    yer 8¡ªWhite, but alsoes in other colors.


    yer 9¡ªCan change shape.


    Bai Youwei furrowed her brows in frustration. Excluding her own information, among the remaining 6 clues, there were two groups of words, plus one piece of false information, because there was still one Ghost.


    If the word described by yers 1, 6, and 7 was the same, she could guess that it was something like chewing gum or bubble gum;


    And bybining the descriptions of Shen MO, yer 4, with yers 8 and 9, she could guess it was something like bubble glue or rubber glue.


    But yer number 8 voted for Shen MO, meaning they weren¡¯t on the same team.


    Then, Shen MO and Zhang Qi both voted for yer number 5. Zhang Qi said there were different types, some of which were very expensive. Is there really an expensive type of bubble glue?


    Bai Youwei found it hard to understand.


    This was so frustrating¡­ She had to confirm Shen Mo¡¯s phrase as quickly as possible. Otherwise, how could she continue to y with her brother?


    Meanwhile, The Inspector had already announced the start of the second round:


    ¡°yer 1, please describe your phrase. Remember, do not repeat your description from the first round..¡±

 Chapter 143 - 143: 143: Changing Strategies

    Chapter 143 - 143: 143: Changing Strategies<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    After a round of voting, the atmosphere became much heavier.


    The man at position 1 was no longer nonmittal and pondered very seriously before providing a description:<div>


    ¡°Young people like to eat.¡±


    He mentioned ¡°eating¡± again, so the word from number 1 must be some type of food. Considering he voted for the yer in position 10 in thest round, it should be some kind of cheap food.


    Combining the characteristics he said: a bit sticky, changes shape, favored by young people, Bai Youwei was almost certain the word was chewing gum.


    So, the word that Shen MO got must be very simr, yet quite different from ¡°chewing gum¡±.


    The answer was on the tip of her tongue.


    Bai Youwei felt more confident and rxed.


    ¡°Number 3, please describe your term,¡± the Inspector said.


    She nced at the Inspector, realizing she might be able to change her strategy. After thinking for a moment, she said:


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to say this, but it seems some people here still haven¡¯t fully understood how to y the game¡­¡±


    Everyone was looking at her.


    Bai Youwei hooked the corner of her mouth, and continued, ¡°This game is not about testing yournguage skill. Everyone, don¡¯t forget, there are ghosts in this game. If the two ghosts guess our term, and manage to survive until the end, have you considered the consequences?¡±<div>


    The Inspector said, the game ends when only yers with the same terms are left.


    But what if thest people left were all ghosts? Although the probability was low, it was indeed possible.


    Everyone reacted and simultaneously turned towards the Inspector.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The Inspector nced at Bai Youwei, then politely exined to everyone: ¡°If one ghost survives until the end, they can form an alliance with any team, but if both ghosts survive, it means there are no allies here and the party can¡¯t proceed.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked the middle-aged woman at spot 8 nervously, ¡°What does ¡®unable to proceed¡¯ mean?¡±


    Inspector: ¡°It means, the party is cancelled, everyone is eliminated, and the ghosts win and leave the game. Do you understand now?¡±


    Everyone was immediately nervous, their eyes darting back and forth as they tried to find the ghost hiding among them!


    The goal was achieved, Bai Youwei was satisfied.


    She spoke again: ¡°Do you get it now? We should deal with the ghosts first! The longer we dy, the more information the ghosts get, and they might guess the terms and hide among us! I suggest in this round, we first eliminate the suspected ghost. After all, those eliminated won¡¯t be our own teammates, so I¡¯m sure no one will object, right?¡±


    Herst sentence put down an ultimatum¡ªanyone who objected to her was a ghost.


    Sure enough, although everyone looked doubtful, no one objected in the end.<div>


    The middle-aged woman at position 8 directly asked her, ¡°Who do you think is the ghost?¡±


    Bai Youwei replied, ¡°In the previous round, my description was that ¡®it can be bought at many supermarkets¡¯. Then, Number 6 said ¡®he asionally buys it from the supermarket¡¯, which was a meaningless statement. It was as if he was copying my words, so now I suspect Number 6 is a ghost.¡±


    Number 6 defended hurriedly, ¡°I¡¯m not!¡±


    Bai Youwei pretended not to hear and continued, ¡°Also, Number 4 said ¡®it¡¯s stic¡¯, Number 7 said ¡®it¡¯s a bit sticky¡¯, then Number 9 said ¡®it can change shape¡¯. This statement seems to be thebination of the former two. Thus, I also suspect Number 9.¡±


    Number 9 became indignant all of a sudden, ¡°Stop it! If you can¡¯t analyze, shut up! No one wants to listen to your nonsense!¡±


    Wu Lili at position 7 looked around and whispered, ¡°I don¡¯t think Number 9 is a ghost¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the rush?¡± Bai Youwei smiled with a cocky grin, ¡°Isn¡¯t it normal to be suspected when you don¡¯t describe properly? Just describe better in this round and clear your name, isn¡¯t that easy?¡±

 Chapter 144 - 144: 144 Who is my friend

    Chapter 144 - 144: 144 Who is my friend<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    After she finished speaking, the tense atmosphere slightly eased.


    Indeed, as long as you describe clearly in this round, you can clear all suspicions. Getting angry now wouldn¡¯t help at all.<div>


    Bai Youwei said, ¡°In any case, I hope everyone pays close attention to Number 6 and Number 9¡¯s statementster. Of course, I¡¯ll also pay close attention to what everyone else has to say. As for who the Ghost is, I believe we will have a verdict soon.¡±


    Sparks quickly shed in the eyes of Number 6 and Number 9.


    The corners of Bai Youwei¡¯s mouth slightly curved upwards, revealing a hint of triumph ¡ª she easily threw the contradiction directed towards her back at Number 6 and Number 9, causing them to suspect each other.


    This was mainly because there were not many astute people among those chosen by Uncle Zhao; hence, she could get her way this easily.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m about to start describing¡­¡± Bai Youwei paused for two seconds, then said, ¡°This thing, it¡¯s small.¡±


    Whether it was chewing gum or bubble gum, neither wasrge in size.


    She was confident that this description would not cause any problems.


    The Inspector said, ¡°Number 4, please describe your phrase.¡±


    Shen MO thought for a moment and said, ¡°Its packaging is small, but its actual size will change.¡±


    Bai Youwei smiled inwardly.


    Of course the size of bubble gum would change once it¡¯s blown up.<div>


    Yes, perfect-


    It was now Number 6¡¯s turn.


    Because Bai Youwei had singled him out, he was particrly nervous at the moment, his face as pale as a sheet and covered with sweat.


    ¡°This object¡­ this object¡­¡± He stammered, unable to speak coherently. The Inspector voiced a reminder, ¡°Number 6, please describe your phrase.¡±


    The Inspector¡¯s voice startled Number 6, causing him to sweat even more. Since his youth, he had been reliant on others and never had a proper job even in his thirties. After the doll invasion, he ended up on Sanshan Ind, living aimlessly. When Uncle Zhao chose him to go to the safe base, he was quite pleased at first, he never expected to be forced into the game.


    Fearing that the Inspector would implement some sort ofpulsory measure if he continued to procrastinate, Number 6 stuttered, ¡°This object¡­ it¡¯s soft.¡±


    Number 7 was Wu Lili, who immediately retorted, ¡°Number 4 said earlier that it was stic, and I said it was a bit sticky, so of course it¡¯s soft! Your description is no different from not speaking at all! You¡¯re definitely the Ghost!¡±


    Number 6¡¯s face turned beet red as he quickly shouted, ¡°I¡¯m not!¡±


    ¡°You are the most suspicious!¡± Wu Lili huffed, adding, ¡°My description is that it¡¯s damp.¡±


    Number 8 said, ¡°It¡¯s not too damp¡­ it¡¯s dry when it¡¯s in its packaging.¡±


    Number 9 agreed, ¡°I concur with Number 8¡¯s description and shall add a point. There aremercials of it on TV.¡¯<div>


    The Inspector gazed at them with a smile, ¡°After two rounds of description, I suppose everyone has a clearer judgement. Now, please vote for who you suspect¡ªI¡¯


    Almost everyone voted for Number 6.


    Number 6, panic-stricken, did not vote at all.


    Shen MO voted for Number 1.


    As Bai Youwei found it strange, she witnessed Number 1 and Number 6 disappearing before her eyes. Simultaneously, the Inspector¡¯s voice rang out:


    ¡°The third round of descriptions now begins.¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Bai Youwei¡¯s mind worked quickly, understanding the situation.


    Shen MO was trying to decrease the number of opponents.


    Since each round eliminates two people, it¡¯s not necessary to focus all the votes on one person! ¡­But this strategy could easily make him a target for Number I¡¯s teammate in the next round.


    Now there were five people left in the field, excluding her and Shen MO, they were Numbers 7, 8, and 9.


    Numbers 8 and 9 seemed to be on the same team, while Number 7 might be on Shen Mo¡¯s side. Now, she had to win Number 7¡¯s trust and form an alliance, which meant they could secure a win with a 3-against-2 advantage.


    However¡­


    She really didn¡¯t like Number 7.


    ¡°Number 3, please describe your phrase,¡± the Inspector reminded.


    Bai Youwei furrowed her brow.


    This round was crucial.


    Numbers 8 and 9 had already teamed up. If she couldn¡¯t win Number 7¡¯s vote in this round of statements, she was likely to be voted out.


    She thought for a moment, then said, ¡°I now know who my friend is..¡±

 Chapter 145 - 145: 145: The Angry Number 9

    Chapter 145 - 145: 145: The Angry Number 9<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Bai Youwei turned her head, clearly saying to Wu Lili, ¡°Number 7, listen well to my description, this thing can¡­expand quite a lot.¡± Wu Lili instantly showed a look of understanding.


    Shen MO looked deeply at Bai Youwei.<div>


    Bai Youwei:


    Did I not say it right? Bubble gum can be blown up quite big Inspector: ¡°Number 4, please describe your phrase.¡±


    Shen MO gave Bai Youwei a long, meaningful look, ¡°How big it can get depends on its user.¡±


    Bai Youwei:


    That¡¯s right, if the person blowing the bubble is skilled, has arge lung capacity, the bubble they blow will be bigger Next up was Wu Lili.


    Probably running out of adjectives to use, she agonized for a while before saying, ¡°Some of them¡­ um, some of them have patterns.¡±


    Thedy at number 8 said, ¡°It¡¯s sweet.¡±


    The dude at number 9 grouped with thedy, but still expressed distaste, ¡°Can you think properly before you say anything? It¡¯s not always sweet, is it?¡±


    The Inspector looked at them expectantly, ¡°The third round of descriptions is over, now, please choose who you want to vote for¡ª¡±


    Bai Youwei and Wu Lili didn¡¯t hesitate to vote for number 8.


    Numbers 8 and 9 didn¡¯t hesitate to vote for Shen Mo.<div>


    Shen MO cast a ballot for number 9.


    In an instant, the woman at number 8 and Shen MO at number 4 disappeared.


    Though she knew it was only temporary elimination, and that she also had a jigsaw piece to save herself, Bai Youwei still felt a pang in her heart, her face turned gloomy.


    The Inspector smiled and said, ¡°Only 3 yers left, no more order of speaking, it¡¯s now three minutes of free speaking time, after which will be the final public vote.¡±


    After saying this, it stood leisurely on the side, watching with interest, and didn¡¯t speak again.


    Bai Youwei shot him a cold look, and said indifferently: ¡°Wu Lili, let¡¯s vote for number 9 and finish the game.¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Number 9, on the verge of tearing Bai Youwei apart from across the table, yelled ¡°You crippled idiot! Shut up if you can¡¯t talk properly! All you¡¯ve done from the start is spew nonsense, if I knew earlier, I should have voted you off! ¡±


    This dude was the kind of¡­ young man in his twenties, a drop out, jobless and roaming idly around, picky about everyone, arrogant and crude, with teenage angst mixed with hooliganism.


    Bai Youwei calmly said to Wu Lili: ¡°Do you still remember what number 9 said in thest round? He said he saw ads for this on TV, well, I¡¯ve never seen it, and even if there are, there would be very few.¡±


    Wu Lili nodded solemnly.


    ¡°You¡¯re stupid, aren¡¯t you, number 7?! I¡¯m the one on your team!¡± Number 9 yelled frantically, ¡°It¡¯s sticky, and wet, and there are patterns on it, people on dates often use it, right?! ¡±<div>


    Wu Lili was startled, then looked at Bai Youwei with suspicion in her eyes.


    Bai Youwei immediately cursed in her heart.


    What¡¯s going on here?!


    Chewing gum is sticky and wet to eat, some brands also print patterns on it, people on dates would use it because it clears up oral odors, making kissing less awkward! But you, Wu Lili, are frozen over bubble gum, what¡¯s wrong with you?!!


    Number 9 was still yelling: ¡°Number 7, think about what she¡¯s been saying all along! Don¡¯t let her confuse you, vote for number 3 with me, and we win!¡± Wu Lili looked at number 9, then at Bai Youwei, her expression hesitant.


    Bai Youwei was almost maddened with anger!


    She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she had guessed the word wrong, but at this critical juncture, she couldn¡¯t think of a new word, the only clue she could count on was Shen Mo¡¯s hint: you can¡¯t eat it!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Balloon? Intable Gel?


    She gritted her teeth at Wu Lili, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t be a fool, think carefully again, just now number 8 said this thing is sweet, and number 9 immediately said it¡¯s not always sweet¡­¡±


    ¡°Damn it! It originally has more than one vor!¡± Number 9 yelled.


    Bai Youwei had reached her limit too, she shouted back furiously, ¡°Can this damn thing be eaten?!¡±

 Chapter 146 - 146: Noob Teammate (Extra update for my darling little bunny- kisses)

    Chapter 146 - 146: Noob Teammate (Extra update for my darling little bunny- kisses)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s not edible?!¡± Number 9 audaciously questioned Wu Lili, ¡°Number 7, think for yourself. Is it edible? Aren¡¯t there many vors? I don¡¯t believe you¡¯ve never tried it!¡±


    Wu Lili was dumbfounded, weakly echoing, ¡°¡­it seems, it seems not inedible¡­¡±<div>


    Bai Youwei looked at her incredulously. ¡°You can eat it? You¡¯re not repulsed?!¡±


    Wu Lili hesitated: ¡°¡­Yes¡­lt is quite disgusting¡­¡±


    ¡°The point is it¡¯s not supposed to be eaten! It¡¯s supposed to be used!¡± Bai Youwei maintained Shen Mo¡¯s ¡°dying words¡±: howrge it can grow depends on its user. So, it must be used!


    Upon hearing this, number 9 bursted intoughter, pointing at Bai Youwei and chimed, ¡°See! She has exposed herself, her hint is different from ours! It¡¯s clearly edible! ¡±


    Wu Lili was swayed once more, looking at number 9 with suspicion.


    Noticing an opportunity, Bai Youwei pressed on, challenging number 9, ¡°You said it¡¯s edible, fine! Then tell me how it¡¯s eaten! Who would eat it! And have you eaten it yourself?!¡±


    ¡°So what if I¡¯ve eaten it?¡± number 9 bragged, ¡°Everyone in my family has eaten it. Chew it, tear it, stretch it, so what?!¡±


    Bai Youwei pointed at him, ¡°Vote for number 9!¡±


    Wu Lili raised her hand too.


    The color drained from number 9¡¯s face, and before he could curse, he vanished.


    The Inspector, having seen enough of the drama, pped lightly, ¡°The Ghost has chosen to form an alliance with number 7, bringing all members of number 7¡¯s team back to life.¡±<div>


    Shen MO and Zhang Qi, as well as the earliest eliminated woman number 2, appeared.


    Wu Lili, as if waking up from a dream, looked at Bai Youwei in surprise, ¡°You¡¯re the Ghost¡­¡±


    Bai Youwei didn¡¯t want to engage with her, feeling exhausted. Constant arguing with number 9 had left her throat tired!


    She didn¡¯t realize until now how terrifying it was to have an ipetent team member when hanging out with Shen Mo.


    This Wu Lili was even considering betraying midway!


    If it weren¡¯t for her strident shouting and desperate attempts to turn the tide, by now it would be a showdown between Wu Lili and number 9!


    Given the nature of this game, a IVI situation wouldn¡¯t allow voting, only a fight. Wu Lili had just been beaten up, could she endure a fight with number 9?


    Exhausted, Bai Youwei leaned on Shen Mo¡¯s arm, her forehead against him,


    ¡°What was your word really? It nearly cost me the game¡­¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Shen MO stroked her head with gentle warmth, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter anymore.¡±


    Bai Youwei stayed silent for a while before suddenlyughing gently. ¡°Ah¡­ why didn¡¯t I think of it, it¡¯s that thing.¡±<div>


    Shen MO looked at her, ¡°What thing?¡±


    Bai Youwei chuckled helplessly: ¡°It¡¯s Slime.¡±


    Slimy, wet, slippery soft, highly stic, can berge or small. Zhang Qi¡¯s description fits too, the knockoff Slime dolls are cheap while the authentic Slime dolls are exorbitantly priced.


    As for whether it¡¯s sold in supermarkets, she wasn¡¯t sure.


    After all, a sheltered rich girl like her never had much chance to wander around supermarkets.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Slime, isn¡¯t it?¡± Bai Youwei, holding Shen Mo¡¯s hand with eyes squinted in satisfaction, disying a childlike pride, ¡°Am I not impressive? Even with an empty card I can still win.¡±


    Shen Mo¡¯s lips curled up slightly, ¡°Yes, you are impressive.¡±


    Her eyes curved even more, like a bright crescent moon.


    Shen MO looked at her, strangely warmed by the sight. It was an indescribable feeling, as if a toughened heart was slowly softening, enveloped by a warm current, feeling its gentleness and warmth.


    He didn¡¯t say a word, just lightly stroked her head, then pushed the wheelchair towards the cabin.


    There, their true friends were waiting for them at the gathering..

 Chapter 147 - 147: 147: The Real Gathering

    Chapter 147 - 147: 147: The Real Gathering<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Externally, it seemed just like an ordinary wooden cabin.


    But stepping inside, it has an entirely different charm.<div>


    While it couldn¡¯tpare with a pce, it could definitely pass as a luxury banquet hall¡ª


    The first thing you see upon entering is a beautiful circr dance floor, filled with elegantly dressed guests. At the front, one could see a band ying instruments, and countless waiters were scattered around. Some were holding trays of food, some were pouring wine for guests, and some were doing nothing but standing politely.


    All around was a vista of silks, satins, pearls, and precious stones. It seemed like you were at a banquet hosted by a wealthy person.


    However, this feelingsted only for a second.


    Because everyone realised that whether they were dancing guests, musicians of the band, or the waiters, they all stood still.


    They were all dolls.


    Theughter, conversation, and music here were all artificial.


    It was as if you dressed up the doll puppets in beautiful clothes, moved them into a beautiful house, arranged them in a situational pose, and then coupled it with fitting music¡ª


    It would be mistaken as real.


    The Inspector was sitting at a dining table on the perimeter of the dance floor, gently waving at them.


    The nearby dining tables were all filled with doll puppets, only the table where the Inspector sat was empty.<div>


    When the five of them went over, they saw six chairs, one of which was upied by the Inspector, leaving five remaining.


    Each of them understanding the situation well, they didn¡¯t need to ask any questions and just found a spot to sit down.


    The moment they sat down, the music stopped.


    Lifting their heads, they noticed all the dolls around were looking at them¡ª


    The dancing ones, the musicians, the ones serving wine, and even the ones sitting on the other chairs. They all had turned their heads, some even twisting their necks 180 degrees, staring straight at their table!


    Everyone was scared stiff, their faces turning pale, with chills shooting up their foot-soles and hand-palms.


    The banquet hall was so tranquil that it was eerie.


    The doll puppets gazed silently, like a terrifyinglyyered cloud enveloping


    everyone.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The Inspector, however, remained his usual polished and courteous self, wearing a smile. ¡°My friends and I wee you all here. We hope we can be friends.


    There was no response.<div>


    If the price of friendship was to be a doll and stay here, it would probably be their eternal nightmare.


    Bai Youwei, however, seemed exceptionally brave. She nced at the nearby tables and asked, ¡°These tables are all for six people, but only five dolls are sitting there. Are they yers who lost the game?¡±


    The Inspector¡¯s blue eyes twinkled slightly, and he responded with a smile: ¡°Indeed. Friends who lose the game stay behind. The gathering of friends never ends.¡±


    Bai Youwei asked again: ¡°Do you have any friends in the outside world?¡±


    The Inspector hesitated.


    ¡°No, right?¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°With your way of treating friends, even if you had friends, you would definitely fall out with them.¡±


    The smile on the Inspector¡¯s face faded a bit: ¡°Miss, I admire your sense of humour, but in the game, it is better to avoid making jokes.¡±


    ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m joking?¡± Bai Youwei looked surprised, ¡°I clearly told you the truth. Probably the game system also thought you were pitiful for not having friends and decided to assign you a ¡®friends game¡¯ to oversee. Ah- I just realized that the system is quite considerate.¡±


    The Inspector¡¯s expression twisted a bit, seeming to be grinding his teeth: ¡°The friends game is my masterpiece, wless, and it has shown countless valuable data! The system is just¡­¡±


    All of a sudden, he fell silent.


    Bai Youwei and Shen MO almost simultaneously voiced out: ¡°Just what?¡±


    The Inspector looked at them for a moment. Gradually, the annoyance faded, and a smile returned to his face.


    Almost as if he couldn¡¯t help but chuckled out: ¡°Ha! Interesting humans, but just abination of water, protein, inorganic substances, and enzymes. Are you that curious to know the answer?¡±


    All five of them at the table stared at him, their eyes filled with fear, hatred, and endless confusion.


    What exactly is this doll game?


    The Inspector spread out the two decks of cards on the table and chuckled:


    ¡°y this game with me then, and see whether you have the chance to get the answer from me..

 Chapter 148 - 148: 148: Killing the Inspector

    Chapter 148 - 148: 148: Killing the Inspector<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Two decks of cards, one white and one ck.


    The white card has ¡°Truth¡± written on the back.<div>


    The ck card has ¡°Dare¡± written on the back.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    It doesn¡¯t take a genius to figure out that the game they¡¯re ying is ¡ªTruth or Dare.


    This is indeed a popr game yed at gatherings among friends.


    But would the game of Truth or Dare in this Doll Game be the same as in the real world?


    Five participants stared at the cards, each with a different expression. Some lost in thought, others visibly distressed, some silently praying, some weeping uncontrobly¡­


    The Inspector took note of everyone¡¯s expressions.


    ¡°I assume everyone here has yed this before?¡± he said, smiling at the five participants, ¡°If so, I won¡¯t bother going over the rules¡­¡±


    ¡°Maybe you should,¡± Bai Youwei proposed nonchntly, raising her hand. ¡°I haven¡¯t yed this before.¡±


    The Inspector raised an eyebrow at her, knowing this yer to be particrly troublesome.


    With an innocent look on her face, Bai Youwei blinked, ¡°I really haven¡¯t yed because I don¡¯t have any friends to y this game with.¡±


    ¡°¡­Oh, no need to be upset, miss.¡± The Inspector replied with a slight coldness in his smile. ¡°You¡¯re always wee at our friend gatherings. As long as you¡¯re here, we will always be friends.¡±<div>


    She humphed, ¡°I¡¯d rather not. I don¡¯t have any interest in these outdated games. ¡±


    The Inspector:


    Shen MO tightened his grip on Bai Youwei, signaling her to stop messing around, and said to the Inspector, ¡°Please exin the rules.¡±


    The Inspector gave a faint smile as his gaze swept across their faces, then he pushed the ck and white cards forward ¡ª


    ¡°There are a total of 12 cards here, 6 white and 6 ck. Each participant will receive one white card and one ck card. You need to write the truth question on the white card and the dare challenge on the ck card. Once that¡¯s done, we can start ying.¡±


    He picked up a white card and a ck card with his two hands, and continued:


    ¡°Starting with me, we take turns clockwise. You can choose either Truth or Dare, but keep this in mind ¨C


    After two consecutive rounds of Truth, the third person must choose the ck


    Dare card, otherwise, you¡¯ll need two Truth questions to offset one Dare instance.


    Simrly, after two rounds of Dare, the next person must choose the white


    Truth card, otherwise, you¡¯ll need two Dare instances to offset one Truth question.¡±<div>


    Once all 12 cards are consumed, the game ends.¡±


    After the rules were exined, a pen appeared in everyone¡¯s hands.


    The Inspector had one too.


    Twirling the pen in his hand, he said with a smile, ¡°Friends, it¡¯s time for us to start writing the questions.¡±


    Bai Youwei spun the pen even faster than him, looked around, and asked, ¡°Can I write whatever I want?¡±


    The Inspector replied, ¡°You can write anything, but I must remind everyone ¨C if you can¡¯t answer a Truth question orplete a Dare challenge, you will be eliminated immediately.¡±


    Bai Youwei: ¡°What if we manage to do all of them?¡±


    Inspector: ¡°That card will be consumed and the game will continue.¡±


    Bai Youwei: ¡°What if there are no cards left?¡±


    Inspector: ¡°The game will end.¡±


    Bai Youwei: ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡±


    Inspector:


    Without looking at the Inspector, Bai Youwei lightly tapped the table twice, smiled ambiguously at everyone, and said:


    ¡°Listen here, I¡¯m not looking down on anyone, but some of us should realize our worth and act ordingly. I¡¯ll make it clear right now.


    In the first round, we lost eight people, in the second round, we lost five ¡ª do you really think he¡¯ll let us off easy in the final round? If you want to end this game, do exactly as I say. On each ck Dare card, write the challenge to¡ª Kill the Inspector of this round..¡±

 Chapter 149 - 149: 149 A Deadlock

    Chapter 149 - 149: 149 A Deadlock<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    The two women on the scene turned pale first.


    Wu Lili eximed, ¡°But! The person who cannotplete the Dare will be eliminated! ¡±<div>


    How could killing the Inspector be possible?!


    ¡°Are you really that naive or are you just pretending?¡± Bai Youwei rolled her eyes in annoyance, ¡°Of course this is written to eliminate the Inspector! We have 5 people, just have all 5 cards to write this, and the probability of it drawing is up to 83%. As long as it can¡¯t be done, it will be immediately eliminated, or if it¡¯s ruthless, it will eliminate itself, and without the Inspector, the game ends naturally. Understand?¡±


    Wu Lili panic and shook her head, ¡°No, no, no ¡­ we can¡¯t do this! It¡¯s too risky! What if it didn¡¯t draw and we drew it? I think we should not write anything too outrageous, right? Um ¡­ just, just write something casually, do a few push-ups, or run a fewps, as long as we can finally consume all the cards, can¡¯t we end the game? Why risk it?¡±


    Bai Youwei had a headache andined while holding her forehead: ¡°ying games with this kind of person is simply torture, Inspector, can you pay a little attention to the user experience when you design games in the future? At least match some yers ofparable ability.¡±


    Inspector:


    It said, ¡°The existence of the game is not to cater to your experience.¡±


    The tone was a bit resentful.


    Bai Youwei retorted: ¡°Then what is it for?¡±


    The Inspector shut his mouth coldly, refusing to be taken by surprise.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Shen MO, on the other hand, exined to Wu Lili: ¡°Trying to end the game by consuming cards is not feasible, because apart from the five ck cards we wrote, there is a sixth ck card written by the Inspector which will definitely be a task we can¡¯tplete.¡±


    Wu Lili said: ¡°But it¡¯s just one card, we may not necessarily draw it, right?¡±<div>


    ¡°Can¡¯t you shut up?¡± Zhang Qi couldn¡¯t stand it any longer, ¡°Didn¡¯t you understand what they meant? As long as the Inspector¡¯s ck card is not eliminated, the game will go on! You will draw it sooner orter!¡±


    Wu Lili was still not giving up: ¡°Maybe it will draw it itself? Wouldn¡¯t that be good as long as it draws its own card?¡±


    Zhang Qi was taken aback and speechless for a moment.


    But Bai Youwei found it amusing.


    ¡°If¡­¡± She narrowed her eyes slightly and said with a faint smile, ¡°It writes on that ck card, ¡®Kill the other yers¡¯, then wouldn¡¯t the oue be the same even if it drew the card itself?¡±


    Everyone immediately fell silent.


    If a yer draws it, the yer will be eliminated because it can¡¯t be done;


    If the Inspector draws it, killing the other yers would be easy.


    This was a dead end.


    Unless they can eliminate the Inspector before drawing this card, it¡¯s a death sentence in any case!


    Zhang Qi clenched her teeth fiercely, grabbed the pen and said: ¡°I trust you! Kill the Inspector! ¡±<div>


    As she finished, she quickly began writing on the ck card.


    Both Wu Lili and the second woman, who had just flubbed during the game, hesitated for a moment and then picked up the pen and began to write in silence.


    Bai Youwei and Shen MO also finished writing quickly.


    Next, they need to write the Truth on the white side of the card.


    After all, they were on the line between life and death now, so everyone wrote down some nd questions, not really interested in prying into others¡¯ secrets.


    On the contrary, Bai Youwei thought for a long time before she slowly started to write.


    After all the questions were written, the 12 cards returned to the center of the table, the order was shuffled, the white cards and ck cards were separated on both sides, face-down.


    The Inspector sat at the table, interlocked his hands, smiled, and watched them: ¡°So, shall we start now?¡±


    ¡°Could we wait a moment?¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Before we start, there are some things I want to say in advance..¡±

 Chapter 150 - 150: 150: Detailed Explanation

    Chapter 150 - 150: 150: Detailed Exnation<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Oh?¡± The Inspector was no longer surprised by her unconventional behavior, his gaze briefly drifted over her face, ¡°If it¡¯s something important, we might as well¡­ lend our ears, right?¡±


    Bai Youwei: ¡°Whether you listen or not doesn¡¯t matter, but it would be better if they all listened.¡±<div>


    The Inspector, wearing an emotionless smile, gestured for her to continue.


    ¡°Zhang Qi, Wu Lili, and you¡­ what¡¯s your name again?¡± asked Bai Youwei to the slender woman sitting next to her.


    The woman replied timidly: ¡°¡­ My name is Zhu Xiaofen.¡±


    Bai Youwei nodded indifferently, ¡°Alright then, Zhang Qi, Wu Lili, and Zhu Xiaofen, listen to me. We only get one chance to clear this round. We must each choose ¡®Truth¡¯ to use up all the white cards, forcing it to pick a ck card in the next round. Do you understand what I mean?¡±


    All three of them nodded.


    ¡°Good, if you understand, I¡¯ll continue.¡± Bai Youwei continued, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve written on the ck cards. But in any case, if you do as I said, there is an 83% chance that we will survive and leave this ce, and all five of us will make it. But if¡ª¡±


    Her voice took a cold turn, ¡°If anyone fails to follow my instructions, this strategy will likely fail. So if anyone ends up dead, don¡¯t me me. me the person who couldn¡¯t cooperate~¡±


    Zhang Qi spoke up, ¡°I wrote exactly as instructed!¡±


    Wu Lili quickly added, ¡°I¡­ I did too. I wrote it exactly as requested!¡±


    Zhu Xiaofen: ¡°¡­ I did too.¡¯


    ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t quite trust you, but it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Bai Youwei said indifferently, ¡°Now, let me exin the steps in detail.<div>


    There are two critical points in the game. The first is the order. The Inspector is first, and he will certainly choose ¡®Truth¡¯ to expend the white cards.


    The second is the rule that a ck card must be chosen after two rounds of white cards. My brother will take a ck card once, leaving five white cards, which are exactly enough for the four of us.¡±


    Zhang Qi blurted out, ¡°But doesn¡¯t that mean your brother will die?¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°My brother has a way to survive, you don¡¯t need to worry about that.¡± Bai Youwei did not exin about the puzzle piece and said lightly, ¡°After my brother takes a ck card, I¡¯ll take a white card, Zhu Xiaofen will take a white card. By the game rules, after two rounds of white cards, a ck card must be chosen unless two white cards are burnt. So, Wu Lili will use two white cards, and thest white one will be used by Zhang Qi, using them all up¡ª¡±


    After finishing her exnation in one breath, she let out a sigh, ¡°I¡¯ve exined in such detail, if anyone still doesn¡¯t understand, I really can¡¯t do anything.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Zhu Xiaofen asked with trepidation, ¡°You said earlier that the Inspector has an 83% chance to draw, but what about the remaining 17%? What if¡­ if it doesn¡¯t draw¡­ what should we do¡­?¡±


    Bai Youwei asked her, dumbfounded: ¡°Do you think ying Truth or Dare is about probability?¡±


    Zhu Xiaofen looked nk.


    Bai Youwei: ¡°The point of Truth or Dare is to see who has more courage! If you are afraid to take even a 17% risk, then why bother ying Truth or Dare? Why don¡¯t you just stay here and be its friend- I¡¯


    Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t be bothered to say more, she yawnedzily and said to the


    Inspector, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve said all I need to say, we can start the game now.¡±<div>


    The Inspector examined everyone quite interestingly, and atst, his gaze fell on Bai Youwei¡¯s face, he smiled and said, ¡°Your method could work, but¡­ I don¡¯t trust these people to write exactly as you instruct. But you¡¯re correct, the game of Truth or Dare is all about courage. So, I¡¯ll bet with you too, I¡¯m betting that¡­ due to fear, doubt, selfishness, and ignorance, they will not follow your instructions.¡±


    Bai Youwei sneered: ¡°If they won¡¯t follow then so be it, either way, I¡¯ve written it. You will draw it..¡±

 Chapter 151 - 151: 151 Who Wrote This

    Chapter 151 - 151: 151 Who Wrote This<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    The Inspector silently watched Bai Youwei, then didn¡¯t say anything. He indifferently withdrew his gaze and announced, ¡°Let the game begin.¡±


    Following the rules, the Inspector was positioned at the starting point, which made him the first to y.<div>


    He lightly tapped his fingers on the table,ughing, ¡°Five ¡®Bombs¡¯, how frightful¡­ In that case, I will choose a Truth card.¡±


    He randomly selected a card from the pile of Truth cards and gently turned it over.


    The sentence on the card read:


    [Truth: What is your greatest weakness?]


    The Inspector raised an eyebrow slightly, curiosity reflected in his eyes as he looked at them.


    Shen MO said indifferently, ¡°I wrote that.¡±


    The Inspector reacted with a slight smile, ¡°Hmm, a good question.¡±


    For ordinary individuals, answering the question would be easy, and not being able to answer wouldn¡¯t lead to disqualification.


    However, for the Inspector, it was quite a private matter. Once an answer is given, it leaves a vulnerability for the yer to exploit, especially when the Dares deck hides a task to ¡°Kill the current Inspector¡±.


    By telling the truth, he could potentially lose his life.


    But if he didn¡¯t answer, he would be disqualified.<div>


    The Inspector pondered for a moment, then replied, ¡°My biggest weakness is the system. The system grants me power, but it also limits my freedom and determines my existence.¡±


    He looked up at Shen MO, a smirk hanging on his lips, ¡°If you want to ask what the system is, sorry, that¡¯s a second question.¡±


    Shen Mo¡¯s eyes grew icy cold.


    ¡°As per your n, you would choose a Dare card next, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± The Inspectorughed, ¡°It¡¯s your turn now, I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    Shen MO nced at the six Dare cards, didn¡¯t hesitate for long and chose one, flipping it over¡ª


    [Dare: Do you dare to pick a flower from the courtyard?]


    Shen MO paused for a second.


    Not just him, everyone else stopped too.


    Bai Youwei quickly looked at Zhang Qi, Wu Lili, and Zhu Xiaofen, ¡°Who wrote


    The Inspector definitely didn¡¯t write this!


    The Inspector would only want to kill them, he would never set such simple tasks!<div>


    Surprise and confusion appeared on Zhang Qi and Wu Lili¡¯s faces, while Zhu Xiaofen turned pale. Realizing everyone¡¯s gaze was towards her, she finally admitted, ¡°It¡­lt¡¯s me, I wrote it.¡±


    ¡°Hey! Why would you write something like this?¡± Wu Lili immediately became agitated.


    ¡°1¡­1 was afraid that the Inspector wouldn¡¯t draw it, and then¡­ and then one of us would have to¡­¡± she exined in panic and insecurity, ¡°Now that your brother has drawn it, it shouldn¡¯t matter, right? As long as there are 4 out of the remaining 5 Dare cards that followed the assignment, we still have an 80% chance, right?¡±


    As she said this, she looked at Bai Youwei imploringly, ¡°Even though I didn¡¯t follow instructions¡­ your brother was saved because of it. So¡­ It hasn¡¯t made any difference right?¡±


    Bai Youwei sneered, ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is, I should be thanking you?¡± Zhu Xiaofen shook her head awkwardly, ¡°No¡­ That¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I make myself clear before? My brother can save himself. No matter what card he draws, he won¡¯t die. What you did only jeopardize your own chance of survival, and it means nothing else.¡± Bai Youwei was too weary to get angry, then she added, ¡°Never mind, do as you please. You can¡¯t wake a fool.¡±


    The Inspector gently reminded Shen MO, ¡°Then, please begin your dare.¡±


    After two seconds of silence, Shen MO stood up from his seat and walked towards the main door of the banquet hall.


    The human-like dolls inside the hall all spun their heads to watch him as faint and fluctuating voices echoed in the air: ¡°Come back¡­ Come back to us¡­¡± ¡°Be our friend¡­ ¡°Join the party, y with us¡­¡±


    ¡°Come back¡­¡±


    Shen MO ignored them, pushing open the door and walked straight out into the courtyard.


    After a while, some sort of a beast¡¯s roar echoed from outside..n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

 Chapter 152 - 152: 152: The Flower You Want

    Chapter 152 - 152: 152: The Flower You Want<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Bai Youwei¡¯s face instantly changed.


    She red fiercely at the Inspector, ¡°What¡¯s going on outside?!¡±<div>


    ¡°What else could it be besides flowers?¡± The Inspector smiled slightly, not answering her question.


    Bai Youwei bit her lip, casting a gloomy look at the other three. ¡°If something happens to my brother, none of you will survive! I may not kill the Inspector, but I have plenty of ways to kill you all!¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t write that card!¡± Wu Lili quickly pointed to Zhu Xiaofen beside her.


    ¡°She wrote it! It has nothing to do with us. If anyone is to me, me her!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know the term ¡®disced anger¡¯?¡± Bai Youwei said with a cruel smile, her eyes cold as ice. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t survive either. We¡¯ll all be burying my brother!¡±


    ¡°What the hell is wrong with you?! Are you insane?!¡± Wu Lili was both angry and frustrated. ¡°Crazy!!!¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± Zhang Qi finally spoke out of irritation. ¡°Let¡¯s follow the rules first!


    There¡¯s still an 80% chance if the remaining ck cards are valid!¡±


    For some reason, a hint of panic shed in Wu Lili¡¯s eyes. ¡°What¡­ what if they¡¯re not?¡±


    Zhang Qi was taken aback before he exploded in fury. ¡°Didn¡¯t you write as instructed?! What the fuck did you write?!¡±


    Wu Lili could only cry harder at his yelling, sobbing as she exined. ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­<div>


    I followed the instructions, but maybe, maybe she and her brother didn¡¯t!¡±


    Zhang Qi didn¡¯t trust her anymore, questioning, ¡°Did you write ording to the instructions or not?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did, I really¡­ really¡­¡± Wu Lili kept nodding as she cried.


    ¡°You better have!¡± Zhang Qi threatened ominously. ¡°If not, even if I die, I¡¯ll drag you down with me!¡±


    Wu Lili was both startled and scared, covering her face as she cried non-stop.


    Outside, the sounds of shouting and fighting were bing louder. The heavy thuds were unnerving, giving the impression of an intense battle even without seeing it.


    Bai Youwei felt a tightness in her heart.


    She believed that Shen MO would be alright, but her heart was beating out of control.


    She and Shen MO held puzzle pieces that would grant immunity and allow them to immediately opt out of the game.


    But right now, themotion outside was only escting. Clearly, Shen MO had chosen not to use his puzzle piece, and he was up against something¡­ Just as her mind was filled with distress, a pink shadow suddenly crashed in!


    Bang!<div>


    The thing fell in the middle of the dance floor, knocking down several mannequins!


    All of a sudden, Bai Youwei found the room very noisy. The mannequins stood silent, but voices filled the air, soft and elusive, incessant¡ª


    ¡°He did it! He did it!¡±


    ¡°Hepleted the great adventure! ¡­¡±


    ¡°Look, he killed the man-eating flower of his friend!


    ¡°He really did it¡­


    The Inspector pped his hands together, and the voices gradually faded away like a receding tide.


    Shen MO walked in from outside.


    His eyes were dark and collected. His T-shirt was torn by something, his arm stained with splotches of blood, his hair damp with sweat and somewhat disheveled. Despite this, he didn¡¯t seem flustered at all, but rather carried an air of a triumphant hero.


    He walked in steadily, reached down to pick up the twitching thing in the dance floor, gave it a light swing, and tossed it in front of Zhu Xiaofen.


    ¡°Your flower,¡± Shen MO said tly.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    It was a flower with a thick stem like an elephant trunk, a dark green stem, and a pink bud, precisely the kind they saw when they entered the yard.


    At the moment, the flower bud was half open like a twisted nket, revealingyers uponyers of teeth oozing with a light green fluid.


    Zhu Xiaofen could hardly utter a sound. She was terrified, curling her legs up and crying incessantly, as if fearing the next moment the man-eating flower would suddenly jump up and bite her!


    By now, Shen MO had settled back in his seat..

 Chapter 153 - 153: 153: Too Young at That Time (Extra update for the Big Boss Mr. Heartless)

    Chapter 153 - 153: 153: Too Young at That Time (Extra update for the Big Boss Mr. Heartless)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Bai Youwei reached out to wipe the blood off his face.


    There were several red marks on Shen Mo¡¯s face, like they had been scraped by a sharp de. Although they had already scabbed over, the beads of blood that had seeped out still lingered on his face.<div>


    After wiping a few times, her hand was smeared with blood. Shen MO grabbed her hand to stop her from continuing.


    ¡°You¡¯ll dirty your hand.¡± He said.


    Bai Youwei nonchntly wiped her hand on his clothes.


    Shen Mo: ¡®


    What¡¯s the point of you wiping my face then?


    Her small hands nervously roamed his body, ¡°Are you injured anywhere?¡±


    Shen MO didn¡¯t hide anything and honestly replied, ¡°I was bitten on the shoulder, but it doesn¡¯t hurt much now.¡±


    Bai Youwei immediately pulled open his shirt to look.


    His left shoulder indeed had arge bite mark. The teeth of the man-eating flower were like shark teeth,yered one upon another, biting into Shen Mo¡¯s shoulder. The ring of teeth marks bloomed like a flower, bloodied.


    Luckily, the wound was slowly healing.


    It seemed worth it to venture into the maze. With his constitution improving like this, unless he encountered a fatal injury, he wouldn¡¯t need to rely on the frog¡¯s mud.<div>


    Nevertheless, Bai Youwei turned her head and red fiercely at Zhu Xiaofen.


    ¡°So you are yers who came out of the maze.¡± The inspector sat to one side, smiling as he watched them, ¡°It¡¯s quite rare. It has been a long time since I saw someone walk out of the maze alive.


    Bai Youwei retorted with annoyance, ¡°You¡¯re holed up in this little corner all day, unable to go out. How many people can you possibly see? The less you see, the more peculiar it bes!¡±


    The Inspector:n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Enough.¡± Shen MO stopped her from further provoking the inspector, ¡°Choose a card, let¡¯s end this game.¡±


    Bai Youwei pouted, her eyes ncing over the white cards on the table. She casually chose one and flipped it over:


    [Truth: Speak about one bad thing that you have done.]


    ¡°Wow¡­ who wrote this? It¡¯s so unoriginal.¡± Bai Youweiined. No one at the table made a sound.


    Bai Youwei didn¡¯t pay it any mind, leaning on her hand in thought.


    ¡°Why are you silent? Can¡¯t answer?¡± The inspector said with ill intent, ¡°You can choose two dares to cancel out this truth.¡± Bai Youwei nced at him, ¡°And if I pull out all the flowers in your yard?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± The inspector asked, ¡°Can you?¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­¡± Bai Youwei closed her eyes, ¡°Let me think first. I¡¯ve done so many bad things but I¡¯m not sure which one to pick.<div>


    Everyone:


    Shen Mo: ¡°Then, please tell us the worst one.¡± Bai Youwei red at him disapprovingly, ¡°Are we still on the same side?¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± Shen MO smiled, ¡°That¡¯s why I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Only then did Bai Youwei reveal a satisfied smile and graciously said, ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll talk about one-


    When I was about 14 years old¡­ or maybe 13, I don¡¯t remember exactly, my mother hired a very annoying family doctor who came over twice a week. I asked her to fire him, but for some reason, she handed him arge sum of money aspensation after she dismissed him!


    I was furious! So, I secretly used her cell phone to send him a few suggestive messages¡ª


    ¡®Did you receive the money I sent you? I can offer you a better life if you leave that woman.¡¯


    Then I anonymously reported him to the hospital where he was assigned.


    After that, things began to heat up. The doctor¡¯s wife discovered the messages and thought her husband was being kept by my mother. She made a scene at my mother¡¯spany, and even reporters showed up! It took a lot of effort for my mom to resolve this.


    The money the family doctor got from my mother was all taken by his wife, and his medical license was revoked. Well, my mother suspected me, but she had no proof, so, that¡¯s about it.¡±


    Bai Youwei looked back on the past and felt a sense of nostalgia: ¡°Now that I think about it, it doesn¡¯t seem that bad, right? I was young then.. If it was now,


    I could have done it even better-

 Chapter 154 - 154: 154: Heartfelt Words

    Chapter 154 - 154: 154: Heartfelt Words<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Zhu Xiaofen couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°She¡¯s only in her teens, how could she think of such vile ways to torment people? She has no grudge against the doctor, and how could she even use her own mother? When I was her age, I was already helping with housework. You can¡¯t spoil children. Otherwise, it¡¯ll cause serious problems.¡±


    Bai Youwei gave her a cold nce, then let out augh devoid of warmth.<div>


    ¡°Wu Lili, I find the flower on the ground rather beautiful. Would you hand it to


    Wu Lili shook her head in fear, ¡°¡­I-I-I-I-I dare not pick it up.¡±


    Bai Youwei said, ¡°Alright, if you don¡¯t pick it up, I¡¯ll have my brother beat you.¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡®


    With tears in her eyes, Wu Lili bent down and tremblingly picked up the flower from the floor.


    To be precise, she cradled it, because the torn stem resembled a thick, bulky elephant trunk and the bud itself was quiterge, making it heavy enough to pull downwards.


    As she handed it over, Shen MO extended his hand to stop her.


    He turned to Bai Youwei and asked, ¡°Can you handle it?¡±


    Bai Youwei: ¡°I¡¯ve gotten a lot stronger.¡±


    Shen MO thought about it, knowing that she wouldn¡¯t quit unless she had her say. So he let go and sat down.


    Grasping the stem, Bai Youwei didn¡¯t hesitate for even a second before she swung it directly at Zhu Xiaofen¡¯s face!<div>


    ¡ª So, this is it.


    This hit was even more powerful than a p!


    Zhu Xiaofen screamed in pain and fell backward! She and the chair crashed to the ground!


    She seemed to return to the time when her husband abused her. Even though she was just hit in the face, she curled up on the ground, trembling and begging in a weak voice, ¡°Don¡¯t hit me¡­ don¡¯t hit me, I was wrong¡­


    Wu Lili couldn¡¯t bear to watch.


    Yet, Bai Youwei showed no pity in her eyes as she coldly said, ¡°Do you have children? It¡¯s better not to. Cowards who can¡¯t even protect themselves definitely should not have children. Children would not want to be born to you.¡±


    The Inspector watched for a while, then chuckled, ¡°I don¡¯t really want to interrupt you guys, but¡­ shouldn¡¯t the game continue?¡±


    Looking at Zhu Xiaofen on the floor, he politely asked, ¡°Madam, truth or dare?¡±


    Zhu Xiaofen remained curled up on the floor, unable to stand up for a while.


    The Inspector: ¡°Do you concede? Huh, automatic elimination is also an option¡­


    Upon hearing the word ¡°elimination¡±, Zhu Xiaofen shuddered violently. Tears staining her face, she got up and picked up a white card from the table.<div>


    ¡°I choose truth¡­¡±


    She flipped over the card:


    [Truth: Have you ever harmed anyone?]


    Zhu Xiaofen was stunned.


    Sitting next to Zhu Xiaofen, Bai Youwei snorted, ¡°Yet another boring question, with no novelty at all.¡±


    Zhu Xiaofen, covering her pped face, managed to say: ¡°I haven¡¯t¡­ I haven¡¯t harmed anyone¡­¡±


    As she finished, the white card in her hand suddenly emitted a red light, as bright as an rm.


    ¡°Ah¡­ the card has turned red.¡± The Inspectorughed, ¡°That¡¯s the signal that you answered incorrectly. If you answer wrong twice in a row, you will be eliminated.¡±


    ¡°But 1!¡­¡± Zhu Xiaofen was subconsciously defending herself. Her mouth opened then quickly closed. She stared at the card, which continuously emitted red light, her face growing paler while her lips trembled.


    Her denial was determined by the game system to be the wrong answer.


    If she continues to deny it, she will definitely be eliminated!


    But¡­


    But she really hadn¡¯t harmed anyone!


    There was just that one time¡­


    Only that time¡­


    Zhu Xiaofen looked up at the other yers in confusion. They were all waiting for her answer.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°I¡­¡± she began, her voice hoarse, ¡°My sister¡­ once came to visit me, and my husband locked her in the room, she¡­ she banged on the door, asking me to open it and save her, even asking me to call the police¡­ but I dared not, I couldn¡¯t call the police! Otherwise, I would be beaten by my husband!¡­ Later on, she said that she wanted to report my husband! How could this be? We¡¯re a family, going to court would disgrace us.. And she¡¯s a girl, how could she make such a fuss about it? How could she get married in future? I was doing it for her own good! ¡°

 Chapter 155 - 155: 155: A New Friend Arrives

    Chapter 155 - 155: 155: A New Friend Arrives<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°So, what happened to your sister?¡± Bai Youwei asked Zhu Xiaofen curiously.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been listening all this time, but I still don¡¯t understand.¡±<div>


    ¡°She¡¯s okay! She went out of town with her boyfriend, living a lot better than me!¡± Zhu Xiaofen hastily exined, ¡°And, I¡¯ve even knelt down for her! What else do I need to do for her to forgive my husband? Why can¡¯t she understand me? I took care of her when we were young, I read stories to her, I braided her hair, I gave up the chance to study so our family could afford her college tuition! Why can¡¯t she just be understanding and force me to get a divorce? It was just sleeping with my husband a few times, she didn¡¯t lose anything! How could she say I hurt her?! How could she¡­¡±


    The Truth Card turned redder and redder, as though it was about to burst into mes!


    Finally, Zhu Xiaofen let go of the card as if she had been burned!


    The card fell on the table, returning to its original white color.


    The inspector said with a light smile, ¡°Unfortunately, the answer for the second round is still incorrect. You¡¯re eliminated.¡±


    Zhu Xiaofen¡¯s pupils constricted sharply, and her mouth mped shut! It was as if an invisible hand was stifling her cries, and she could only make out pitiful whimpering sounds!


    Behind her, the dolls came to life. Their faces were revealing eerie smiles, mouths wide open and eyes staring wide. Some grabbed at Zhu Xiaofen¡¯s arms, some sped her waist, some tugged at her legs, and others climbed onto her shoulders¡­


    Countless hands reached out, almost engulfing Zhu Xiaofen.


    ¡°So happy¡­ a new friend¡­ ¡°Come on,e y with us¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s y together¡­¡¯


    ¡°Come on¡­e on¡­¡±<div>


    Zhu Xiaofen was unable to speak or move, her eyes wide open in terror and despair!


    Everyone watched as she was dragged away by the dolls¡­


    ¡°What will happen to her?¡± Bai Youwei asked.


    The Inspector: ¡°She¡¯ll stay here, bing a permanent friend.¡±


    Bai Youwei thoughtfully said, ¡°Being eliminated means her second answer was also incorrect¡­ Did she not tell the entire truth? Did she hide something?¡±


    ¡°She said ¡®a few times,¡¯¡± Shen MO replied. ¡°If the first time was an ident, then the subsequent times were likely when she tricked her sister intoing home.¡±


    Hearing this, Bai Youwei felt a sense ot mncholy. ¡°We should have hit her harder just now.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s up next?¡± The Inspector looked at Wu Lili, grinning, ¡°After two Truth Card rounds, you must choose the ck Card, otherwise, you need to use up two Truth Cards. What¡¯s your choice?¡± Wu Lili didn¡¯t say a word for a long time.


    She was shaking throughout.


    Zhang Qi, sitting next to her, nudged her with his elbow, then noticed Wu Lili had wet her pants.


    ¡­She was terrified by those dolls.<div>


    Zhang Qi pursed his lips, calling out to her: ¡°It¡¯s your turn!¡±


    Wu Lili snapped back to reality, her face turning pale before she looked at the


    Inspector, ¡°I¡­ I choose Truth¡­¡±


    She stretched out a trembling hand, picked a Truth Card from the table, and flipped it over:


    [Truth Card: What is your biggest wish?]


    Seeing the question, Wu Lili rxed a bit.


    ¡°My biggest wish¡­it used to be to have a two-bedroom apartment in Shanghai, but now¡­ now, I just want to go home, back to before all this happened.¡± She answered sincerely, holding back tears.


    The Truth Card didn¡¯t turn red, but instead disintegrated into dust in her hands.


    Wu Lili anxiously asked the Inspector, ¡°Does this mean I¡¯ve cleared the card?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± The Inspector maintained a smile, ¡°Now, please pick the second Truth


    Card.¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Wu Lili bit her lip, and trembling, picked and flipped over a second card:


    [Truth Card: Do you think the girl in the white dress and the tall handsome man present lookpatible?]

 Chapter 156 - 156: 156: Tall and Handsome

    Chapter 156 - 156: 156: Tall and Handsome<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    So many words.


    It took Wu Lili a while to understand the meaning of the question.<div>


    She subconsciously looked at Bai Youwei and Shen MO, opened her mouth, but didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°How did you manage to pull this one¡­¡± Bai Youwei muttered under her breath, clearly dissatisfied.


    Shen MO nced at the lengthy text, and asked her indifferently, ¡°Did you write this?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea.¡± Bai Youwei replied without batting an eyelid. ¡°I don¡¯t remember what I wrote a moment ago.¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡® Zhang Qi:


    The Inspector:


    The game system felt insulted by the antics.


    What it wanted was the energy that bursts out when life is close to death, the light that soul emits when lost in regret, but not these childish pranks!


    ¡­Well, this could be considered as a new data sample anyway.


    The Inspector looked at Bai Youwei, silent and speechless.


    On another note, Wu Lili replied with aplex expression, ¡°Well-matched¡­¡±<div>


    The white te suddenly turned red!


    Bai Youwei: ¡°???¡±


    The Inspector¡¯s mood improved instantly and reminded her, ¡°The answer is incorrect. Two consecutive wrong answers will lead to disqualification.¡±


    Bai Youwei, a bit taken aback, looked at the Inspector, ¡°How can this answer be wrong? Is there something wrong with the game system?!¡±


    The Inspector smiled, ¡°The correctness of a truth-dare answer depends not on the objective fact, but on whether the answer is true to the respondent¡¯s heart.


    Here is a simple example-n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    If the question is what is 1+1, and the respondent thinks 1+1 equals 3. As long as they truly believe so, then the answer is judged correct by the system.¡± Bai Youwei understood.


    She turned her head and looked at Wu Lili, her mouth curled in a cold smile,


    ¡°So, you think my brother and I don¡¯t look well-matched?¡±


    ¡°Why your brother?¡± The Inspector couldn¡¯t help but interject, ¡°Isn¡¯t the tall and handsome man on the field me, as per literal understanding?¡±


    Everyone:<div>


    ¡°Why are you giving me that look?¡± The Inspector put away his smile, and said in an extremely serious tone, ¡°My appearance is a simtion based on arge amount of data. It should correspond to the characteristic of tall and handsome.¡±


    ¡°You must have misunderstood the word ¡®handsome¡¯,¡± Bai Youweiughed, ¡°Tall and handsome? Hahaha¡­..you look more like tall and pathetic to me!¡± The smile on Inspector¡¯s face vanished, his face instantly turned gloomy!


    ¡°Ah, I remembered, attacking the Inspector is considered a vition.¡± Bai Youwei sneered and looked at him, ¡°What, didn¡¯t the game system take verbal attacks into ount? Don¡¯t you know thatnguage is an art, it can kill without shedding blood. ¡± The Inspector:


    ¡°Let¡¯s proceed with the game, Wu Lili hasn¡¯t finished answering the question yet.¡± Shen MO held Bai Youwei¡¯s hand, squeezed her palm, hinting her to stop adding fuel to the fire.


    Bai Youwei pouted and backed down.


    The Inspector breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that the game could finally proceed smoothly.


    Then again, he felt his reaction was wrong.


    Why did he sigh with relief? Did his subconscious judge that Bai Youwei could pose a threat or cause interference? He is the Inspector! Why should he sigh a relief because of a yer?!!


    This is simply! ¡­ a humiliation!!!


    Despite the emotional turmoil, the Inspector showed no sign of it, and attempted to keep his calm tone, ¡°yer, please start your second Truth-Tale response.¡±


    Wu Lili bit her lip, lowered her head, and answered, ¡°I feel that they don¡¯t match. He is so handsome, so manly, and always serious in his conversations unlike other slick men¡­ he should be¡­ he should be with me instead. I know it¡¯s audacious and disgraceful to say this, and I can¡¯t spit it out, but¡­. but that¡¯s what I truly feel in my heart!¡±

 Chapter 157 - 157: 157: An Extra Card (Votes for Top 100 Results in Extra Updates)

    Chapter 157 - 157: 157: An Extra Card (Votes for Top 100 Results in Extra Updates)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    She didn¡¯t want to look up, she knew that everyone would be sneering at her without guessing.


    But she had no choice!<div>


    She chose ¡°Truth,¡± and she had to tell the truth! Otherwise, she would die!


    She didn¡¯t want to be dragged away by those dolls!


    Even though she was under everyone¡¯s scrutiny at this moment, she still didn¡¯t want to be a doll!


    There was silence for two or three seconds.


    She heard the Inspector calmly saying, ¡°It¡¯s your turn, sir, would you choose Truth or Dare?¡±


    ..Huh?


    Why isn¡¯t anyone saying anything about her?


    Why aren¡¯t they ming her?


    And what about Bai Youwei, who was always articte? Why is she silent?


    Wu Lili looked up in confusion, but found that no one was paying attention to her.


    Both Shen MO and Bai Youwei were focused on Zhang Qi.<div>


    Bai Youwei said, ¡°Zhang Qi, choose Dare.¡±


    ¡°Why?!¡± Wu Lili was astonished, ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree to all choose ¡®Truth¡¯?¡±


    Bai Youwei rolled her eyes again, ¡°¡­ Do you need me to exin it again? There¡¯s not even a ss of water here, I can get thirsty too, you know? I¡¯m not some NPC in charge of exining the game!¡±


    Zhang Qi pointed to the white card on the table and said to Wu Lili, ¡°Zhu Xiaofen didn¡¯t eliminate a card just now, so there¡¯s an extra one now.¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Wu Lili froze.


    Truth or Dare.


    Only by telling the truth orpleting the dare can the corresponding card be eliminated.


    Zhu Xiaofen failed to do so, so her card was left behind; there were still two white cards left on the table. If Zhang Qi eliminates one, then¡­ when it¡¯s the Inspector¡¯s turn, there will be one left.


    Their strategy was disrupted by Zhu Xiaofen!


    Even if Zhang Qi survives this round with the white card, the next round awaits them with a consecutive five ck cards! Wu Lili went pale and couldn¡¯t speak a word.


    She saw no hope.<div>


    They couldn¡¯t win this game at all!


    Bai Youwei looked into Zhang Qi¡¯s eyes and said, ¡°If you choose the white card now, we will undoubtedly die in the next round, because the four of us will have already drawn the ck cards and been eliminated before the Inspector draws. But if you choose the ck card, there¡¯s still a chance in the next round.¡±


    Zhang Qi fell silent for a moment, then asked, ¡°How big is the chance?¡±


    Bai Youwei watched him quietly for a long time, before finally answering, ¡°One of you and Wu Lili, can survive.¡±


    At first, Zhang Qi had no expression, but then he smirked coldly, filled with self-mockery, resentfulness, and a touch of insanity.


    ¡°In that case, choosing the ck card does seem more beneficial.¡± He looked at the Inspector, ¡°Hey, freak! I choose Dare! The ck card!¡±


    The Inspector remained calm, ¡°Humans seem to be overly emotional when facing death, often speaking unthinkingly in self-destructive moods.¡±


    Bai Youwei mocked him, ¡°How many times have you been scolded toe to this understanding? Are you used to it?¡±


    Inspector:


    He was no longer provoked by Bai Youwei once or twice, but many times!


    He took a deep breath, even though he didn¡¯t need to breathe. The system was simting the most realistic expression of unbridled fury for him!


    His handsome face twisted in anger.


    However, Bai Youwei was not afraid at all, she said coldly, ¡°Why are you so mad, you can just think of my words as those spoken in a self-destructive mood-¡±


    NO!


    The Inspector thought angrily:


    You are not speaking without thinking!


    You are clearly doing this on purpose to provoke me! !!


    Bai Youwei turned her head and whispered to Shen MO next to her, ¡°What do you think, if I annoy him to the point of attacking a yer, will the system kill him?¡±


    The furious Inspector:

 Chapter 160 - 160: 160: A Friend’s Gift

    Chapter 160 - 160: 160: A Friend¡¯s Gift<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    On the table, only 3 ck cards were left:


    2 cards to be selected, and the card left by Shen MO after forfeiting.<div>


    If nothing unforeseen happened, the remaining ck cards should both say: Kill the Inspector of this game.


    Zhang Qi closed his eyes, his mind slowly emptied, seemingly deaf to the woman¡¯s sobbing beside him. He emotionlessly stretched out his hand, picked a card, and turned it over:


    [Dare: Will you dare to kill the Inspector of this game?]


    He looked at the card for a while, suddenlyughed, sorrowful and determined.


    Turns out, when people are truly faced with death, they don¡¯t fear it.


    He raised his head, staring into the Inspector¡¯s cool icy-blue eyes, and said to it word by word: ¡°You, Have, Lost!¡±


    The Inspector watched him silently.


    The surrounding dolls gradually flocked, leaning towards Zhang Qi¡¯s direction, getting closer and closer¡­ they reached out to him, as if they were warm hosts treating their dearest friend.


    Come¡­


    Come¡­


    Join us in our y¡­<div>


    Zhang Qi could feel his body bing numb, rigid, unable to move. More and more dolls gathered, pulling him, yanking him, dragging him¡­


    Away from the chair¡­


    Into the dance floor¡­


    He saw familiar faces among the dolls.


    He didn¡¯t know if it was a hallucination, but he was grateful for it. At least it offered him a finalfort before death.


    In thest second of his fading consciousness, he stretched out his arms with thest bit of his strength, wanting to embrace it into his arms¡­


    Everything, was frozen at that moment.


    White cards: o.


    ck cards: 2.


    ording to the game rules, only when all the card options are used up, can the previously used cards be selected.


    The Inspector turned over thest option card, left by Zhang Qi: Kill the Inspector of this game.<div>


    It couldn¡¯t do it.


    Yes.


    Except for the game system, even itself can¡¯t end its own life.


    ¡°Congrattions to both of you forpleting this game.¡±


    The golden-haired, green-eyed Inspector sat neatly at the table, with a fitting smile around his lips.


    ¡°It is truly surprising that the first yers to win this game would be twodies. As guests invited to the party, you will receive a rich reward before you leave.¡±


    It snapped its fingers.


    Not far away, two doll waiters, dressed in white shirts and grey vests, walked over holding trays.


    On each tray, was a beautifully packaged gift box tied with a pretty bow.


    Bai Youwei curiously took the gift box, feeling it was very light, she couldn¡¯t help but look at the Inspector and say, ¡°I hope the reward inside matches the style of this game.¡±


    The Inspector: ¡°Oh? What style?¡±<div>


    Bai Youwei remained silent for a second, looked at the carnivorous nt on the floor: ¡°Big.¡±


    Then looked around at the dolls: ¡°A lot.¡±


    Then looked up at the banquet hall: ¡°Extravagant.¡±


    The Inspector: ¡°¡­I hope your wishes true.¡±


    Bai Youwei frowned and unwrapped her gift box ¡ª


    Inside were three items, a pack of flower seeds, a gold and ck invitation card, and a palm-sized doll.


    The flower seeds are because she had picked the most beautiful flower from the sea of flowers.


    The invitation card is because she obtained one of the five slots in the party.


    As for the doll, it must be the ultimate reward of this party game.


    Bai Youwei picked up one item after another, examining the real use of these rewards.


    [Advanced flower seeds: Once nted, ignores seasons and environment and bes a sea of flowers in 24 hours, with a flowering period of 24 hours. If life nutrients are absorbed, the flowering period can be extended.]


    [Invitation Card: With this card, you can ess uninvited areas or certain closed areas.]


    [Substitute Doll: Can act as a secondary body for the user, absorbing all damage for 36 hours, untilpletely damaged..]

 Chapter 159 - 159: 159 Are We Friends?

    Chapter 159 - 159: 159 Are We Friends?<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Shen MO held the card in his hand and stayed silent for a moment. He gently tossed the ck card back onto the table and said indifferently, ¡°I choose to abstain.¡±


    He presented the piece of the puzzle.<div>


    A secondter, Shen MO disappeared from everyone¡¯s sight.


    White card: one used card.


    ck card: three cards to choose from and one used card.


    The corners of the Inspector¡¯s mouth curved up in a silent smirk.


    It was Bai Youwei¡¯s turn.


    She did not rush to draw a card but instead looked at Wu Lili and Zhang Qi. ¡°I wanted to take you all out of here, but¡­¡± Bai Youwei nced at the now-vacant seat beside her, ¡°as you can see, there¡¯s been an unexpected turn.


    Now, there¡¯s only one white card left. Whoever draws it, lives. As for who is more deserving¡­ I won¡¯t be the judge, you decide.¡±


    Having said this, she picked one from the three remaining ck cards, saying, ¡°I choose to take a big risk.¡±


    The ck card was flipped:


    [Dare to cut open your body and let the blood, rich in water, protein, and inorganic matter, flow out?]


    Bai Youwei raised an eyebrow, ¡°Oh¡­l¡¯m lucky, this is the card I wrote.¡±<div>


    The inspector noted this, his expression was a mix of amusement and intrigue:


    ¡°A clever challenge.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Bai Youwei punctured her finger with the sharp edge of the ck card. Bright red droplets of blood seeped out, staining her white dress in a spotty pattern.


    ¡°When I wrote this, I remembered what you said. Suddenly, I thought that it would be an intriguing challenge. After all, your present body is unlike a human¡¯s, right? You can¡¯t bleed like us, can you?¡±


    Having said this, she gently sucked on her wound, locking eyes silently with the Inspector.


    The Inspector paused for a moment before smiling, ¡°Indeed, I can¡¯t. Lucky that you drew the card.¡±


    Bai Youwei¡¯s ck card disappeared.


    Next up was Wu Lili.


    White card: one used card.


    ck cards: two to choose from and one used card.


    ¡°How will you choose?¡± The Inspector looked at Wu Lili with curiosity, ¡°After two straight rounds of ck cards, the white card must be chosen. Otherwise, you will need two ck cards to offset one white card.¡±<div>


    Wu Lili¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, her expression filled with utter despair.


    The Inspector admired her current state, asking, ¡°What will you choose? Will you willingly sacrifice yourself by choosing two ck cards, thereby giving yourpanions a chance to live? Or, will you choose the white card and leave all ck cards for yourpanions?¡±


    Wu Lili, in agony, held her head, not daring to look at Zhang Qi¡¯s face.


    She doesn¡¯t want to die!


    But she also doesn¡¯t want to watch her friend die!


    ¡°Lili, choose the white card.¡±


    Zhang Qi¡¯s voice was calm and steady, devoid of any ripples.


    ¡°We¡¯re not that familiar anyway. We coincidentally lived together on this ind for two months but we¡¯re barely even friends¡­ So, there¡¯s really no need.¡±


    Wu Lili¡¯s vision was blurred, tears fell freely down her cheeks.


    ¡­ Are we really not friends?


    If we weren¡¯t friends, why would she pressure her to answer Bai Youwei¡¯s questions<div>


    If we weren¡¯t friends, why didn¡¯t she expose her for faking an injury?


    Are we¡­ really not friends?


    ¡°Have you made your decision?¡± The Inspector asked, ¡°Truth or Dare?¡±


    ¡°Lili, choose the white card.¡± Zhang Qi¡¯s voice lowered, ¡°Even if you choose two ck cards this round, if he draws the remaining ck card, we still won¡¯t survive.¡±


    The final ck card: Dare to kill all other yers on the field?n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Wu Lili lowered her head, her finger trembling as she slowly reached out to ce it on the table¡­ Truth or Dare?


    Truth?


    Dare?


    Her finger finally touched the only remaining white card with the remaining riddle that Zhu Xiaofen couldn¡¯t answer¡ª [Truth: Have you ever harmed anyone?]


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Zhang Qi..


    Wu Lili lowered her head, hot tears burning her cheeks.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I hurt you! It was because of me! I¡¯m really sorry!!!¡±


    The white card turned to dust, Wu Lili couldn¡¯t hold back any longer, she wailed in despair..

 Chapter 160 - 160: 160: A Friend’s Gift

    Chapter 160 - 160: 160: A Friend¡¯s Gift<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    On the table, only 3 ck cards were left:


    2 cards to be selected, and the card left by Shen MO after forfeiting.<div>


    If nothing unforeseen happened, the remaining ck cards should both say: Kill the Inspector of this game.


    Zhang Qi closed his eyes, his mind slowly emptied, seemingly deaf to the woman¡¯s sobbing beside him. He emotionlessly stretched out his hand, picked a card, and turned it over:


    [Dare: Will you dare to kill the Inspector of this game?]


    He looked at the card for a while, suddenlyughed, sorrowful and determined.


    Turns out, when people are truly faced with death, they don¡¯t fear it.


    He raised his head, staring into the Inspector¡¯s cool icy-blue eyes, and said to it word by word: ¡°You, Have, Lost!¡±


    The Inspector watched him silently.


    The surrounding dolls gradually flocked, leaning towards Zhang Qi¡¯s direction, getting closer and closer¡­ they reached out to him, as if they were warm hosts treating their dearest friend.


    Come¡­


    Come¡­


    Join us in our y¡­<div>


    Zhang Qi could feel his body bing numb, rigid, unable to move. More and more dolls gathered, pulling him, yanking him, dragging him¡­


    Away from the chair¡­


    Into the dance floor¡­


    He saw familiar faces among the dolls.


    He didn¡¯t know if it was a hallucination, but he was grateful for it. At least it offered him a finalfort before death.


    In thest second of his fading consciousness, he stretched out his arms with thest bit of his strength, wanting to embrace it into his arms¡­


    Everything, was frozen at that moment.


    White cards: o.


    ck cards: 2.


    ording to the game rules, only when all the card options are used up, can the previously used cards be selected.


    The Inspector turned over thest option card, left by Zhang Qi: Kill the Inspector of this game.<div>


    It couldn¡¯t do it.


    Yes.


    Except for the game system, even itself can¡¯t end its own life.


    ¡°Congrattions to both of you forpleting this game.¡±


    The golden-haired, green-eyed Inspector sat neatly at the table, with a fitting smile around his lips.


    ¡°It is truly surprising that the first yers to win this game would be twodies. As guests invited to the party, you will receive a rich reward before you leave.¡±


    It snapped its fingers.


    Not far away, two doll waiters, dressed in white shirts and grey vests, walked over holding trays.


    On each tray, was a beautifully packaged gift box tied with a pretty bow.


    Bai Youwei curiously took the gift box, feeling it was very light, she couldn¡¯t help but look at the Inspector and say, ¡°I hope the reward inside matches the style of this game.¡±


    The Inspector: ¡°Oh? What style?¡±<div>


    Bai Youwei remained silent for a second, looked at the carnivorous nt on the floor: ¡°Big.¡±


    Then looked around at the dolls: ¡°A lot.¡±


    Then looked up at the banquet hall: ¡°Extravagant.¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The Inspector: ¡°¡­I hope your wishes true.¡±


    Bai Youwei frowned and unwrapped her gift box ¡ª


    Inside were three items, a pack of flower seeds, a gold and ck invitation card, and a palm-sized doll.


    The flower seeds are because she had picked the most beautiful flower from the sea of flowers.


    The invitation card is because she obtained one of the five slots in the party.


    As for the doll, it must be the ultimate reward of this party game.


    Bai Youwei picked up one item after another, examining the real use of these rewards.


    [Advanced flower seeds: Once nted, ignores seasons and environment and bes a sea of flowers in 24 hours, with a flowering period of 24 hours. If life nutrients are absorbed, the flowering period can be extended.]


    [Invitation Card: With this card, you can ess uninvited areas or certain closed areas.]


    [Substitute Doll: Can act as a secondary body for the user, absorbing all damage for 36 hours, untilpletely damaged..]

 Chapter 161 - 161: 161: Making a Deep Impression

    Chapter 161 - 161: 161: Making a Deep Impression<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    The rewards were certainly generous.


    The first reward, a flower seed, seemed powerful, but it came with a 24-hour time limit. Meaning, if you nted the seed now, it would take at least one day to blossom into a sea of flowers.<div>


    The second reward, an invitation card, was a little confusing. It was not clear what it was for. If it was for an uninvited area, why not just avoid going there? Why insist on entering?


    The final reward, a doll, was really impressive, extremely useful. If it was used in an incredibly dangerous game, one does not know how many times it could save from death within 36 hours!


    Bai Youwei tried to organize her thoughts and understand the use of each reward. She put each one of them in her bag.


    Her canvas bag was already full.


    The Inspector took her and Wu Lili out. They came into a yard. Once they¡¯d left the yard, they could return to the real world.


    Suddenly, Bai Youwei remembered something. She stopped and asked the


    Inspector, ¡°You mentioned earlier that we were the first ones to win the game. Does that mean no one has ever beaten this game before?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the Inspector replied, ¡°Never.¡±


    ¡°Do you know a man named Uncle Zhao?¡± she asked again.


    The inspector raised his eyebrows slightly, ¡°Uncle Zhao?¡±


    Wu Lili eagerly added, ¡°His full name is Zhao Jiantao! He¡¯s about sixty years old, short but stocky!¡±<div>


    ¡°Oh¡­ that yer,¡± said the Inspector, nodding lightly, ¡°He also attended the gathering and eventually left using a puzzle piece.¡±


    Bai Youwei was taken aback, ¡°He also entered the maze?¡±


    ¡°No, he didn¡¯t,¡± grinned the Inspector, ¡°Those who¡¯ve been into the maze carry a particr scent, and I cannot mistake it.¡±


    A realization dawned in Bai Youwei¡¯s mind.


    Without setting foot in the maze, having a puzzle piece suggests that it was either given by someone or stolen/robbed. Would anyone part with such a precious item?


    Answer ¨C undoubtedly no.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Well then,dies, farewell,¡± said the Inspector, stopping at the gate of the yard, peering at Bai Youwei, ¡°I will remember you.¡±


    These words were familiar, though she couldn¡¯t quite remember who said them.


    Bai Youwei nced around at therge man-eating flowers in the yard, her eyes twinkling slightly, ¡°How about¡­ I leave you with a deeper memory?¡± The Inspector looked puzzled, raising his eyebrows at her.


    Bai Youwei pulled out a grimy big mushroom from her bag and suddenly threw it into the yard!


    ¨C Boom!<div>


    Wu Lili was startled, ¡°What happened?!¡±


    ¡°Run!¡± Bai Youwei pped her, quickly rolling her wheelchair out of the yard!


    Behind them, the mushroom exploded!


    Spores were scattered all over the sky!


    The greyish-white spores covered the roof, the ground, the fence, and the man-eating flowers. They expanded and grew instantly! The entire cottage in the woods was covered with mushrooms of various sizes!


    And they were still growing!


    Growing non-stop!


    Squeezing the flowers, crushing the stems, the mushroom colony crazily seized the air and moisture, killing all the nts in the yard!


    [Mushroom Bomb: Releases arge number of spores uponnding, rapidly growing into a mushroom colony. New spores are generated from the mushroom colony, difficult to eliminate in a short time.]


    The Inspector, who was caught in the mushroom explosion, ¡°¡­I, I will definitely remember you!¡±


    Once out of the game, Bai Youwei and Wu Lili found themselves back on the slope where it all began.<div>


    Zhang Qi¡¯s dolly not far away.


    There was no sign of the others¡¯ dolls.


    Wu Lili squatted down next to Zhang Qi, her eyes filling up again. Looking around, she said with choking up, ¡°Everyone is gone, even the luggage.¡±


    Bai Youwei scowled, looking around and shouting, ¡°Shen MO!


    Shen MO had left earlier and should be nearby.


    But where was he?


    There¡¯s no way he would leave her alone!

 Chapter 162 - 162: 162: Regularly Deliver People

    Chapter 162 - 162: 162: Regrly Deliver People<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Down the slope were walking steps without a ramp, Bai Youwei, who was confined to a wheelchair, had no way of going down and could only stay at the top of the slope, anxiously.


    ¡°Shen Mo!¡­..Shen Mol¡­¡± She shouted over and over again.<div>


    Wiping away her tears, Wu Lili offered kindly, ¡°Do you want me to push you down?¡±


    Bai Youwei threw her an annoyed nce, ¡°How strong do you think you are? I don¡¯t want to tumble down the slope with you!¡±


    Wu Lili bit her lip in frustration.


    Bai Youweimanded her again, ¡°You go down! Go find my brother!¡± ¡°It¡¯s so big here¡­Where should I look?¡± Wu Lili asked.


    ¡°Go look for him if I say so! Why are you talking so much?¡± Bai Youwei snapped, ¡°How could you know if you could find him or not without looking?¡± Scared of her, Wu Lili went down, wiping her tears.


    She had just walked a few steps when she noticed the door of a distant cottage open, and Shen MO came out of it. He was dragging Zhao uncle!


    ¡°Shen MO!¡± Bai Youwei yelled at him.


    Shen MO freed up a hand and waved.


    ¡°Quickly push me down!¡± Bai Youwei said to Wu Lili.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Wu Lili was taken aback, ¡°But didn¡¯t you just say¡­¡±


    ¡°Just push if I say push!¡± Bai Youwei burst out, losing her patience, ¡°Stop dilly-dallying!¡±<div>


    ¡°¡­¡± Wu Lili dared not anger her again and silently grabbed the wheelchair¡¯s handles and descended the steps.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    As they approached, they noticed that Zhao Jiantao had been tied up by Shen Mo. With a gloomy face, the man remained silent, apparently having nothing to say.


    ¡°The dolls are all in those houses.¡± Shen MO pointed to the huts, ¡°Everyone¡¯s luggage is there too. He is quite thorough in his actions, whenever someone enters the game, he waits on the side. As soon as anyone bes a doll, they are dragged into the house and hidden there, so is their luggage. In this way, when he brings people to the ind next time, nobody will find out.¡±


    ¡°He came with us. How is it that he is unharmed?¡± Bai Youwei asked.


    Shen MO nced at Uncle Zhao and said calmly: ¡°I have asked him. He said that yers cannot enter the same game twice in a row, so even if he entered the doll game area, the game would not trigger.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡± Bai Youwei pondered, ¡°¡­ True, if one mastered the method of passing the game and came back repeatedly to reap the game rewards, it would be cheating. ¡±


    However, Wu Lili wasn¡¯t as calm as them and rushed forward in few quick strides, grabbed the old man¡¯s clothes, and angrily questioned:


    ¡°Zhao Jiantao, why did you do this? Why? You even went as far as to harm others, but why did you harm Zhang Qi? Zhang Qi and Sun Wei have been working for you on this ind all along! What kind of heart do you have?! How could you be so heartless? Why? Why?!!¡±


    Uncle Zhao lifted his gaze to meet hers, his face devoid of any emotion. ¡°He insisted oning, just like you.¡±


    ¡ªSmack!


    Unable to suppress her anger, Wu Lili fiercely pped him across his face!<div>


    ¡°Bastard!¡± she cursed, sobbing.


    Zhao Jiantao remained unmoved, his expression numb.


    Bai Youwei nced at Wu Lili, then at Uncle Zhao, and asked curiously, ¡°Hey, I really can¡¯t understand one thing. Knowing the danger on this ind, why didn¡¯t you avoid it in the first ce? Instead, why did you trick us into believing there was a safe base here?¡±


    Zhao Uncle lowered his head, ignoring her.


    Bai Youwei continued guessing, ¡°Could it be that since there were too many people on the ind and you wanted to conserve resources, you sent people to the ind?¡­ Hmm, but that doesn¡¯t seem right either. Now there are only sixty to seventy people on the ind. That¡¯s not a lot. If the number decreases further, there won¡¯t be enough people to do things like fishing and chopping


    trees¡­¡±


    She turned her attention to Uncle Zhao, ¡°Could it be¡­that you are actually a murder maniac, who takes pleasure in this?¡±


    ¡°Hah!¡± Zhao Jiantao sneered, ¡°You don¡¯t know anything.. If it weren¡¯t for me constantly sending people into the games, everyone on Sanshan Ind would have been dead by now!¡±

 Chapter 163 - 163: 163 We Are Sheep

    Chapter 163 - 163: 163 We Are Sheep<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense!¡± Wu Lili indignantly retorted, ¡°The two inds are so far apart, how could anything possibly happen?! We¡¯ve been safe on Sanshan Ind all this time, if it weren¡¯t for you!¡­ It¡¯s all because of you! Everybody¡¯s now dead!¡±


    Zhao Jiantao said: ¡°Do you think there will be no problem as long as there¡¯s a distance? Or as long as there¡¯s water between? Let me tell you, the game is movable!¡±<div>


    Bai Youwei was surprised, ¡°Isn¡¯t the game area static?¡±


    Zhao Jiantao closed his eyes, answered woodenly: ¡°It was at the very beginning¡­ But if no yer joined the game for seven consecutive days, the game area would move, just like hunting¡­ We are sheep, the wolf would automatically hunt where there are more sheep.¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The three of them were silent for a while.


    Upon receiving this information, Wu Lili appeared even more dazed.


    She recalled that since she arrived at Sanshan Ind, she had always witnessed Zhao Jiantao sending people to the so-called ¡°safe base¡±. He sent people every week, and everyone trusted him wholeheartedly. The few who asionally had doubts were quickly ¡°selected¡±, then sent over the next week¡­ Gradually, only those with absolute loyalty to Zhao Jiantao were left! Like her, Zhang Qi, Sun Wei¡­


    Turns out, it¡¯s all a hoax!


    There¡¯s no such thing as a safe base!


    Those people are all dead!


    All dead!! Even Zhang Qi died there!


    With the thought of Zhang Qi¡¯s death, she was heartbroken. Her emotions totally copsed, and she lunged at Zhao Jiantao like a madwoman, hitting him with all her might!


    ¡°It¡¯s all because of you! All because of you!!! Why don¡¯t you go die! Go die!!!¡±<div>


    Zhao Jiantao had been tied up and was unable to fight back. He endured her blows without making a sound, his face quickly turning red and swollen.


    Shen MO grabbed Wu Lili, preventing her from going mad.


    Wu Lili cried breathlessly.


    Watching this spectacle, Bai Youwei also felt a headache, and asked Shen MO,


    ¡°What should we do now?¡±


    Shen MO thought for a while and said: ¡°Let¡¯s take him back first and let the people on the ind deal with this.¡±


    In the end, he and Bai Youwei were just passing inders. Zhao had too much blood on his hands, it would be inappropriate for them to interfere directly.


    Bai Youwei pursed her lips, a bit dissatisfied, ¡°So he gets off just like that for getting us into this game?¡±


    Shen MO nced at her: ¡°Didn¡¯t you want toe yourself?¡±


    Bai Youwei grumbled in a girlish manner: ¡°¡­ Humph.¡±


    Indeed.<div>


    They could have backed out initially, as the trip to the safe base wasn¡¯t mandatory. But everyone was keen on the idea, so Shen MO decided to investigate.


    And Bai Youwei, naturally, wouldn¡¯t leave Shen Mo¡¯s side.


    She grabbed Shen Mo¡¯s hand, murmuringints in a low voice: ¡°He made us waste one puzzle piece.¡±


    Shen Mo¡¯s lips curled up, he took two puzzle pieces out of his pocket and ced them into Bai Youwei¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Does this make it up to you?¡±


    One puzzle piece belonged to Shen MO, the other to Zhao Jiantao.


    Both puzzle pieces had their exemption rights used up, but the pieces themselves remained rare resources.


    Bai Youwei happily epted them.


    On the return trip, Shen MO untied Zhao Jiantao, letting him steer the boat.


    No one knew what was on the old man¡¯s mind, or was he just a heartless person to begin with? His face showed no emotion, there was no shame, no fear, as if he was not afraid at all to face the uninformed people back on the ind.


    Wu Lili watched him the whole way, her eyes filled with hatred, wishing she could tear him to shreds!<div>


    When the boat arrived at Sanshan Ind, Sun Wei was working near the dock. Seeing them return, he was surprised.


    Before, only Zhao Jiantao returned from the safe base alone.


    ¡°Uncle Zhao, what¡¯s the matter¡­¡± Sun Wei immediately noticed something was off about their expressions..

 Chapter 164 - 164: 164 Return to the Island

    Chapter 164 - 164: 164 Return to the Ind<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Wu Lili couldn¡¯t wait to rush ashore, grabbing Sun Wei, she blurted out everything:


    ¡°There is no safe base! Zhao Jiantao has been lying to us all along! Everyone sent to West Mountain Ind is dead! All because of this old bastard! Zhang Qi is also dead!!!¡±<div>


    Sun Wei was stunned on the spot, his face changed dramatically, ¡°Lili, what¡­what are you talking about? What happened to Zhang Qi?¡± He looked at Zhao Jiantao: ¡°Uncle Zhao, is everything Lili said true?¡±


    Zhao Jiantao¡¯s face remained calm, and he said without any change of expression, ¡°Sun Wei, gather everyone, I have something to tell everyone.¡±


    ¡°You still have the audacity to give orders here?!¡± Wu Lili cursed, ¡°Even if you apologize, no one will ever forgive you!¡±


    Sun Wei frowned, ¡°¡­Okay, I¡¯ll go get everyone.¡±


    He turned and walked away.


    Wu Lili shouted in rage: ¡°Sun Wei! Why are you still listening to him?! Are you deaf?! Zhao Jiantao has killed everyone! He¡¯s going to kill us sooner orter!!!¡± Sun Wei didn¡¯t stop, he walked further and further away.


    Wu Lili bit her lip and stamped her foot, then hurried after him in both anxiety and anger.


    Bai Youwei nced at Zhao Jiantao dismissively and chuckled: ¡°Well, Uncle Zhao, no wonder you have been so calm along the way. All the people have been already trained by you.¡±


    Zhao Jiantao straightened his clothes, removed the dust from his trousers, his face, full of wrinkles, didn¡¯t reveal any emotions.


    ¡°It¡¯s not about training or teaching. I just know a bit more, so I led everyone to walk a bit further.¡± He said indifferently.


    Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t helpughing after hearing this: ¡°Have you lied for so long that you¡¯ve deceived yourself? You really see yourself as a savior, haha!¡± A sh of anger appeared in Zhao Jiantao¡¯s eyes.<div>


    But he held back his anger because of the two, dusted his clothes again, and walked away.


    Bai Youweiughed behind him.


    Shen MO watched Zhao Jiantao walking away, his eyes darkening. After a while, he gripped the armrests of the wheelchair and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go too.¡±


    When they returned to the hotel, everyone wasing out in confusion. Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai were also among the crowd. They were surprised to see Shen MO and Bai Youwei return.


    ¡°You¡¯re back so soon?¡± Tan Xiao eximed in surprise.


    Shen MO and Bai Youwei had told them before they left that they were going to check out the safe base and return by boat afterward.


    Tan Xiao thought it would take at least half a day, but they returned in the afternoon.


    ¡°MO Ge, Sun Wei just came over and told us to all go to Uncle Zhao¡¯s¡­¡± Tan Xiao said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the room first.¡± Shen MO said indifferently, pushing Bai Youwei to their room.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Tan Xiao was perplexed, exchanged nces with Teacher Chang, who was also clueless.


    Tan Xiao watched the crowd slowly leaving, scratched his head, caught up and asked, ¡°Weiwei, what happened?¡±<div>


    Bai Youwei: ¡°Call me sister.¡±


    ¡°Ah-¡± Tan Xiao readily agreed, ¡°Sister Weiwei, did you and MO Ge run into any trouble?¡±


    Bai Youwei squinted at him, ¡°Two words.¡±


    Tan Xiao, ¡°Huh?¡±


    Bai Youwei: ¡°So excitingTan Xiao:


    By the time he snapped out of it, Shen MO had already pushed Bai Youwei past him.


    Tan Xiao regained focus, stood there in confusion shouting, ¡°Isn¡¯t that three words?¡±


    Bai Youwei didn¡¯t look back: ¡°Aren¡¯t you bad at counting!¡±


    ¡® Tan Xiao muttered in a low voice, ¡°But I can count up to ten.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Teacher Chang patted his shoulder, ¡°Let¡¯s hear what they have to say, something must have happened.¡±


    [Note: I just found out that some chapter content was inexplicably deleted by the review system, causing inconsistency between the previous and the following context! I have now added it back, if you find any unconnected content during your reading, please leave ament, informing me of the chapter number and title! Many thanks!]<div>

 Chapter 165 - 165: 165: The Final Destination

    Chapter 165 - 165: 165: The Final Destination<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Shen MO briefly described what happened on the ind to Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Despite trying to be as concise as possible, due to the newly appeared Inspector, various game formats, and the rtionship between Old Zhao and the people on the ind, it still took a considerable amount of time to exin.<div>


    Tan Xiao was so surprised after hearing that, he couldn¡¯t utter a word.


    He found it inconceivable, how an old man could silently take the lives of hundreds of people, and that none of the people on the ind noticed anything amiss!


    Chang Weicai also didn¡¯t speak.


    He hung his head, not uttering a word, looking very solemn.


    Everyone remembers, Chang Weicai originally nned to stay on the ind. Who would have thought that what was assumed to be a paradise, hid such filth and evil?


    ¡°No wonder the old man summoned everyone as soon as he returned. Was he trying to clear things up in front of everyone?¡± Tan Xiao couldn¡¯t understand, ¡°Even now, could he still clear his name?¡±


    Shen MO said, ¡°We can put aside Zhao Jiantao¡¯s matter for now. What intrigues me is the information he provided; the game can move.¡±


    ¡°So what if it moves?¡± Tan Xiao was indifferent, ¡°If it can move, then I can run.


    If worstes to worst, we just run away.¡±


    Chang Weicai sighed, ¡°Xiaotan, you don¡¯t understand. If the game really follows whoever runs, then there would never be a safe base in this world. As long as we are alive, we are in danger.¡±


    Tan Xiao was momentarily at a loss for words.<div>


    ¡°This could also exin why the biggest cities were the first to be affected.¡± Shen MO said ndly, ¡°It¡¯s due to poption density.¡±


    ¡°Also, the maze.¡± Bai Youwei chimed in, ¡°Don¡¯t forget, the nature of the maze is to continuously expand. Can we infer that the maze expands its scope and searches for new yers when it senses no surviving yers inside?¡±


    ¡°Then¡­then¡­¡± Tan Xiao was confused, ¡°The game wants to capture people, the maze wants to capture people too¡­ Can we even have a ce to stay anymore?¡±


    Shen MO said gravely, ¡°In the future¡­ I fear the entire human race will be forced into the maze.


    Tan Xiao: ¡°Why not the game?¡±


    ¡°We consider the maze to be of a higher level than the game, in a certain sense.¡± Bai Youwei exined, ¡°Like a food chain, we need to follow the rules of the game, and the Inspector needs to follow the rules of the system. For now¡­ the Maze is the entity closest to the system.¡±


    Tan Xiao half-understood, he scratched his head: ¡°But to me, the game seems to be more bothersome? At least you can see and avoid the maze, but the doll game is like stepping on andmine, popping up out of nowhere!¡±


    Bai Youwei said, ¡°There¡¯s also one more thing. In this game, the Inspector said something, ¡®The Friend Game is my masterpiece, it¡¯s wless and has disyed countless precious data¡¯.¡±


    Chang Weicai paused slightly, muttering to himself: ¡°Precious¡­ data¡­¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°I am interested in two things: firstly, the


    Inspector designed the game; secondly, the game provides data for the<div>


    Inspector. But what is data for? Why the Inspector needs data?¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡°Zhao Jiantao said that the game can move, and it seems like hunting, whereas we are the sheep. It does indeed feel like the game is herding us towards the Maze.¡±


    Chang Weicai sighed with a touch of despair, ¡°Complete the puzzle to clear all games. But ultimately, the game steers us towards the maze. No one can escape.¡±


    No one can escape¡­


    Shen MO pondered a bit, and after a moment of silence he said, ¡°The good news is¡­ we are valuable data samples to the system, at least, as long as we don¡¯t break any rules, the Inspector won¡¯t threaten our lives.¡±


    The four fell silent.


    This is perhaps, the only good news so far.


    But it¡¯s only good news in rtive terms, just not as bad as the others..

 Chapter 166: 166: Uncle Zhao’s Turnaround

    Chapter 166: 166: Uncle Zhao¡¯s Turnaround<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    An otherwise peaceful world suddenly beset by a man-eating game and a man-eating maze.


    The game, like an unseen monster, prowling everywhere for suitable prey.<div>


    The maze, like an evil lord, constantly expanding its territory.


    Driven to desperation, feeling chased by wolves upfront and tigers behind.


    People were having a discussion in the hotel room when the sound of a heatedmotion drifted from the direction of Zhao Jiantao¡¯s residence, waves of voices, muddled between cheers and jeers.


    Mr. Cheng shook his head at the mor, ¡°Once they found the game, they should have moved. Why did they have to harm people¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go see.¡± Shen MO stood up, ¡°Before this bes a bigger mess.¡±


    ¡°Sure, let¡¯s go- I¡¯ Bai Youwei looked intrigued, ¡°Let me tell you, that old man is not to be underestimated, the crowd might not be able to hold him down.¡± Tan Xiao widened his eyes, ¡°Really, isn¡¯t he just an old man? What else can he


    ¡°We won¡¯t know until we go see.¡± Bai Youwei replied with a radiant smile, as she wheeled herself out.


    They all headed to Zhao Jiantao¡¯s ce together.


    There were over fifty people gathered under the tree where the notice was posted. Strangely, despite the noise, the scene wasn¡¯t as chaotic as expected.


    Zhao Jiantao stood in the middle of the crowd, disying no signs of panic on his face, his voice steady as he responded to the crowd word by word:


    ¡°I¡¯m aware! Many of you are struggling to ept this news. But think about it!<div>


    Do you believe I¡¯m not heartbroken?! That I¡¯m not devastated?!¡±


    ¡°If I could, I wish the world to be at peace, everyone dwelling in tranquility! But with my limited power, I can¡¯t do it!!!¡±


    ¡°You think I haven¡¯t considered escaping? But tell me, where should I escape to? Any ce without the game? Name one! Speak up!¡± ¡°The game on West Mountain Ind is the most extensive one in this vicinity.¡± ¡°As long as it¡¯s there, other games won¡¯t approach!¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°It¡¯s for everyone¡¯s safety that I y the viin! I¡¯ve been tirelessly sending people in distress to the ind every week, feeding that thing¡¯s appetite! That¡¯s why we¡¯ve been able to stay here unscathed till now!¡± ¡°Only when it¡¯s sated, can we be safe!


    ¡°Only when it¡¯s sated, can we continue to live here!¡±


    ¡°To live peacefully without giving anything in return, how is that possible?! Whoever among you thinks they can do a better job, step up! I, Zhao Jiantao, won¡¯t object! I¡¯d hand over the position of the Ind Master immediately!!!¡± The crowd wore varied expressions, the murmuring gradually subsiding.


    Some said: ¡°Actually Uncle Zhao hasn¡¯t had it easy either¡­¡±


    ¡°Uncle Zhao is doing it for our safety¡­¡±


    ¡°Uncle Zhao¡¯s selections for the ind aren¡¯t exactly good people, that Aunt He always takes advantage of others, not to mention her gossips, it¡¯s quieter without her.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Uncle Zhao must have his reasons for doing this¡­¡±


    Tan Xiao was baffled, this dramatic turn of events was like opening the door to a whole new world ¡ª<div>


    The perpetrator who has caused so many deaths was standing right there unaffected. What was even more terrifying was¡­ he found himself agreeing with Uncle Zhao and these people as he listened!


    Tan Xiao turned to look at Bai Youwei.


    Bai Youwei was watching the spectacle with a smirk, a hint of schadenfreude in her eyes.


    He leaned in and asked, ¡°¡­Why is this happening?¡±


    Bai Youwei said: ¡°The people here were all meticulously chosen by Zhao Jiantao. They all share amon trait, that is¡­ they¡¯re witless. To put it more subtly, theyck the ability to think independently and are easily influenced, brainwashed.¡±


    After saying this, she looked at Tan Xiao with a smile, ¡°Actually, you also fit the description pretty well. Come on, tell me, did you also find their arguments pretty convincing?¡±


    Tan Xiao immediately puffed out his chest: ¡°No, no!¡±

 Chapter 167: 167: Let’s Go

    Chapter 167: 167: Let¡¯s Go<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Wu Lili shared the same feelings as Tan Xiao.


    She was not just astounded, shocked, but filled with uncontroble anger!<div>


    She grabbed onto Sun Wei¡¯s clothes, questioning incredulously, ¡°Sun Wei, do you also think what Zhao Jiantao did was right? He killed Zhang Qi! Is that it?!¡±


    Sun Wei frowned and said, ¡°Lili, we all know why Zhang Qi went to the ind. If he hadn¡¯t threatened Uncle Zhao with an axe, Uncle Zhao wouldn¡¯t have chosen him.¡±


    Someone next to them chimed in, ¡°Exactly, Uncle Zhao is always emotional and would never harm any of us.¡±


    Wu Lili burst into a bitterugh, ¡°Emotional? Am I going mad, or are you all mad?! He killed hundreds of people, yet in your eyes, he¡¯s still a sentimental person?¡±


    The crowd fell silent for a moment.


    When this point was made, it sent a chill down everyone¡¯s spine. No matter what, his deeds couldn¡¯t be whitewashed.


    However, these people had be ustomed to trusting and relying on Zhao Jiantao. If they were to reject all assertions by Zhao Jiantao, what would they do? They were more willing to believe that Zhao Jiantao had his reasons.


    Zhao Jiantao looked at everyone¡¯s expressions, pondered for a moment, and spoke again, ¡°Well, I understand not everyone can ept drastic measures in drastic times. I won¡¯t force you. Those who don¡¯t ept can step forward, take their belongings, and leave on their own. I will continue to bring people back from the outside. If one day, it bes necessary to choose from among us, we can decide together through voting, how¡¯s that?¡±


    Bai Youwei scoffed, eximing in admiration, ¡°That is an excellent move. Compared to leaving Sanshan Ind to live in an unknown dangerous ce, staying on the ind should feel sofortable. The issue is simply diluted and dispersed, and just by mentioning ¡®voting¡¯, everyone is lulled intocency, and he still appears fair¡­¡±


    ¡°Perhaps he once held a position in some department.¡± Shen MOmented lightly, ¡°He ys some tricks quite proficiently.¡±


    Bai Youwei had seen enough and said indifferently, ¡°Let¡¯s go, this is boring.¡± Shen MO, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s pack our luggage and ask him to send us back to the service area by boat.¡±<div>


    Tan Xiao anxiously asked, ¡°What if he refuses to?¡±


    ¡°Ha-¡± Bai Youweiughed, ¡°He¡¯d be more than happy to see us leave; why would he refuse?¡±


    Professor Cheng walked away with his hands behind his back, shaking his head and sighing, ¡°People¡¯s hearts are fickle, just as there is no Utopia in this world¡­ Voting may seem just, but how is it different from ancient vigers sacrificing boys and girls to the river god?¡±


    Bai Youwei yawnednguidly, ¡°Let¡¯s go¡­¡¯


    Apart from Shen MO and the others, everyone else dispersed after a while.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Wu Lili intended to step forward but was pulled back by Sun Wei, who tried to gently persuade her not to act impulsively and to consider the bigger picture. Someone else spoke to Wu Lili, ¡°Women, with long hair but short sightedness.¡± Wu Lili was so mad that she trembled all over.


    She pushed Sun Wei away and yelled, ¡°You can stay! I am leaving! You are all mad! I¡¯d rather die outside than stay here any longer!¡±


    She fled in anger, and Sun Wei hurried after her.


    Someone nearby held Sun Wei back and persuaded him, ¡°Leave her alone, didn¡¯t you see her acting? The previous fracture was all pretend, she is just a troublemaker, spouting nonsense¡­¡±


    Sun Wei hesitated, looking at Wu Lili¡¯s retreating figure, unsure of what to do.


    Throughout all this, Shen MO and Bai Youwei remained oblivious.<div>


    They were packing their luggage in their room.


    Halfway through packing, Wu Lili rushed in.. She didn¡¯t look at anyone else, she ran straight to Bai Youwei and said, ¡°You¡¯d better leave right away! I¡¯ve already scattered the flower seeds here!¡±

 Chapter 168: 168: The Scenery Missed

    Chapter 168: 168: The Scenery Missed<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Bai Youwei knew what kind of seeds they were, but the others inside the house did not.


    She slightly raised her eyebrows, looking at the tense expression on Wu Lili¡¯s face and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°Is it really necessary to make such a fuss?¡± It seems like they¡¯re all on the path to getting annihted.<div>


    Wu Lili¡¯s eyes turned red, ¡°They have all gone mad, they actually believed Zhao Jiantao¡¯s words. None of them is willing to leave with me. They even said they are going to bring more people to be a part of this game we¡¯re ying on this ind! There are hardly any survivors left outside now! Zhao Jiantao could only find four people including you in the past week. He will eventually get everyone here involved!¡±


    Shen MO chuckled, and a faint contempt was revealed, ¡°There¡¯s indeed hardly anyone left outside. We didn¡¯te across a single car on our way here. If they insist on staying here, they would eventually bring destruction upon themselves.¡±


    Wu Lili bit her finger, her entire person was steeped in anxious and indignant emotions.


    ¡°Who can tell for sure? Maybe they can really find some unlucky souls¡­ Anyway, I can no longer stay here. You guys should leave quickly too; I don¡¯t want to implicate all of you,¡± she said.


    Bai Youwei tilted her head to look at her, ¡°It¡¯s kind of strange, why did your sense of justice suddenly explode? Could it be that you are trying to avenge Zhang Qi?¡±


    Wu Lili was stunned for a second, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know, all I feel is¡­ disgust. I¡¯m utterly disgusted! These people¡­ this ind¡­ everything is utterly disgusting!¡±


    She paused for two seconds, and then mumbled in a confusion, ¡°Actually¡­ I¡¯m not much different than them¡­ If it wasn¡¯t for Zhang Qi¡¯s ident, I¡­ would have probably also bought Zhao Jiantao¡¯s words¡­¡±


    Mentioning Zhang Qi, tears welled up in Wu Lili¡¯s eyes again, she gritted her teeth and said, ¡°I¡¯ve already caused Zhang Qi¡¯s death, I cannot let these people harm others as well!¡±


    Bai Youwei merelyughed nonchntly, ¡°Then I wish you good luck.¡±


    Wu Lili pursed her lips forcefully, and then anxiously looked outside the door, she felt that she had overstayed, and reminded Bai Youwei onest time, ¡°I have to hurry up and leave, you all should hurry up too.¡±


    After saying this, she hurriedly left.<div>


    Around five or six o¡¯clock, Shen MO, Bai Youwei, Tan Xiao, and Professor Cheng left Sanshan Ind by boat.


    Zhao Jiantao did not show up. He had Sun Wei drive the boat to send them off. Probably because he was wary of Shen MO and Bai Youwei, who had already survived the game once.


    After Bai Youwei boarded the boat and learnt that Wu Lili had left the ind a step ahead of them, she asked in surprise, ¡°She left on her own?¡±


    Sun Wei nodded his head, with a gloomy look on his robust face, ¡°When Lili first came to the ind, she paddled a boat here on her own. Just now, she asked me to help move her luggage onto the boat, and then paddled away.¡±


    Bai Youwei yfully asked him, ¡°You seem to like her quite a bit, why didn¡¯t you go with her?¡±


    Sun Wei¡¯s face blushed ufortably, ¡°Go where? It¡¯s so dangerous out there.


    She is merely acting on impulse, she wille back sooner orter.¡±


    Bai Youwei justughed upon hearing this. She wanted to say something more, but then felt there was no need. Since Wu Lili had already made up her mind why should she interfere?


    Bai Youwei shut her mouth and casually turned her gaze to the scenery with half-closed eyes.


    Shen MO nced at her and also chose to remain silent.


    After the boat docked, Sun Wei returned to Sanshan Ind.<div>


    Shen MO and the rest returned to the service area.


    Their vehicle and luggage were still there, and the pile of firewood had not been moved, suggesting that no one had passed by here these past few days.


    The four of them got into the car, ready to set off once again.


    As Shen MO turned the car key, he heard Bai Youwei sigh deeply:


    He paused and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    With her cheek resting on her hand, Bai Youwei looked out of the car window,nguidly saying, ¡°I just feel¡­ I¡¯m going to miss a beautiful scene and it makes me a bit mncholic.¡±


    Wu Lili appeared timid and foolish in the game. Everyone on the ind thought she was ignorant, even Zhao Jiantao thought he had everything under control. Yet who would have thought, the destinies of everyone had quietly been changed by a woman.


    The seeds would grow into a spectacr flower sea within 24 hours. If the people on the ind were not quick enough to escape, they would be reduced to nutrients for the flowers. Who knows how long the flowering period wouldst?n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Bai Youwei closed her eyes, envisioning that scene, her lips curling up at the


    corners¡­.


    <div>

 Chapter 169: 169: The Inspector’s Melancholy

    Chapter 169: 169: The Inspector¡¯s Mncholy<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    A massive, semi-translucent object was floating in mid-air¡ª


    It looked like an equteral rhombus, but if one looked closely, it was made up of countless geometric cubes.<div>


    Bathed in sunlight, the object resembled colorless ss. Yet, in certain moments, it refracted marvelous rays of light.


    Within it, countless identical cubes were scattered.


    A cube suddenly emanated a pure blue light, and out stepped a 2.78 -meter tall Inspector who, after the light faded, stood still facing the cube.


    It seemed to be doing nothing, yet its mind was actually interfacing with the system, repairing data inside the cube.


    A ball rolled past its feet.


    Gloating, the ball stopped mid-roll to jeer, ¡°Ha-ha-ha! So your game has glitches, too?¡±


    The Inspector looked down, expressionless, nced at the ball by its feet, and asked: ¡°Too?¡±


    The ball said, ¡°The frog in my game is broken as well. After a belly surgery, it now bursts open every time itys eggs.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because it swallowed too many yers, right?¡± responded the Inspector, speechless.


    ¡ªThe frog, not a real frog, indeed. When a yer gets swallowed, they¡¯re not digested, but rather encased in an eggshell and turned into a frog egg, then hatched into a tadpole.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your game? Tsk tsk¡­ Friend Gathering 2112, isn¡¯t that your masterpiece?¡± The sphere queried.<div>


    The Inspector replied, ¡°A yer damaged the scene using a tool and the system needs to repair it before it can be used again.¡±


    ¡°What kind of yer did you encounter? What nerve!¡± The ball eximed, beforeughing again, ¡°I¡¯ve said it before, your games are too mild. What¡¯s so fun about friend games and friend gatherings? You should bring out some big monsters ¨C like my frog and tadpoles!¡±


    The ball hopped high in the air, up to the height of the Inspector standing at 2.78 meters, then floated there: ¡°My game is the simplest, but the volume of data it provides is the highest among the Inspectors.¡±


    In the distance, a soft voice sounded, ¡°Although your game offers thergest volume of data, the type of data is singr. Friend Gathering involves three different games and thus provides ten-fold richer data. You should think about improving your games.¡±


    A disgruntled sphere fell abruptly and rolled towards the speaker, grumbling,


    ¡°How can the difference be that much¡­¡±


    Thatst speaker was an Inspector with a rabbit head who just walked out from another cube.


    ¡°Whether or not the difference is ten-fold, go see for yourself.¡± The Rabbit-headed Inspector continued forward, ¡°I have to go, a yer just entered Hide-and-Seek 3014.¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Wait.¡± The 2.78-meter Inspector stopped them, asking with a furrowed brow, ¡°Based on the game rules, if yers attack Inspectors, that¡¯s a vition, right?


    And Inspectors can punish them, right?¡±


    The Rabbit-headed Inspector replied indifferently with a nod, ¡°Do you have a problem?¡±<div>


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t verbal assaults included?¡± The Inspector asked.


    Rabbit-headed Inspector seemed surprised, ¡°Why would you think that?¡±


    The ball jumped up in shock, ¡°Language is the most direct response from yers in the game. If we block offensivenguage, we¡¯d lose a significant amount of data. The system wouldn¡¯t allow that!¡±


    ¡°But¡­ what value could data from yer insults have?¡±


    The Rabbit-headed Inspector replied, ¡°Swears, nder, and profanity are just another form of human crying. These can relieve emotions and alleviate stress. This is particrly evident in yers stuck in restrictive environments. Don¡¯t worry too much about it.¡±


    ¡°Any other questions?¡±


    ¡°¡­No more.¡±


    The Rabbit-headed Inspector stood before them and calmly said after a moment, ¡°I know you too join the third round of the Friend Gathering game. In the future, you should try to avoid participating directly in games. You seem to be affected a bit.¡±


    . Maybe.¡±

 Chapter 170: 170 Arriving in Hangzhou

    Chapter 170: 170 Arriving in Hangzhou<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    As dusk fell, Shen MO¡¯s car arrived at the edge of Hangzhou.


    They didn¡¯t immediately enter the fog but instead sought amodations. They nned to explore their surroundings at the break of daylight and make arrangements ordingly.<div>


    As usual, they prioritized finding a hotel. This ce was not short of beds and pillows, and they had arge stock of disposable toiletries. Each room had a private bathroom ¨C a convenient feature for living.


    Shen MO found a suitable ce and carried Bai Youwei out of the car. The girl¡¯s head rested on his shoulder with her eyes closed.


    She felt drowsy in the car and didn¡¯t wish to move a bit now.


    More precisely, ever since she got out of the game, she¡¯d been lethargic, as if the real world could hardly invigorate her.


    Shen MO put her on the bed and then went out, inspecting all the hotel rooms on their floor.


    Living diagonally across from their room were Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai.


    Tan Xiao ran out to wave to Shen Mo. ¡°Brother MO,e and see!¡±


    Shen MO asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°There seems to be someone over there.¡± Tan Xiao pointed at the room window.


    The window of their room overlooked the street, providing a long view.


    Teacher Chang, holding a telescope, bent over looking intently through it.<div>


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not good. The telescope¡¯s magnification is not enough, I can¡¯t make out if there¡¯s anyone in the house over there.¡± Teacher Chang muttered.


    Shen MO went to the window and looked in that direction. He could see a few faint lights, as if candles were lit in someone¡¯s house, or other light sources were in use.


    At night, such light was conspicuous.


    He counted; there were four such light sources in total.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    They were too far away to see clearly, and it was gettingte. It would be unwise to go and investigate rashly.


    Shen MO said, ¡°Teacher Chang, could you continue watching? If any light goes off, it probably means there might be people living there. We¡¯ll take a look tomorrow. ¡±


    Teacher Chang nodded, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll keep a lookout. You all can go about your own business.¡±


    Then Shen MO took Tan Xiao downstairs and started a fire in the space in front of the hotel lobby.


    ¡ªThey just needed to find some bricks, or knock off a few from the edge of the flower bed, and arrange them into a formation that was enclosed on four sides, with only a hole on the bottom, put a pot on top, start a fire below, and it would serve as a simple stove.


    Most things could be substituted for, but without electricity or gas, the most primitive cooking method had to be adopted to boil water and cook food.


    They had a small stove in the car which was fine for cooking noodles or porridge, but was too slow for boiling water.<div>


    Tan Xiao rummaged in the trunk for a few packs of instant noodles, skillfully tore open the packaging and started cooking them.


    Their food was basically divided into two categories, one was grains and cooking oils etc. collected from supermarkets, and the other was sausage and roast chicken Tan Xiao brought from a food processing factory.


    Overall, theycked vegetables and fruits.


    Skipping them for a few days was alright, but if they kept missing fresh fruits and vegetables, their immunity would decline, making them prone to sickness.


    Shen MO thought for a while, then told Tan Xiao, ¡°I¡¯m going to take a look nearby.¡±


    Tan Xiao wasdling water into the pot, upon hearing this, he replied, ¡°Brother


    MO,e back early, or Weiwei will throw a fit if she can¡¯t find you.¡±


    Shen MO paused and smirked, ¡°Are you that scared of her?¡±


    Tan Xiao nodded honestly.


    ¡°What are you afraid she¡¯ll do?¡± Shen MO asked with amusement. ¡°Has she scolded you or hit you?¡±


    Tan Xiao considered, then gradually descended into deep confusion¡ª<div>


    Since Bai Youwei never scolded nor hit him, why on earth was he scared of her?


    ¡°The water is boiling.¡± Shen MO reminded him, waved and left.


    There were shops, residences, and parks nearby the hotel¡­ all submerged in the night.


    Shen MO walked while taking in the surroundings. After a while, he turned into a residential area..

 Chapter 171: 171: Five-person Squad (Extra early update for Xi-)

    Chapter 171: 171: Five-person Squad (Extra early update for Xi-)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    He chose not to go to the supermarket.


    Something had happened in Hangzhou before Yangzhou, and the people there had evacuated sooner. There probably wasn¡¯t much left in the supermarket.<div>


    The residentialplex, on the other hand, was worth checking out. Some residents who had left hastily probably left behind some food reserves.


    Shen MO wanted to find some vegetables and fruits to improve his meals.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    First, he climbed into a courtyard lush with nts. By a stroke of luck, he found some fresh green cucumbers hanging by the corner of the wall, and in another yard, he found potted cherry tomatoes.


    After checking a few more courtyards, some had herbs like green onions and garlic while others only had normal nts.


    It was still good enough.


    After all, it wasn¡¯tmon to find lower-level residentplexes with courtyards these days.


    Before he realized, he had wandered from the south gate of the residential area to the north gate.


    Guessing he had been out for a while and preparing to return, the road outside the residential area suddenly brightened as if a vehicle¡¯s headlights in the distance had lit it up.


    Shen MO raised his eyebrows, slung his backpack onto his back, grabbed a nearby tree trunk, and climbed up in just a few steps to observe from the dense tree canopy.


    A vehicle was indeed approaching.


    As the distance decreased, he heard the sound of tires crunching on the road. For some reason, the driver was moving very slowly.<div>


    As it got closer, he heard heated arguing¡ªmale and female voices, not quite an argument but definitely not amicable.


    This robust Jeep came into view after a moment.


    The vehicle had clearly been modified; its wheels and lights were unique. The roof was open, revealing five people inside.


    Three men and two women.


    Shen MO subconsciously furrowed his eyebrows not only because he recalled what Tu Dan had previously mentioned about a group of people, but also because these people were armed.


    These days, those who could get their hands on weapons were either soldiers or bandits.


    Shen MO held his breath and made himself unnoticeable in the tree to avoid being discovered.


    The Jeep slowly drove into the residential area.


    The driver was a portly middle-aged man¡ªmore urately, strong, with a hefty torso and a rough face covered in stubble!


    By contrast, the man in the passenger¡¯s seat was refined and elegant, with a peaceful and schrly demeanour.


    Further back, there was a woman in a red dress seated on the left. She wore a look of impatience on her face.<div>


    On the right was a bespectacled young man, holding an injured young woman,ining bitterly:


    ¡°Su Man, that¡¯s enough! Zhu Shu didn¡¯t do it on purpose. Was it necessary to speak so harshly?!¡±


    ¡°Annoyed by my words?¡± The woman in red sneered, ¡°If not for you, I would have used my fists by now!¡±


    ¡°Su Man, you¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t me her¡­¡± The man in his arms weakly interjected, ¡°It¡¯s my fault¡­ I brought this upon everyone¡­ and wasted a tool.¡±


    The man held her tenderly, ¡°That¡¯s enough, please rest. Your wounds will heal soon, don¡¯t worry¡­¡±


    The woman in red scoffed sarcastically: ¡°Oh, ying the delicate damsel, are


    ¡°Su Man! I¡¯m warning you¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough.¡± The man in the front passenger seat cut them off.


    Both fell silent, but they couldn¡¯t hide the hostility on their faces.


    The man spoke, ¡°Everyone, calm down. We¡¯ve juste out of the maze. We all need to rest. Let¡¯s find a ce to stay first. Tomorrow, depending on Zhu Shu¡¯s recovery, we¡¯ll decide whether to set off again.¡±<div>


    The Jeep turned a corner and moved out of Shen MO¡¯s line of sight.


    Shen MO remained in the tree for a while longer, ensuring he couldn¡¯t hear any noises before leaping down and leaving the residentialplex.


    As he prepared to go, he nced at the Jeep¡¯s tire tracks, following the traces with his gaze to the distant mist.


    ¡°Just came out of the maze, huh¡­¡± He mumbled thoughtfully..

 Chapter 172: 172: You’re Spoiling Me (Additional updates for Xin Lan-)

    Chapter 172: 172: You¡¯re Spoiling Me (Additional updates for Xin Lan-)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    When they returned to the hotel, it was ratherte. Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai were sitting by the fire, chatting. Bowls and chopsticks that hadn¡¯t been tidied up were set aside; they had obviously already eaten.


    Bai Youwei was nowhere in sight.<div>


    ¡°Brother MO, here¡¯s your portion.¡± Tan Xiao handed him a bowl.


    Shen MO didn¡¯t take it, saying, ¡°I¡¯ll go up and call her.¡±


    ¡°I took a bowl up to her earlier, but she didn¡¯t eat. It¡¯s hot out, so she probably isn¡¯t hungry.¡± Mr. Chang chimed in, ¡°When we have a chance, we can pickle some sour beans and cucumbers ourselves. They¡¯re good for stimting the appetite.¡±


    Tan Xiao was surprised, ¡°Mr. Chang, you know how to pickle cucumbers?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Mr. Chang nodded, seriously exining, ¡°It¡¯s not difficult as long as you have cucumbers, chilli, salt, vinegar, and garlic ¡­¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a teacher? You¡¯re not a cook by any chance, are you?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ when you live by yourself, you inevitably pick up some cooking skills ¡­¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°So, can you pickle radishes? I especially like those!¡±


    ¡°First thing first, we need to have radishes¡­¡±


    As the two rambled on, Shen MO bypassed them and went directly to the second floor of the hotel.


    There was no power, and the corridor was pitch ck.<div>


    Arriving on the second floor, the hallway was equally dark, having no windows. Only a faint light emanated from Bai Youwei¡¯s room.


    Shen MO found himself instinctively slowing his pace.


    Advancing in the darkness and silence gave him an ufortable sensation, a faint sense of guilt stirring at the bottom of his heart. Despite having been away only for a short while, he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that he shouldn¡¯t have¡­


    Shouldn¡¯t have left her alone in the darkness.


    Shen MO reached the room. Bai Youwei was sitting with her back towards him in front of the floor-to-ceiling window. The moonlight outside spilled in, gilding the room with a silvery glow, and casting an indistinct halo around her silhouette.


    The candlelight inside seemed small and dim against the moonlight.


    It wasn¡¯t very dark.


    This realization made him feel slightly relieved.


    He walked into the room and put down his bag.


    Bai Youwei turned to nce at him when she heard him enter, then turned back dismissively.


    Shen MO silently chuckled to himself and asked her, ¡°Mr. Chang said you didn¡¯t have an appetite. Are you going to eat dinner?¡± Gazing out the window, Bai Youwei replied, ¡°I do have an appetite.¡±<div>


    Shen MO asked, ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you eat?¡±


    Bai Youwei said, ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood.¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡®


    He remained silent for a while, then followed her gaze out of the window. He saw the varying heights of the buildings, the ovepping shadows, and the thick, dark night sky.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Shen MO asked.


    With a sarcastic tone, Bai Youwei replied, ¡°Seeing what charms the world outside has, that it could lure you away for such a long time.¡±


    In the face of her periodic digs, Shen MO used to get a bit upset, but he had be almost immune to them now.


    He gave a resignedugh and said, ¡°Well, I dide back in the end, didn¡¯t it show that the charm here is greater than that of the outside?¡±


    He rarely made such jokes, which caused Bai Youwei to stare at him in surprise for a full two seconds, before quizzically asking, ¡°You¡¯re in such a good mood; did you have some kind of romantic encounter outside?¡±


    Shen MO didn¡¯t answer, but instead took out some cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and loquats from his bag. Bai Youwei immediately reached out, ¡°I want to eat!¡± ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t in the mood?¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ve cheered me up, so I¡¯m in the mood now.¡±<div>


    Shen MOughed, ¡°When did I cheer you up?¡±


    Bai Youwei pointed to the pile of fruit and vegetables in his hand, ¡°Isn¡¯t this from picking for me?¡±


    Shen MO teased her, ¡°Who says it couldn¡¯t be for Tan Xiao and Mr. Chang?¡±


    Bai Youwei confidently replied, ¡°If it was for them, why would you bring it up here? You could have given it to them downstairs just now.¡±


    Hmm, she had a point.


    Shen MO turned to leave.


    Bai Youwei grew anxious and mumbled, ¡°You¡¯re really taking it downstairs?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to wash them..¡± Shen MO moved to the bathroom, his voiceced with a hint ofughter, ¡°We can¡¯t eat them without washing, can we?¡±

 Chapter 173: 173: Let him have his way for now (Added more for Night Dance Floating Cloud-)

    Chapter 173: 173: Let him have his way for now (Added more for Night Dance Floating Cloud-)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    The cucumbers didn¡¯t turn out too great, thin and twisted, not as beautiful as those from the vegetable greenhouse. Thinking about Teacher Chang¡¯s recent suggestion to pickle the cucumbers, Shen MO set them aside and washed the cherry tomatoes and loquats first.


    The cherry tomatoes were small, just over twenty of them, filling a ss cup perfectly.<div>


    The loquats were picked at night, and in his haste, Shen MO hadn¡¯t paid attention to their ripeness. It wasn¡¯t until he shone the shlight on them that he noticed many of them were not fully ripe, their light yellow skin tinged with a faint green.


    Shen MO discarded a few particrly underripe ones, then carried the remaining fruit to his room.


    Bai Youwei was eager to eat them right away.


    ¡°Wash your hands first.¡± Shen MO handed her a moist towel.


    She quickly wiped her hands and, unable to wait any longer, bit into thergest loquat.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°You should eat the tomatoes first. It¡¯s hard to see at night, and these loquats aren¡¯t fully ripe, they might be a bit sour.¡± Shen MO suggested.


    But Bai Youwei had already taken a bite. She chewed and then spat out the skin and the seed, ¡°It¡¯s not sour at all, actually sweet. You said this is a loquat? It¡¯s delicious.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve never had one before?¡± Shen MO peeled a slightly reddish one and handed it to her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had loquats, but mostly in stews¡­ pear stew with loquat or loquat with peach gum. Never tried a fresh one.¡± Bai Youwei devoured another one, her eyes twinkling like crescent moons, ¡°This one is even sweeter than thest!¡±


    ¡°Are they that sweet?¡± Seeing her enjoying the fruit, Shen MO too peeled a loquat and took a bite, ¡® .


    ¡°Sweet or not?¡± Bai Youwei asked him, grinning from ear to ear.<div>


    Shen Mo:


    ¡­He initially thought she was teasing him again, but herughter appeared genuine. Her glowing eyes were as clear and pure as a spring lit by the moonlight.


    She truly found it sweet.


    Quietly chewing on the sour loquat in his mouth, Shen MO spat out the pit, stood up and went to get some water.


    Upon his return, he took the loquats she was holding.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Bai Youwei stared at him, puzzled, ¡°I still want to eat some.¡±


    ¡°Loquats are cold in nature, eating too many isn¡¯t good for you.¡± Shen MO handed her the cherry tomatoes, ¡°Eat these.¡±


    Bai Youwei made a face, ¡°Who hasn¡¯t eaten tomatoes before? They¡¯re not special. I want loquats.¡±


    Shen MO replied, ¡°I¡¯ll pick some sweeter ones for you tomorrow.¡±


    Bai Youwei finally seemed satisfied and stoppedining.


    After finishing all the cherry tomatoes, she was still hungry. Shen MO carried her downstairs, heated up the leftover noodles from earlier, and made her a poached egg.<div>


    She didn¡¯t usually eat these kinds of instant noodles, but today she polished off not only the noodles but the broth as well.


    Seeing her happily sipping the broth from the bowl, Shen MO couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang of emotion: this hedgehog of a girl was quick-tempered, vindictive, and harsh, making her difficult to handle when angry. But as long as you were willing to coax her, any hint of sweetness could be turned into the sweetest honey by her.


    ¡­In fact, she was quite easy to care for.


    He reached out and ruffled her hair tenderly.


    Bai Youwei put down the bowl and looked up at him, ¡°Why do you always touch my head?¡±


    Shen MOughed, ¡°Don¡¯t you always touch my hand as well?¡±


    Bai Youwei: ¡°Because it¡¯s hard, and interesting.¡±


    Copying her words, Shen MO replied, ¡°Oh, because I find it soft, and interesting.¡±


    Hearing this, Bai Youwei blinked her bright eyes, excused herself and went to help Chang Weicai and Tan Xiao clean up. Before going, she caught Shen MO¡¯s hand in both of hers, looked at him and whispered, ¡°There are even softer ces, do you want to touch?¡±


    Shen Mo:


    Half a secondter, he pulled back his hand and lightly tapped her forehead.<div>


    ¡°Ouch!¡± Bai Youwei yelped in pain, clutching her forehead as she red at him, ¡°Why¡¯d you hit me!¡±


    Both Chang Weicai and Tan Xiao looked over, but seeing that they were just fooling around, they returned to what they were doing.


    Shen MO found this amusing and pinched her cheek, ¡°Behave yourself from now on.¡±


    Bai Youwei pouted, she wanted to argue with him!¡­ Thinking about the delicious loquats she had earlier made her feel longing again. She licked her lips discreetly, thinking to herself: for all the care he has showered upon me, I¡¯ll cut him some ck for the next couple of days..

 Chapter 174: 174: Unity is Strength

    Chapter 174: 174: Unity is Strength<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    After dinner, everyone didn¡¯t immediately retire to their rooms, after all, it was too stifling insidepared to the openness outside.


    Everyone was casually chatting and packing their belongings. Teacher Chang rummaged through the car and found some expired food. He looked pained as he threw them away.<div>


    Tan Xiao, however, seemed rtively cheerful, reassuring him, ¡°Autumn is just around the corner, so the corn and grain must be ripe by now. We can just pick up a bag from the vige, that should be enough for us, there are fruit trees on the mountains, and fish in the water, we won¡¯t starve!¡±


    Teacher Chang asked, ¡°But what about winter?¡±


    Tan Xiao was expected to say that we need to gather more supplies for the winter but seemed like he hadn¡¯t considered this at all. After a pause, he simply replied, ¡°Let¡¯s focus on surviving until winter.¡±


    Despite the seemingly tragic nature of his statement, somehow Tan Xiao made everyone burst intoughter.


    Scratching his head, Tan Xiao joined in theughter, looking adorably clueless.


    Chang Weicai shook his head and sighed, ¡°I¡¯m worrying unnecessarily. The real challenges that lie ahead are the maze and the game. If we can¡¯t ovee these, having more food is pointless.¡±


    Mentioning the maze made Shen Mo recall the five-member team they had encountered earlier.


    ¡°When I went out earlier, a group came out of the maze. Based on their appearance, the difficulty of the maze here might not be too high.¡±


    Bai Youwei curiously asked, ¡°Why do you say that?¡±


    Shen MO exined, ¡°They had a jeep, and there were five people in it. That car can only amodate a maximum of five people.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem with five people?¡± Tan Xiao didn¡¯t understand.<div>


    Bai Youwei said, ¡°If five people go in, and five peoplee out, that means they exited the maze without casualties, so it seems the difficulty isn¡¯t too high


    Tan Xiao suddenly realized, ¡°Oh¡­.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like there were no injuries, one of the women was hurt,¡± Shen MO paused, then added, ¡°They had a gun.¡±


    (Note: Words like gun, explosion, bomb, and bullet can¡¯t be written or else the chapter will be blocked, separators don¡¯t work either.)


    ¡°Could you tell what kind of injury it was?¡± Bai Youwei asked.


    Shen MO shook his head lightly, ¡°I was too far away to see clearly, but I heard them say that they wasted one item because of it. I guess there might be some danger in the maze, but since the five of them survived, we should be able to handle it.¡±


    ¡°I thought we weren¡¯t allowed to bring weapons into the game?¡± Tan Xiao asked again.


    ¡°The maze and the game are not the same,¡± Chang Weicai replied, then muttered to himself, ¡°if only we could ask them about the conditions inside the maze.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me!¡± Tan Xiao widened his eyes, ¡°They have guns, so what happens if they decide to shoot us?¡±


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t rashly approach them since we don¡¯t know their intentions,¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Teacher Chang waved his hand dismissively, ¡°I was just voicing my thoughts¡­¡±<div>


    ¡°Even if we did ask them, there¡¯s no guarantee they¡¯d tell us the truth.¡± Bai Youwei tilted her lips up in a sneer, ¡°They might even deceive us.¡±


    Teacher Chang still held onto the belief that unity was strength, ¡°If everyone only cares about collecting their puzzle pieces, when will the puzzle beplete? As long as the puzzle is notplete, the game won¡¯t be fully cleared. Just like the saying, one thousand people united have the power of one thousand, but ten thousand people disagreeing have the value of none.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, this is a paradox,¡± Bai Youweiughed, ¡°For collecting, of course, the more, the merrier. But each puzzle piece grants one immunity.


    That means no one wants to share unless they¡¯ve already used their immunity.¡±


    Shen MO hesitated, ¡°If we could collect those used puzzle pieces¡­¡±


    Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes lit up as she understood him, ¡°That would make things much easier, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±

 Chapter 175: 175: Inquiring About the News

    Chapter 175: 175: Inquiring About the News<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Completing the puzzle allows one to clear all game levels¡ª


    This means liberating oneself from the nightmare-like games once and for all. Therefore, the puzzle pieces were obviously precious and scarce resources!<div>


    Yet, for most people, the value of a puzzle piece merely lies in the one-time exemption it provides.


    ¡°If we really want to do this, passing on the information could be an issue.¡± Shen MO said.


    ¡°As long as someone is still alive, they can definitely deliver the message.¡± Bai Youwei didn¡¯t worry at all. ¡°Didn¡¯t Teacher Chang see some parts of the city lit up today? There must be people living there, as long as we put out the message, trading goods for puzzles, I refuse to believe people wouldn¡¯t want that.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Tan Xiao was surprised. ¡°Trade by using our items? Are you sure that¡¯s a good idea?¡±


    ¡°Of course it wouldn¡¯t be a straight one for one trade.¡± Bai Youwei pondered. ¡°I would like to trade one for ten, but I guess there aren¡¯t many people who have spare puzzle pieces currently. One for five or one for three are both possibilities.¡±


    She looked up at everyone: ¡°What do you guys think?¡±


    Shen MO pondered for a moment, then replied: ¡°I have no objections.¡±


    In the short term, items are important, but in the long run, puzzle pieces hold more value.


    Chang Weicai also agreed: ¡°Completing the puzzle requires persistence and determination, I have no objections too.¡±


    Tan Xiao nced at Shen MO, then at Chang Weicai, puzzled: ¡°Do we even have so many items to trade¡­? I only have one badge whose use I don¡¯t understand¡­¡¯


    [Friendship Badge: Helped the princess find her lost golden ball, you have be a friend of the princess.]<div>


    The use of this item was unclear, because no one knew what benefit could be gained from being a friend of the princess.


    Bai Youwei patted her ¡°prosperous¡± canvas bag. ¡°I still have lots. If not enough, we can earn more from games! That¡¯s still better than running through the maze again and again, how exhausting!¡±


    Tan Xiao:


    My goodness, I think running games is no less strenuous than running mazes!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Shen MO checked the time and told everyone: ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, let¡¯s all go back to our rooms to rest. Tomorrow morning, we¡¯ll look around again, get to understand the situation. If there are no issues, we¡¯ll enter the maze in the afternoon. ¡±


    Everyone exchanged looks and nodded unanimously.


    Bai Youwei reminded Shen Mo: ¡°Don¡¯t forget to pick loquats before entering the maze.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Shen MO gave her a helpless look, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t forget.¡±


    The next morning.


    Shen MO and his team packed up their belongings, got in their car, and slowly drove along the streets on the outskirts of the fog.


    They asionally ran into people.<div>


    Unlike the folks in Yangzhou, who gathered near Yangzhou Port waiting for rescue, people in Hangzhou were scattered throughout the city, cautiously keeping a certain distance from the fog in the city center.


    When they saw Shen MO¡¯s car, everyone turned vignt, standing in their ce with suspicion and showing a posture that screamed caution, as if Shen MO and his team were intruders.


    ¡°These people are weird.¡± Through the car window, Tan Xiao noticed two more people collecting supplies by the roadside and hesitated, ¡°Should we get out and ask them?¡±


    ¡°No rush,¡± Shen MO¡¯s nce was indifferent and he looked forward. ¡°The mental state of these people is overly tense. They would probably have run away before we can even park our car properly. Let¡¯s take a look ahead first.¡± The vehicle continued to move forward.


    After traveling a short distance, they passed by an intersection where Shen MO saw about ten or so people sorting and packing things from a store onto a tricycle.


    All men, ranging from teenagers, to those in their twenties or even forties, each yed their role.


    When they saw the off-road vehicle, they were also quite vignt, but possibly due to their numbers, they didn¡¯t seem afraid or nervous at all, and continued their sorting without pausing.


    Shen MO parked the car across the street, got out, called Tan Xiao over, and together they went over to ask for information.


    Teacher Chang was worried that they might get into a conflict, he stood by the car nervously watching.


    Bai Youwei was also looking out from the window¡ª..


    <div>

 Chapter 176: 176: So Handsome

    Chapter 176: 176: So Handsome<div>


    Trantor: 549690339n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Shen MO was making conversation with them.


    To avoid arousing their vignce, he carried himself with a touch of ease and rxation. Standing tall amongst the crowd like a pine tree, his silence radiated power.<div>


    Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but acknowledge his attractiveness as she watched him.


    She framed him up with her fingers against the distant scenery, embedding him into this ¡°shot¡±.


    His side profile was handsome and determined. Standing amongst the crowd, he exuded an even more imposing air.


    The more she looked, the more she liked.


    As if sensing her gaze, Shen MO turned his head slightly to meet her eyes.


    Their eyes met, her heartbeat quickened, and she chuckled as she flirtatiously blinked at him.


    She saw him mouthing something without making a sound, before he turned back and continued his conversation with the others.


    Bai Youwei understood.


    He said two words, ¡°Stop teasing.¡±


    Propping her chin up, Bai Youwei muttered to herself, ¡°Ah, even when he¡¯s lecturing someone, he¡¯s still so attractive¡­¡±


    ¡°Weiwei, do you think they¡¯ll run into trouble¡­¡± Professor Cheng was anxious at the side, with this perpetual feeling that those people were not good-natured.<div>


    Still immersed in her ¡°admiration¡±, Bai Youwei muttered, ¡°Even if they do run into some trouble¡­ seeing him fight would be even more attractive¡­¡±


    Professor Cheng:???


    The conversationsted only two to three minutes, and Shen MO, along with Tan Xiao, returned to the car.


    Professor Cheng hastily asked, ¡°What¡¯s the situation in Hangzhou right now?¡±


    ¡°Much the same as Yangzhou, a lot of people didn¡¯t wait for the rescue teams, the escape routes out of the city are insecure, so they decided to stay.¡± Shen MO exined, ¡°They believe that being near the mist is safer as the game almost never appears here, hence as long as they ensure enough food and water, they could survive. Of course, this is under the prerequisite that the mist doesn¡¯t expand further, if the mist¡¯s range broadens, their survival space will be further squeezed.¡±


    Bai Youwei asked, ¡°How many people are in Hangzhou now?¡±


    ¡°Unclear.¡± Shen MO gently shook his head, ¡°Without electricity or inte, everyone is confined to a fixed area, asionally meeting people from other areas, no one has made a proper count.¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Bai Youwei asked again, ¡°Why were those people so afraid when they saw our car? Did something happen in the city?¡±


    ¡°Probably afraid we were going to steal their stuff,¡± Tan Xiao interjected, ¡°I heard them saying, some people unable to find food resorted to robbing others, and some specifically target game props.¡±


    Bai Youwei blinked her eyes, ¡°How do they know who has game props?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, how did they know?¡± Tan Xiao pped his forehead in regret, ¡°I forgot to ask just now. Should I go back and ask?¡±<div>


    Shen MO gently shook his head: ¡°Game props all look like toys, anyone carrying toys at this time is undoubtedly in possession of game props. Also, they could ambush near the game zones, and when peopleing out from the game let down their guard, the possibility of sessful ambush is high.¡±


    After digesting Shen MO¡¯s words, Bai Youwei fondly stroked her bag, saying, ¡°I wonder if someone will try to steal mine.¡±


    Observing her expression, Tan Xiao curiously asked, ¡°Weiwei, why do I get the feeling that you are somewhat looking forward to it?¡±


    Bai Youwei red at him fiercely, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you calling me ¡®sister¡¯ again?¡±


    Tan Xiao choked a little, replying with frustration, ¡°Sis, looking at your face, I really can¡¯t say it¡­¡±


    Bai Youwei was rather petite.


    With a fair and delicateplexion, when she res, she looked just like a petnt princess.


    After glowering at him for a while. Bai Youwei rolled her eves, surprisingly didn¡¯t get angry and proudly dered, ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t argue with you. I¡¯ll take it as youplimenting me for looking young.¡±


    Tan Xiao nodded in agreement, ¡°You indeed look very young.¡±


    ¡°Men all like young ones, right?¡± Bai Youwei asked with a beaming smile..


    <div>

 Chapter 177: 177 Little Boy (Extra update for Leng Ran – )

    Chapter 177: 177 Little Boy (Extra update for Leng Ran ¨C )<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°I guess it doesn¡¯t really matter¡­¡± Tan Xiao ran his fingers through his hair. ¡°As long as they are pretty and have nice bodies, age and such don¡¯t matter.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s face darkened.


    Teacher Chang quickly consoled, ¡°Red Skull, such things are temporary. The most important thing for a girl is her inner beauty, soul beauty is the true beauty¡­¡±<div>


    ¡°¡­¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s face turned even darker.


    Shen MO silentlyughed at the side, the conversation had veered off track so much that he couldn¡¯t bring it back.


    While they were chatting, a little boy from a distance came over cautiously. Probably figuring their conversation seemed very friendly, he bravely interrupted:


    ¡°Excuse me¡­ Do you need to buy a map?¡±


    Everyone turned to look at him.


    The boy was really young, probably around ten years old. With everyone staring at him, he seemed nervous.


    It¡¯d been a long time since Bai Youwei hadst seen a child.


    Not only children, elderly people like Chang Weicai were also rare. Of course, her kind, the disabled, were even rarer.


    ¡°Young man, are you selling a map?¡± Teacher Chang asked kindly.


    The little boy was holding a map in his hand. It was hand-drawn with a pencil, very detailed. You could see the traces of erasing and re-drawing.


    ¡°You¡¯re going into the maze, right?¡± Said the boy, ¡°This is the maze¡¯s map. I¡¯ll sell it to you for just one item.¡±<div>


    A Maze Map?


    One item?


    Everyone was taken aback.


    It didn¡¯t matter if it was someone else selling things, but it was surprising that such a young child was doing business.


    Teacher Chang inevitably asked, ¡°Young man, how old are you? What¡¯s your name?¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The little boy didn¡¯t answer. His eyes moved over their faces, finally settling on Shen MO, who he perhaps saw as the ¡°leader¡±. He stared at him and asked:


    ¡°Do you want the map? I also have a map of the city. Every game area is marked. It will be very safe to leave the city with the map. It¡¯s also only one item. Want it?¡±


    Shen MO nced at the map in the boy¡¯s hand and asked calmly, ¡°How can we verify your map is urate and reliable?¡±


    The question seemed to put the little boy in a tough spot, as he tried to find an answer.


    Bai Youwei was watching the child. The kid had a round face and serious eyebrows, small eyes, and was quite cute. He was just a bit sunburnt with red and peeling skin.


    Thinking about it, it was quite pitiful. He had most likely been pampered by his family before but now, they were probably gone. At such a young age, he had to learn to fend for himself.<div>


    Partly to tease, partly to test him, she asked, ¡°Once you enter the maze, you¡¯re not guaranteed toe out. And no one can verify the usefulness of your map. Why would I use an item to buy it? There¡¯s even less need for a city map. Don¡¯t you know that the game areas are always changing?¡±


    The child was stunned, ¡°The game area changes?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡± Tan Xiao interjected, ¡°If no yer enters the game for 7 days, the game area will move randomly. The direction and the distance are unpredictable, but it will always automatically lock onto ces where people gather!¡±


    The boy looked lost. After a while, he nodded slowly and muttered, ¡°Oh¡­ in that case, you wouldn¡¯t need my map after all¡­¡±


    His hopeless tone was enough to stir pity in anyone.


    Teacher Chang almost couldn¡¯t resist the urge to hand over his mud pie, but Shen MO stopped him.


    Shen MO asked the boy, ¡°What do you want the item for? You¡¯re so young. Even if you get an item, it could easily be stolen. Worse still, it could endanger your life. An item could bring you nothing but trouble.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Teacher Chang sobered up immediately. Although he hadn¡¯t acted on his impulse, a cold sweat broke out. It was a close call.


    He had almost spelled doom for the child.


    ¡°I want to leave,¡± the boy nced at a group of young men not too far away,


    ¡°But without an item, I can¡¯t join Brother Fei¡¯s team..¡±<div>

 Chapter 178: 178: Collecting Team Members

    Chapter 178: 178: Collecting Team Members<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Bai Youwei followed the gaze of the young boy.


    It was Shen MO and Tan Xiao who had previously inquired about the information from those people.<div>


    At this moment, those people were staring in their direction, seemingly curious if they would really exchange items with the child.


    ¡°Maybe they¡¯re just ying a trick on you.¡± Bai Youwei curled her lips, giving a wicked grin, ¡°Adults love to y tricks on children, saying if you finish your homework, they¡¯ll let you watch cartoons, but then make excuses after you¡¯re done. Aren¡¯t you afraid they¡¯ll fool you?¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The young boy furrowed his brows and said solemnly, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I¡¯m younger, so if we enter the game together, they can use me as a scapegoat, so they will definitely include me.¡±


    Bai Youwei smirked, ¡°You¡¯re pretty clear-headed.¡±


    Tan Xiao also understood, and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Since they would use you as a scapegoat, then it doesn¡¯t matter if you have tools, right? Why won¡¯t they let you join?¡±


    ¡°If I don¡¯t have any tools, I would definitely end up as a scapegoat.¡± The young boy replied, ¡°With tools, I might not die.¡±


    Life and death matters sounded somewhat poignanting from the mouth of a ten-year-old boy.


    Everyone exchanged nces and remained silent for a while.


    Perhaps realizing that Bai Youwei and the others weren¡¯t interested in the map, the young boy once again actively marketed his other goods:


    ¡°Besides the map, I can also help you find food. Dry food and fresh vegetables are avable. There are also emergency medical supplies. With just one tool, I can help you find all of these.¡±


    Bai Youwei gently shook her head, indifferently rejecting him, ¡°Kid, we won¡¯t be buying these things. In the maze, the value of tools far surpasses food and medicine.¡±<div>


    The little boy looked disappointed. He pursed his lips, he had no choice but to give up and turn to leave.


    Chang Weicai was anxious. As a teacher, he couldn¡¯t stand seeing a child suffer, he quickly rushed forward to stop the boy.


    ¡°Hey, kiddo, you should stop buying these tools, and don¡¯t listen to those people about joining any team. You¡¯re young and too easy to be taken advantage of. Find a ce to hide, and live a good life¡­¡±


    ¡°Chang Weicai, it¡¯s useless for him to hide anywhere in his state.¡± Bai Youwei stopped them, ¡°Hey, kid, would you like to consider joining us?¡±


    The young boy was stunned, he turned around, his eyes suspiciously rested on Bai Youwei.


    Bai Youwei said, ¡°You know it very well, don¡¯t you? If we dare to enter the maze, it shows that our strength is much stronger than that so-called Fei Ge.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ need me as a scapegoat in the maze?¡± The boy asked hesitantly.


    He had to be skeptical.


    Otherwise, why would they be willing to take him in? Don¡¯t all adults look down on children?


    Yet Bai Youwei burst intoughter, ¡°Hahaha¡­ scapegoat¡­ Only those who are afraid of death need that! I have a bunch of tools that I can¡¯t even use up, would I need you, a tiny kid, as a scapegoat?¡±


    The boy blushed, but his eyes lit up. He asked hopefully, ¡°Will you really let me join?¡±<div>


    ¡°Of course, there are conditions. After all, this is not a shelter.¡± Bai Youwei curled her lips, speaking nonchntly, ¡°As long as you can survive and make it out of the maze, I will allow you to join us. I¡¯ll even give you a tool.¡± The boy was taken aback, ¡°¡­Survive and leave the maze?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Bai Youwei looked at him with ease, ¡°If you want to be a teammate, we need to understand each other¡¯s abilities, right? If you only know how to cry when you¡¯re in the maze, I¡¯m not going to take you in.¡±


    Boy: ¡°I never cry!¡±


    ¡°Then think it over.¡± Bai Youwei saidzily, then turned to Shen MO, ¡°What time are we going into the maze this afternoon?¡±


    ¡°2 0¡¯clock.¡± Shen MO replied.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Bai Youwei looked at the young boy again, ¡°If you¡¯ve decided, meet us here at two in the afternoon. We will enter the maze together.¡±

 Chapter 179: 179: It’s Hard to Think

    Chapter 179: 179: It¡¯s Hard to Think<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Shen MO drove around Hangzhou City, making arge loop and encountering some residents along the way.


    The information he received was more or less the same as what he had initially learned from Fei¡¯s group.<div>


    In short, the people who had not received any rescue had nowhere to go, so they remained in the city. There was enough food and water here to sustain their lives, as long as they were careful not to approach the game area while gathering resources.


    No one knew how long this life struggling in the cracks wouldst.


    Seeing that it was almost noon, Shen MO picked a shady spot and stopped the car to prepare for lunch.


    Bai Youwei reminded him again, ¡°My loquats.¡±


    Shen ¡°Grocery Management¡± Mo: ¡®


    ¡°It¡¯s ok, it¡¯s ok, you go pick Weiwei¡¯s loquats, I¡¯ll cook.¡± Teacher Chang confidently lit the fire and readied the pot, murmuring under his breath,


    ¡°Aren¡¯t loquats usually in season in May or June? Why are there still some in August¡­¡±


    Bai Youwei chuckled mischievously, ¡°The first appearance of the dolls was in


    May, maybe time has stopped, and we just don¡¯t know?¡±


    Shen MO nced at her, ¡°The lotus seeds you ate mature in July or August.¡±


    ¡°So it has something to do with the mist then?¡± Bai Youwei casually guessed, ¡°There¡¯s no fog near Tai Lake, so time is normal.¡±<div>


    These spections could not be confirmed, and were merely idle chatter.


    Shen MO picked up his bag and left.


    His departure was quick, and his return was equally swift. When he appeared in front of Bai Youwei again, his bag was full of glistening yellow loquats.


    The meal was also ready.


    White rice, mung bean soup, sweet pumpkin, roasted sausages, and cucumber pickles that Teacher Chang quickly whipped up.


    The simple and homemade dishes were attractive with their bright colors. Under the shade of the big tree, they set up a small table, and sat around it. The homely atmosphere miraculously made them all hungry.


    ¡°Aiyo, Teacher Chang makes such good mung bean soup Q¡¯ Tan Xiao praised while sipping, ¡°Even without ice, it tastes refreshing.¡± Chang Weicaiughed, ¡°That¡¯s because Weiwei added mint leaves.¡±


    Tan Xiao turned to Bai Youwei, ¡°Weiwei can cook too?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Bai Youwei grabbed a squishy piece of pumpkin, nonchntly saying,


    ¡°But for a smart person, everything is a piece of cake, nothing is difficult.¡±


    Tan Xiao thought for a moment, lifted his bowl and moved closer, humbly seeking advice, ¡°Is there a way to be smart?¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Read more books, use your brain more.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t work, my head hurts whenever I read a book!¡± ¡°Well, then you¡¯re beyond help.¡±<div>


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there a way¡­ to be smart without using your brain?¡±


    ¡°There is.¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Tan Xiao widened his eyes, leaned closer, and asked, ¡°What is it?¡±


    Bai Youwei pointed to the fog in the center of the city with her chopsticks, ¡°Enter the maz& The maze improves a person¡¯s physical fitness, it might help improve your IQ.¡±


    Tan Xiao pondered for a moment, ¡°Come to think of it¡­ after going into the mazest time, my memory seems to have improved a bit.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I had the same feeling¡­¡± Teacher Chang hesitated, ¡°I thought my memory improved because my body became younger.¡±


    Shen MO looked at them and said, ¡°The improvement the maze gave to our bodies doesn¡¯t seem to be bnced. For me, the biggest change is in strength, followed by speed, agility, reflexes, endurance¡­ thinking should have improved as well, but it¡¯s not as noticeable.¡±


    Bai Youwei summarised, ¡°This shows that growing a brain is much harder than growing muscles.¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡®


    Why did her words sound so insulting?


    Meanwhile, Teacher Chang sighed, ¡°In that case, it would be good to take the kid into the maze once. Even if he has no props in the future, at least he¡¯ll have the ability to be independent.¡±<div>


    ¡°Wait a moment~¡± Bai Youwei raised a finger and wiggled it, ¡°Teacher Chang, I¡¯m not bringing him into the maze to do him a favor. I truly want him to join us..¡±

 Chapter 180: 180: Bai Youwei’s Game

    Chapter 180: 180: Bai Youwei¡¯s Game<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Everyone was astonished.


    After cohabiting for some time, they all had some knowledge about Bai Youwei.<div>


    While she wasn¡¯t particrly nasty, she wasn¡¯t specifically kind hearted either. Yet now, she wanted to take in a ten-year old child?


    ¡­Could there be some hidden agenda?


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Bai Youwei frowned slightly, ¡°The way you¡¯re looking at me now, is making me very un-fort-able.


    ¡°Ahem¡­¡± Tan Xiao and Teacher Chang diverted their eyes.


    Shen MO was more direct and asked her, ¡°The reason?¡±


    Bai Youwei threw up her hands: ¡°Because I think the kid has potential. His observational skills are solid; he guessed our destination to be the maze; he is courageous enough to negotiate a deal with adults at such a young age, and he¡¯s clear-headed enough to realize that his elder brother was just using him as a scapegoat. Of course, he does have some drawbacks, but after all, he¡¯s only ten¡ªI can¡¯t expect too much, can I?¡±


    ¡°Just because of these reasons?¡± Shen MO looked at Bai Youwei, his eyes expressing doubt.


    The child¡¯s strengths were apparent, but the drawbacks were even more conspicuous.


    He was just a child, his capabilities in every aspect were weaker than adults, and he would undeniably be a burden in the game. Like in the first round ¡°Flower Picking¡± of ¡°Friends Gathering,¡± if anyone would snatch his flower, the child would have no power to resist at all.


    In short, once they took him in, all of them would have to put in a herculean effort just to keep him safe.


    ¡°Actually¡­ ever since we came out of the gamest time, I¡¯ve felt that we arecking something,¡± Bai Youwei said.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om<div>


    Shen MO asked, ¡°Lacking what?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to put into words, but you could say¡­ a simpler, more instinctive way of thinking?¡± Bai Youwei put down her chopsticks, fell silent for a moment before continuing, ¡°I think, the doll game isn¡¯t difficult. The difficulty lies in finding a solution. Due to factors like life experiences and upbringing, many of our thinking patterns are rtively set, including mine.¡±


    She looked at Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai, ¡°You probably don¡¯t know, when we were ying Truth or Dare, I initially thought of a question for the card, but then I remembered the Inspector mocking humans as beingbinations of water, protein, and organic substances, so I changed the question on the fly. But afterwards, I realized there was an easier way to pass the game, which I hadn¡¯t even thought of at the time.¡±


    Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai looked at each other, then asked Bai Youwei, ¡°What method?¡±


    Bai Youwei pursed her lips slightly.


    ¡°The Inspector can¡¯t kill himself, so I told everyone to write ¡®kill the Inspector of this round¡¯ on the card. But in reality, there are numerous things the Inspector can¡¯t do. He can¡¯t bleed human blood; simrly, I guess he can¡¯t produce ear wax or nose excrement, he can¡¯t rub his scalp to produce dandruff, and he can¡¯t spit out saliva. Don¡¯t these methods sound disgusting? Very crude? But they might be effective, right?¡±


    Shen MO slightly frowned, ¡°You mean that child could make up for our cognitive shortfalls?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t be sure¡­¡± Bai Youwei pondered for a moment before saying, ¡°Let¡¯s y a game now, treat me as the Inspector, and try to pass the game. How about that?¡±


    The three men quietly stared at her while holding their bowls.


    ¡°Pose your question.¡± Shen MO said.


    Let¡¯s treat it as a dinner party game.<div>


    Bai Youwei¡¯s mouth curled up into a smile: ¡°Hello everyone, I¡¯m the Inspector for this round of the game, wee to the Doll Game.¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡® Tan Xiao:


    Teacher Chang:


    Bai Youwei smiled as she stretched out her hands, palms up:


    ¡°The theme of this round is ¡®Weiwei¡¯s Candy¡¯. Assume I have a piece of red candy and a piece of green candy in my hand.. The red one is watermelon-vored; what vor is the green one?¡±

 Chapter 181: 181: Late (Extra update for the master nine-)

    Chapter 181: 181: Late (Extra update for the master nine-)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Tan Xiao was very eager, immediately replying, ¡°Cantaloupe vour!¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Bai Youwei: ¡°Incorrect.¡±<div>


    Teancher Chang asked: ¡°Is it grape vour?¡±


    Bai Youwei: ¡°Incorrect.¡±


    Tan Xiao said: ¡°Teacher Chang, grape vour is usually purple! Ah, is it kiwi vour?¡±


    Bai Youwei: ¡°Incorrect.¡±


    Tan Xiao: ¡°¡­What about green mandarin vour?¡±


    Bai Youwei: ¡°Incorrect.¡±


    Teacher Chang seriously pondered: ¡°Since the red candy is watermelon-voured, then the green one must also be fruit-voured¡­


    could it be cucumber-voured?¡±


    ¡°How could that be? Cucumbers are not fruits!¡± Tan Xiao activated his brain cell, ¡°Think again, are there any other green fruits¡­ Ah! I got it! Green apple vor! I must be right this time, right?¡±


    Bai Youwei shook her head with augh: ¡°Still incorrect.¡±


    Tan Xiao waspletely helpless: ¡°Weiwei, give us a hint!¡±<div>


    Bai Youwei shrugged, ¡°I¡¯ve already given you a hint, the red candy is watermelon-voured, that¡¯s the clue.¡±


    Teacher Chang tried again: ¡°Is it lotus seed vour?¡±


    Bai Youwei burst intoughter, still shaking her head, she asked Shen Mo: ¡°What do you think it tastes like?¡±


    Shen MO pondered for a moment, answering: ¡°Sweetness.¡±


    ¡°What?! That¡¯s allowed?!¡± Tan Xiao couldn¡¯t help but shout, ¡°The answer is sweetness?! No way! That¡¯s so cunning!!!¡±


    Bai Youwei shook her head: ¡°That¡¯s also incorrect.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± The sound of Tan Xiao¡¯s voice abruptly stopped.


    ¡°¡­¡± Teacher Chang was just about to praise the unexpected win of that answer, only to involuntarily shut his mouth.


    Shen MO looked at Bai Youwei: ¡°Reveal the answer.¡±


    Bai Youwei grinned, saying: ¡°The answer is, watermelon rind vour.¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡® Tan Xiao:<div>


    Chang Weicai: ¡® .


    ¡°The red is watermelon-voured, the green is watermelon rind voured, what do you think? Isn¡¯t it logically consistent?¡± Bai Youwei gloated, ¡°When the nanny¡¯s child came to y at my house, I used treats to tease him, and that¡¯s exactly how he answered. Children¡¯s way of thinking is very interesting, if we truly aim toplete the puzzle collection, we should consider bringing that kid along, we might be pleasantly surprised~¡±


    She paused, then continued: ¡°If he can make it out of the maze alive, that is.¡±


    Everyone fell into silence.


    So, that¡¯s the most important part, right?


    If he can¡¯t make it out of the maze alive, everything we just discussed is moot!


    Tan Xiao picked up his bowl to continue eating, mumbling: ¡°I wonder if he¡¯ll show up at 2 p.m.¡±


    Bai Youwei also picked up her bowl, slowly eating a few bites of rice.


    Teacher Chang opened his mouth as if to speak, looking at hispanions¡¯ expressions, in the end, he shut it and ate in silence¡­


    2 p.m. soon arrived.


    They returned to the crossroads again.<div>


    They didn¡¯t bring a car, everyone only brought some portable luggage.


    There was no sign of the little boy at the crossroads.


    It was understandable if he didn¡¯t show up, after all, he didn¡¯t know Bai Youwei well, it was normal to be cautious, let alone¡­ not many people dared to enter the maze now.


    Chang Weicai said: ¡°Shall we wait a little longer? Maybe he got dyed.¡± Everyone looked at Bai Youwei.


    Her expression was indifferent, she didn¡¯t object, so everyone found a shady spot and waited quietly.


    They waited for five minutes.


    The little boy was still nowhere to be seen.


    Bai Youwei casually yawned.


    Just then, a few people approached from the right, they looked over¡ª It was two men and a woman, but the boy was still not with them.


    Bai Youwei suddenly feltpletely unmotivated.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, no need to wait any longer.¡± She said somewhat frustrated, ¡°He probably won¡¯t show up.¡±


    ¡°Hey! There¡¯s a handicapped person here.¡± One of the men, a chubby one, was surprised by the sight, meaning no discrimination, merely expressing surprise and having a loose tongue.


    Bai Youweizily lifted her eyelids, giving him a cold smirk.


    ¡°Listen here, sir, we¡¯re both handicapped people.. Is there a need to discriminate against each other?¡±

 Chapter 182: 182 MDZZ

    Chapter 182: 182 MDZZ<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    The fat uncle stared in bewilderment, asking Bai Youwei, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Bai Youwei smiled, pointing to her leg, ¡°I¡¯m leg-disabled.¡±<div>


    Then pointed at his head, ¡°And, you are brain¨Cdisabled.¡±


    The air seemed to freeze for two seconds.


    The fat uncle fumed, ¡°How dare you insult me?!¡±


    Bai Youwei smirked, ¡°It took you two seconds to realise you¡¯ve been insulted. Clearly, your brain isn¡¯t the sharpest tool in the shed.¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡± The fat uncle rolled up his sleeves, ¡°You insolent little girl, I¡¯ll teach you a lesson!¡±


    Shen MO and Tan Xiao stepped in front of Bai Youwei, while Master Chang cautiously moved the wheelchair back a bit.


    Meanwhile, the fat man¡¯spanion was holding him back.


    ¡°Lun Ang, let it go.¡± The man frowned at the sight of Shen MO and his group, his voice very low, ¡°Let¡¯s notplicate things, just take the exchanged items and go.¡±


    The woman in red was more swaggering, her disdain virtually written on her face, ¡°This little white lotus living off men will be dead in no time. You shouldn¡¯t keep getting worked up about her.¡±


    ¡°Tch! Were you raised in a single-parent home? Never been supported by your father?¡± Bai Youwei snickered, ¡°Living without depending on a man, what an aplishment!¡±


    The woman in red immediately got angry and suddenly pulled out a gun from her waist!<div>


    ¡°Su Man!¡± The man next to her snapped.


    Bai Youweiughed, nonchntly pulling a toy gun from her bag, ¡°I have one too, want to see whose is more powerful?¡± No one believed she was holding a toy.


    Who didn¡¯t carry a few life-saving items with them at this point?


    Both sides reached a stand-off.


    Shen MO¡¯s side seemed to have more people, but all the opponents were strong and robust. On his side, there was Bai Youwei and Chang Weicai, a disabled young woman and an old man, which subtly tipped the bnce of power in favor of the opponents.


    Bai Youwei started to fumble in her bag, pulling out item after item with anguid tone, ¡°So many life-saving items, carrying them around every day is a hassle. It¡¯s a good time to try some out today¡­


    The crowd: ¡®


    Shen MO nced at her, ¡°Put them away.¡±


    Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t pleased, puffing her cheeks to ask, ¡°Are you suggesting that I am wasting them?¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡°I am worried you¡¯ll cause an injury.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Bai Youwei packed away the items one by one back into her bag, but the toy gun remained out.<div>


    Of course, the toy gun normally couldn¡¯t do much damage; it mainly made people uncontrobly want to flee. But¡­ the opponents didn¡¯t know the real purpose of the items. So, she decided to take a gamble.


    When she saw the apprehension on the three men¡¯s faces, she knew she had bet correctly.


    ¡°We have no hostility.¡± The leader cast a nce at Bai Youwei, his eyes eventuallynding on Shen MO¡¯s face. ¡°We have our items as well, but under the present circumstances, I believe it¡¯s unnecessary to waste our life-saving items on some petty verbal disputes, right?¡±


    ¡°Verbal disputes?¡± Bai Youweiughed, ¡°One of them insulted my disability and wanted to hit me while the other called me freeloader and almost shot me. Please rify, who was the first to throw a punch in this so-called ¡®verbal dispute¡¯?!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Shen MO nces at her again, ¡°No filthynguage.¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Bai Youwei hugged his arm pitifully ¡°Brother, these bad people are bullying me! Boohoo¡­


    Tan Xiao, wielding his baseball bat at the forefront, looked at them with contempt, and dered righteously, ¡°We¡¯re working hard to save all of humanity, and you? You¡¯re big fellows, yet you¡¯re bullying a young girl! Tsk, scumbags of the martial world!¡± The three on the opposite side: ¡®


    Damn idiots, we¡¯ve run into lunatics!

 Chapter 183: 183: Apologize

    Chapter 183: 183: Apologize<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    The leading man gave a subtle signal to his two aplices.


    The chubby uncle took a few steps back with a stern face.<div>


    The woman in red bit her lip and put away her weapon.


    ¡°A misunderstanding,¡± exined the man, ¡°My name is Yan Qingwen. This is my partner Su Man, and Lun Ang. We¡¯re quite crude in our speech usually, but we mean no harm. As for calling thisdy disabled¡­ there¡¯s no intended insult.¡±


    He paused for a second, then smiled and continued, ¡°Moreover, isn¡¯t thisdy, indeed a disabled person? What should we have said to avoid offense?¡±


    Bai Youweiughed and shouted loudly, ¡°Wow, look everyone, there¡¯s a fatso here! Just like a burned pig trotter!¡±


    Chubby Uncle: ¡°You! .


    Bai Youwei with an innocent face asked, ¡°Oh, how should I phrase it to be not offensive? He¡¯s actually a fatty, right? And that¡­ man with blindfold?¡± ¡°What did you just say about me?!¡± The woman in red stared at her fiercely.


    ¡°I said you are blind,¡± Bai Youwei giggled, ¡°You immediately presumed that I rely on a man for living. How did you conclude that it¡¯s not me who supports these men?¡± Shen Mo:


    Tan Xiao:


    Chang Weicai: ¡® .


    ¡°Even if I do rely on men, what¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Bai Youweiughed, ¡°Did I eat your rice or stole your man?¡±


    The chubby uncle couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Your mouth is too venomous, girl! We only criticized you once, and you retaliated a dozen times! Don¡¯t think because you are a girl we won¡¯t fight back!¡±<div>


    ¡°Go ahead!¡± Bai Youwei patted her toy gun mockingly, rage filled her eyes, ¡°If I kill you guys, I can take over your puzzles!¡±


    At the mention of the puzzle, the expressions of the three people instantly changed, they looked at her vigntly.


    Those who know the existence of the puzzle are most likely to have experienced the maze, and after experiencing the maze, their physical strength has increased. Such people should not be underestimated.


    The atmosphere was tense, and people on both sides were silently confronting each other.


    Shen MO nced at Bai Youwei, then turned to the leading man of the other party, and said calmly, ¡°Apologize. Even though you have a weapon in your hands, it may not be more effective than this toy.¡±


    Yan Qingwen looked at Shen MO, and finally, looked at Bai Youwei.


    Bai Youwei nonchntly yed with the toy gun in her hand.


    Yan Qingwen raised the corner of his mouth slightly, seeming amused more than mad, ¡°Okay, it was our fault. I apologize for mypanions. Can we leave now?¡±


    Shen MO gestured, ¡°Please.¡±


    Despite still angry, the chubby uncle and the woman in red didn¡¯t say anything and left with Yan Qingwen.


    When they walked away, Shen MO turned around and knocked on Bai Youwei¡¯s forehead.<div>


    ¡°Less tough talk in the future, every word stirring up the wind and rain?¡±


    Such words as killing people and taking over puzzles had scared poor Mr. Chang to the point of turning pale.


    ¡°We have to act tough, or they won¡¯t be scared.¡± Bai Youwei rubbed her forehead, stating somberly, ¡°Some people only bully the weak and fear the strong. The tougher I am, the more they fear and dare not mess aroun&


    Tan Xiao nodded repeatedly, ¡°Weiwei is right. Brother MO, when we rough it out, our image matters!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Shen MO didn¡¯t want to argue with these two ¡°kids¡±.


    ¡°Look, they seem to be trading with those people.¡± Bai Youwei said excitedly.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Some onlookers appeared near the crossroads when the conflict was going on, seemingly predestined to have an appointment with these three people, carrying different sizes of boxes.


    The three people handed over a gun and some bullets, and they carried back several boxes.


    ¡°I wonder what¡¯s inside¡­¡± Bai Youwei looked at the receding figures, a bit curious.


    ¡°It¡¯s gasoline.¡± Shen MO said.


    Bai Youwei looked at him, ¡°How do you know?¡±<div>


    ¡°I smelled it.¡± Shen MO said indifferently, ¡°Also, besides gasoline, I can¡¯t think of anything else more valuable than guns and bullets.¡±


    He paused, then said in a low voice: ¡°Our gasoline is almost used up..¡±

 Chapter 184: 184: Maybe Useful

    Chapter 184: 184: Maybe Useful<div>


    Trantor: 549690339n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Bai Youwei blinked, ¡°What should we do then?¡±


    Shen MO replied, ¡°Their gasoline, it must have been collected from the abandoned cars in the city. We can look for these cars in the game area, no residents dare approach there, so we should be able to collect quite a bit.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°And we can also y games at the same time-¡±<div>


    Shen MO nced at her, ¡°You¡¯re addicted, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Bai Youwei shrugged, ¡°No way around it; we need puzzles and to get them we need props, and to get props we need to y games. In the end, I¡¯m doing this all for humanity¡¯s salvation-¡±


    Shen MO was amused and pinched her cheek, ¡°Just as that man said, you and your mouth¡­¡±


    Bai Youwei was displeased, she brushed off his hand andined, ¡°Brother, can you pick another ce to touch, my face is getting loose because of your pinching!¡±


    Shen MO paused.


    Tan Xiao, standing aside, nodded straightforwardly, ¡°I¡¯ve noticed the same. MO, you¡¯ve been touching Weiwei a lottely.¡±


    ¡°Have 1¡­?¡± Shen MO touched his own nose.


    While they were chattering, they were unaware that others were discussing them in another ce.


    A chunky, stout uncle carrying two buckets of gasoline walked back,ining as he went, ¡°That damned girl cursed too harshly, I¡¯ve never been cursed like that before.¡¯


    ¡°Qingwen, why did you stop us?¡± The redhead woman was also dissatisfied, ¡°We could have won if we fought.¡±


    ¡°And then what?¡± Yan Qingwen looked at them indifferently, ¡°Wasting resources and stamina on these people, what¡¯s the advantage for us? Don¡¯t forget, it¡¯s not safe here. We might enter the game any moment, besides¡­¡±<div>


    He paused, looking back at the distant mist.


    ¡°Besides, they entered the maze, so they might note out alive.¡±


    The redhead woman sneered, ¡°That¡¯s true, no need to waste time on people who are about to die.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just go.¡± The chubby uncle was irritated, ¡°If we don¡¯t hurry back, Li Li will start nagging, it¡¯s annoying! ¡±


    ¡°Ever since he met Zhu Shu, he¡¯s never had a sober moment.¡±


    ¡°Enough, let¡¯s say less when we get back.¡±


    A dispute at the crossroads dyed their entry into the mist for a while.


    At half past two, they arrived at the edge of the mist, confirmed the items in their bags onest time, and prepared to enter the mist.


    At this moment, the boy from the morning arrived.


    He arrived panting and carrying a heavy backpack.


    He wiped the sweat off his face, his round eyes staring at Bai Youwei, he asked,<div>


    ¡°Does your promise from this morning still stand?¡±


    ¡°It stands¡­¡± Bai Youwei looked him up and down, her eyesnding on a few bruised patches, she asked in doubt, ¡°But, are you sure you can enter the maze in your condition?¡±


    There were quite a lot of injuries on his body, as if he had just been beaten up.


    The little boy shook his head: ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡±


    Shen MO also warned him, ¡°After we go in, we will help you, but when dangeres, we might not necessarily be able to look out for you.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± The little boy hoisted his backpack up higher on his shoulders, saying, ¡°I will try to run as fast as I can.¡±


    Shen MO gave him a final nce, not saying anymore; he pushed his wheelchair forward, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡±


    They continued deeper into the mist.


    Mr. Cheng fell behind and lightly patted the boy¡¯s bag, ¡°It¡¯s heavy, isn¡¯t it? Let me carry it for you.¡±


    ¡°¡­No need, I can carry it.¡± The little boy responded in a muffled voice, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Tan Xiao, quick with his hand, grabbed the bag with one hand, ¡°I¡¯ll carry it. You¡¯re just a little kid, the bag is so heavy. How will you run when it¡¯s time to escape? ¡­Hey, what¡¯s this?¡±<div>


    When he picked up the bag, his fingers hooked a thin string around the little boy¡¯s neck. He pulled it slightly, revealing a whistle tucked inside the boy¡¯s cor.


    ¡°N-No¡­ nothing¡­¡± The boy hastily stuffed the whistle back in, stammering,


    ¡°Just brought it along, might be useful¡­.¡±

 Chapter 185: 185: The Second Time into the Maze

    Chapter 185: 185: The Second Time into the Maze<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Shen MO nced back at them and said nothing.


    Continuing to walk into the fog for another five or six minutes, they gradually felt the environment change.<div>


    Everyone knew this was a sign of entering thebyrinth, so no one spoke up.


    The air became more and more stifling and moist.


    And beneath their feet¡­


    The ground began to soften.


    This softness was different from the muck found in the ¡°Frog¡¯s Golden Ball¡± game. It was a different kind¡­ a distinctly ufortable softness.


    Bai Youwei also noticed the sluggishness of her wheelchair. The ground was no longer t, but sticky and dull, which felt very strange.


    She even smelled a¡­ strong scent of blood.


    Then¡­


    The fog parted.


    City buildings came into view, causing everyone to spontaneously cover their noses and mouths, trying to suppress their urge to vomit¡­


    -The city was enveloped by clumps of bloody flesh, indistinguishable as tendons or membranes, wrapped around everything. The sky was also covered, making them feel as if they were inside the body of some monster. The path ahead appeared to be vitals¨Ca windpipe, intestines, or something¡­<div>


    Bai Youwei looked extremely ufortable.


    All her excitement and anticipation at tackling the challenge vanished!


    She had originally entered the game looking for fun, but now she couldn¡¯t bear to stay even for one more second! She just wanted to leave!


    ¡°Disgusting!¡± She covered her nose and cursed vehemently with two words.


    Chen, the teacher, tried to touch the wall next to him. The soft and somewhat stic touch of it was very much like skinless muscle. When his hand covered it, he could even feel the wall pulsating underneath.


    As if blood was flowing underneath.


    Chen murmured thoughtfully, ¡°Thest time, thebyrinth tested our minds.


    Could it be testing our physical awareness this time?¡±


    ¡°Impossible.¡± Bai Youwei answered quietly while covering her nose and mouth. ¡°Our decision toe to Hangzhou was spontaneous. The game system wouldn¡¯t know whichbyrinth we¡¯d choose.¡±


    Her expression was painful. She tried hard to breathe, then immediately held her breath out of nausea, looking aggrieved and annoyed. ¡°This ce is beyond disgusting.¡±


    Tan Xiao looked left and right, then asked nkly, ¡°Were we¡­ swallowed by some massive monster?¡±<div>


    Shen MO took out a dagger and walked over to the fleshy wall, raising his hand to stab it.


    He sliced a wound in the wall and blood flowed out.


    He dipped his finger in the blood, sniffed it lightly, and frowned, ¡°Thisbyrinth seems to be¡­¡¯alive¡¯.¡±


    -Only living things bleed.


    Everyone stood still, silent for a moment. The realization that whatever they were standing on was alive sent a shiver up their legs.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    After a moment of contemtion, Shen MO said to everyone, ¡°Let¡¯s move forward for now.¡±


    Bai Youwei, holding her hand over her mouth, pointed towards the young boy, ¡°Have him bring out the map and follow that.¡±


    Everyone then remembered that the boy had imed he had a map of thebyrinth.


    How could someone who¡¯s never been inside thebyrinth draw one? ¨C It was simply a reproduction of the city located within the area of the fog.


    The young boy handed the map to Shen MO and said, ¡°We should currently be on Gen Shan West Street. If I am not mistaken, just further ahead there should be arge overpass.¡±


    Shen MO looked at the map and then at the boy, ¡°Are you a local to Hangzhou?¡±<div>


    ¡°Yes,¡± The boy nodded. ¡°My name is Pan Xiaoxin. I¡¯m a fifth grader at


    Hangzhou Central Primary School.¡±


    ¡°How old are you?¡±


    ¡°11. ¡±


    Shen MO nodded slightly, returned the map to him, ¡°From now on, you are responsible for keeping track of the route we take.¡±


    Caught off guard by the sudden assignment, Pan Xiaoxin hesitated, then hurriedly took the map, ¡°¡­.OK, I¡¯ll do it!¡±

 Chapter 186: 186: A Significant Shock

    Chapter 186: 186: A Significant Shock<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    They continued to move forward.


    The scent of flesh permeated the surroundings.<div>


    Bai Youwei covered her nose for a while before realizing there was no avoiding breathing, so she lowered her hand and reluctantly epted the air here.


    As they walked on, they could faintly make out the outline of a suspension bridge covered with chunks of flesh.


    Simultaneously, they encountered something else.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡­It was a group of skinless creatures, with disproportionatelyrge heads and tiny skinny limbs.


    They perched on the lumpy meat, gnawing it hungrily. The gnawed areas released pus, blood, and slime, causing the pink flesh to turn a rotten purple color.


    Bai Youwei felt sickened, almost to the point of throwing up.


    She was reminded of the movie ¡°The Lord of the Rings¡± from over a century ago, specifically, the character Gollum. These things were just like it!


    No¡­ That¡¯s not right. These creatures were even more disgusting!


    At least Gollum had bright, expressive eyes. As for these¡­ She had been looking for a while and she couldn¡¯t find their eyes at all!


    ¡°What in the world is this?¡± Tan Xiao couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°Alien babies?¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, these red creatures seemed to sense his movement and suddenly turned to look at him! On their faces, they had nothing but cracked mouths!<div>


    ¡°Holy crap¡­¡± Tan Xiao gasped.


    In an instant!


    Seven or eight of these creatures were scuttling towards them!


    Though their limbs seemed small and frail, they climbed over the lumps of flesh like bamboo worms, scurrying swiftly like nothing else!


    Tan Xiao didn¡¯t have time to swear! He immediately wielded his baseball bat, smacking one creature away and crushing the next with a loud bang!


    And they really did smash!


    It felt like bursting a blood packet. Once hit, it immediately sttered and melted into the flesh beneath their feet, leaving nothing behind but a powerful, pungent stench of blood!


    Chang Weicai wielded a walking stick as a weapon, swinging it nervously without rhythm, but still managing to repel several creatures.


    ¡°Be careful, everyone!¡± he shouted, ¡°These things might be poisonous, try not toe into direct contact with them!¡±


    ¡°You should have said that sooner, Chang!¡± Tan Xiao crushed another creature¡¯s head.


    He stuck his tongue out in disgust: ¡°Blech! Blech! Blech! Blech!¡±<div>


    While the creatures were terrifyingly agile, given their small size andck of toughness, the team could deal with seven or eight of them at once.


    Pan Xiaoxin was protected in the middle, his face deathly pale.


    Despite his meticulous preparations for entering the maze, he never expected these people to be so ruthless! Within 5 minutes of entering the maze, they had already begun fighting with monsters! Moreover¡­even the sixty-year-old boss had managed to kill quite a few!


    Among everyone, only Bai Youwei seemed rtively calm, sitting motionless in her wheelchair like a vulnerable girl.


    This gave the young Pan Xiaoxin a bit offort.


    Thest creature was crushed under Shen Mo t s foot.


    He controlled his power, rolling the creature¡¯s slippery head under his foot without killing it, and asked with a frown, ¡°Come and see what this is.¡±


    As Chang Weicai leaned down to get a closer look at the creature, he probed its mouth with his walking stick.


    ¡°Its body produces some kind of toxin that corrodes proteins and fats, but it seems not to affect us much¡­


    Chang looked at Tan Xiao¡¯s unscathed face, then lightly poked at the creature¡¯s head with his stick.


    Unexpectedly, the creature¡¯s head burst open instantly, turning into a pool of blood underneath Shen Mo¡¯s foot.<div>


    Chang was taken aback, ¡°¡­well, it seems their heads are unusually fragile, which could be a weak point. They also appear to move in groups, so there may be many more lurking in the maze.¡±


    Shen MO turned to Bai Youwei, ¡°Any thoughts?¡±


    Bai Youwei made a disgusted face, ¡°This is too disgusting.¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡®


    Bai Youwei, looking ufortable, repeated: ¡°Too disgusting¡­ too disgusting¡­¡±


    It seemed their strategist was quite shocked..

 Chapter 187: 187: No Clue

    Chapter 187: 187: No Clue<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    They had no leads and could only continue along the street.


    Afterward, they encountered the Skinning Monster a few more times. Small and annoying, their numbers gradually increased. It was still manageable when there were seven or eight of them, but when dozens rushed over together, everyone could hardly cope with them.<div>


    Not sure what else they would encounter down the road, they found a convenience store to take a temporary refuge in.


    ¡ªThe convenience store was also filled with chunks of flesh. The fleshy shelvesy here and there, some broken on the floor, some sticking to the walls, growing together with the fleshy walls. Warm and greasy, it gave off a nauseating smell of blood.


    Interestingly though, while they were surrounded by red flesh and there weren¡¯t any lights, their vision was somehow bright.


    Chang Weicai reached out again, attempting to touch the chunks of flesh.


    The walls, the floor, the doors and windows, the shelves, the cashier counter¡­without exception, all had turned into flesh. There was no skin, only a thinyer of meat membrane that would bleed if you barely cut into it.


    ¡°It¡¯s different fromst time¡­¡± murmured Professor Chang.


    ¡°Indeed it is.¡± Shen MO whispered.


    Thest time in the Mirror Maze, the city still retained the textures of its infrastructure. Cement was still cement, ss was still ss. The city had be a maze only through differentbinations and arrangements.


    But this time, the arrangement of the city¡¯s infrastructure had not changed. The streets, the houses, everything looked the same. The only difference was the change in texture.


    ¡°If the street positions are the same as on the map, we don¡¯t need to worry about getting lost,¡± Shen MO conjectured, ¡°but where could the exit be?¡±


    Last time they had been circling the maze in an attempt to find the exit.<div>


    But this time, the map had clearly marked every position. So where would the exit be located?


    Professor Chang said, ¡°We can¡¯t take our time likest time, the previous maze had water, electricity, and an ample supply of food. But here¡­the food and water we brought can onlyst us two days at maximum.¡±


    They had indeed been negligent.


    With preconceived notions, they hadn¡¯t prepared enough food and water. Primary concern had been to be unencumbered, ready to cope with danger at any time.


    They hadn¡¯t expected to be in this kind of situation.


    ¡­Of course, there was nock of meat here.


    But who would dare eat this kind of meat?


    After thinking for a moment, Shen MO said, ¡°If this maze is a creature¡¯s body, there should be the corresponding organs. We can try to find the main organs, such as the heart, the brain. Maybe that would give us some clues.¡±


    Naturally, this was just a hypothesis. If it was an alien creature, it might not have the normal set of organs.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Tan Xiao asked, ¡°Which direction should we go in?¡±


    He bent over to look at the map in Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s hands, and then asked, ¡°Do we head directly to the city center?¡±<div>


    ording to conventional thinking, important things seemed to be hidden in the most central ce.


    Bai Youwei weakly questioned, ¡°Isn¡¯t this meat¡­it will bleed¡­¡±


    Her voice was quite soft, her mouth only slightly open, as if opening it further would cause her to breathe in more of the disgusting air around them.


    ¡°¡­let¡¯s try making a few more cuts. If the maze truly is a single entity, it should have a circtory system. The speed of the blood flow differs depending on the area. The highest speed is in the aorta, and because capiries cover arger surface area, the speed of blood flow is the slowest there. If we want to find the heart, we first need to find the aorta.


    There was a n.


    Everyone immediately started acting without any further dy.


    Even though everything was made of flesh, some ces had noticeable veins embedded within.


    Shen MO stabbed into a prominent dark-red vein, and as he pulled the knife out, blood gushed out like water from a burst pipe.


    A momentter, the flow lessened.


    Shen MO touched the wound with his hand, his brows furrowing, ¡­It¡¯s healing..¡±


    <div>

 Chapter 188: 188: The Great Monster (Added more for being in the Top 100 Weekly Recommendations)

    Chapter 188: 188: The Great Monster (Added more for being in the Top 100 Weekly Rmendations)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    This peculiar flesh, it possessed an extraordinary self-healing ability.


    So, if they wanted to dig out passages or exits here, it definitely wouldn¡¯t work.<div>


    Shen MO took a knife and poked it in a few ces, roughly determining the direction of the main artery, leading everyone to continue moving forward.


    What was troublesome were those little skinning creatures, from time to time a bunch would show up, not only attacking humans, but also gnawing on the chunks of flesh until they were rotten and pus-filled, blocking vessels, thereby affecting Shen Mo¡¯s judgment of the main artery¡¯s direction.


    Their group had barely dealt with one wave when they turned a corner and discovered a new wave of monsters.


    ¡ªAt the bus stop by the roadside, there were at least thirty skinning monsters, red all over, engrossed in wildly gnawing at billboards, benches, and advertising boards, which had all turned into chunks of flesh. They were indeed enjoying themselves!


    Tan Xiao¡¯s palms were sweaty as he tightened his grip on his baseball bat, ready to strike again.


    His teacher¡¯s forehead was covered in sweat as he held his walking stick in front of him.


    Shen MO stood at the front, casting a nce at hispanions¡­


    If they continued to fight like this, when would it ever end?


    His gaze fell back on the monsters, their flesh red like fresh meat, massive slippery heads, frail thin limbs, densely packed teeth¡­


    They weren¡¯t without weaknesses. These monsters looked frightful, but their heads would burst with a single hit, their limbs would shatter when stepped on, their physical attack power wasn¡¯t much, but their growing numbers were bing an issue.


    In an environment without food and water, they could not afford to waste their energy meaninglessly.<div>


    Shen MO took a step back.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The people behind him also retreated back around the corner.


    In a low voice he exined, ¡°These creatures don¡¯t have eyes, they don¡¯t have ears. They might be using the slight vibrations on the surface of the flesh membrane to locate us. We can try to lead them away¡­¡±


    Everyone nodded in agreement, finding his strategy reasonable, when suddenly a tremor passed beneath their feet!


    A very subtle shaking.


    Like somerge creature dragging itself along the ground.


    Everyone¡¯s heart tightened as they quickly turned around. At the end of the street, appeared a gigantic ¡°snake¡±, rapidly sliding its way towards them!


    Everyone¡¯s face changed!


    Calling it a ¡°snake¡± was somewhat inurate, it looked more like a gigantic maggot! Eyeless, earless, its head ringed with teeth, its massive body nearly upying the entire road!


    Shen MO didn¡¯t have time to think, he picked up Bai Youwei and ducked into a shop by the road.


    The rest of the people also hurriedly ran inside.<div>


    Not more than a few seconds had passed when the giant maggot crawled past their hiding ce, rolling over Bai Youwei¡¯s wheelchair left by the roadside, and continued slithering forward!


    Shen Mo¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, he suddenly put down Bai Youwei, and quickly ran out!


    In that instant, Bai Youwei felt like she was suddenly sitting inside a pile of flesh, her body shuddering uncontrobly and her face turned deathly pale!


    Shen MO had already run out of sight.


    He chased after the fat maggot, witnessing the giant maggot swallow up the skinning monsters around the bus stop one by one. It crawled rapidly, agile and swift, and it quickly disappeared around the corner in the distance.


    Shen MO stood there for a while.


    The vibrations under his feet dwindled as the meat maggot moved further away, smaller and smaller, smaller and smaller¡­ until it finally dissipated.


    He knitted his brows, turned around to go back, picked up the wheelchair by the road, and re-entered the shop where they had just hidden.


    When Bai Youwei saw him return, she almost started crying, tears welled up in her eyes as she choked out a shout, ¡°Give me my wheelchair back!


    Shen MO was taken aback, he moved over to help her back into the wheelchair, asking, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Why was she suddenly so fragile?<div>


    Bai Youwei dropped a couple of tears.


    Feeling the solid texture beneath her lower half, she slowly regained herposure, but herplexion remained extremely pale.


    She closed her eyes and breathed out slowly, ¡°So disgusting, so disgusting¡­¡±


    The thought filled her mind.


    She was too disgusted to think of anything else..

 Chapter 189: 189: It’s not my cough (Top 50 on the activity list, add updates)

    Chapter 189: 189: It¡¯s not my cough (Top 50 on the activity list, add updates)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    With Bai Youwei temporarily out ofmission, Shen MO had to continue to lead the team.


    He turned around, looking at their surroundings, and found that this ce was a restaurant. There was a cash register at the entrance. Inside, there were many tables and chairs and decorative paintings hung on the walls, but all had turned flesh-like.<div>


    Everything had turned red and bloody. Even the air was filled with the salty stench of raw meat.


    He had left in a hurry earlier, temporarily cing Bai Youwei on a chair covered in flesh lumps. Now, looking at her pale face, it seemed she was frightened.


    Tan Xiao, out of curiosity, also pulled out a chair, touched it, and then tried to sit on it. His expression was subtle.


    ¡°¡­It feels like sitting on someone¡¯sp.¡± He muttered as he stood up, feeling ufortable and didn¡¯t sit for long.


    Chang Weicai was more interested in Shen Mo¡¯s actions when he rushed out earlier, and asked, ¡°What was that thing that crawled by? Is it aggressive?¡±


    Shen MO shook his head calmly, ¡°Not sure, but it does attack those small creatures. It devoured all dozens of them near the bus stop sign. This creature seems to have a huge appetite.¡±


    After a pause, he added, ¡°Its body seems to growrger after it feeds.¡±


    ¡°It gets bigger?¡± Tan Xiao wore a nauseated expression, ¡°This is the fastest maggot I¡¯ve ever seen. What would it look like if it got any bigger?¡±


    ¡°Stop talking¡­¡± Bai Youwei gritted her teeth, feeling so nauseated that her skin was tingling.


    Seeing her like this, Shen MO felt a bit helpless and slightly amused, trying to reassure everyone.


    ¡°Whatever it is, let¡¯s share our thoughts first. Should we stick to the original n and look for the main organs, or try to figure out what¡¯s going on with that creature?¡±<div>


    After all, they could not always be so lucky to find a hiding ce nearby.


    If they could not avoid it next time, would they have the strength to confront that big ¡°snake¡±?


    Chang Weicai frowned, ¡°Everything is unknown now. We don¡¯t know how many creatures there are, nor whether their movements are random¡­ or follow a certain pattern¡­¡±


    While they spoke, both Chang Weicai and Tan Xiao subtly nced at Bai Youwei.


    ¡°Why are you all looking at me? I don¡¯t know anything!¡± Bai Youwei felt ufortable all over, closed her eyes and asked, ¡°Is there water?¡± Shen MO put down the bag and pulled a bottle of mineral water out of it.


    The bottle was filled with mint sugar water.


    Bai Youwei took two sips and managed to suppress the feeling of nausea.


    ¡°No rush.¡± Shen MO said calmly, ¡°We¡¯ve juste in. Let¡¯s think about it together and we¡¯ll find a way out.¡±


    Bai Youwei frowned, nodded slightly.


    She took another sip of water. Thinking about the environment in the maze, she frowned even tighter, decided to save some water, put the cap back on, and returned the bottle to Shen Mo.


    At this moment, a cough suddenly broke the silence in the room.<div>


    Everyone paused.


    Tan Xiao looked at Chang Weicai, Chang Weicai looked at Shen MO, Shen MO looked at Bai Youwei, and Bai Youwei waspletely baffled.


    In the end, everyone turned their attention to Pan Xiaoxin, the youngest member of the team.


    ¡°Do you want some water?¡± Bai Youwei handed him the bottle.


    Pan Xiaoxin waved his hand awkwardly, ¡°No¡­ it wasn¡¯t me who coughed.¡±


    Everyone paused again, looking at each other, their faces gradually tightening with suspicion¡­n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Could it be¡­


    There were others hiding in the room apart from them?


    Shen MO furrowed his brow looking around, finally, his gazended on the kitchen area of the restaurant.


    He took the dagger and slowly approached.


    Tan Xiao picked up his baseball bat intending to follow, but Shen MO stopped him, silently making a ¡°stop¡± gesture, telling everyone to stay put.<div>


    He continued to move forward.


    The door to the kitchen was on the right side of the restaurant. The door was closed, but since it had already turned into a piece of meat, it naturally lost its corresponding safety features. The lock was useless.


    Shen MO stopped in front of the door.


    He grabbed the door handle, which was covered in meat lumps, and gave it a little force. The door opened..

 Chapter 190: 190: A Survivor

    Chapter 190: 190: A Survivor<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Click


    The door was opened, and inside was filled with chunks of flesh, pink and red, just like outside.<div>


    The operating table was full of thick, bluish-purple veins. Large clumps of bloody tumors hung on the walls. There were no windows, the air was murky, and a rich smell of blood lingered all around, it was nauseating.


    Shen MO walked in, it was quiet inside.


    He keenly noticed a slightly murky sound of breathing. His brow furrowed slightly, and he steadily moved towards the direction of the sound.


    As he approached the end of the long operating table, the breathing sound became clearer and more rapid.


    It had nearly turned into a heavy pant.


    When Shen MO walked around the corner of the operating table, the panting suddenly turned into a tangible scream!


    ¡°Ahhh!!! Don¡¯te closer!¡­ Don¡¯te closer! Don¡¯te closer!¡± The man screamed in terror!


    Shen MO put down the dagger in his hand, his brow furrowed even more.


    Under the operating table, a man was curled up, looking at him with fear.


    The man was about thirty years old. He was wearing amon white shirt and a suit jacket draped over his legs. It seemed like he was injured, he was slumped on the ground motionless, his hands in front of his body iling, screaming repeatedly:


    ¡°Don¡¯te closer! Get away!¡­ Get away from me! Don¡¯te closer!¡± The people outside rushed in when they heard the sound.<div>


    Upon seeing so many people, the man¡¯s expression became even more frightened, his lips were trembling non-stop, and he was staring at them nervously and fearfully.


    Professor Chang asked Shen MO with concern: ¡°What¡¯s going on? Is he a survivor of the maze? why is he hiding in such a ce¡­¡±


    Tan Xiao also squatted down and asked the man, ¡°Hey! Tell us quickly, what¡¯s the deal with this maze, where is the exit?¡±


    The man looked at them uncertainly, his face full of cold sweat, he couldn¡¯t speak a word.


    Tan Xiao saw that it seemed like the man was injured, and reached out to lift the bloody suit jacket on his leg, ¡°¡­are you hurt somewhere?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me! The man suddenly screamed!


    Tan Xiao was taken aback, he withdrew his hand and stared wide-eyed, ¡°Did this guy get scared into some kind of disorder? He seems like a lunatic.¡±


    Chang Weicai also felt stuffy, he said to Shen MO, ¡°I guess he got a shock, seems a little crazy¡­ I am afraid we might not be able to get any clues from him.¡±


    Shen MO knitted his brow and looked at the man on the ground. After a moment of silence, he asked coldly, ¡°Who are you? Why are you here?¡±


    The man was looking at him nervously, but oddly, he slowly calmed down and said hoarsely, ¡°You¡­ are you here to collect the jigsaw puzzle too? I¡­ I am tool¡­ Mypanion was eaten by that snake outside! Now I¡¯m the only one left¡­.


    Shen MO asked, ¡°When did you enter the maze?¡±<div>


    The man¡¯s face revealed confusion, he murmured, ¡°Four or five days?¡­ Three or four days? I don¡¯t know¡­ there is nothing in this ce, I don¡¯t know how many days have passed¡­.¡±


    Shen MO frowned, and continued to question him, ¡°What¡¯s the deal with that snake outside, do you know?¡±


    The man¡¯s face changed, his eyes exhibited extreme fear.


    ¡°That¡­ that snake¡­¡± he swallowed hard and replied tremulously, ¡°It¡¯s¡­


    gluttonous¡­ its snake, it will get longer and bigger, don¡¯t let it eat you¡­ be careful, if it eats you, then it¡¯s the end¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, there was a faint tremor under their feet again.


    ¡°It¡¯sing again!¡± the man¡¯s pupils contracted sharply, and he cried out, ¡°Close the door quickly! Don¡¯t let it find out about this ce!!!¡±


    The tremor quickly intensified, Professor Chang panicked, ¡°Weiwei is still outside!¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Bai Youwei had difficulty moving, and she also loathed the heavy smell in the kitchen, so she didn¡¯t follow in.


    Shen Mo¡¯s brow furrowed, he turned and left the room!


    Bai Youwei was sitting by the window, leisurely looking outside.<div>


    He rushed forward few steps and picked her up.. The house started shaking vigorously! Without time to shield themselves, they quickly hid under the dining table before an even bigger shake happened¡ª

 Chapter 191: 191: The Greedy Snake

    Chapter 191: 191: The Greedy Snake<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    The whole building was trembling!


    Be it the ground or the walls, every piece of flesh was shivering and shuddering!<div>


    Bai Youwei crouched under the table, watching the lumps of flesh hanging from the table edge twitching incessantly. She felt so nauseous that she wished she could just drop dead!


    Thankfully, fate hadn¡¯t cornered herpletely, at least she had a ce to shelter ¨C


    She buried her face in Shen Mo¡¯s chest, clinging to him and breathing deeply. The crisp scent and the smell of his sweat could soothe her heart and alleviate the extreme difort caused by the chunks of flesh.


    Shen MO waspletely oblivious.


    He had no time to bother about how intimate they were at the moment.


    Holding Bai Youwei, his eyes were staring through the gap between the tables at the restaurant entrance, watching a giant monster crawling past the door!


    When he saw it ten minutes ago, its body was as thick as a road, but its body had now expanded, filling both pedestriannes!


    Just like a rumbling train rushing past the door, causing the nearby buildings to tremble!


    It took a good seven or eight seconds for its body topletely pass by the door!


    The vibrations were receding.


    Gradually disappearing with the increasing distance.<div>


    Finally, calm returned to the surroundings¡­


    Shen MO rose, holding Bai Youwei and ced her back on the wheelchair. Chang Weicai, Tan Xiao, and Pan Xiaoxin, who were in the kitchen, also came out, looking at the duo with lingering fear.


    ¡°Brother Mo¡­¡± Tan Xiao nced at the kitchen behind him, faltered, ¡°The guy inside said this is the Snake Maze. Only when the snake reaches its maximum length and size, the exit will open. All thepanions who came in with him were eaten by the snake. He was injured while escaping and has been trapped here.¡±


    Snake Maze?


    Shen MO frowned and said: ¡°That big creature outside definitely fits the characteristics of the snake. After eating, its body became longer and bigger.¡±


    ¡°Is it fast?¡± Teacher Chang was concerned about safety, ¡°Can we escape from it with our current physical fitness?¡±


    Shen MO thought for a moment, and slowly shook his head: ¡°Changes in speed are not significant. In the game mode of Snake, elerating is to increase the game difficulty. Once the snake crashes into the wall, it¡¯s zame-over. But from what I¡¯ve just seen, this snake won¡¯t be affected even if it hits the wall, so there¡¯s no point in gaining speed.¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin cast a pale face, ¡°Then¡­ does that mean¡­ that the snake will never


    ¡°The most important thing in a maze is to find an exit, not to kill monsters.¡± Bai Youwei, suppressing her nausea, said, ¡°But the problem now is¡­ In most cases, the game of Snake has an infinite mode, there is no concept of level clearance. Although some modes have stages, they also have a corresponding points system and only open the entrance to the next level when a certain point is reached. Could this maze have a scoring system that we are unawaren/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Pausing for a moment, she covered her mouth and nose and continued, ¡°Furthermore¡­ If we keep hiding inside the house, how do we judge when it has achieved its maximum size? Can we really trust what that man said?¡± Despite her overwhelming nausea, her mind was rtively clear.


    Shen MO pondered for a while and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back and ask him.¡±<div>


    They all returned to the kitchen.


    The man slumped on the ground. Seeing theme back, he looked panicked, ¡°You all saw it, right? That snake¡­ Has it gotten longer?¡±


    Shen MO studied the frightened man and his expression, and slowly said, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s gotten longer. But due to its size, it seems that it can only move outside and cannot enter a room. We should be safe staying here.¡±


    The man let out a sigh of relief, but still nervously looked outside, ¡°When it¡¯s at its smallest andrgest states, it¡¯s rtively safe.. But when it¡¯s in between, you must not get found by it! That snake eats everything! Besides the flesh here, it will eat anything else it finds!¡±

 Chapter 192: 192: Take This With You

    Chapter 192: 192: Take This With You<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that the snake will shrink after it gets bigger?¡± Shen MO asked.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± The man nervously swallowed, stuttering in his exnation, ¡°If it doesn¡¯t eat for a long period of time, the snake will shrink, get shorter, and that¡¯s extremely dangerous! Because it¡¯s hungry! It¡¯ll raid all the houses on the side of the road!¡±<div>


    As he spoke, he seemed to recall the gruesome state of his deadpanions, shaking uncontrobly, and muttering under his breath, ¡°They¡¯re all dead¡­everyone¡¯s dead¡­¡±


    Bai Youwei rolled her eyes in irritation, ¡°So they¡¯re dead. You¡¯re still alive, right? Stop beating around the bush, be clear!¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Shen MO silently shot her a nce.


    With a pout, Bai Youwei snorted and fell silent.


    Shen MO then asked the man, ¡°When you and yourpanions entered the maze, apart from the snake, you also must have encountered the skinny little monsters with big heads, right?¡±


    ¡°Those little monsters¡­they are the snake¡¯s food.¡± The man¡¯s expression was filled with even more fear, his lips quivering uncontrobly, ¡°They¡¯re poisonous, can¡¯t touch¡­will rot¡­if anyone touches them, they¡¯ll rot! You can¡¯t touch them!¡­can¡¯t¡­


    His speech was garbled, but they could barely make sense of his warnings.


    Bai Youwei frowned at Tan Xiao¡¯s face.


    Just now, Tan Xiao had been covered in monster blood, but it seemed alright now, with no signs of disintegration. Was the man lying?¡­ Or perhaps, one would only be exposed to the poison if bitten by the monster?


    Something felt off¡­


    This ce was repulsively nauseating, seriously obstructing her ability to think. She even found breathing painful!<div>


    Bai Youwei covered her mouth and nose in irritation.


    Shen MO, however, seemed undisturbed. He discussed with the others, ¡°From what I see, there are mainly two threats in this maze. One is the snake that can elongate and shorten, the other is its prey ¨C the little monsters we¡¯ve encountered. If we follow the pattern of the game Snake, we just need to follow the snake once it has grown to a certain point, and we¡¯ll find the exit.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s not easy¡­¡± Teacher Cheng fretted, ¡°The maze is huge. Trying to follow the snake is too risky ¨C it¡¯s a test of speed and stamina.¡±


    What if they were left behind midway?


    What if they were discovered midway?


    What should they do if they bumped into those skin-peeling monsters?


    What if the exit never turned up? What then?


    Shen MO contemted, then said, ¡°Tan Xiao and I are the fastest. We could try to follow the snake first to scout. If we find the exit, we¡¯lle back and let you guys know. If we can¡¯t find the exit¡­¡±


    He paused for a moment, his gazending on Bai Youwei¡¯s face, ¡°If we can¡¯t find the exit, we will still hurry back. In the meantime, you should lead the group and stay here, don¡¯t run about.¡±


    Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t keen on separating from him. While she knew her wheelchair was a hindrance, she mumbled resentfully, ¡°¡­just make sure you guyse back soon.¡±


    Shen MO nodded, reminding her, ¡°If anything happens, discuss it with Teacher Cheng, don¡¯t act rashly.¡±<div>


    Bai Youwei immediately raised an eyebrow, ¡°When have I ever acted rashly? Stop nagging!¡±


    Shen Mo chuckled lightly, then turned to Tan Xiao, ¡°Let¡¯s prepare to head out.¡±


    Tan Xiao nodded, following him out.


    Bai Youwei silently bit her lip, watching as the two men entered the front restaurant. They emptied their backpacks, filled them with a small amount of food and water, then picked up their preferred weapons. ¡® She quietly followed them, tugged at Shen Mo¡¯s sleeve.


    Shen MO turned around to look at her.


    Bai Youwei took a doll out from her bag and pushed it into his hand, murmuring, ¡°Take this with you.¡±


    The moment the doll touched his palm, Shen MO understood its purpose. He squeezed the doll, a slight smile curving his lips, ¡°Looks a lot like you.¡±


    Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°Then you could say that you¡¯re bringing me along..¡±

 Chapter 193: 193: Only One

    Chapter 193: 193: Only One<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Shen MO smiled, pushing the doll back into her canvas bag.


    ¡°No need.¡± He raised a hand to pat her head. ¡°We¡¯ll be back soon. Keep the props. In case something happens here, it will be good for handling the situation.¡±<div>


    Bai Youwei pouted, displeased.


    At that moment, faint vibrations began to rumble beneath their feet again.


    Bai Youwei¡¯s face grew more sullen.


    She knew that the monster was once again approaching, and Shen MO and Tan Xiao were about to leave.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Shen MO put arge bottle of peppermint rock sugar water in her arms and stood up straight. ¡°Hide it well, and take a sip if you feel nauseous.¡± Tan Xiao also said: ¡°Weiwei, when MO and I find the exit, we can leave!¡±


    Bai Youwei¡¯s arrogant expression finally softened somewhat, instead revealing a somewhat pitiful vulnerability: ¡°You guys bettere back quickly¡­¡± The two of them left the shop one after the other.


    The vibrations intensified. It didn¡¯t seem to being towards this street. Shen MO estimated the direction and promptly led Tan Xiao towards the source of the disturbance.


    Bai Youwei watched from the window for a while before being persuaded by


    Chang Weicai to retreat to the back kitchen.


    They closed the heavily stacked door, leaving only a narrow slit to monitor the outside situation.


    The intensity of the vibrations varied, drawing near and then receding. The enormous, elongated snake seemed to be darting about the streets in a frantic search for food.<div>


    After a while, it moved further and further away and calm was restored¡­


    All was quiet.


    People in the back kitchen collectively sighed in relief.


    But then, they couldn¡¯t help but worry for the two who had ventured outside.


    ¡°I hope they encounter smooth sailing.¡± Chang Weicai sighed and prayed.


    Pan Xiaoxin silently looked at Chang Weicai and Bai Youwei. Coincidentally, those left behind were the old, the young, and the crippled, which greatly unsettled him¡­


    Bai Youwei frowned but didn¡¯t speak.


    She took a sip from the bottle while still cradling it, still feeling frustrated. Seeing a few peppermint leaves floating in the water, she reached out her delicate hand to pick them out and put them in her mouth to chew.


    The cool, slightly bitter taste diluted the stench of blood in her nostrils, making her feel a bit better.


    She nced at the half-dead man on the ground and asked: ¡°How did yourpanions die?¡±


    The man hesitated, then replied, ¡°We were following the snake, trying to find an exit. It found us at a turning point before we had time to run¡­ They were eaten, and I was injured.¡±<div>


    Bai Youwei asked him again: ¡°Have you seen anyone else?¡±


    The man looked even more confused: ¡°No¡­ I¡¯ve been hiding here, afraid to go out. Had you not rushed in, I wouldn¡¯t even have known other people had entered the maze.¡±


    Bai Youwei pursed her lips and looked out, silently counting the time in her heart.


    She recalled what Shen MO had said earlier ¨C five people had entered the maze. Among them, one had been injured, but in the end, all five had exited the maze.


    This suggests that the maze isn¡¯t overly difficult, unless those five had extraordinary abilities.


    Could those five truly have had remarkable talents?


    She didn¡¯t believe that she and Shen MO, who had both undergone a data upgrade, would be inferior to those five.


    Also, in the Mirror Maze, as long as the correct method is found, it would be quite easy to escape. The existence of the maze couldn¡¯t possibly solely be for yers to battle the monster!


    Bai Youwei felt a headache, the stench of the meat around her made her feel nauseous again.


    She tilted her head back and took another sip of the peppermint water.


    Through the transparent ss bottle, she saw a blurry shadow moving outside the restaurant.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om<div>


    Pan Xiaoxin nervously shrank back, whispering in an extremely faint voice: ¡°It¡¯s that¡­skinless monster.¡±


    Chang Weicai hurriedlytched the door shut, pressing his back against the door, looking stern and tense.


    ¡°There¡¯s only one, don¡¯t be afraid¡­ It won¡¯t detect us.¡±


    He held his crutch, whispering to Bai Youwei and Pan Xiaoxin, ¡°Stay back a bit, don¡¯t be scared, I¡¯m here guarding. It won¡¯t get in..¡±

 Chapter 194: 194: Two Have Arrived

    Chapter 194: 194: Two Have Arrived<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Bai Youwei and Pan Xiaoxin stared at that door, both of them silent.


    The air seemed to congeal.<div>


    It was suffocatingly hot and humid.


    The confined space made the atmosphere even more oppressive, making it hard to breathe.


    Bai Youwei sat quietly in her wheelchair, sweating profusely in the sweltering environment. Her palms were sticky, her back damp, and sweat trickled down her cheeks. She held her breath and listened to the sound of chewing and tearing flesh from beyond the wall¡­


    The sound gradually grew louder, as if it would prate the fleshy wall at any moment.


    The man hiding under the counter was looking increasingly pale. He anxiously eyed the direction the noise wasing from, breathing uncontrobly, his chest heaving, and his sweat pouring like rain.


    ¡°It¡¯s not going to work¡­¡± His lips were practically white as he muttered, ¡°We need to drive it away¡­You guys, you guys have to get rid of it! Otherwise, more wille! They will attract the snakes! They will bring the snakes here!¡± Bai Youwei red at him displeased and coldly ordered, ¡°Shut up!¡±


    The man actually began to cry out of fear, his tears and snot flowing freely. ¡°Once they bite through the wall, we are done for! Please, I beg you, get rid of those monsters! Otherwise, we¡¯ll all die here!!!¡±


    Chang Weicai gripped the cane tightly and said: ¡°You guys stay here¡­ Don¡¯t make a sound. I will handle it.¡¯


    Bai Youwei turned to Pan Xiaoxin: ¡°Kid, do you have anything useful in your backpack?¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin, dumbfounded, hastily ced their backpack on the floor and emptied its contents; a hodgepodge of items including a water bottle, lunch box, kitchen knife, hammer, rope¡­ and even a brick made it out. He seemed to have brought nearly anything he mighte to need in daily life.


    Bai Youwei picked up the hammer for herself, and instructed Pan Xiaoxin to take the kitchen knife.<div>


    ¡°You stay to Chang Weicai¡¯s right, and I¡¯ll be on the left,¡± Bai Youwei instructed.


    ¡°As soon as Chang Weicai opens the door, if anythinges in, we kill it.


    Understand?¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin pursed their lips and nodded anxiously.


    Bai Youwei smiled andplimented him: ¡°Good job, you aren¡¯t crying.¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin felt a little ufortable receiving praise, unconsciously ncing at the canvas bag hanging on the wheelchair.


    ¡°Want to see what¡¯s in my bag?¡± Bai Youweiughed and lightly patted the bulging bag. ¡°It¡¯s not the time yet.¡¯


    She didn¡¯t want to talk anymore and simplymanded Chang Weicai: ¡°Open the door.¡±


    Chang Weicai nodded, tightened his grip on his walking stick and slowly pulled open the door¡ª Bang!


    As soon as the door cracked open, a bloody creature from outside burst in! Squealing, it attempted to wriggle its way in!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Chang Weicai hurriedly barricaded the door with his body!<div>


    A round Gollum-like head was trapped, engorged and horrifyingly crimson!


    Its short limbs were still squirming!


    Not vocalizing, it opened its jaws wide between the gap in the doors, its flesh rubbing against each other to make goosebump-inducing squeals!


    Chang Weicai attempted to poke its head with his cane to force it out, but the flesh was too thin and soft. As soon as he applied a bit of pressure, it broke apart, instantly sttering flesh all over!


    The stench of blood hit them¡ª


    Bai Youwei felt sick, nearly retching!


    Bang! Bang!


    The door was suddenly assaulted again!


    Chang Weicai was toote to stop it, and the door was forced half open!


    Two bloody skinning monsters crawled into the kitchen, bearing a mouthful of teeth like saws, lunging at them like starving mad dogs!


    Chang Weicai managed to block off one with his cane.<div>


    But another scaled the ceiling, dropping from the fleshy tube-like fluorescent light straight onto Bai Youwei¡¯s leg!


    Bai Youwei¡¯s face changed instantly.


    The skinning monster squatted on her leg, its jaws full of saw-like teeth spread wide.


    She gritted her teeth, lifting her hammer, but before she could bring it down, the head in front of her split apart..

 Chapter 195: 195: There’s Another One

    Chapter 195: 195: There¡¯s Another One<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Bai Youwei looked at Pan Xiaoxin.


    The boy stood frozen in front of her, holding up the knife, his face pale and fear gleaming in his eyes, as if he couldn¡¯t believe he had just killed a monster.<div>


    Bai Youwei knew she should praise him, even thank him, but¡­


    She looked down at her own legs.


    The slime from the monster seeped into her skirt after its body melted, running down her legs, smelly, sticky¡­ (Sorry everyone! They deleted a bit of gore but I still needed to reach 1000 words, so let¡¯s just leave it at this.)


    Bai Youwei:


    She really didn¡¯t want to say a word.


    ¡°Xiaoxin is very brave!¡± Teacher Chang didn¡¯t hesitate to give him praise.


    Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s face flushed with embarrassment.


    A man nearby anxiously said, ¡°There¡¯s another one! There¡¯s another one outside!¡±


    Bai Youwei looked out the door with a frown, indeed, there was another Skinning Monster, but it didn¡¯te in. Instead, it clung to the restaurant wall gnawing away hungrily.


    The man stuttered, ¡°Kill it quickly! Or else¡­ otherwise¡­¡±


    As the monster ate, the area of decay on the wall got bigger and bigger.<div>


    So did the Skinning Monster¡¯s stomach.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    It seemed insatiable, continuously biting and swallowing, its belly swelling so much it almost matched its enormous head!


    Then, Bai Youwei saw a crack open on the monster¡¯s distended belly¡ª Teeth popped out from inside.


    Everyone¡¯s hearts cold with horror!


    Its belly continued to sag until finally, it formed a red ball and rolled onto the floor, stretched out its limbs, and birthed another Skinning Monster!


    So this was how the monsters multiplied!


    They could not bepletely killed!


    In an instant, Bai Youwei was filled with rage!


    She red coldly at the man sitting paralyzed on the ground, demanding, ¡°You knew about this! Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier?!¡±


    The man turned pale, stammers, ¡°Did I not mention it? I¡­ I don¡¯t know! I don¡¯t know anything! Kill them quickly! The snakes wille! They¡¯re going to attract the giant snakes!!!¡±


    Biting her teeth, Bai Youwei ignored him and wheeled herself out.<div>


    However, the ceiling was too high, even Chang Weicai couldn¡¯t reach the monster with his crutch raised!


    They bared their teeth at them threateningly. Their red heads and tumors pressed against each other, slender limbs clinging to the wall, they looked like giant agile geckos.


    One of them suddenly jumped off!


    Chang Weicai thrust his crutch forward, but missed! The monster jumps back onto the wall and quickly scrambles up to the ceiling! As Chang Weicai craned his neck searching, the monster had already flipped and lunged towards him!


    Bai Youwei quickly threw a hammer at Chang Weicai!


    She seeded in smashing the monster¡¯s head, causing it to roll onto the ground motionless. A bloody hole opened up on its head, sticky blood oozed out, then its entire body broke apart like a wet tissue.


    The monster remaining on the ceiling became more agitated and wary!


    It gnawed a dark purple hole in the ceiling, hiding itself in a mound of rotten flesh, refusing toe out.


    Bai Youwei instructed Pan Xiaoxin to throw rocks, only to chip off pieces of rotten flesh, they couldn¡¯t damage it at all!


    The monster ate in the cavity!


    One became two, two became four, four became eight! So many they couldn¡¯t all fit in the hole, they started to drop one by one!<div>


    Those that fell lunged at the people!


    When their number increased, they quickly became overwhelmed.


    ¡°Pull back!¡± Bai Youwei ordered coldly.


    She and Pan Xiaoxin retreated as Teacher Chang swung his crutch defensively to keep the monsters at bay. They hurriedly retreated back into the kitchen, where Teacher Chang immediately shut the door! ¡°Don¡¯t shut it all the way, leave a crack!¡± Bai Youwei said.


    Teacher Chang was taken aback.


    Bai Youwei looked at Pan Xiaoxin, speaking coolly, ¡°Hold your knife ready, strike down any thate in!¡±

 Chapter 196: 196: A lot of them

    Chapter 196: 196: A lot of them<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Teacher Chang hesitated, ¡°Weiwei, Xiaoxin is still a child¡­¡±


    Bai Youwei: ¡°I know he¡¯s small, so Teacher Chang, make sure you keep the door barred! Leave only a crack, if the gap¡¯s too wide, more of them might rush in, and a child won¡¯t be able to cope.¡±<div>


    Upon hearing this, Teacher Chang stopped talking immediately and pushed harder against the door!


    Bai Youwei also pushed against the door, clutching a hammer, waiting for the creature to show its head before giving it a hard whack!


    The monster wasn¡¯t intelligent. Without a crack to target, it¡¯d gnaw around randomly and potentially create a sizeable hole. But if a crack was left, they¡¯d be provoked and dash towards it.


    One creature after another was beheaded!


    Like rupturing blood bags, one after another!


    The smell of the blood underfoot stung their nostrils. The kitchen knife in their hands was bing increasingly sticky and heavy. Suddenly, the knife slipped from Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s hand and fell to the ground!


    He hurried to pick it up, but his hands were sweaty and slippery. He failed to pick it up twice! Meanwhile, more and more monsters were swarming in unending waves!


    Chang Weicai pushed against the door firmly!


    After smashing a monster with her hammer, Bai Youwei coldly ordered, ¡°Xiaoxin! Stop trying to pick up the knife! Step back! Teacher Chang, back off too!¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin nodded and retreated.


    Chang Weicai kept pushing against the door, ¡°But¡­¡±<div>


    Sounds of dull thuds came one after another, just like ser balls hitting the kitchen door! The door was continuously bumped and squeezed, creaking and shaking ominously!


    Chang Weicai dared not back off.


    If he did, the monsters outside would probably all rush in!


    The monsters pushed and squeezed relentlessly. Driven by the smell of blood, their force was bing more violent! More insane! The floor began to shake


    The man lying on the ground cried out in horror, ¡°Quick! Kill them!!! The snake is on the way! The snake will be lured here aaaaah!!!¡± ¡°Stand back!¡± Bai Youwei suddenly pulled Chang Weicai away!


    The door swung open!


    Dozens of Skinning Monsters swarmed in!


    The next second, a blinding bluish-violet electric light burst forth! Everyone had to shut their eyes, the sound of electric discharges crackling in their ears while a burnt stench quickly filled the air!


    When they opened their eyes, there were only ck, foul-smelling monsters lying all over the floor.


    Two of them weren¡¯tpletely dead, convulsing a few times before falling still¡­


    Pan Xiaoxin was stunned.<div>


    Bai Youwei sat in her wheelchair with her back to them, her long hair slightly frizzy from the electric current. The stuffed rabbit in her arms was calm and quiet, showing no sign of what had just happened.


    She exhaled softly, turning her head to look at the others, ¡°It may be just temporary paralysis¡­just in case, you all should double-check¡­¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Before she finished speaking, the paralyzed man screamed excitedly, ¡°Is this a prop?! Are there any more of these props?! If we kill all these monsters, we can get out!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Bai Youwei rebuked sharply, ¡°Don¡¯t take me for a fool! With their exponentially increasing reproduction rate, how could we possibly wipe them out?! If I hear another absurd word from your mouth, the first one I kill will be you!!!¡±


    The man trembled, looking at her afraid.


    Bai Youwei slid her wheelchair to where the man was sitting, staring at him ominously. Finally, she lifted the hammer and brought it down hard next to his leg!


    The man screamed in horror, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you! I¡¯ll tell you everything! I¡¯ll tell you everything! ! ! ¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us that they would reproduce!¡± Bai Youwei asked coldly. The man sobbed, ¡°I did! I said they would multiply!¡±


    Bai Youweiughed coldly, rolling her wheelchair over his paralyzed legs¡ª ¡°Aaaaaah! The man screamed in agony, his face deathly pale.


    Chang Weicai swallowed his words, too painful to watch. Not knowing how to dissuade her, he covered Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s eyes to avoid traumatising the child.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell! I tell, I tell!¡± the man wailed, ¡°I thought you guys would die soon, so I didn¡¯t mention it! ¡­I didn¡¯t deliberately keep it from you, I didn¡¯t know you could cope with so many monsters¡­¡±<div>


    ¡°I¡¯m giving you onest chance, or next time, I won¡¯t roll over your legs.¡± Bai


    Youwei smirked, a sinister gleam in her eyes, ¡°I¡¯ll roll over your face instead..¡±

 Chapter 197: 197: Don’t Know

    Chapter 197: 197: Don¡¯t Know<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    The man recoiled in fear under the control desk, but his injured legs failed him, leaving him paralyzed in the corner.


    Bai Youwei asked him, ¡°What exactly is the Snake Maze?¡±<div>


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know!¡± the man cried, ¡°If I knew what this maze was all about, I would have escaped long ago! I didn¡¯t deliberately deceive you, I truly didn¡¯t know!¡±


    ¡°Then pick up what you do know.¡± Bai Youwei red at him coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t y tricks on me!¡±


    The man pleaded in agony, ¡°Spare me, please! I truly don¡¯t know anything¡­¡±


    ¡°Xiaoxin.¡± Bai Youwei turned her head to Pan Xiaoxin, ¡°Take your cleaver. If ¡®don¡¯t know¡¯es out of his mouth again, give him a cut.¡± Pan Xiaoxin:


    Chang Weicai hesitated, ¡°Weiwei, this¡­ this isn¡¯t right, right?¡±


    ¡°Chang, this guy isn¡¯t being straight with us. He won¡¯t tell the truth unless we show him some color.¡± Bai Youwei waved Pan Xiaoxin over, ¡°Come here, stand by me.¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin nced at Chang Weicai, then at Bai Youwei.


    He felt deeply conflicted.


    He picked up the cleaver from a pool of blood and sludge, walked over in silence, and whispered, ¡°Where¡­ where should I cut?¡± Bai Youwei casually replied, ¡°Cut wherever you want.¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Pan Xiaoxin:


    Chang Weicai felt it was really inappropriate, ¡°What about¡­ letting me do it?¡± How could such a task be left to an Il-year-old kid?<div>


    ¡°No need.¡± Bai Youwei responded indifferently, ¡°Chang, you watch the door for us, so no more monsters can get in.¡±


    A few words gave Chang Weicai a task that he couldn¡¯t refuse.


    Chang cast another look at the man on the floor before advising, ¡°We won¡¯t harm you. Just tell us anything about the maze, there¡¯s no need to¡­ sigh¡­ ¡®


    Chang sighed, picked up his crutch and headed outside.


    The man on the ground was filled with both grief and anger!


    They had a de to him and still imed they wouldn¡¯t harm him! What kind of people were these!


    Bai Youwei asked onest time, ¡°What exactly is the Snake Maze?¡±


    The man cringed, truly frightened of her, and replied, ¡°It¡¯s¡­it¡¯s a gluttonous snake maze¡­ The snake eats monsters inside the maze. When the number of monsters decreases to a certain level, they replicate, one into two, two into four¡­ then¡­ then¡­


    ¨C -Rumble!


    An intense shudder came from the ground!


    Pan Xiaoxin and Chang Weicai outside both lost their footing and fell to the ground!<div>


    Even Bai Youwei, sitting in her wheelchair, was also thrown around. But out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a glimmer of joy on the man¡¯s face! The way he looked towards the door seemed to hold anticipation.


    Why?


    Why wasn¡¯t he afraid?!


    Before she could question him, the man seemed to perceive her scrutiny and his expression changed again to one of pure terror.


    The shuddering was getting louder, like a train passing by, the snake seemed to be getting closer! The sound of its body slithering over the ground was clearly audible, getting closer and closer!


    ¡°Xiaoxin! Go and cut down all those monsters outside!¡± Bai Youwei said decisively, ¡°We can¡¯t let the snake growrger!¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin hastily got up, ¡°Okay, okay¡­¡±


    Upon hearing Bai Youwei¡¯s voice, Chang Weicai also quickly took up his crutch, poking the monsters one by one!


    Dozens of monsters were being hit and cut by Chang Weicai and Pan Xiaoxin, blood sttering everywhere! Just as there were only two or three monsters left, the giant snake appeared outside the house!


    ¡°Nevermind those two!¡± Bai Youwei eximed, ¡°Quickly, get inside! Close the door!¡±


    <div>

 Chapter 198: Temporary Safety

    Chapter 198: Temporary Safety


    Trantor: 549690339


    The snake seemed to have sniffed the stench inside the house, with its head trying to burrow in. Unable to do so, its body started violently mming against the exterior walls, creating loud booming sounds!


    The constant tremors made it difficult for Pan Xiaoxin and Chang Weicai to stand up!


    The two barely managed to roll and crawl their way back to the kitchen, hastily closing the door in one breath without daring to rest!


    Even after closing the door, they didn¡¯t dare to let their guard down. The old and the young still strained to the limit to brace the door, fearful of the snake breaking in!


    Bai Youwei sat frowning, her eyes coldly ncing at the man on the ground¡ª


    So far, they knew nothing about him¡ªname, age, identity¡­ Everything was unclear. He seemed to be in a state of terrified confusion, but in reality, he was shrewd enough not to divulge any vital information.


    Either he was genuinely clueless, knowing nothing at all.


    Or, he had some ulterior motives¡­


    But now, as they were all ¡°fellows in adversity,¡± she couldn¡¯t figure out why they would have any reason to sabotage each other?


    While pondering, Bai Youwei gently stroked the rabbit in her arms.


    Her first time using ¡°One-Tenth of Me¡± went rather smoothly, but the battery life was disappointingly short. Dealing with a few dozen monsters had consumed more than half of the power. With the small amount remaining, she wasn¡¯t sure if she could kill the beast outside.


    If it came to the worst, she would have to use the doll¡­


    Thinking of this, she couldn¡¯t help but feel that her tools were rather inefficient. There were too many meant for defence and few for attack!


    While she was worried, the mming sounds suddenly ceased.


    Although it had stopped, everyone was still on edge, not speaking, nor moving, vignt against the snake that might break in at any moment¡­


    In the silence, they heard distinct sounds.


    The sound of slithering was getting quieter.


    The tremors were also growing weaker and weaker.


    It was moving away¡­


    Relieved, everyone shot a nce at each other and finally drew a deep breath.


    ¡ªThey were safe, at least for now.


    ¡°Weiwei?¡± Shen Mo¡¯s voice came from outside the door, ¡°Are you guys okay?¡±


    Upon hearing that, Chang Weicai took a deep breath. Now, they were genuinely relieved.


    He opened the door to see Shen MO and Tan Xiao standing outside, both blood-stained. Tan Xiao¡¯s injuries were particrly noticeable.


    Shen MO was taken aback when he saw Bai Youwei, half of her skirt soaked in red.


    ¡°Where are you injured?¡± Shen MO came over and asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± Bai Youwei shook her head gently. Frowning, she asked him, ¡°What about you? That monster came by just now. Did it notice you?¡±


    ¡°No, we caught a smaller monster and used it to lead the snake away.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s gaze drifted past her and fixated on the man under the operation table for two seconds, ¡® ¡­the smell of blood here is too strong, let¡¯s talk somewhere else.¡±


    Bai Youwei appeared to realise something. She also nced lightly in that direction, ¡°Hmm¡­ let¡¯s go somewhere else. The smell is so sickening I feel like throwing up.¡±


    The group left the restaurant and settled in a simr shop next door, not too far away.


    Tan Xiao wasn¡¯t feeling well from his injuries and didn¡¯t mind the shop¡¯s unappealing furniture. He plopped down and lifted a part of his clothing to reveal his wound.


    Arge piece of skin on his back to side had been grazed. The wound wasn¡¯t deep, but it covered arge area and was blood-soaked. It stung fiercely whenever his T-shirt rubbed against it, so he had lifted his shirt up to chest height.


    Bai Youwei looked at it and looked up to ask the two, ¡°How did you get this?¡±


    ¡°I was bit while running.¡± Tan Xiao replied, upset, ¡°Shen MO and I were following behind that monster just fine. But unexpectedly, it made a sudden turn! It spotted Shen MO and me instantly. Luckily, we hid quickly!¡­ However, we were still scraped by its teeth. Damn, what rotten luck!¡±


    ¡°What rotten luck? You¡¯re lucky not to have been swallowed alive!¡± Bai Youwei retorted irritably.


    She turned to Shen MO and asked, ¡°Why did it suddenly turn? Are there any regr patterns to the monster¡¯s movements?¡± n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Shen MO frowned and replied, ¡°It encountered another ¡®snake¡¯, that¡¯s why it turned suddenly..¡±

 Chapter 199: A Little Bit of Broken Skin

    Chapter 199: A Little Bit of Broken Skin


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Another snake?!¡± Bai Youwei was dumbfounded. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Ever since they found out that this was the Gluttonous Snake Maze, they have subconsciously convinced that there was only one snake in the maze! How could there be another snake?


    How many of those monsters are there?


    ¡°¡­ wait a minute, why did that guy mislead us?¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brows, unable toprehend, ¡°Doesn¡¯t he want to get out?¡±


    ¡°Could it be that we got the wrong idea?¡± Tan Xiao said casually, ¡°In some Gluttonous Snake game modes, it¡¯s a multi-yer situation, where multiple snakes are racing to eat beans while avoiding each other, otherwise they¡¯ll turn into beans themselves¡­¡±


    Shen MO nced at him, ¡°He must have deliberately misled us, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have said that the exit to the maze would only open when the Gluttonous Snake reaches itsrgest state.¡±


    Tan Xiao pondered for a while, and then he realized, muttering:¡± Yeah¡­ If there are many Gluttonous Snakes in the maze, which one has to meet what conditions to trigger the Maze¡¯s exit to open?¡­ Dammit!¡±


    Tan Xiao angrily jumped to his feet and cursed: ¡°They dare to trick us!¡±


    He turned to leave, intent on retribution.


    Chang Weicai stopped him, persuasively saying, ¡°You¡¯re injured, take care of the wound first, you¡¯re still bleeding¡­ really now¡­¡±


    Tan Xiao frowned and touched the injury on his waist. There was a sticky substance mixed with the blood. It was itchy and stinging, quite ufortable.


    ¡°Damn, the monster¡¯s teeth better not be poisonous,¡± Tan Xiao said cautiously, sitting back down with a pale face.


    Theoretically, after their data upgrade from the previous Maze, their healing abilities had all improved to some degree, a minor flesh wound shouldn¡¯t be bleeding for so long.


    Bai Youwei helped him clean the wound with a tissue, which came away covered in a sticky substance. It was like blood but not quite, more like a mixture of some kind of glue and blood.


    She stared nkly at the dark red, viscous substance.


    Shen MO said, ¡°Regardless of the purpose, it¡¯s clear he lied. There is more than


    one snake. If we want to open the exit of the maze, we need to think of another way.¡±


    ¡°He was smiling just now¡­¡± Bai Youwei suddenly said.


    Everyone looked at her.


    Shen MO asked,¡± What?¡±


    Bai Youwei furrowed her brows in thought and said slowly, ¡°Just now¡­when the snake came, I saw him smile¡­¡±


    After a pause, she raised her head to look at Shen MO, her tone assertive, ¡°He¡¯s not afraid of the Gluttonous Snake.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Tan Xiao was puzzled, ¡°It¡¯s so huge. Isn¡¯t he afraid of the snake eating him? I¡¯d rather face a hundred little monsters than face that gigantic snake!¡±


    Bai Youwei was taken aback.


    Yeah, why wasn¡¯t he afraid?


    She recalled carefully, her face growing increasingly pale: ¡°He is afraid of the little monsters¡­¡±


    When the Skinning Monster tried to enter, that man scared himself into crying. It didn¡¯t seem as if he was pretending.


    A snake as big as a building didn¡¯t scare him, but the Skinning Monster which can kill with one jab scared him? That doesn¡¯t make sense¡­


    Bai Youwei looked at Tan Xiao¡¯s wound, then at the blotch of viscous gel-like substance on the tissue, her eyebrows furrowing in thought. She smeared the substance on the tissue onto the table. It was deep red and soft red, stickier than blood, softer than flesh, unidentifiable.


    Why wasn¡¯t he scared?


    Could it be that he¡­


    Bai Youwei¡¯s face turned pale suddenly. She abruptly looked up at Tan Xiao.


    Tan Xiao was shocked by her gaze, and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there something wrong with my wound?¡±


    ¡°Chang Weicai! Get the mud out!¡± Bai Youwei suddenly ordered.


    Chang Weicai was quick to react and reached into his pocket.


    Tan Xiao was confused, ¡°Wha¡­what¡¯s wrong? It¡¯s just a little cut, isn¡¯t using the mud a bit excessive¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, Chang Weicai had already brought over the mud¡­

 Chapter 200: 200: You Have Evil Intentions

    Chapter 200: 200: You Have Evil Intentions<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    The mud acted exceptionally quickly.


    Tan Xiao¡¯s skin injury healed rapidly, Shen MO rinsed the sticky flesh and blood from his wound, and there was not a trace to be found on his lower back.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om<div>


    Pan Xiaoxin was staring at the hustling and bustling crowd, his eyes wide with surprise.


    He had never seen such an extraordinary tool before.


    Although the previous lightning bolt had also shocked him, since he closed his eyes subconsciously, he didn¡¯t see what tool was responsible. However, he saw the mud clearly! It genuinely healed Tan Xiao¡¯s wound!


    The child couldn¡¯t help but think: Brother Fei was right, these people really do have a lot of tools¡­


    ¡°Xiaoxin! Where¡¯s the knife?!¡± Bai Youwei suddenly shouted his name. Pan Xiaoxin jumped in fright and hurriedly handed her the knife.


    Shen MO intercepted the knife halfway.


    ¡°What do you need the knife for?¡± Shen MO asked Bai Youwei, with a skeptical look on his face.


    Bai Youwei was ticked off: ¡°What do I need it for? I¡¯m going to chop him up!!! That guy isn¡¯t afraid of snakes because snakes don¡¯t eat him! He¡¯s tricked us all!


    She didn¡¯t want the knife anymore, angrily wheeling her chair away. Shen MO reached out to hold the wheelchair armrest, stopping her in her tracks. She turned her head and red at him furiously! Shen MO said, ¡°Let me push you there.¡±


    The others looked at each other, following them.


    The man was still copsed under the operating table. Seeing Shen MO and Bai Youwei return, his face twisted in fear.<div>


    ¡°What¡­what do you want to do¡­¡± he asked panicked.


    Bai Youwei sneered chillingly, which made the man shiver: ¡°What exactly do you want to do?! I, I¡¯ve already told you everything I know! What else do you want?!¡±


    Bai Youwei slightly curved her eyebrows, her smiling face didn¡¯t hold a shred of warmth, her voice gentle: ¡°We don¡¯t want anything. We just want to ask you¡­


    do you want us to take you with us when we leave this ce?¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes flickered indecisively, ¡°Of course¡­ I want to get out of here, but you guys haven¡¯t found the exit, have you?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve just found it.¡± Bai Youwei said, grinning, ¡°We¡¯ll take you out right now. Sounds good?¡±


    ¡°You found it?¡± The man was astonished, ncing over to check the reactions of Shen MO, Tan Xiao, and the others.


    The people standing next to Bai Youwei wore different expressions.


    The man didn¡¯t believe them and shook his head anxiously: ¡°Impossible! How can the exit of the maze be found so easily?! Are you guys trying to trick me?! I¡¯m not going! You want to trick me into going outside so the monster can eat me! I¡¯m not falling for it!¡±


    Bai Youwei¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°Without going to check, how do you know we¡¯re deceiving you? Let¡¯s go¡­ Tan Xiao, he¡¯s injured and can¡¯t move. You carry him out. ¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Tan Xiao looked at her in surprise, ¡°Carry him out for real?¡±<div>


    Where were they supposed to carry him? They hadn¡¯t found the exit at all¡­


    Bai Youwei said: ¡°Xiaoxin, youe help too, lift this uncle up.¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin:


    He walked over silently to help the man.


    ¡°Get away! Don¡¯t touch me!¡± The man shoved Pan Xiaoxin away violently!


    Pan Xiaoxin was caught off guard and abruptly fell t on his butt.


    The man roared at him: ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!!! You guys are up to no good! You want to trick me into going outside! I¡¯m not falling for it! ¡­ I¡¯m not going out! I¡¯m not going out!!!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? What nonsense are you spouting?¡± Tan Xiao was impatient. He stepped forward, grabbed the man¡¯s arm, and yanked him up roughly, ¡°Go out if we tell you to go out


    ¡°Ahhhhhhhh!!!¡±


    The moment he was pulled up, the man released a terrified scream of pain!


    The scream was heart-wrenching, shrill, and twisted!<div>


    His body seemed to be glued to the ground. His skin and flesh were being stretched but couldn¡¯t be pulled up!


    The sight freaked Tan Xiao out to the point where he loosened his grip, staring wide-eyed and tongue-tied: ¡°Shit¡­¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin turned deathly pale.


    The man¡¯s suit jacket, which was covering his legs, slipped off, exposingrge clumps of meaty tumors underneath. His two legs had incredibly grown into the floor!


    His entire lower torso was swallowed by the fleshy growth!

 Chapter 201: 201: Is There a Grudge?

    Chapter 201: 201: Is There a Grudge?<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    The man was still screaming.


    The parts Tan Xiao had torn apart were splitting at the seams, with blood gushing out.<div>


    He was propped up on his hands, breathing heavily; the lumps of flesh that resembled legs rose and fell with his breath, trembling as if they were part of the body.


    Shen MO nced at Bai Youwei, thinking about her strong insistence on applying mud to Tan Xiao¡¯s injuries earlier, and understood.


    ¡°So¡­ In thisbyrinth, we can¡¯t get injured, otherwise we be part of thebyrinth?¡±


    ¡°Most likely so.¡± Bai Youwei coldly observed the man gasping for breath on the ground, ¡°Otherwise, it¡¯s impossible to exin why he was not afraid of the snake, and why, when we first entered the restaurant, he didn¡¯t actively call for help. If he hadn¡¯t coughed, we wouldn¡¯t have noticed someone in the kitchen.¡±


    When someone is in absolute despair, isn¡¯t it natural to call outloud when they hear another human voice?


    Why was he hiding instead?


    Shen MO thought for a moment, then squatted down to look at the man, ¡°The snake only eats foreign objects or intruders in thebyrinth. Little creatures are foreign objects, we are intruders, but you¡¯ve be one with thebyrinth, so the snake won¡¯t attack you. Is that correct?¡±


    The man nodded weakly, with sweat streaming down his face. His pain seemed to leave him speechless.


    Shen MO looked at him, his gaze slowly shifted to the man¡¯s ¡°legs¡±, and said softly: ¡°We were careless. You said that you were trapped here for three or four days, without water, without food. But you looked unaffected, your face was still flushed with health. So¡­ Has your body adapted to take in nourishment differently?¡±


    Once again the man nodded. Without the will to resist, he gasped for air, trembling, like a dying fish.


    ¡°You deliberately let the snake follow us, hoping for us to be eaten or injured, so we would end up like you?¡± Shen MO slowly stood up, looked down at the man from a higher position, and spoke indifferently, ¡°Sorry to disappoint you.¡±<div>


    The man raised his head. A weird smile appeared on his face. He spoke weakly: ¡°Don¡¯t be so confident¡­you people¡­sooner orter, will end up just like me¡­¡±


    Bang!


    Tan Xiao, unable to restrain himself, kicked the man¡¯s face!


    ¡°You bastard! Since you want me dead so badly, I¡¯ll send you to Hell first!¡±


    Tan Xiao kicked him several times!


    Thinking about how he could have be part of the furniture here because of his injury, made him both angry and frightened, he couldn¡¯t wait to kill this monstrous man!


    Chang Weicai hurriedly held him back, ¡°Stop hitting him! It¡¯s no use killing him! Let¡¯s hear him out¡­hold on¡­


    Tan Xiao stepped on the man¡¯s face with his foot and demanded fiercely, ¡°Just speak! Why did you try to harm us?!¡±


    Half of the man¡¯s face was pushed into his flesh, there was blood in the corner of his eyes, ¡°Why¡­Ha¡­Why do you think?¡±


    To Tan Xiao¡¯s surprise, he seriously contemted and guessed, ¡°Is it because we hold a grudge against you?¡±


    ¡°Hold a grudge¡­?¡± The man¡¯s mouth split wide open, his tears and saliva streamed down his messy face, ¡°Of course¡­ Of course, there¡¯s a grudge, haha¡­<div>


    You guys staying alive is the grudge! I can¡¯t get out of here and neither can you! Not a single one of you!!!¡±


    Tan Xiao stared at him in utter disbelief, then nced around at his teammates.


    No matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯tprehend such a line of thinking. He retracted his foot, muttering in frustration, ¡°This guy must¡¯ve gone mad from staying here too long¡­¡±


    The man on the ground sneered, raised his head, and suddenly his expression froze.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Ah¡­ahhh¡­,¡± he opened his eyes wide, gasping for air forcefully! ¡°Ahhhhhh!!!¡± Everyone standing next to him was stupefied.


    They only saw the man¡¯s tears, sweat, saliva, and blood from his injuries on his face, all mixed together, sticking to the clump of flesh on the floor! He wouldn¡¯t be able to remove his face it!

 Chapter 202: 202: How Can I Help You?

    Chapter 202: 202: How Can I Help You?<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Save me! Please, save me!!!¡± The man¡¯s face was buried in the ground, he was crying and sobbing, ¡°Help me! I beg you!!!¡±


    Bai Youwei looked at him, ¡°How can we help you?¡±<div>


    After a two-second pause, she asked again in a quiet, expressionless voice, ¡°Do you want us to cut open your face?¡±


    The man looked at her crying.


    ¡°Won¡¯t that hurt too?¡± Bai Youwei continued calmly, attempting to reason with him, ¡°Also, if the wound gets worse, wouldn¡¯t that be even more painful? Anyway, you¡¯ve already lost your legs, there¡¯s no use keeping your face. You were¡­already dead¡­¡±


    The man finally broke down!


    His outburst came as a reaction to her words or perhaps out of fear, crying bitterly, yelling and cursing: ¡°You all will meet a bad end! Sooner orter, you will end up just like me! Just like me!!!¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Shen MO frowned and grabbed his wheelchair handles to take a turn, pushing Bai Youwei out.


    Bai Youwei widened her eyes: ¡°I was not finished talking to him!¡±


    Shen MO looked down at her: ¡°Now you¡¯re disgusted?¡±


    The expression on Bai Youwei¡¯s face slowly developed into aplex one.


    ¡°Why did you have to remind me¡­¡± She closed her eyes, rubbing her stomach.


    The others exchanged nces.<div>


    They looked at the man struggling on the ground, speechless, and sessively left the restaurant.


    The man continued to cry and curse behind them, spewing the vilest of words! A hysterical tone! Expressing the deepest form of despair!


    He would never be able to leave!


    Even though the exit was right before his eyes, he would never, ever get back to the Human World¡­


    Outside, it was still drenched in red, hot and gloomy.


    In the distance, a few small monsters could be seen.


    And the ever-present Snakes, lurking at every corner, ready to appear at any moment.


    ¡°Let¡¯s clear our minds again.¡± Shen MO pulled his gaze back and said to everyone calmly, ¡°The Snakes eat the Skinning Monsters, the Skinning


    Monsters eat the Maze, and the Snakes, Skinning Monsters, and Maze eat us. Any thoughts?¡±


    Tan Xiao: ¡°¡­ We¡¯re so doomed.¡±


    Bai Youwei burst intoughter.<div>


    Shen MO nced at her, ¡°Now we have two options, one is to follow the path of the main artery, find the core of the Maze, and destroy it, there may be an exit. The other is to follow the path of the capiries, find the edge of the Maze and destroy it, to see if we could make an exit.¡±


    ¡°But the Maze has a strong healing ability.¡± Tan Xiao said seriously, ¡°Whether we cut or stab it, the wound will heal quickly. We can¡¯t get hurt either, or else it will heal ourselves along with it!¡±


    ¡°How about using that?¡± Bai Youwei pointed at the Skinners in the distance.


    Teacher Cheng nodded, ¡°These monsters are like harmful bacteria in the Maze¡¯s body, they can destroy its immune system and hinder wound healing¡­


    but how do we control them?¡±


    ¡°Before considering how to control them, let¡¯s think about where to go first, the center of the Maze or its edge?¡± Bai Youwei gently rubbed the rabbit in her arms and pondered, ¡°If Teacher Cheng¡¯s assumption is correct, then the Snakes should be like white blood cells, swallowing bacteria and foreign bodies, and producing antibodies to resist pathogenic invasions. They would be particrly active in the core of the Maze.¡±


    ¡°So we can¡¯t go to the core.¡± Shen MO said, ¡°We are going to the edge of the Maze. ¡±


    Bai Youwei bluntly pointed at Pan Xiaoxin, ¡°Xiaoxin, lead the way.¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin:


    Seeing him distracted, Teacher Cheng, concerned about the child¡¯sfort, volunteered, ¡°Perhaps I should take a look at the map¡­¡¯


    ¡°Teacher Cheng, he¡¯s 11 now, he¡¯s a mature kid.¡± Bai Youwei confidently said, ¡°And he is a local from Hangzhou, he should know best which spot is most suitable for us to break through.¡±<div>


    Teacher Cheng thought for a moment, gently padded the boy¡¯s shoulder, and kindly encouraged him, ¡°Xiaoxin, don¡¯t feel pressured, we all believe in you!¡±

 Chapter 203: 203: So It’s That Easy

    Chapter 203: 203: So It¡¯s That Easy<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Pan Xiaoxin was feeling a bit nervous.


    Ever since they entered the maze, this group of people (especially Bai Youwei) had been bossing him around.<div>


    It wasn¡¯t that he minded being bossed around¡­ it was just¡­ um, how should he put it, it felt weird. Why on earth would they trust a kid like him?


    Did they not fear he could mess things up?


    Pan Xiaoxin took a serious look at the map and hesitantly pointed at a spot, asking, ¡°Here¡­ How about here? Triumph Road is on the edge of the maze, and there are lots of residential buildings. If the Snakeling Monsteres, we would have somewhere to hide .


    ¡°Right there.¡± Bai Youwei made the decision final and then turned to Shen MO, asking, ¡°Brother, what do you think?¡± Shen MO nodded, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s fine.¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin gaped at them.


    Did they decide just like that?


    Really?


    Are you sure?


    You¡¯re not joking, are you?


    ¡°What are you spacing out for?¡± Tan Xiao pped Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s shoulder,


    ¡°Kiddo, lead the way<div>


    ¡® Pan Xiaoxin quietly adjusted his backpack and took the map, heading towards their destination.


    Everything went smoothly.


    asionally, they confronted small creatures, but only a few scattered ones. They were easy to deal with before they had a chance to multiply and replicate themselves.


    Sometimes when tremors approached, everyone would take cover in the nearby houses. The Snakeling Monster usually only looked for food along the streets and didn¡¯t venture inside buildings.


    With stops and starts, they were getting closer and closer to Triumph Road.


    To be honest, Bai Youwei was quite impressed with the kid. In her view, all the city¡¯s buildings looked virtually indistinguishable after having shifted into their maze-like forms, yet somehow Pan Xiaoxin was able to identify each road, each building, with an uncanny spatial and directional sense.


    There were times when she suspected that he had taken the wrong path, a skeptical nce exchanged with Shen MO, he reassuring her with a nod.


    She was taken aback.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    However, on second thought, a grade-schooler who could have survived in such a harsh environment until now must have more than just good luck going for him.


    Just like her, who was handicapped. Sure, it was fortunate that she had met Shen MO, but did that mean she waspletely useless?


    Of course not!<div>


    Bai Youwei crinkled her lips into a silent smirk.


    This was why she loved games ¨C they didn¡¯t abandon you just because you were young, old, handicapped, or for any other reason.


    While the doll game inflicted pain, it also forever offered yers opportunities.


    Others saw games as instruments of despair and ughter;


    she saw them as flowers, dew, sunlight, a spring-warmed, flower-filled amusement park by the seaside.


    ¡­Wait, hold on.


    Except for here.


    Bai Youwei wrinkled her nose in disgust.


    This maze was genuinely disgusting!


    After reaching Triumph Road, Pan Xiaoxinpleted his role as the guide. Next, Shen MO took over to survey the terrain.


    Shen MO chose a residential area. The outer wall of the greenery area appeared to be the outermostyer of the maze.<div>


    They made asso out of a hemp rope from Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s backpack, used it to tie a Skinning Monster, and threw it near the courtyard wall to chew on meat. They were standing on a second-floor balcony, pulling the rope from a distance, like walking a dog. They directed it to chew wherever they wished by pulling on the rope.


    The monster went on eating while replicating itself.


    The more of it there was, the greater the holes in the wall became.


    Everything was working out surprisingly well. The only thing they needed to be cautious of was the Snakeling Monster that wandered around the streets¡ª It could easily be drawn by the stench of the Skinning Monster.


    Shen MO was always the most vignt one.


    Whenever he sensed the tremors getting nearer, he would pull back the rope, picked up the Skinning Monster and took it to the entrance of the residential area as bait.


    He was very good at this kind of diversionary tactic. Whenever the Snakeling Monster was enticed by the smell and wanted to venture inside the residentialpound for food, he would tease it with the Skinning Monster, leading the snake around in circles. After going around in circles for a long while, the snake couldn¡¯t manage to eat a single monster, bing hungrier and thinner.


    Meanwhile, thepound¡¯s wall was gnawed rotten, gnawed through by the Skinning Monsters!


    A faint light could be seen.


    Bai Youwei sighed, ¡°Who knew it would be this easy.¡±


    But now, the problem was¡­


    How were they going to get through hundreds of Skinning Monsters to reach the exit?

 Chapter 204: 204: The Exit is Found

    Chapter 204: 204: The Exit is Found<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Tan Xiao stood on the balcony, shouting into the distance: ¡°Boss! We have an exit!!!¡±


    He saw a man in the distance sprinting towards him, a ¡°snake¡± trailing behind him! But this ¡°snake¡± was too short, without scales, it moved frantically on the ground like a huge maggot!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om<div>


    Its size, from being as tall as a two-story building, was now reduced to the size of cattle, it opened its mouth full of teeth, tried to bite Skinning Monster on the hemp rope, but every attack was in vain!


    With quick movements, Shen MO led it to a rotten festery wound. It was immediately attracted by the stronger fetid smell and wriggled its body aggressively into the hole!


    The creatures inside started to swarm out!


    As if a wasp nest had been disturbed! Hundreds of skinning monsters scattered in all directions!


    Some crawled up to the second-floor balcony where Bai Youwei and the others were stationed, Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai pushed them off with baseball bats and crutches!


    Meanwhile, the snake in the hole quickly grew bigger! Fatter! Longer!


    It ate all the skinning monsters in the hole, then began to devour the rotten flesh!


    After cleaning up the pus and clotted blood, fresh red appeared beneath, and the wound was healing again.


    Tan Xiao, watching from above, shouted anxiously, ¡°Stop eating! Stop eating!


    The hole is closing up!!!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll distract it! You take them to the exit!¡± Shen MO remained calm, raising his dagger he stabbed into the serpents exposed plump tail.<div>


    The gluttonous snake violently trembled in pain. Scrambling to get out, its obese body was too big that it couldn¡¯t turn around, so it had to reverse its way out.


    Its head swayed from side to side, its corpulent body made a squeaking sound as it squashed itself out of the pile of rotten flesh. As soon as it was out, it wheeled around angrily towards Shen MO!


    Shen MO was prepared, he lifted the nearly dead Skinning Monster from the hemp rope and drew the gluttonous snake in a different direction.


    Meanwhile, Tan Xiao grabbed Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s backpack, throwing him and his bag down!


    It was just over three meters from the second floor to the first floor, and the ground was all meat, so they didn¡¯t have to worry about getting hurt from a fall.


    A few secondster, Bai Youwei¡¯s wheelchair was thrown down.


    Tan Xiao picked up Bai Youwei and jumped straight down from the second floor. Chang Weicai followed a bit slower, he climbed down the growths on the nearby balcony.


    The four of them rushed into the hole, dragging the wheelchair.


    The hole was filled with rotten flesh and pus, uneven and slippery, emerging from there was an arduous task!


    Having struggled through, they finally reached the opening, glowing white. Tan Xiao, grasping Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s backpack, was about to throw him when Pan Xiaoxin resisted stuttering, ¡°W-wait! Wait a moment! ¡±


    Tan Xiao said impatiently, ¡°Wait for what?! The more of us get out, the better, hurry up!¡±<div>


    ¡°No, no! Listen to me! Pan Xiaoxin urgently said, ¡°We can¡¯t go out! There are people waiting outside to steal your tools! It¡¯s dangerous out there!¡± ¡°There are robbers?¡± Tan Xiao paused, turning to Bai Youwei, ¡°Weiwei¡­.¡±


    Bai Youwei, who was looking at the exit, waiting for Shen Mo¡¯s return, impatiently said: ¡°Don¡¯t bother me with such trivial matters!¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin:


    Is¡­. this a small matter?


    Tan Xiao smacked the back of Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s head, ¡°Did you hear that? Don¡¯t dawdle over such trifles, hurry up and get out!¡±


    Not waiting for his agreement, he directly pushed Pan Xiaoxin into the bright exit filled with white light!


    Teacher Chang was the second to enter.


    Tan Xiao and Bai Youwei waited at the exit for a while until Shen MO returned. Their hearts finally settled, the three of them entered the exit one after another¡­.

 Chapter 205: 205: The Maze Disappeared

    Chapter 205: 205: The Maze Disappeared<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Just like before, they had all left together, but she alone was surrounded. Sitting in her wheelchair, Bai Youwei stared at the familiar vast fog with a calm demeanor.


    After waiting a short while, the sound of the game system echoed in the air:<div>


    ¡°Congrattions to the yer for proceeding through Maze No. 7.¡±


    ¡°We are tallying up the rewards from this round.¡±


    ¡°The yer is the third one to pass through Maze No. 7. The ranking order in this round is three. Unfortunately, no jigsaw pieces will be rewarded.¡±


    What? Nothing at all?


    Bai Youwei frowned.


    Is it because I finished so quickly that they won¡¯t even give a reward?


    ¡°Updating yer data¡­ Ding! Updatepleted.¡±


    ¡°The reward tallying process haspleted. Please continue with the game and strive to pass¡ª¡±


    The voice died off, the fog dispersed.


    Shen MO, Tan Xiao, Teacher Chang, Pan Xiaoxin ¨C all of them appeared before her.


    Everyone stared at the area behind them in shock.<div>


    The fog has disappeared.


    Thebyrinthine fog that loomed over the city center is gone!


    Looking at the familiar streets and buildings, Pan Xiaoxin couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s Hangzhou¡­ Hangzhou is back!¡±


    He took a few steps forward, iling his arms. The sky was clear blue, the air fresh. The buildings were neatly organized, the street-side greenery lush and verdant. Everything was back!


    As Pan Xiaoxin nced towards Shen Mo and Bai Youwei, his eyes held a hint of hope, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it mean, if we pass through the maze, it disappears?!¡±


    Shen MO and Bai Youwei looked at each other, confounded.


    Thest time they had passed through Maze No. 2, the fog hadn¡¯t dispersed back then and the maze remained.


    Why?


    While scratching his head, Tan Xiao looked at the clean streets, unable to hold back from muttering, ¡°This is weird, with no fog and even no rewards.¡±


    ¡°Did you not receive your reward?¡± asked Bai Youwei.


    ¡°I did, but they didn¡¯t give me any jigsaw pieces,¡± Tan Xiao couldn¡¯t understand.<div>


    ¡°We got three piecesst time.¡±


    Last time, Shen MO, Bai Youwei, Tan Xiao, Zhang Tianyang, and Chen Hui each received a piece, making it a total of five.


    But this time¡­


    ¡°I¡­ I got one piece.¡± Pan Xiaoxin opened his tiny palm to reveal a silver-grey puzzle piece.


    ¡°Just one piece?¡± Tan Xiao turned to Chang Weicai. ¡°Teacher Chang, did you get any pieces?¡±


    Teacher Chang shook his head. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Wow, why is this maze being so stingy this time,¡± Tan Xiao was disappointed. ¡°The few of us struggled so much to get out of the maze, and they reward us with just one piece.¡±


    Shen MO turned to Pan Xiaoxin and asked, ¡°What did the system say when it was totalling the rewards? Do you remember?¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    After taking a moment to remember, Pan Xiaoxin slowly exined, ¡°¡­ The yer is the third one to pass through Maze No. 7. The ranking order in this round is one. You may receive one jigsaw piece reward. It was something like that.¡±


    Bai Youwei: ¡°Thest time in Yangzhou, the system said it was the first time.¡± She specifically emphasized the word ¡°first¡±.


    Thinking it over, Shen MO suggested, ¡°So for the first time, you get five puzzle pieces; the third time, you get one, and then the maze disappears¡­ following this line of reasoning, could it mean that the number of puzzle pieces a maze can produce is limited and that the disappearance of a maze closely follows when all puzzle pieces are exhausted?¡±<div>


    ¡°It has to disappear.¡± Bai Youwei added, ¡°Puzzle pieces are definitely not infinite. If there are no more puzzle pieces and a new yer passes through the maze, they won¡¯t be able to receive the puzzle piece reward. That would be extremely unfair to the whole game system.¡±


    Shen MO pondered, turning to look at her, ¡°How many puzzle pieces do you think a maze can produce at most?¡±


    ¡°Nine.¡± Bai Youwei answered, ¡°Five for the first time, three for the second, and one for the third..¡±

 Chapter 206: 206 Xiaoxin

    Chapter 206: 206 Xiaoxin<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Teacher Cheng couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Step-by-step decline does seem fair in the game, but what happens if there aren¡¯t enough yers? Won¡¯t that disrupt the pattern? Like, if only one person first gets through a maze, does he get all five puzzle pieces?


    After pondering for a while, Bai Youwei shook her head, ¡°I doubt it. The two mazes we¡¯ve encountered seem to require teamwork to get through. During the mirror task, teammates needed to serve as a warning otherwise one could easily fall into a trap. Also, in thest maze, if no one had diverted the attention of the snake, we wouldn¡¯t have made it out easily.¡±<div>


    ¡°Even if the number of people who pass the maze is less than the number of puzzle pieces, it¡¯s not a big deal,¡± said Shen MO, ¡°Don¡¯t forget that we had a sequence number when we left the maze. If the system aims to ensure fairness, it can distribute the pieces ording to the order of exiting. For instance, this time five of us passed the maze, but only the first person got the puzzle piece.¡±


    Bai Youwei added, ¡°Not only did our exit sequence have numbers, the mazes themselves had numbers too, like number 2, number 7¡­ Does that hold some special significance?¡±


    Tan Xiao felt overwhelmed, yelling, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Initially, the n was to gather puzzle pieces in Hangzhou, but the system only gave us one. What


    Pan Xiaoxin knew the puzzle pieces were essential. Listening to their discussion, he couldn¡¯t help but look down at the piece in his hands.


    He got the piece because Tan Xiao was the first to push him towards the exit.


    This puzzle piece, ought to belong to everyone.


    Pan Xiaoxin raised his head, hesitated, and asked the grown-ups, ¡°Who¡­ who should this piece go to?¡±


    Bai Youwei, in a bad mood, nced at him dismissively, ¡°Keep it.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Pan Xiaoxin widened his eyes in surprise, unable to believe what he¡¯d heard, ¡°Can¡­ Can I really keep it?¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    However, Bai Youwei paid no attention to him.


    Bai Youwei took Shen MO¡¯s hand andined, ¡°Those five you mentioned must have been the second batch to pass the maze. If not for them, we would have gotten at least three pieces this time. So annoying!¡±<div>


    Tan Xiao was also irked, ¡°MO bro, what should we do? If they keep getting ahead of us, won¡¯t we be stuck with leftovers?¡±


    ¡°But how did they determine the direction of the maze?¡± Teacher Cheng pondered, ¡°There must be mazes in other cities too, we don¡¯t necessarily have to follow their path¡­


    Pan Xiaoxin:


    The overlooked child in the corner watched them.


    ¡°Ah right.¡± Tan Xiao remembered something, ¡°MO bro, someone¡¯s trying to rob us.¡±


    Shen MO frowned imperceptibly at the word ¡®robbery¡¯?


    The subject jumped rather dramatically.


    ¡± Xiaoxin mentioned it.¡± Tan Xiao looked at Pan Xiaoxin, ¡°Right? Before we got out, you said something like that?¡±


    Everyone turned to look at Pan Xiaoxin.


    He had wanted some attention when they were ignoring him. Now that he was getting it, Pan Xiaoxin felt rather nervous.


    With a taut face, he nodded, looking somewhat worried and careful, while observing Shen MO¡¯s expression.<div>


    Like students peeking at the teacher while handing in their exams.


    Shen MO¡¯s face remained unreadable as he asked Xiaoxin, ¡°Was it the gang led by someone called Brother Fei?¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin pursed his lips and nodded again.


    Shen MO asked, ¡°How do youmunicate with them?¡±


    ¡® Pan Xiaoxin touched his cor, ¡°Using this¡­ whistle, they bought guns and ammunition from someone named Yan. They told me to blow the whistle once I got out, then they woulde¡­ and shoot at you¡­ and then, steal our props¡­¡±


    His voice got quieter with each word, until he finally lowered his head so much that his chin touched his chest, not daring to look up.


    ¡°Damn! They¡¯re pretty ruthless!¡± Tan Xiao couldn¡¯t help but curse, ¡°MO bro, we gotta show these guys we¡¯re not to be messed with!¡±


    ¡°Whether we show them color or not, there¡¯s no rush,¡± Bai Youweizily nced at Xiaoxin, ¡°But, I bet they have a lot of gasoline stored away right, Xiaoxin?¡±Pan Xiaoxin shivered.

 Chapter 207: 207: Clearing Time

    Chapter 207: 207: Clearing Time<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Summer lengthened the daylight, the sun was on itsst gasps.


    The sunset reluctantly dragged the buildings and trees into lengthy shadows, coated in golden twilight, tired, quiet¡­ A car whizzed by, stirring up waste paper and stic bags on the side of the road, bringing brief uproar to the tranquility.<div>


    The Jeep slowed down gradually, finally stopping behind a congested road.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°Lun Ang, Su Man, you two go to the front and see how far the congestion goes.¡± Yan Qingwen instructed them, ¡°If it¡¯s not that far, let¡¯s move the cars. If it¡¯s too long, we¡¯ll take a different route.¡±


    Uncle Fatty and the woman in the red dress got off the car as per the instructions, each taking a weapon to scout ahead.


    Yan Qingwen took out a map to consult; the man and the woman in the back seat also got out of the car, saying, ¡°Brother Yan, we are going to look around nearby to see whether we can find some water.¡±


    Their food supply was still plentiful, but they could never have too much clean drinking water.


    ¡°Don¡¯t wander off too far. Zhu Shu¡¯s wound just healed,¡± Yan Qingwen instructed calmly.


    ¡°We got it.¡± The man chuckled and walked away with the woman.


    Not long after the two set off, Uncle Fatty, Lun Ang, and the woman in red, Su Man, were already back.


    ¡°How is the road ahead?¡± Yan Qingwen asked the two of them.


    Lun Ang wiped the sweat from his face, his mutton-chop whiskers also dripping with sweat, and shook his head, ¡°The congestion is not too bad, but there are dolls about which would very likely trigger a game. We better take a detour.¡±


    Su Man got into the car and saw the back seat was empty. She asked, ¡°Where did Li Li and Zhu Shu go?¡±<div>


    Lun Angughed, ¡°Where else could they be? Off on a date! They stick together all day. Now that we¡¯re not around, they finally grabbed the chance to spend some time alone! Ha ha ha ha!¡±


    Su Man¡¯s face darkened, and she frowned at Yan Qingwen, ¡°Brother Yan, why don¡¯t you stop them?¡±


    Yan Qingwen, face unchanged, kept looking at the map. ¡°Why would I stop them? They are adults in their twenties, not three-year-old children.¡±


    Su Man pursed her lips. She still wasn¡¯t happy and muttered, ¡°What if they meet with danger¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey! If you¡¯re so concerned about him, go check on him yourself!¡± Lun Ang blurted out unabashedly, ¡°She clearly likes him but doesn¡¯t admit it. Now look at her, someone else swooped in and took him away!¡±


    Su Man red at the fatty fiercely, ¡°Who said I like him?! I¡¯m just afraid they will get into trouble and end up creating trouble for us!¡± Uncle Fatty dug at his ear, ¡°Alright, alright, whatever you say¡­¡±


    ¡°Brother Yan!!!¡±


    A shout came from the distance.


    The three in the car turned their heads and saw the man and the woman running back hastily.


    Yan Qingwen frowned and got out of the car.


    ¡°What¡¯s happened?¡±<div>


    ¡°Brother Yan, you¡­you look over there!¡± Li Li was so out of breath he could barely speak. He pointed to a distance and said, ¡°The fog over Hangzhou¡­ it¡¯s gone!¡±


    ¡°Ha?¡± Lun Ang burst outughing, hisughter booming like thunder, ¡°Li Li, are you seeing things because of heatstroke? Ha ha ha ha! .


    ¡°Don¡¯t believe me? Go see for yourself!¡± Li Li pushed the woman next to him forward, ¡°Zhu Shu saw it too! We were up on a building nearby and had a clear view!¡±


    The petite young woman nodded and took small breaths, clutching her chest,


    ¡°It¡¯s gone¡­ therge fog cloud, it¡¯s gone.¡±


    Yan Qingwen frowned, returned to the car to get a telescope, hopped on the roof, and looked in the direction of Hangzhou.


    The others gathered around him, asking, ¡°What¡¯s the situation? Is the fog really gone?¡±


    Yan Qingwen looked for a while, put down the telescope, his facial expression changing unpredictably, unclear whether it was sunny or gloomy, ¡°¡­It seems someone has passed through the maze of Hangzhou.¡±


    Li Li said, ¡°When we passed the maze, we didn¡¯t see anyone else. If the other party entered the maze after us, that means, theypleted it in less than 4 hours! How could that be possible?!¡±


    Yan Qingwen looked up and asked. ¡°How long did we take?¡±


    Li Li replied, ¡°6 hours and 27 minutes.¡±<div>


    ¡°That must be fake¡­¡± Lun Ang said, ¡°They only took half the time we did?¡±


    Everyone exchanged nces.


    Simultaneously, several faces came to mind in their heads¡­.

 Chapter 208: The Roads are Narrow for Enemies

    Chapter 208: The Roads are Narrow for Enemies


    Trantor: 549690339


    On the streets of Hangzhou, an off-road vehicle sped along the t and wide road.


    Wind rushed in from the car window, blowing away the stickiness of sweat on the skin, and it was cool and refreshing.


    Bai Youwei sat in the passenger seat, humming a song in a cheerful mood. The song went: ¡°Little white rabbit, so white, with two ears standing up, it likes to eat carrots and greens, hopping and jumping so


    Tan Xiao chimed in from the back seat: ¡°Ha ha! I know this one too! Let me recite for you all!¡±


    He cleared his throat and recited with varied intonations: ¡°Little white rabbit, so white, with two ears standing up, peel its skin, chop it into pieces, toss it in the pan and stir fry, add some water, cover the lid, sprinkletro before serving!¡±


    Before anyone else could react, he had already startedughing at his own joke, ¡°Ha ha ha,¡± non-stop.


    ¡°How was it? How was it? Want to give me a like?¡± Tan Xiao nudged Chang Weicai with his elbow, ¡°Old Chang, you do one! Do one! Come on, teach us some~¡±


    Unable to decline, Teacher Chang scratched his chin, ¡°Alright, let me think¡­


    Ah, got it! I advise you to drink, don¡¯t decline. I advise you twice, don¡¯t doubt¡­


    ¡°Old Chang, it doesn¡¯t work!¡± Tan Xiao interrupted him, ¡°You didn¡¯t mention the little white rabbit, it doesn¡¯t count!¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t finished yet, let me continue.¡± Chang Weicai continued, ¡°I advise you three times, and then you know, the face today older than yesterday, when drunk, feels better than when sober¡­¡±


    Tan Xiao: ¡°Doesn¡¯t count~ still no little white rabbit!¡±


    Chang Weicai was anxious: ¡°Let me finish my verse, the rabbit¡¯sing soon¡­


    The sky and earth are long, the white rabbit and red crow chase each other. Piling up gold behind, leaning on the Big Dipper, is not as good as having a jar of wine before death! See, there it is? ¡®The white rabbit and red crow chase each other¡¯, the white rabbit, it¡¯s there, right?¡± n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Tan Xiao: ¡°Ha ha ha ha ha! I don¡¯t understand, but fine, you pass.


    Pan Xiaoxin sat silently on the side:


    Ever since this group of people found Brother Fei, robbed his house, emptied his gasoline, and bashed his gang, they had been in a continuous ¡°singing and dancing¡± state.


    ¡­Are all adults this forgetful?


    ¡°Kid! You¡¯ve got a good eye!¡± Tan Xiao suddenly put his arm around Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s shoulder, ¡°You know when to reign in the horse at the edge of the cliff, choosing the right path! In the future, there will surely be a ce for you in this world!¡±


    Teacher Chang added: ¡°It¡¯s reign in the horse at the edge of a precipice¡­¡±


    ¡°It more or less means the same thing.¡± Tan Xiao shook Pan Xiaoxin, ¡°Come on, tell Brother Xiao, what were you thinking? By telling us their n, weren¡¯t you afraid they¡¯d take revenge?¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin was shaken dizzy.


    Chang Weicai said, ¡°Don¡¯t judge by his age, even a child can tell right from wrong. Xiaoxin is a good boy, of course he wouldn¡¯t assist the tyrant, right,


    Xiaoxin?¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin:


    In fact, it was not that bad¡­


    He simply thought that Shen MO and Bai Youwei were more capable than Brother Fei.


    It¡¯s nature to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages. Even children understand this principle.


    ¡°Brother MO, where are we heading next?¡± Tan Xiao asked.


    ¡°We need to find a ce to spend the night first.¡± Shen MO held the steering wheel, his eyes straight ahead, ¡°Going north is Jiaxing, going south is Shaoxing, both ces where a maze might appear¡­¡±


    His voice trailed off, as he slowly reduced his speed.


    Everyone looked out of the car windows. There was a huge traffic jam ahead, and by the road, five people had pitched a tent. Out of them, three were the guys who almost fought with themst time.


    Tan Xiao subconsciously whistled, ¡°Enemies always meet on a narrow road¡­¡± Bai Youwei let out a disdainful snort..

 Chapter 209: Just Pretentious (Additional updates for top 50 Activity)

    Chapter 209: Just Pretentious (Additional updates for top 50 Activity)


    Trantor: 549690339


    When the two parties encounter each other, it¡¯s a bit awkward.


    The other party has already set up camp and probably ns to spend the night here. If Shen MO were to leave now, it would seem rather cowardly.


    Shen MO nced at the sky, parked the vehicle across the road. He thought for a moment and then called Teacher Cheng to scout ahead.


    Tan Xiao was also eager to go, but Bai Youwei snapped at him: ¡°Go on, go! Leaving a kid and a cripple to carry luggage, set up tents, boil water, and cook really!


    Tan Xiao gave an awkwardugh: ¡°I forgot¡­¡±


    Chang Weicai discussed with Shen Mo: ¡°Xiao Shen, maybe we should change ces? If something happens at night being this close, it could be dangerous, especially with their group have weapons¡­¡±


    Shen MO nced their direction and stated calmly: ¡°There are only a few routes out of the city, if they had any intention of ambushing us, no matter where we hide, they would catch up. It¡¯s safer if we¡¯re close to each other and we remain vignt. Moreover, we¡¯ll take turns standing guard at night, where we stay won¡¯t matter much.¡±


    Teacher Cheng considered, found Shen MO¡¯s argument reasonable, and didn¡¯t persuade further.


    Shen MO and Teacher Cheng went ahead to scout, leaving Tan Xiao behind. Looking around, there are banks, restaurants, fruit supermarkets,undries, and beauty salons. The fruit supermarket exudes a sour smell from the decaying fruit, not pleasant at all.


    ¡°Weiwei, where do you want to stay tonight?¡± Tan Xiao asked.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there a Holiday Hotel?¡± Bai Youwei pointed to a building across the street diagonally.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll drive the car over.¡±


    Tan Xiao quickly switched to the driver¡¯s seat and parked the car in front of the hotel. After they reached their destination. unloaded the luggage. and found that the hotel¡¯s automatic revolving door locked. He picked up his aluminum baseball bat and began to bang on the ss!


    Bai Youwei nced at Pan Xiaoxin in the back seat and casually said: ¡°You should have improved physical fitness aftering out of the maze, right? Why don¡¯t you go and help too, test your strength.¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin uncertainly clenched his fist and looked at Bai Youwei. After two seconds, he took a hammer from his bag and got off the car.


    Tan Xiao had managed to break one pane of the revolving door, sweating profusely.


    ¡°Damn, this ss is tough! My hand is numb from the vibration!¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin picked up a small rusty nail from the ground and gave it to Tan Xiao, ¡°When breaking ss, aim for the edges¡­ you can put something sharp underneath to increase pressure.¡± n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Aim for the edges?¡± Tan Xiao held the nail, a bit clueless. ¡°Sounds logical, let me try.¡±


    He stuck the nail into the gap between the metal frame and the ss. Then he picked up the baseball bat and swung hard!


    Bang!


    The shattered ss spread like a spider web, blooming like a flower.


    Tan Xiao swung the bat again!


    Crash!


    All the ss waspletely shattered!


    It saved him who-knows-how-much effortpared to before!


    ¡°Whoa¡­¡± Tan Xiao¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment. Then he looked down at Pan Xiaoxin, admiringly giving him a thumbs up!


    The little boy shyly smiled, he was also delighted. He continued to hammer away at the edges removing any remaining pieces of ss to prevent anyone from getting cut when walking by.


    The big and the small one banging away made it lively.


    People on the other side, however, were annoyed by the noise.


    ¡°Are they nuts?¡± Lun Ang, scratching his thick beard, looked at the distant Holiday Hotel. ¡°With such a big ce, can¡¯t they just set up a tent? It¡¯s just to sleep anyway, why so much fuss? Moreover, the hotel is stuffy and hot with no venttion, no electricity, and they need to climb stairs¡­¡±


    ¡°Such fuss indeed.¡± Su Man snorted disdainfully.


    Suddenly they heard a burst ofughter.


    They saw Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin carry out a high-qualitytex mattress from the hotel andy it on the ground.


    Tan Xiao took off his shoes and started jumping on the mattress. ¡°This is so soft! Hahaha, it¡¯s really soft~¡±


    Lun Ang:


    Su Man:


    Endless joy for these childish bunch..

 Chapter 210: 210 Fans (Additional updates for Top 100 in the recommendation list)

    Chapter 210: 210 Fans (Additional updates for Top 100 in the rmendation list)<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    They dragged out four mattresses in a row, both single and double.


    Bai Youwei didn¡¯t take one.<div>


    She disliked sleeping on overly soft mattresses, which she felt could disrupt her body¡¯s bnce, so she only asked Tan Xiao for a cotton mattress, sturdilyid out within the tent.


    ¡°The mattresses you brought are too big, they won¡¯t fit in the tent.¡± Bai Youwei advised Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin.


    Tan Xiao didn¡¯t mind, ¡°If it can¡¯t fit, just sleep like this.¡±


    Bai Youwei rolled her eyes, ¡°What if it rains?¡±


    Tan Xiao looked up at the sky, ¡°That won¡¯t happen¡­¡±


    ¡°Whatever, do as you please.¡± Bai Youwei didn¡¯t bother with him and went into her tent.


    The hotel was her choice, as she didn¡¯t like sleeping in a ce without privacy, so there was no way she¡¯d sleep out in the open like Tan Xiao. At the very least she needed a tent.


    Moreover, it would be more convenient for her to wash and use the restroom with the hotel nearby.


    Not to mention that, aside from the beds and pillows, the hotel rooms usually stocked food, tea bags, coffee, and the like for guests to buy. All these were usable resources.


    Observing Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin moving various items, people on the other side couldn¡¯t help but feel tempted.


    ¡°Brother Yan, can we also grab some bedding?¡± Zhu Shu asked Yan Qingwen. She was about 20 years old, dressed in a pink sports t-shirt. Despite being a bit dirty from the past few days of travel, her small face was still clear and bright. With delicate features, she still looked like a pretty girl.<div>


    Su Man looked at her disgust, ¡°Are we on a trip or something? If you wantfort, you might as well have stayed home!¡±


    ¡°Now, what¡¯s gotten into you, Su Man?¡± The man with sses stood and put his arm around Zhu Shu¡¯s shoulder. ¡°What¡¯s it to you if we grab a few nkets?


    Zhu Shu,e! I¡¯ll apany you.¡±


    Su Man bit her lip and didn¡¯t say anything.


    Lun Ang had grown numb to the three of them constantly arguing. After hearing what they said, he chimed in, ¡°Li Li, bring me a mattress while you¡¯re at it. Since the hotel has so many, we might as well take them¡­¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± Li Li turned him down without even looking back. ¡°If you want it,e and get it yourself!¡±


    ¡°Are you always this stingy¡­¡± Lun Ang sighed, but finally did not get up. Yan Qingwen gave him a nce, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you going?¡±


    Lun Ang waved his hand, ¡°Let the girls be pampered. What¡¯s it to me, an old man, running there grabbing a mattress? I¡¯ll make a fool of myself. Just forget it. I¡¯ll just make do with sleeping like this.¡±


    Yan Qingwen smiled and went back to studying the map.


    Then, gasps of astonishment came from the other side, making Yan Qingwen, Lun Ang, and Su Man all look up.


    Tan Xiao looked at Zhu Shu in front of him with exaggerated shock, ¡°Are you¡­are you that actress?! The one who yed the Saint Mountain Goddess? Wow, you¡¯re so pretty in person! You look much thinner than you do on TV!¡±<div>


    Lun Ang: ¡°Oh, she has a fan here.¡±


    Su Man huffed, ¡°How boring.¡±


    Yan Qingwen¡¯s lips quirked up, but he remained silent.


    Meanwhile, Zhu Shu politely replied, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You yed your part so well!¡± Tan Xiao couldn¡¯t help but mime some actions.


    ¡°Especially in the scene where the Demon Realm has you cornered on Saint Mountain. You stood up against a hundred! You hit them like this, kicked them like this, and like that¡­¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Zhu Shuughed and exined, ¡°That was my stunt double.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Tan Xiao froze, ¡°¡­A stunt double?¡±


    Zhu Shu still smiled, ¡°Yes, all the dangerous stunts are done by my doubles.¡±


    Tan Xiao stopped his movements and scratched his head, ¡°Then¡­the action scenes in the Wanmu Bamboo Forest¡­¡±


    ¡°Also a stunt double.¡± Zhu Shuughed, ¡°The stunt double did it on a wire in the studio. It was then added in post-production.¡±<div>


    Tan Xiao:


    He looked rather disillusioned.


    Zhu Shu then politely asked, ¡°May we go in and grab some nkets?¡± Tan Xiao snapped back to reality, ¡°¡­Oh, ooh, of course, of course..¡±

 Chapter 211: 211: Take A Look in The Past

    Chapter 211: 211: Take A Look in The Past<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    When Shen MO and Teacher Chang came back, they just happened to bump into Li Li and Zhu Shu, who were carrying bedding and pillows.


    The four people passed by each other in pairs, and Teacher Chang could not help but take a second look, ¡°That girl, she kind of looks like a celebrity, doesn¡¯t she¡­¡±<div>


    Shen Mo:


    Could one really be a fan of stars at his age?


    Teacher Chang continued at a leisurely pace, ¡°Back in school, students would not concentrate on ss and sneakily check out star photos and interviews. I confiscated quite a few of them. That female star on them looked a lot like her.¡± I see¡­


    ¡°Bro MO, Teacher Chang.¡± Tan Xiao walked over, ¡°What¡¯s the situation at the junction ahead? Is it passable?¡±


    Chang Weicai sighed, ¡°There¡¯s not a terrible traffic jam, but there are quite a few dolls. I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have to take a detour.¡±


    Bai Youwei poked her head out of the tent, her eyes clear and moist, ¡°Why should we detour? The doll game is everywhere. Even if we avoid this one, we can¡¯t avoid the next one. I think we should take this road.¡±


    Shen MO chuckled, looking at her: ¡°You sure are brave.¡±


    Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes rolled around, gleaming with a mischievous light, ¡°You two went to scout the path and came back safely, which means the game requires at least more than two participants. If we don¡¯t want to enter the game, we can split into three groups.¡±


    After a pause, she looked at Shen MO with soft eyes, ¡°But¡­ what if there are useful props in the game? Wouldn¡¯t it be a pity if we missed them?¡±


    Shen MO smiled and patted her head gently, ¡°Let¡¯s first decide where to go next.


    .<div>


    There are many roads, each leading to different directions and destinations. Whether to take this road or not depends on their ultimate goal.


    If their goal is to collect puzzle pieces, they need to figure out: which cities still have mazes?


    For dinner, Teacher Chang made scallion pancakes and seaweed egg drop soup.


    The scallions came from Fei-ge¡¯s group¡¯s house. They were nted in flower pots, lots of them. Besides, there were also misceneous vegetables like coriander and garlic sprouts. They didn¡¯t grow very well, but it was better than nothing.


    Tan Xiao, as usual, roasted their smoked chicken and duck on the fire.


    The elderly value a healthy lifestyle. Unless they have limited options, they must have staple food, soup, vegetables, and meat in every meal to maintain a bnced diet.


    The aroma of the meat, soup, and scallions wafted all over, creating a strong ambiance of homeyfort.


    They sat around the bonfire, eating and discussing their next n.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The campsite of the five people not far away seemed much quieter.


    Lun Ang stared at the fire, taking a bite of hispressed biscuit, his moodplicated, ¡°The aroma¡­ smells like scallion pancakes. They really know how to enjoy their time.¡±


    He deeply inhaled the fragrant air, let out a sorrowful sigh.<div>


    Zhu Shuughed, leaning against Li Li, ¡°They¡¯re probably not in a hurry, that¡¯s why.¡±


    Li Li also nibbled on his tasteless biscuit, and said, ¡°There are all kinds of kitchen utensils in the hotel kitchen, and they brought their own flour and green onions. It¡¯s not difficult to make, and we can do the same if we want.¡±


    Zhu Shu blinked, asking him, ¡°Do you know how to make scallion pancakes?¡±


    ¡® Li Li paused, he subconsciously looked around, ¡°Su Man, Lun Ang, do you guys know how to cook?¡±


    Su Man twisted her face away in annoyance, ¡°No.¡±


    Lun Ang stroked his beard, ¡°I¡¯m pretty good at grilling meat, but cooking¡­¡± ¡°What about you, Yan bro?¡± Li Li turned to Yan Qingwen.


    Yan Qingwen was calmly eating his biscuit, and replied at his question, ¡°I can cook, but¡­¡±


    He paused, looking toward the fire in the distance, ¡°The thing about cooking¡­


    it depends on the mood.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Zhu Shuughed and said, ¡°But, eating delicious food can also improve the mood, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    Yan Qingwen gave a slight smile, ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±<div>


    Zhu Shu stood up, ¡°The atmosphere over there seems nice, I¡¯m going to have a look..¡¯

 Chapter 212: 212: Daily Quarrels

    Chapter 212: 212: Daily Quarrels<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Huh?¡± Li Li also stood up with her, ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t it inappropriate? If we suddenly go over there, they might think we¡¯re up to something.¡±


    Remembering how Bai Youwei had threatened them with a toy, Lun Ang also felt it was inappropriate and advised, ¡°Don¡¯t go, those people aren¡¯t easy to deal with.¡¯<div>


    Zhu Shu chuckled and said, ¡°When I went to get some bedding earlier, I had a bit of a chat with them. They seemed like very easygoing people, don¡¯t you think so Li Li?¡±


    Li Li hesitated for a moment.


    During that earlier chat, only Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin were there, one a fan of Zhu Shu, the other a harmless child, both seemed nice. But that limping man, who had remained silent in the tent, and that tall man and the old man, none of them he had interacted with¡­


    Smiling coldly, Su Man said, ¡°Why are you stopping her? She¡¯s a big star, she has fans to worry about her, why would you guys need to?¡±


    Li Li frowned, although he also felt it was inappropriate to go, Su Man¡¯s words were a bit too harsh.


    She was always targeting Zhu Shu.


    Just as Li Li was about to speak up in defense of Zhu Shu, Zhu Shu sat down slowly, her face cloaked with an indifferent smile, ¡°If everyone thinks that it¡¯s not appropriate, then I won¡¯t go.¡±


    ¡°Who are you acting pitiful for? You make it sound as if we¡¯re restricting your freedom.¡± Su Man said coldly. ¡°If you want to go, go right ahead. Nobody¡¯s stopping you.¡±


    ¡°Su Man, can you stop it?¡± Li Li lost his temper immediately. ¡°Who are you talking to with that hostile tone? If you can¡¯t find the right words, keep your mouth shut! Nobody¡¯s going to mistake you for a mute!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with saying a few words to her?¡± Su Man got up abruptly. ¡°Did you talk any less about me? Is she so delicate that she can¡¯t take even a singlement? I¡¯ll tell you what, Li Li! We came all this way to find you, not to serve some spoiled princess!¡±


    ¡°Did I ask you toe?¡± Li Li retorted rudely. ¡°Did I fucking ask you toe?¡±<div>


    Her eyes suddenly reddened, ¡°If I weren¡¯t concerned about you getting into trouble, do you think I would¡­¡±


    ¡°Who needs you here?¡± Li Li interrupted her. ¡°You¡¯re not here to find me at all!


    You are here to make my life worse!¡±


    ¡°Gosh! You two are arguing again!¡± The quarrel gave Lun Ang a headache as he muttered, ¡°Could you please stop arguing? What¡¯s there to fight about?¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    So Man fumed, ¡°You think I want to argue? However, some people are always instigating!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Li Li yelled in irritation, ¡°Stop beating around the bush, Zhu Shu hasn¡¯t said one bad word about you! You have no right to throw mud at her!¡±


    ¡°Does she need to say anything? With just one look and a fewints, you will be running around her like a dog!¡± ¡°Su Man! Say one more word and see what happens!¡±


    Suddenly, Yan Qingwen stood up.


    His unexpected movement caused the arguing duo to simultaneously stop dead in their tracks and look at him.


    ¡°I suggest you both go back in the tent and cool down.¡± Yan Qingwen said ndly, ¡°People opposite us are waiting for a show. If you don¡¯t mind, you can continue.¡±


    Caught in a trance, Li Li and Su Man instinctively turned towards the direction of the bonfire in the distance. Perhaps because their argument had been too loud, everyone there was now looking at them¡ª<div>


    They were holding their bowls, sipping their soup, and eagerly watching them as though it was a fascinating show.


    Su Man bit her lip, then, flushed with anger, she stood up and went back to her tent, yanking the curtain down forcefully!


    Simrly surprised, Li Li sat back down, facing away from the others, his face grim.


    Zhu Shu waspletely at ease as she waved back at the onlookers, seemingly not embarrassed at all.


    Tan Xiao enthusiastically waved back in response.


    ¡°Who are they over there?¡± Shen MO asked.


    ¡°A female movie star, a rich kid, as for the other three¡­ don¡¯t know.¡± Bai Youwei said leisurely..

 Chapter 213: 213: The Transformation of the Rabbit

    Chapter 213: 213: The Transformation of the Rabbit<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Chang Weicai said: ¡°The young man with sses looks like he¡¯s dating that woman who is a star. They seem pretty close.¡±


    The distance between the two groups was not very far, and the night was exceptionally quiet. The sounds of the argument carried clearly over.<div>


    Bai Youwei shook her head gently, ¡°No, they aren¡¯t boyfriend and girlfriend.


    Look at their tents.¡±


    Bai Youwei and Shen MO had two tents on their side.


    On the other side, there were five tents.


    ¡°Five tents, one for each person. The woman, dressed as she was, didn¡¯t seem particrly conservative. The fact they aren¡¯t sharing a tent shows that she and the man with sses aren¡¯t intimate enough to sleep together. Also, out of the five tents, four are camouge and one is orange. It looks like she joined them midway through,¡± said Bai Youwei.


    Shen MO also took a nce, nonchntly saying: ¡°The four camouge tents are professional-grade outdoor camping tents, rainproof and windproof. They are very well made. The orange one, though, is just a standard outdoor tent used for family outings.¡±


    ¡°So when these folks set out, they didn¡¯t include the woman in their ns, nor did they prepare a tent for her,¡± Bai Youwei mused. ¡°Ideally, two women should be able to squeeze into one tent, but the only woman in the group seems to be on bad terms with the new arrival. So they had to pick up an extra tent kit from a supermarket or an outdoor supplies store when they were gathering stuff.¡±


    Teacher Chang shook his head in bewilderment, expressing hisck of understanding, ¡°Youngsters these days¡­it¡¯s such a time, what is there to argue about? Since they ended up together, they should be supporting each other and helping each other¡­¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Bai Youweiughed. Supporting and helping one another is a matter of fate after all.


    She put down her soup bowl, ¡°I¡¯m full. I¡¯ll go back to the tent to rest.¡±


    Shen MO took the soup bowl and spoon and stood up to clean them, only to be stopped by Teacher Chang.<div>


    ¡°You¡¯re on night watchter. You should go rest. I¡¯ll clean up, I¡¯ll do it, I¡¯ll do it¡¯


    After Teacher Chang sent Shen MO away, Tan Xiao also came to help. But Teacher Changined: ¡°Don¡¯t touch, don¡¯t touch. The dishes you washedst time still had leafy bits on them. You didn¡¯t wash them clean at all. Why don¡¯t you take Xiaoxin to y? I¡¯ll tidy up here¡­¡±


    Tan Xiao stroked his chin, looking at Pan Xiaoxin on his side, ¡°Xiaoxin, would you like to y a game with Brother Tan? ¡­a treasure hunt?¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin asked with a nk face, ¡°What treasure hunt?¡±


    Tan Xiao gestured towards the hotel entrance, ¡°We¡¯ve only been to the second floor earlier. There are still several floors above.¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin considered it and nodded earnestly, ¡°Yeah, the convenience foods and bottled waters in the hotel rooms could be useful to hoard.¡±


    ¡°And cigarettes. There are cigarettes in there too¡¯ Tan Xiao inhaled deeply and sighed, ¡°I¡¯ve been ¡®starving¡¯ for several days already!¡±


    The five of them went their separate ways.


    Chang Weicai cleaned up the pots and bowls;


    Tan Xiao took the kid to the hotel;


    Shen MO and Bai Youwei rested in their tents.<div>


    The tent was serene and quiet.


    Shen MO was on thest shift, from three to six in the morning, so hey down early. But it was still early, and he didn¡¯t feel sleepy yet. Bai Youwei sat next to him, gently petting the plush bunny.


    Neither of them spoke.


    After lying down for a while, Shen MO asked, ¡°Did the bunny level up when we got out of the maze this time?¡±


    Bai Youwei looked at him, ¡°It did.¡±


    Shen MO propped up his arm to look at her, waiting for her to continue.


    However, Bai Youwei had an uninterested look on her face, ¡°But, it¡¯s different from what I imagined a level up would be like.¡±


    A corner of Shen MO¡¯s mouth curled up in amusement, ¡°What did you imagine leveling up would be like?¡±


    ¡°At least it could release more electric energy, right?¡± Bai Youwei frowned, holding up the plush bunny in front of him, ¡°But its power has not recovered at all, and the only change is that it can understand simplemands..¡±

 Chapter 214: 214: No More Talking

    Chapter 214: 214: No More Talking<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Bai Youwei said, ¡°Stand up.¡± The fluffy rabbit stood up.


    Bai Youwei said, ¡°Sit down.¡±<div>


    The rabbit sat down.


    Bai Youwei then said, ¡°Take three steps forward.¡±


    The rabbit stood up again and obediently took three steps forward


    One, two, three¡­ it came right next to Shen MO¡¯s hand.


    Shen MO picked it up, wanting to take a closer look.


    The fluffy rabbit seemed to resist being touched and struggled in his hands.


    Having been shocked by electricity before, Shen MO only knitted his brows and then let it down.


    It scampered back into Bai Youwei¡¯s embrace!


    Shen MO couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°Just like a little puppy.¡±


    While stroking the rabbit¡¯s fluffy long ears, Bai Youwei said, seemingly upset, ¡°I wasn¡¯t wrong, was I? The upgrade was of no use¡­.at most, it¡¯s an additional toy that understands voicemands.¡±


    Shen MO replied with a faint smile, ¡°Remember what you said? It¡¯s harder to develop brains than muscles. It seems the maze is helping it grow smarter. It will get more and more intelligent overtime.¡±<div>


    ¡°Are we stuck with just one-tenth of the power forever?¡± Bai Youwei stroked the rabbit¡¯s ears, looking rather disappointed.


    Shen MO said, ¡°In terms of power, as long as it can inflict damage, there¡¯s not a big difference between one and ten. However, if it¡¯s smart enough, it mighte in handy.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s mood lifted, ¡°Even if it can¡¯t turn people into charred corpses like the Inspector, if it can electrocute them to death, the result is the same, right?¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡°¡­If you want to put it that way, yes.¡±


    Bai Youweiughed and briskly poked the fluffy rabbit¡¯s head, ¡°Hey, go fetch me a ss of water.¡±


    The rabbit just huddled up on her without moving.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°Is themand tooplicated?¡± Bai Youwei pondered, ¡°Then go fetch my


    thermos instead.¡±


    Still, the rabbit didn¡¯t move.


    ¡°It probably doesn¡¯t know where the thermos is.¡± Shen MO got up, pulled out the thermos from his backpack and ced it nearby, ¡°Try again.¡±


    Bai Youwei said, ¡°Go fetch my thermos.¡±<div>


    The rabbit twitched its ears, silently climbed off Bai Youwei¡¯sp, walked step by step towards the thermos, and embraced it energetically!


    It dragged the thermos backwards, fell over, got up, shouldered the thermos again, and continued moving with difficulty!


    Bai Youwei seemed to want to push the rabbit¡¯s limits, so she ordered, ¡°Unscrew the cap for me.¡± Fluffy Rabbit: ¡®


    It dumfoundedly held the cap.


    Shen MO took the thermos from its paws, unscrewed the cap, poured a ss of water and handed it to her, ¡°It doesn¡¯t have fingers. How can you expect it to unscrew the cap for you?¡±


    ¡°I was just testing it out.¡± Bai Youwei took a sip of water and sighed, ¡°I feel that this tool has limited use at the moment¡­ It¡¯s powerful when it releases electricity, but it runs out of charge quickly, and we can¡¯t find a ce to recharge it.¡±


    She passed the cup back to Shen MO, ¡°We can only wait until the next time we enter the maze.¡±


    Next time they enter the maze¡­


    Shen MO pondered for a while, speaking softly, ¡°The maze carries a lot of risks. Next time¡­ we should wait until we collect some self-defence tools, then we can go to the maze.¡±


    Bai Youwei was silent for a moment before nodding, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Although they got out of the maze quickly this time¡­ Of course, if it were not for the man¡¯s misleading them at the beginning, Bai Youwei thought they could have exited the maze even sooner.<div>


    However, as Shen MO said, the maze carries a lot of risks.


    Without any rules or clues, along with all sorts of disgusting monsters, if not for Shen MO¡¯s skills, they might not have gotten out that quickly.


    Just the python alone was difficult enough to deal with.


    In the game, a failure could be redeemed with a puzzle. But in the maze, a failure was the end of everything.


    Bai Youwei asked Shen MO with aplicated expression, ¡°Where do you think the people who got trapped in the maze ended up?¡±


    Several momentster, Shen MO lightened the mood by gently touching her head, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not talk about such disgusting things right after we¡¯ve eaten.¡±


    Bai Youwei closed her eyes, ¡°¡­okay..¡±

 Chapter 215: 215: Two Channels

    Chapter 215: 215: Two Channels<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    At night, Tan Xiao, Pan Xiaoxin, and Mr. Cheng were ying poker on the mattress.


    Pan Xiaoxin didn¡¯t know how to y at first, butter she and Mr. Cheng took turns winning.<div>


    Tan Xiao lost every game.


    Bai Youwei, listening to the sounds of shuffling cards, Tan Xiao¡¯sints, the crackling of the campfire¡­ slowly fell asleep.


    Watching her serene, worry-free sleeping face, Shen MO also closed his eyes.


    The night passed uneventfully.


    The next day, Mr. Cheng started to prepare breakfast in a busy fashion.


    He opened up two bags of milk and cooked a pot of milk porridge.


    Fearing that porridge alone might not be enough for Tan Xiao and Shen MO, he also mixed some flour into a thin batter, added salt and MSG, then cracked two eggs. He added a little oil to the t pan, poured on the batter, rotated the handle, and slowly made thin egg pancakes.


    You could eat them directly, dip them in sauce, or even roll them up with green onions or shredded cucumber.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    As he was cooking breakfast, Mr. Cheng was muttering, ¡°The milk is going to expire in a few days. But it doesn¡¯t matter if it expires, don¡¯t throw it away. It¡¯s best for steaming buns, it makes them fragrant and fluffy¡­¡±


    These were all experiences he had umted over the decades.


    Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin were brushing their teeth by the roadside with their hair tousled.<div>


    Shen MO apanied Bai Youwei in the hotel for her usual wash up.


    The five-man camp on the other side seemed to be influenced by them, so they decided not to hastily settle for anything, they decided to cook to have a proper breakfast.


    They had abundant ingredients, but their skills werecking.


    Lun Ang wanted to cook porridge but instead cooked rice, and it ended up half burnt.


    Finally, Zhu Shu took over, scooped out the unburnt rice and put it aside, then cooked two potatoes, mashed them, added salt and pepper for seasoning, then added cut-up hot dogs and mixed it with the rice to make dumplings, and fried them in a t pan.


    Fry it, press it, turn it over, and you have a fragrant rice crust.


    Golden yellow, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, with a salty and fragrant taste.


    Li Li tasted it and praised it heavily, ¡°Zhu Shu! I didn¡¯t expect you to be able to cook!¡±


    Yan Qingwen took a few bites and was slightly surprised, she looked at Zhu Shu and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t a star¡¯s schedules packed? Do you have time to cook?¡±


    Zhu Shu smiled, ¡°I wasn¡¯t famous from the start. When I was starting out, I used to cook for myself.¡±


    Su Man ate in silence.<div>


    She didn¡¯tin this time as she ate, probably because she didn¡¯t want to pick a fight.


    After a while, Yan Qingwen stood up and called for Lun Ang to discuss matters over at Shen MO¡¯s side.


    They will soon move the congested vehicles. To avoid triggering the game, only two people could do this task, hence they needed to inform Shen MO¡¯s side to prevent the two teams from running into each other and inexplicably getting involved in the game.


    Zhu Shu brushed off the crumbs from her clothes, stood up too, and said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you. I¡¯m used to having a cup of ck tea every morning, and there should be teabags in the hotel.¡±


    Su Man gave her a cold look, ready to use her of being pretentious.


    But when the words were on the tip of her tongue, seeing Li Li staring at her, she pursed her lips and held back.


    She didn¡¯t want to spoil everyone¡¯s mood early in the morning.


    Yan Qingwen led her teammates to the entrance of the hotel.


    There was leftover milk porridge in the pot, scattered poker cards scattered on the mattress, Tan Xiao carried Pan Xiaoxin up the tree to pick loquats, Bai Youwei was directing under the tree, and Mr. Cheng was watering the green onions and coriander in the flower pots.


    Even though they were prepared, when they saw this scene, Yan Oingwen had to admire their positive attitude.


    It was like two channels on the television: one depicted survival at the end of the world and the other reflected a leisurely holiday.<div>


    Shen MO was inspecting the car. Seeing them arriving, he put down the hood of the car and asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    Yan Qingwen smiled faintly, slightly lifted his chin towards the congested road and said, ¡°That road is hard to navigate, so we¡¯vee to ask about your departure time, to avoid travelling at the same time..¡±

 Chapter 216: 216: No One Can Leave

    Chapter 216: 216: No One Can Leave<div>


    Trantor: 549690339


    Shen Mo nced at hispanions and replied, ¡°There is no set time. We might take Hart Road. Certainly not going to bump into you.¡±


    ¡°Hart Road?¡± Yan Qingwen raised an eyebrow, ¡°Looks like you guys are heading south. What¡¯s your destination? Jiaxing? Or Shanghai?¡±<div>


    Shen Mo slightly furrowed his brows, his eyes alert.


    ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand.¡± Yan Qingwen immediately raised his hands in a non-hostile gesture, ¡°Our destination is Shanghai. If we happen to share the same route, even if we¡¯re not together this time, I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll need to coordinateter to avoid triggering the game due to arge number of people. I believe you guys wouldn¡¯t want to be dragged into the puppet game for no reason, right?¡±


    After hearing his exnation, Shen Mo somewhat rxed, he replied indifferently, ¡°We¡¯re going to Jiaxing, which isn¡¯t far from Shanghai. We might stop by.¡±


    ¡°Could you tell us why?¡± Yan Qingwen asked.


    Shen Mo didn¡¯t respond to his question, instead scanning their faces, ¡°What about you guys? Why are you going to Shanghai?¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°To deliver something.¡± Yan Qingwen exined sinctly, ¡°I have a researcher in my group who has the maze investigation data. It needs to be sent to Shanghai¡¯s research branch.¡±


    ¡°Research institution?¡± Shen Mo frowned yet again, ¡°SCO?¡±


    Yan Qingwen paused, ¡°You know about SCO?¡±


    Shen Mo red at him skeptically.


    Yan Qingwen inspected Shen Mo head to toe, with both surprise and affirmation in his tone, ¡°You are from the Special Situation Team? Responsible for escorting the research team to Shanghai?¡±


    Shen Mo looked at him for a long time before answering, ¡°I am from the National Security Administration. I have received orders. Since all the Special Situation Teams have gone missing, a team was assigned to secure the SCO research institute. But when I arrived at the institute, no one could be found.¡±<div>


    Yan Qingwen was taken aback. He didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry expressing his helplessness, ¡°National Security Administration¡­ no wonder, no wonder¡­¡±


    Sighing and rubbing his forehead, he shook his head, ¡°All eight Special Situation Teams are missing because thework signal suddenly failed. In fact, Professor Song has already been securely delivered to Shanghai by one of the teams. You arrived a step toote¡­¡±


    Shen Mo frowned at him, ¡°Are you a member of the Special Situation Team?¡±


    ¡°No, I am¡­¡±


    Just as Yan Qingwen was about to exin, Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin suddenly jumped down from the tree!


    ¡°Mo Brother! Those guys are chasing!¡±


    Those guys?


    Yan Qingwen looked puzzled as he heard the sound of carsing from the distance. Not just one, and they were driving fast, making a lot of noise.


    He and Shen Mo walked to the middle of the road, discovering that the cars seemed kind of familiar.


    Upon closer inspection, Yan Qingwen finally recognized them as the group he had traded with before.


    The leader was called Fei Ge.<div>


    ¡°They are the local gang leaders, how did you get tangled up with them?¡± Yan Qingwen asked in surprise.


    Shen Mo watched as they approached, and said casually, ¡°We robbed them.¡±


    Yan Qingwen: ¡°¡­¡±


    Lun Ang and Zhu Shu looked equally stunned: ¡°¡­¡±


    One by one, cars pulled up and stopped in front of them, disgorging a big group of about twenty or so people. Seven or eight of them had bruises all over their faces, having been taught a lesson the day before by Shen Mo and Tan Xiao.


    The leader, Fei Ge, was the worst off with a bandage around his head but his spirit was still strong, his face was sinister, full of muscle and fierce looking.


    He held a knife, pointed at Shen Mo and said, ¡°I know you¡¯re tough. You defeated ten of my men, but today I brought twenty! Can you take us all? Be wise, return what you stole yesterday, otherwise¡­¡± he sneered.


    With that, he raised his knife, pointing it straight at Shen Mo, ¡°Otherwise, none of you get to leave!¡±

 Chapter 217: 217: Lucky Q&A

    Chapter 217: 217: Lucky Q&A<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Lun Ang couldn¡¯t help but say to Yan Qingwen in a low voice, ¡°Didn¡¯t they buy guns and bullets from us? Why aren¡¯t they using them?¡±


    Yan Qingwen: ¡°Perhaps¡­they¡¯ve used up all the bullets.¡±<div>


    Those who haven¡¯t received proper training, even if they got their hands on such lethal weapons, would only shoot recklessly, with their uracy negligible at a slightly longer distance.


    However, it was none of their business, so Yan Qingwen led his people to step aside and watched how Shen Mo would handle it.


    He noticed that the expression on Shen Mo¡¯s face was nd, looking very calm. He must be confident.


    The girl in the wheelchair beside Shen Mo was even more intriguing,pletely lookingzy and indifferent.


    Interesting.


    The opposing force was sorge, yet it didn¡¯t intimidate her. Perhaps this girl had more than just that toy gun as her confidence.


    The old man seemed quite nervous. However, despite his nervousness, he was still protecting the child together with the young man who had an unusually gray-white dyed hair.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    After pondering for a while, Yan Qingwen felt a bit of subtly.


    The opponent, as a high-ranking official of the Security Department, brought along a disabled person, an old man, an alternative youngster, and a child¡­ Thisbination was really¡­


    ¡­


    Seeing Pan Xiaoxin shrinking back, Fei Ge sneered with his knife in hand:<div>


    ¡°Little bunny, where are you hiding? You¡¯re quite good at changing your loyalties with the wind! Seeing someone with a good prop, and you immediately go and suck up to them! Such a chicken thief!¡±


    He spat out, pointing at Shen Mo and the others, and cursed: ¡°You guys are a bunch of fools too! Still protecting him? Do you really think he¡¯s something good?! Yes! We are after your props, but this little bunny agreed to cooperate! Did you see the wounds on him? He did it himself! If our robbery failed, he could im that he was under duress because of his injuries! To avoid bearing your wrath! How about that? Is it cunning enough? ying both sides! Lying without even blinking an eye! Pan Xiaoxin, you¡¯re good! When I finish with these people, I¡¯ll deal with you!!!¡±


    ¡°Bro Yan!¡±


    A shout came from Li Li behind them.


    Yan Qingwen looked over with Lun Ang and Zhu Shu, seeing Li Li and Su Man running over, probably because they saw a lot of peopleing over and feared something bad might happen.


    Yan Qingwen shook his head at him, was about to tell him not to worry when a familiar sound suddenly rang in his ears¡ª


    ¡°Ding! Wee to the Doll Game! The theme of this game is ¡®Lucky Q&A¡¯, and the rules are as follows:


    First, refusing the game turns you into a doll!


    Second, failing the game turns you into a doll!


    Third, sessfullypleting the game rewards you with a doll!¡±


    The color drained from Yan Qingwen¡¯s face, and before he had a chance to say anything, a sh of white light appeared before his eyes!<div>


    The next second, he was sitting on a giant roulette wheel!


    Everyone else was there too!


    The game came so suddenly that everyone was too shocked to react. Everyone stared nkly at the scene, and it took two or three seconds before they panicked¨C


    ¡°It¡¯s the Doll Game!¡± Someone screamed!


    ¡°Why did the game trigger? Fei Ge! What¡¯s happening?!¡±


    ¡°Why?! There are no dolls nearby, there shouldn¡¯t have been a game!¡±


    Fei Ge was also frantic, yelling, ¡°Shit! How do I know?! It¡¯s all because of this lot!¡±


    ¡°What does it have to do with us?! We didn¡¯t invite you!¡± Tan Xiao refused to take the me, and cursed while sitting in his chair, ¡°You people are the real problem! A bunch of jinxes, getting us into the game!¡±


    Fei Ge was furious, got up to teach Tan Xiao a lesson, but found he couldn¡¯t stand up!


    ¡°Save your energy~¡± Bai Youweizily said, ¡°Each of us have our ankles, waists, and necks locked by metal rings, if you really want to hit him, I suggest firstly twisting your left hand with your right hand, then smacking him with your left hand. That should hit him~¡±


    <div>

 Chapter 218: 218: The Fourth Inspector

    Chapter 218: 218: The Fourth Inspector<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Everyone went quiet, then looked at Bai Youwei withplex expressions.


    Noticing their scrutiny, Bai Youwei slightly hooked her lips, letting out a small smile.<div>


    Laughing at a time like this? She must be crazy!


    Bai Youwei remained calm, idly petting her rabbit, seemingly indifferent to others¡¯ gazes.


    Yan Qingwen was two seats away from her. He nced at Bai Youwei and Shen Mo¡¯s side and realized that all five of them were there, while on his side, Lun Ang, Zhu Shu, and Li Li were present, but Su Man was missing.


    It didn¡¯t take long for him to realize that they had always been within the Doll Game¡¯s area. The reason why they had been safe was that the number of people never met the game¡¯s criteria.


    But when Fei Ge brought hisrge group over, they identally fulfilled this criteria.


    The total number of people present¡­ was 36.


    He counted again.


    That¡¯s right ¡ª it seemed that the game wouldn¡¯t be triggered unless there were 36 yers.


    36 people sat on a giant roulette wheel, the wheel was bright red and the seats were metallic. They were restrained by some special device, which only allowed their hands to move freely.


    In the center of the wheel, there was a thin, long, ck pointer, which was currently motionless, pointing to the midpoint between number 1 and number 36.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Li Li sat at number 36. He was thest person to enter the game area.<div>


    From this deduction, Su Man should be in the world outside of the game, safe for now.


    As Yan Qingwen contemted, the roulette wheel began to subtly transform ¡ª


    Above the ck pointer, rectangr question boards materialized, one after another. The boards were semi-transparent, like pieces of ss, engraved with words such as: Poetry, Literature, Mathematics, Language, Art, Music¡­


    All the boards lined up neatly inyers, forming a long circle, rotating slowly before their eyes, like Tibetan prayer wheels.


    Bai Youwei whispered to Shen Mo beside her, ¡°This must be the Lucky Quiz that Tu Dan mentioned, right?¡±


    Tu Dan and his students had encountered two games, one was the Lucky Quiz and the other was Mushroom Picking.


    ¡°They came across the Lucky Quiz at their school,¡± said Shen Mo, examining the question boards, ¡°It looks like the Doll Game really can move.¡±


    ¡°I wonder what kind of tool they¡¯re going to reward us with~¡± Bai Youwei seemed a little excited, ¡°It must be more useful than a mushroom, which is why Chen Hui was reluctant to give it to me.¡±


    Shen Mo gave her a funny look, ¡°It¡¯s the thought that counts. Chen Hui gave you the mushroom as a token of affection.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯tin.¡± Bai Youweiughed, ¡°Anyway, if it were up to me, I¡¯d definitely keep the good stuff for myself.¡±


    No sooner had she finished speaking, a grey figure appeared above the pointer.<div>


    ¡°Wee, everyone. I am the Inspector for this game.¡±


    An old, hoarse voice, reminiscent of an elderly person.


    Through the semi-transparent boards, the crowd saw an old man in a grey robe sitting in the center of the pointer.


    Although they referred to it as an old man, nobody was certain, for its face was unseen. It wore a white faceless mask with its body wrapped in a wide grey cloak, even its exposed fingers were bandaged as if it was a mummy.


    This was the fourth Inspector Bai Youwei had seen.


    She had a feeling that each Inspector represented something, like the first embodied rationale, the second¡ªchildlike innocence, the third¡ªextravagance, and the fourth¡­ antiquity? Conservatism?


    She couldn¡¯t quite put her finger on it.


    The room fell silent, only the old man¡¯s slow and hoarse voice echoed as he exined the rules:


    ¡°The Lucky Quiz consists of two rounds. The first round is the Buzz-in, with a total of 36 questions. Each correct answer scores 1 point, with up to 3 points in total.


    The second round is the Must Answer, with a total of 36 questions. Each correct answer scores 1 point, each incorrect answer deducts 1 point. Once a yer¡¯s score reaches zero, they are eliminated.


    The game will be over after two rounds.¡±<div>

 Chapter 219: 219: Is there a complaint channel?

    Chapter 219: 219: Is there aint channel?<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    The rules sound simple.


    First round is a rapid-fire, and the second round is apulsory answering round.<div>


    Bai Youwei spected that the first round of rapid-fire is to umte points quickly in order to maintain an upper hand in the second round. Otherwise, during the forced answer round, if you didn¡¯t know the first question, you might be eliminated even if you are a stronger yer.


    So, even though this game is called ¡°Lucky Questions¡±, it not only focuses on ¡°luck,¡± but also strives to ensure bnce.


    After the elderly man in the grey robe finished exining the rules, he asked, ¡°Does anyone have any doubts about the rules?¡±


    There was silence among the 36 people present. No one said a word.


    It¡¯s not that they didn¡¯t have any doubts. On the contrary, they had too many! They wanted to know how to leave the game, what exactly the puppet game was, how to survive!


    However, these questions had nothing to do with the rules at all!


    What¡¯s the use of asking about the rules?


    They are just tools and excuses for them to kill!


    They all looked at the Inspector at the center of the field, their eyes full of fear and hate, gritting their teeth, and trembling in fear.


    The grey-robed old man remained seated, hunched back, like a strange old man meditating on the Five Elders Peak.


    He began, ¡°If there are no questions from anyone¡­¡±<div>


    ¡°I have a question,¡± a man interrupted.


    Bai Youwei looked curiously, and found that the one who spoke was Yan Qingwen.


    The grey-robed old man slightly looked up, and under his big cloak hat, half a white mask appeared. The mask had no facial features, only slightly undting facial contours. It was eerily strange.


    Yan Qingwen asked, ¡°What type of questions will be asked? Multiple choice or fill in the nk? Are there standard answers? If the answer is jujube and I answer big jujube, would the system rule it wrong because the first character is different? If multiple yers answer at the same time during the rapid-fire round, whose answer will be valid? Do we get points for answering correctly, and is there a penalty for wrong answers?¡±


    A stream of questions was decisive, revealing the meticulous thought process of the interrogator.


    The grey-robed old man chuckled softly, his voice extremely hoarse, sounding like a worn-out wooden door creaking in the wind.


    He replied unhurriedly, ¡°During the rapid-fire round, questions are open-ended, while during thepulsory round, questions are multiple-choice.


    Every question has a standard answer. The system will intelligently determine it. For example, if the answer is jujube, whether you answer big jujube, small jujube, red jujube, green jujube, jujube fruit¡­will all be considered correct.


    No multiple yers will answer at the same time in the rapid-fire round, because the timing will be urate to 0.00001 seconds, unless your answering speed surpasses the speed of light.


    Finally, there will be no penalties for wrong answers in the rapid-fire round.¡±


    Yan Qingwen nodded in understanding and looked around, ¡°I no longer have any questions. Do any of you have questions?¡±<div>


    Bai Youwei and Shen Mo caught his gaze and vaguely understood his intentions.


    Seeking further understanding of the game through questioning was secondary. The primary aim was to dy the answering process and allow everyone present to adjust their mental state.


    Regardless of the others, Yan Qingwen probably wouldn¡¯t care, but he was trying to buy time for Lun Ang, Li Li, Zhu Shu, and a few others.


    ¡°Do you have any questions?¡± Shen Mo asked Bai Youwei.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Uh¡­ let me think.¡± Bai Youwei pondered carefully.


    The Inspector asked again, ¡°Does anyone else have questions about the rules?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me ~¡± Bai Youwei raised her hand, ¡°The game is executed by the system, and the Inspector presides over it. So, if the Inspector fails to act during the game, is there aint channel?¡±


    Yan Qingwen: ¡°¡­¡±


    Everyone except Shen Mo: ¡°¡­¡±


    The grey-robed old man was silent for a few seconds before he answered in a dull tone, ¡°The Inspector will rigorously preside over the game ording to requirements, will definitely not be partial or cheat, and no situation of nonfeasance will ur.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Bai Youwei innocently asked, ¡°But I¡¯ve met an Inspector who only exined half of the game rules, and kept the other half hidden. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re intentionally causing trouble or if you¡¯re defective? Prone to malfunctions?¡±<div>

 Chapter 220: 220: Hurricane

    Chapter 220: 220: Hurricane<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Faulty product?


    Malfunction?<div>


    Under the cloak, that pale, faceless mask slowly lifts, staring straight at Bai Youwei¡¯s position.


    The air seemed to suddenly drop by more than a dozen degrees, bing extraordinarily cold.


    Bai Youwei didn¡¯t care, and said again, ¡°I¡¯m not purposely stirring up trouble, ask Tan Xiao, and Teacher Chang, didn¡¯t the ball we encounteredst time intentionally avoid exining the rules clearly? And they switched the frog with a tadpole halfway, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes indeed!¡± Tan Xiao immediately sided with her, ¡°They said you had to find the ball within 20 seconds! But it wasn¡¯t 20 seconds at all! They said the frog wasing, but they thought it was too trivial, so they brought out a bunch of tadpoles! They¡¯re clearly messing with us!¡±


    Chang Weicai sighed heavily, ¡°Such disregard for the game rules. It¡¯s truly a vition of fairness.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying!¡± Bai Youwei nodded vigorously, ¡°What if all the questions they ask are about things we don¡¯t know? Asking us about theory of rtivity, quantum physics, the mysteries of the universe, we¡¯re basically waiting for death!¡±


    As she spoke, everyone else started to panic.


    ¡°Would they really ask such hard questions?!¡±


    ¡°Damn! I didn¡¯t even graduate from primary school! It¡¯d be better to just kill me now than to ask me such questions!¡±


    ¡°This game talks about fairness, but they¡¯re intentionally torturing us!¡±


    ¡°This is fucking sick! If they want to kill, then just do it! Who is that grandstanding for?¡±<div>


    ¡°They¡¯re making excuses for the killing¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to answer questions! Let me out! I want to leave! ¡­¡±


    Bang!


    A hurricane suddenly struck and everyone was immediately pinned to their seats!


    The gale roared across their faces, making their flesh tighten! Unable to even speak! Even the breath was stifled!


    After about ten seconds, the winds calmed and people finally caught their breath.


    The Inspector said in a t tone, ¡°All questions will be constructed from the knowledge banks of the 36 yers present, and will never exceed your understanding! And I will exin all the rules to you one by one!¡±


    His voice was low, but resonant and powerful, each word pronounced very clearly, with force!


    Under the grey robe, it was tumultuous, with the corners of the robe pping noisily, just like the Inspector¡¯s angry mood at this moment.


    He asked huskily, ¡°The answer phase is about to start, everyone, are you ready?¡±


    There was no reply.<div>


    The Inspector seemed very satisfied with this, sitting on the pivot point of the pointer he read out the first question¡ª¡ª


    ¡°The 1st question, what causes the seasonal changes on Earth?¡±


    As the question was read out, Bai Youwei noticed a square LCD screen appeared in front of her. The top of the screen showed the number 4. To the right of the screen was a red button, presumably the buzzer.


    She certainly knew the answer, but she didn¡¯t move.


    Bai Youwei looked around and found that everyone at the scene was motionless, their eyes filled with caution and inquiry, not answering rashly.


    This was true even for Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen.


    Even though this question was very, very simple.


    With no one answering, the old man in the gray robe did not rush, sitting quietly, motionless.


    After a few seconds, there was a ¡°drip¡± sound on the field¡ª¡ª


    Inspector: ¡°yer No.1, please answer.¡±


    Bai Youwei turned her head to look.<div>


    yer No.1, was Pan Xiaoxin.


    They had all stood together, so their seats were also lined up from No.1 to No.8 in this order: Pan Xiaoxin, Teacher Chang, Tan Xiao, Bai Youwei, Shen Mo, Lun Ang, Yan Qingwen, Zhu Shu.


    No.36 was Li Li.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Other than that, all the seats were upied by Feige¡¯s people.


    Pan Xiaoxin answered nervously, ¡°The changes in Earth¡¯s seasons are caused by¡­ Earth¡¯s revolution.¡±


    ¡°Correct answer, one point added.¡± the Inspector said.


    An instant love heart immediately materialized in front of Pan Xiaoxin, right where his heart was. It was a pale pink color, looking like a small light hanging in the air.

 Chapter 221: 221: Grab the Answer, Grab the Answer, Grab the Answer

    Chapter 221: 221: Grab the Answer, Grab the Answer, Grab the Answer<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Bai Youwei can¡¯t help but think of a game, The Legend of Zelda, where each time a character gains an extra life, a heart appears for them too.


    This really is a game, huh¡­<div>


    Inspector: ¡°Question 2¡­¡±


    Everyone¡¯s nerves tense in an instant!


    Some people¡¯s hands are already poised over the buzzer, ready to press it at any moment!


    If the first question was a probe, then the second question undoubtedly marks the beginning of thepetition!


    Each heart represents a life!


    Inspector: ¡°What is the organ with the highest percentage of water content in the human body?¡±


    What?


    Everyone is taken aback.


    Bai Youwei quickly hits the buzzer!


    ¡ª Beep!


    ¡°yer No. 36, please answer.¡±<div>


    Bai Youwei frowned, looked up and saw Li Li waving at her from across the room.


    She didn¡¯t manage to buzz in time.


    Li Li waved andughed. ¡°Sorry, Yan bro~¡±


    Yan Qingwen gives a faint smile, without a word.


    Even if she is an ally, there¡¯s no room to give way at this point.


    Li Li answers: ¡°The eyeball.¡±


    ¡°Correct answer, umting 1 point.¡± dered the Inspector.


    A luminous pink heart appears in front of Li Li, it¡¯s very eye-catching and beautiful.


    Grumbles rise and fall around the room.


    ¡°Damn! It¡¯s the eyeball¡­¡±


    ¡°The question is so hard¡­¡±<div>


    ¡°What¡¯s so hard? The first question was about Earth¡¯s rotation, even elementary school students know that!¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re so smart why don¡¯t you buzz in the next question?!¡±


    ¡°Everyone, shut up! How can we answer the questions if we can¡¯t hear them?!¡±


    The crowd is in chaos.


    The Inspector remains indifferent, sitting calmly where he is, reading out the third question:


    ¡°Question 3, how many pieces are there in a game of Go?¡±


    ¡ª Beep!


    Inspector: ¡°yer No. 4, please answer.¡±


    Bai Youwei lets out a breath. It was really not easy, she finally managed to buzz a question.


    ¡°361 pieces.¡± She answers.


    ¡°Correct answer, umting 1 point.¡± replied the Inspector.<div>


    A small heart appears on Bai Youwei¡¯s chest.


    She extends her hand to touch it, her fingers slip through the luminescent figure without touching anything, it feels quite strange.


    The Inspector continues, ¡°Question 4, do fish have hearts? ¡±


    ¡ª Beep!


    ¡°yer No. 8, please answer.¡±


    ¡°Yes, they do.¡±


    ¡°Correct answer, umting 1 point.¡±


    ¡°Question 5, in what season does a mirage usually ur?¡±


    ¡ª Beep!


    ¡°yer No. 1, please answer.¡±


    ¡°Summer.¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Correct answer, umting 1 point.¡±


    The Inspector continues to ask questions, and people continue to buzz in.


    Order gradually gives way to chaos, with dozens of people fighting to buzz in instead of just a few at first.


    Especially after someone answered a question incorrectly, people realized there was no punishment for wrong answers and just started buzzing in like crazy!


    Even if they don¡¯t know the answer, at least they can prevent the smart ones from gaining more ¡°hearts¡±!


    ¡°Question 35, what is the longest living mammal?¡±


    ¡ª Beep! Beep, Beep, Beep¡­


    The sounds of chaotic beeping are incessant!


    ¡°yer No. 21, please answer.¡±


    The yer who is selected hesitates, and stammers, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know!¡±


    Inspector: ¡°Incorrect answer, no points umted. Question 36, which river is the longest in the world?¡±


    ¡ª Beep, Beep, Beep, Beep!!!


    The sound is even more frantic and disordered!


    ¡°yer No. 10, please answer.¡±


    yer No. 10 is Brother Fei. He grabbed the buzzer haphazardly. Being called out makes him a bit anxious. Someone in the field whispers something about the Nile. He hesitates and replies, ¡°The¡­ Nile River?¡±


    Inspector: ¡°Correct answer, umting 1 point.¡±


    He actually guessed right!


    A look of joy spreads across Brother Fei¡¯s face.


    At this point, all 36 questions have been answered.


    The grey-robed old man stands up, his long robe drags on the ground. His figure is both tall and withered, giving off an indescribable sense of strangeness.


    He says, ¡°The points have been umted, next is the second round of mandatory questions. The rules are different. I will ex-in the de-tails for you all!¡±


    He speaks thest sentence especially slowly and emphatically.

 Chapter 222: 222: The Second Round of Compulsory Questions

    Chapter 222: 222: The Second Round of Compulsory Questions<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    ¡°The second round consists of 36pulsory questions.


    The question type is multiple-choice, with four options to choose from.<div>


    All members are required to participate in answering. A yer will be randomly drawn by the pointer. The yer can choose a type of question from the question bank that they are good at, or they can transfer the right to choose to any yer who has not been eliminated on the field.


    Each correct answer will umte 1 point, up to a maximum of 3 points;


    A wrong answer will deduct 1 point, and those with 0 points will be eliminated.¡±


    The old man in the grey robe announced the rules, paused for two seconds, and then spoke again:


    ¡°Those who reveal the answer will be eliminated directly, disregarding their score.¡±


    The audience looked at each other nervously.


    Bai Youwei scanned the crowd. Of all the people present, only a small half had umted points.


    Her team and Yan Qingwen¡¯s team had taken the lead. Due to the heavy participation in answering, even if they knew the answers, it was difficult to have the opportunity to answer.


    The highest scorers were Pan Xiaoxin and Li Li, both had umted 3 points.


    She and Yan Qingwen had 2 points.


    Shen Mo and Zhu Shu had 1 point.<div>


    Those who remained, Tan Xiao, Chang Weicai, and Lun Ang, all had 0 points.


    Over on Brother Fei¡¯s side, about ten people also had 0 points.


    These people would be the most at risk, as for the uingpulsory questions, if they were unable to answer, they had no points to deduct, and would be eliminated directly.


    Bai Youwei frowned slightly.


    Lun Ang was on Yan Qingwen¡¯s side, she didn¡¯t care about him. Chang Weicai was a teacher, so he should be able to answerpulsory questions. She was more worried about Tan Xiao.


    But¡­ Tan Xiao still had one puzzle piece that could be used to save himself at a critical time.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Bai Youwei asked the Inspector, ¡°The rules stipte that yers must not reveal the answers. So, can we have a conversation?¡±


    ¡°You can.¡± The old man in the grey robe answered hoarsely, ¡°You are free to talk, but¡­ if the content of the conversation is determined by the system to be a hint or suggestion of the answer, you will also be eliminated.¡±


    Thinking for a moment, Bai Youwei asked again, ¡°What if I intentionally mislead others in the conversation?¡±


    No sooner had the words left her mouth than someone incredulously eximed, ¡°Damn, that¡¯s mean!¡±


    Almost everyone stared at her angrily.<div>


    Bai Youwei remained nonchnt, silently watching the Inspector.


    The old man in the gray robe was silent for a moment, then responded, ¡°Regardless of whether the answer is correct or not, it will all be considered by the system as a hint or suggestion.¡±


    So whether the answer was true or false, as long as it was rted to the answer, it couldn¡¯t be mentioned.


    ¡°OK~ I got it.¡± Bai Youwei said casually, ¡°We can start now.¡±


    The grey-robed old man said, ¡°Does anyone else have questions?¡±


    Everyone looked at each other with dissatisfaction, but no one spoke.


    No matter what was said at this point, it wouldn¡¯t help. Even if they felt resentful, they could only submit!


    Submit to the rules!


    Submit the game!


    Be a good puppet!


    Submit!<div>


    The Inspector, high above, dered, ¡°Then, the second round ofpulsory questions, now, begins¡ª¡ª¡±


    The ck pointer slowly began to spin, then sped up.


    Faster.


    Even faster.


    elerating incessantly¡­


    The Inspector stood at the pivot point, with the pointer spinning under his feet. His long robe was as if unaffected,ying quiet and still, like a stationary ghost.


    The only sound heard throughout the field was the hissing of the stirring air.


    Then the pointer began to slow down, reaching a peak of oppressive quietness!


    The pointer passed Bai Youwei, number 5, 6, 7¡­ 11, 12, 13¡­


    Getting slower and slower.


    16¡­


    17¡­


    The few people behind were wide-eyed, their pupils almost bloodshot!


    The ck pointer moved slowly past number 18, and finally stopped in front of number 19¡ª¡ª


    In an instant!


    All the characters on the rectangr billboard lit up!


    Dazzling red light!


    ¡°yer number 19, please choose a type of question.¡± The old man in the grey robe said in a hoarse and cold voice.

 Chapter 223: 223: The Rotating Metal Chair

    Chapter 223: 223: The Rotating Metal Chair<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    yer number 19 was a young man with medium-length hair parted at the side. His face was long and thin, and an amulet of the Goddess Guanyin hung around his neck. His tank top was soaked with sweat.


    He was the first one selected, cold sweat continuously breaking out on his forehead.<div>


    Countless question cards whirled in front of his eyes, forming a circle. The inspector stood behind the brilliantly lit question board, his grey-cloaked figure flickering in and out of sight.


    Although he should choose a category he was skilled at, but¡­


    But looking at these question cards, he could not find a single one he excelled at!


    yer number 19 looked hard.


    ¨C Poetry, literature, mathematics,nguages, art, music, drama, sports, nature, science, geography, physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, history, general knowledge, architecture, food, clothing, folklore, countries, archaeology, animals, coding, astronomy, the arcane¡­


    ¡°yer number 19, please choose a topic type,¡± the inspector reminded him again. ¡°If you take more than two minutes, the system will set a question at random.¡±


    yer number 19 gritted his teeth. With no other options left, he said in a trembling voice, ¡°I choose¡­ general knowledge.¡±


    Inspector: ¡°The firstpulsory question: what color is at the top of a rainbow?¡±


    yer number 19 was first taken aback, but his nervous look quickly faded, and he let out a soft sigh. Whether or not other people knew the answer, he was very clear about it.


    Because his favorite band was called Rainbow, and every single one of their album covers featured a rainbow!


    At this moment, a line of text appeared on the LCD screens in front of everyone:<div>


    [1. What color is at the top of a rainbow?]n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    There were four options below:


    [A. Red; B. Purple; C. Green; D. Orange.]


    The right side of the answer key changed to a 60-second countdown.


    As long as they weren¡¯t too fogged up from the pressure, everyone should know to choose option A. The colors of a rainbow, from the outside in, are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet.


    Of course, some might not be aware of thismon knowledge.


    Like Tan Xiao, Bai Youwei seriously doubted he would get it right.


    At the moment, Tan Xiao staring at his LCD screen, looking very pained.


    ¡°If you get it wrong, use a puzzle piece! Don¡¯t stupidly get eliminated! Understand?!¡± Bai Youwei shouted out, brow furrowed.


    Li Li, sitting across them, was speechless: ¡°Really now? Even for this kind of question, you¡¯d need to use a puzzle piece?¡±


    Bai Youwei looked stern: ¡°If we don¡¯t use a puzzle piece, will you save him? Can you save him? If you can save him, say the answer! If you can¡¯t, shut up!¡±<div>


    Li Li: ¡°¡­¡±


    Damn it, he would love to shout out the answer, but he didn¡¯t dare¡­


    Li Li lowered his head in annoyance, busying himself with the question, no longer caring about Tan Xiao.


    The 60-second countdown quickly ended.


    Inspector: ¡°The answer is A. Correct answers award one point, wrong answers deduct one point. yers with no points are disqualified¨C¡±


    As the ruling was announced, cries of misery, screams of terror, and shouts of despair echoed throughout the room.


    ¡°No! I don¡¯t want to y this game! Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!¡±


    ¡°Help, help! No¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Ahhh! No, no!¡±


    Eleven metal chairs slowly rotated as people, bound to them, struggled madly. They tugged at the metal bands around their waists, scratched at the metal rings around their necks. They scratched until their wounds bled, but they still couldn¡¯t break free from the chair that might as well be a torture device.


    The metal chairs finally turned aroundpletely!<div>


    Only their high backs were visible now!


    Surrounding the rotating tform was a dark fog, obscuring everything from view. Unable to see what misfortune had befallen those people, their screams grew even more horrifying, their struggles even more desperate!


    The chair shook with a squeaking noise and then slowly turned back¨C


    The people seated on the chairs had vanished¡­


    Only exceedingly blinding, mottled bloodstains were left behind.

 Chapter 224: 224: Joy, Anger, Sorrow, Happiness

    Chapter 224: 224: Joy, Anger, Sorrow, Happiness<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Complete silence fell upon everyone present.


    Eleven living beings, gone¡­<div>


    No one knew what they had encountered, nor where they had gone. They simply disappeared along with the spinning chairs.


    Li Li¡¯splexion was deathly pale, a heart in front of him had just disappeared, now only two heart icons remained.


    Bai Youwei was simply speechless towards him who had just underestimated the question, but he answered it wrong in an instant, he had really brought this humiliation upon himself.


    Tan Xiao burst intoughter at the side:¡±I guessed right, hahaha!¡±


    Tan Xiao gained a little heart icon.


    Yan Qingwen nced at everyone¡¯s point status and frowned asking, ¡°Li Li, which one did you choose?¡±


    ¡°D.¡± Li Li¡¯s answer was dejected, ¡°Rainbow, right? Orange, yellow, red, green, blue, purple.¡±


    Zhu Shu kindly told him, ¡°Li Li, it¡¯s red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet.¡±


    Li Li made a bitter face, ¡°how can it be ¡­I thought orange, yellow, red, green, cyan, blue, and purple sounded smoother¡­ ¡±


    Tan Xiao was very smug with his new heart icon, he made a heart symbol with both hands and gestured a heart-sending sign towards Zhu Shu.


    Zhu Shu can¡¯t help butugh.<div>


    ¡°Stinky brat! You think I¡¯m dead?!¡± Li Li blew up on the other side, ¡°Go home and look in the mirror before you flirt! Don¡¯t embarrass yourself in public!¡±


    ¡°Damn!¡± Tan Xiao red back, ¡°None of your business when I flirt! Are you my mother-inw?! Li mother-inw!¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Say that one more time¡±


    ¡°I said it, what ya gonna do about it? Freakin¡¯ four-eyed frog! If you¡¯re so tough,e hit me!¡±


    Li Li wasn¡¯t good at hurling insults or making threats, and his anger was making him tremble! He pointed at Tan Xiao and said: ¡°I¡¯ll see how arrogant you can be! You¡¯ll be sent to heaven on the next question!¡±


    Tan Xiao unted a jigsaw puzzle piece: ¡°You can¡¯t send me anywhere ~ yo yo, you can¡¯t do it ~¡±


    Li Li: ¡°You brainless fratboy!!!¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you guys had enough?!!¡±


    All of a sudden, an angry roar exploded from the other side. It was from Fei Ge.


    He sat in a metal chair, his face was full of anger, his eyes were bloodshot, and his neck veins were bulging!


    ¡°Dammit! Keep quiet!!! All of my brothers are dead, and you guys are still in the mood to argue here!!! Get lost! Get out of here!!!¡±<div>


    Fei Ge yelled hoarsely, his eyes welling with tears, and he covered his face and wept uncontrobly: ¡°Damn it! They¡¯re all dead! All of my brothers are dead! My brothers¡­¡±


    Everyone became silent.


    The only sound in the room was the anguish and sorrow in a strong man¡¯s cry.


    Regardless of any feud they may have had before, being strapped to this spinning wheel right now, they were in the same boat. When the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold.


    Everyone felt ufortable.


    Eleven people were dead.


    This was something even Bai Youwei did not expect.


    Because she genuinely thought the question was very, very easy!


    But who can urately predict the breadth of knowledge? Everyone has their own areas of ignorance, perhaps the next question, in the eyes of others, may seem incredibly simple, but in her view, it may be baffling.


    Bai Youwei quietly said: ¡°While you cry over your brothers¡¯ deaths, weugh at our narrow escapes, and when they had their spat, it made them angry. People¡¯s feelings of joy, anger, sadness, and happiness do not intersect after all. Even if you see a hint of sadness on our faces right now, it really has nothing much to do with your brothers¡­ those emotions, in the end, are because they associate it with themselves.¡±


    Her voice was soft and free, making it seem extraordinarily cold-blooded in this oppressive atmosphere.<div>


    It was as if her heart was made of iron and stone.


    Fei Ge looked up angrily and red fiercely at Bai Youwei, hatred oozing out of his eyes!


    He seemed to dump all his hatred onto Bai Youwei alone!


    -His hatred for the game! His hatred for the world! His hatred for himself! All hatred!


    Bai Youwei looked at him emotionless: ¡°You cried so painfully just now, was it really just for your brothers? Didn¡¯t you shed a single tear for yourself?¡±


    Fei Ge didn¡¯t answer, his eyes bing even redder.


    The Inspector said: ¡°The game, shall continue¡ª¡±

 Chapter 225: 225: Elimination Begins Again

    Chapter 225: 225: Elimination Begins Again<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    The ck pointer slowly rotated, its speed growing faster and faster.


    It was like the ck reaper knocking on the door, or a message signaling the arrival of bad luck.<div>


    While it spun, Bai Youwei took another look at the scores on the field. She, Pan Xiaoxin, and Yan Qingwen were in the lead, each with 3 points.


    Pan Xiaoxin had impressed her. For a primary school student to have umted 3 points, and maintaining an advantage, was no easy feat.


    Shen Mo and Zhu Shu had 2 points each, and Li Li, due to a wrong answer, was deducted 1 point and was also at 2 points.


    Chang Weicai, Tan Xiao, and Lun Ang all had 1 point each.


    Her heart lightened a little.


    Because this meant that everyone still had points left, and even if someone answered the second question wrong, no one¡¯s life would be immediately in danger.


    The pointer began to slow down.


    Everyone¡¯s nerves were strained!


    Who would be the lucky one chosen to have the advantage of choosing the question sign?


    The pointer slid past Li Li, his breaths short and rapid, his eyespletely focused on the sharp tip of the pointer! But as the pointer leisurely drifted past, he rxed suddenly, his gaze resentful as he looked to the person beside him¡ª


    The pointer decelerated further, moving as slow as a snail.<div>


    Finally, it crept past Pan Xiaoxin and stopped right in front of Chang Weicai!


    ¡°yer number 2, please choose a question type.¡±


    Everyone looked at Chang Weicai.


    Chang Weicai impulsively made a selection without hesitation:


    ¡°Poetry.¡±


    He was anguage teacher, and this was the type of question he excelled at.


    Tan Xiao scratched his head immediately upon seeing the question, letting out a long, exasperated sigh.


    The expressions on everyone else¡¯s faces weren¡¯t too great either.


    Chang Weicai, realising something, suddenly turned white!


    ¡°No, no¡­ wait a minute! I want a do-over!¡± Chang Weicai said anxiously, ¡°Inspector! I don¡¯t want the poetry question anymore! I¡¯ll pick something else! I want to change the question!¡±


    ¡°The question type has been locked and cannot be changed.¡±<div>


    The Inspector¡¯s tone was unemotional and absolute, leaving no room for negotiation.


    ¡°Question 2, ¡®Chun She¡¯ is one of the ancient traditional folk festivals, please name the poem that does not mention ¡®Chun She¡¯, everyone please answer on your answer board.¡±


    A question and its four-option multiple-choice responses appeared on the liquid crystal disy in front of Bai Youwei:


    A, ¡°Racing Psalm¡± by Lu You;


    B, ¡°Society Day¡± by Wang Ju;


    C, ¡°Touring Paddy Vige¡± by Lu You;


    D, ¡°Vige Residence¡± by Gao Ding.


    Among these four poems, which one is not rted to ¡®Chun She¡¯?


    Bai Youwei frowned, not pleased with the situation.


    Due to her health, she had never received higher education at a school. However, she had never missed an online course, and she had numerous books at home, each and every one of which she had read. She was knowledgeable in literature, history, nature, science, inte trends, Go, and variouspetitive games.


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t because she loved studying, but merely to pass the time and to relieve boredom.<div>


    So she considered herself to be no less knowledgeable than anyone else.


    However, ancient poetry was indeed her weak point because she wasn¡¯t interested, so she never put much effort into it. She had a rudimentary understanding ofmonly known poetry, but when faced with these four options¡­


    She didn¡¯t recognize a single one.


    If she had to choose, the B option ¡°Society Day¡± had the word ¡°Society¡± in it. So the answer could possibly be A, C, or D.


    She pondered for a moment, without any clues, and could only rely on luck.


    Bai Youwei chose A.


    The ¡°Racing Psalm,¡± whatever it was, sounded like a dragon boat race? Or perhaps a praise for a certain song? She couldn¡¯t guess.


    The one-minute answering time quickly passed.


    The Inspector announced the answer: ¡°The answer is D. 1 point is added for those who answered correctly, 1 point is deducted for those who answered wrong, and yers with no points are eliminated.¡±


    ¡°No! Don¡¯t!¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah! Ah! Help, help¡­¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°This isn¡¯t fair! It isn¡¯t fair!¡±


    Horrified screams echoed.


    This time, five metal chairs slowly rotated, disregarding people¡¯s cries and struggles. The tall chair backs blocked everyone¡¯s line of sight.


    ¡°Elimination,¡± had once again begun¡­

 Chapter 226: 226: Good Luck or Bad Luck

    Chapter 226: 226: Good Luck or Bad Luck<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Ever since the answer was announced by the Inspector, Chang Weicai had been looking down, his fists clenched.


    As the screams filled the air, he hung his head even lower, his fists clenching tighter. His lean body started shaking uncontrobly¡­n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om<div>


    He was regretful.


    He had instinctively chosen a subject he was good at, he had forgotten, besides him, everyone else in the room were young people! These people basically didn¡¯t know much about ancient poetry!


    If someone had died because of this¡­ it would be as if¡­.he had indirectly killed them!


    The metal chair slowly swiveled back. Person on it had disappeared yet again, leaving only the disarrayed blood stains on the chair, and the scraping scratches, giving people a vague sense of the horror after death.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± With tears streaming down Chang Weicai¡¯s face, he held his head low, afraid to face others, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°Ohe on Mr. Chang¡­¡± Tan Xiao offered some heartless persuasion, ¡°If I were you, I would have picked the subject I¡¯m good at too! There¡¯s nothing to apologize for!¡±


    Chang Weicai hung his head, eyes closed, and his heart pounded with a dull, throbbing pain.


    The Quiz Game ¡ª¡ª The spinning wheel brought good fortune to the selected, but at the same time it also brought misfortune to those who weren¡¯t chosen!


    It was him. He had killed those five people!


    In his lifetime, he was always conscientious, honest, and straightforward, he had never even badmouthed anyone! But now, he had indirectly ended five people¡¯s lives!


    Engulfed by guilt, Chang Weicai couldn¡¯t contain himself. It felt as if he had aged suddenly, each wrinkle on his face revealing his agony and sorrow.<div>


    Bai Youwei leaned forward to catch a glimpse of Chang Weicai, peering past Tan Xiao.


    Having been around him for quite some time, of course she understood the kind of person Chang Weicai was. Precisely because of this, she was more concerned. If his mental state was on the verge of copse at this point, it could affect his performance in the quiz game severely.


    If he picked himself again, he shouldn¡¯t let his sympathy take over, deliberately choosing a topic he¡¯s not good at, just so others could pass? Compared to poetry and literature, topics like general knowledge, food, and clothing are rtively easier to earn points.


    Wait a moment¡­


    A thought dawned on Bai Youwei, a topic he¡¯s not good at¡­


    At that moment, Shen Mo, seated to her left, said: ¡°Mr. Chang is old, it¡¯s easy to get stuck.¡±


    Bai Youwei turned to look at him.


    Shen Mo didn¡¯t answer correctly just now either, losing 1 point. His current score is 1 point.


    She pondered for a moment and asked Shen Mo, ¡°What topic would you choose?¡±


    As Shen Mo¡¯s gaze lingered on the slowly rotating board of subjects, he spoke softly, ¡°I¡¯d probably choose a general knowledge question.¡±


    ¡°General knowledge, huh¡­¡± Bai Youwei thoughtfully muttered.<div>


    Sitting to the left of Shen Mo was Lun Ang, and this rugged man chimed in: ¡°Yes! Choosing a general knowledge question would be fairer as majority are aware of suchmon knowledge! Choosing literature, music, art ¡­ is too specialized! One could kill everyone with a random set of questions!¡±


    ¡°You idiot, Lun Ang!¡± Li Li yelled at him from across, ¡°Even the mostmon general knowledge questions, out of the 36 consecutive questions, how many could you possibly answer correctly?! The right strategy is to pick a subject you¡¯re proficient in! Right, Brother Yan?¡±


    Lun Ang directed his anger at Li Li: ¡°Proficiency? Damn it! I¡¯m not even scoring any points!¡±


    Thatst poetry question from Chang Weicai, it only killed five, but it made nearly all the yers lose 1 point. Lun Ang¡¯s score currently stood at zero!


    If the next question were another highly specialized topic, all yers with zero points would be eliminated instantly as they would have no points to lose!


    Bai Youwei nced around, there were still 20 contenders. Starting from number 1, Pan Xiaoxin had 2 points, Mr. Chang had 2 points, Tan Xiao had 0 points, she herself had 2 points, Shen Mo had 1 point, Lun Ang had 0 points, Yan Qingwen had 2 points, Zhu Shu had 1 point ¡­.. and Li Li had 1 point.


    The total number of people with no points was¡­..

 Chapter 227: 227: Luck is Subtle

    Chapter 227: 227: Luck is Subtle<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    As she pondered, Yan Qingwen suddenly spoke up, ¡°Only five people were eliminated in the poetry question round, which is because many people gained a point from the rainbow question. Now that the points have been deducted, if the next question is very difficult, arge number of people will be eliminated ¨C correspondingly, as the number of people declines, our chances of being chosen by the pointer will significantly increase.¡±


    Shen Mo raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°So, your tactic for passing through involves reducing the number of participants?¡±<div>


    Yan Qingwen responded with a faint smile, looking at Shen Mo, ¡°The game mechanism is inherently a survival of the fittest. All I can do is to ensure, under this mechanism, that as many of my teammates as possible survive.¡±


    After a pause of two seconds, he questioned Shen Mo, ¡°Commander, is it too hard for you to watch casualties take ce?¡±


    ¡°It seems you indeed are not part of the special situation team,¡± Shen Mo replied indifferently, ¡°Our primary goal is mission sess, and certain casualties are eptable. But pointless casualties are idiocy.¡±


    ¡°Really.¡± Yan Qingwen tilted the corner of his lips, ¡°I¡¯ve learn something new.¡±


    While they were talking, the pointer had already begun its third rotation. Its speed was slowing down, and it was about to stop.


    Sitting next to Yan Qingwen, Zhu Shu stared at the tip of the pointer in silence.


    Ever since Yan Qingwen had made his statement, she knew she had been abandoned.


    Yan Qingwen and Lun Ang were teammates; their knowledge would have ovepping areas, like weaponry.


    And it was easy to determine Li Li¡¯s knowledge base as well. He was a researcher. If the next question was about physics, he would definitely be able to answer it.


    In other words, once the number of yers had been reduced to a certain level, these three would form a very beneficial cycle¡ª


    When the question is about weapons, Yan Qingwen and Lun Ang gain points, and Li Li loses points;<div>


    When choosing a physics question, Yan Qingwen and Lun Ang lose points, and Li Li gains points.


    One gain and one loss, in a repeated cycle. So long as they coordinate well, they would be able to sessfully pass.


    As for her¡­


    She excels in music, dance, and drama¡­


    If she chose these types of questions, all three of them would lose points. On the contrary, if any one of those three chose a type of question, she would lose points too!


    Even if she racked up 3 points, she would be deducted back to zero!


    So, she could never fit into Yan Qingwen¡¯s pass through strategy!


    ¡­ Would she really die this time?


    Zhu Shu felt a little dazed.


    Death was not scary. What was scary was that after someone gave you hope, you realized that beneath your feet was still an abyss.


    She was supposed to die in the maze. It was because she met Li Li, then Yan Qingwen who came to rescue Li Li, that she was incidentally saved.<div>


    Of course, she got a puzzle piece when she escaped thebyrinth, but on the way, they encountered an extremely horrifying and terrifying game! All the 5 puzzle pieces were used up!


    Later in the Snake Maze, they got 3 puzzle pieces again, each held by Yan Qingwen, Li Li, and Lun Ang, none for her.


    Whatever¡­


    Let¡¯s just consider this period, as an undeserved extension received from Death¡­


    Li Li sat across from her, wanting to speak yet restraining himself. He had understood the situation but had no idea what to say.


    What would he say?


    Sorry, we¡¯re going to leave you behind?n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Unable to help ourselves. Please forgive us?


    ¡­There¡¯s no need, really no need.


    In one¡¯s lifetime, we hear too many affections. But when it was time to die, we should look at life as transparent as a mirror, just wanting some peace and cherishing good memories of the world.


    Zhu Shu smiled at Li Li, then continued to watch the pointer that was moving slower and slower.<div>


    It was about to stop.


    Just about¡­


    Stopped¡­


    Luck was an indescribable thing.


    It was especially evident in Tan Xiao.


    For example, he happened to guess the rainbow question correctly. And like now, he had been chosen by the pointer.


    ¡°yer No. 3, please choose a type of question.¡± the Inspector said.

 Chapter 228: Is it a Bug?

    Chapter 228: Is it a Bug?


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Tan Xiao nced at the dense array of quiz boards, feeling a bit lost, ¡°It¡¯s my turn to choose, huh¡­¡±


    Bai Youwei said, ¡°Tan Xiao, pick a subject you¡¯re not good at.¡±


    Everyone present was taken aback.


    When picking a quiz board, of course, you would choose what you¡¯re most proficient in! Otherwise, what if you can¡¯t answer the questions?!


    Even if Bai Youwei wanted Tan Xiao to choose her specialty for selfish reasons, how could she be certain what Tan Xiao was not good at was exactly what she was good at?


    Bai Youwei¡¯s one statement left everyone scratching their heads, even wondering if she had lost her mind!


    Pan Xiaoxin couldn¡¯t help but say to Bai Youwei, ¡°Sister Weiwei, Tan Xiao currently has zero points.¡± n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Zero points, no points to spare, and one wrong attempt would result in disappearing mysteriously behind the seat, just like those earlier!


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, he has a puzzle piece,¡± Bai Youwei said casually, ¡°I have a hypothesis that I need him to test.¡±


    ¡°What hypothesis?¡± Tan Xiao immediately asked, full of curiosity.


    Bai Youweizily waived her hand: ¡°Even if I tell you now, you won¡¯t understand. Just quickly pick a quiz board.¡±


    Tan Xiao: ¡°But I¡¯m not good at any of these.¡±


    Bai Youwei rolled her eyes, ¡°Then pick the one you¡¯re least good at!¡±


    Tan Xiao pondered for a moment then said to the inspector, ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯ll choose math.¡±


    Instantly, the lights of the other boards went out, leaving only the Math board gleaming with red.


    The inspector silently ¡®looked¡¯ at Bai Youwei for a moment, then began to read the question:


    ¡°Question 3: If a chicken has two legs, how many legs do eight chickens have?¡±


    The four options were:


    A, 8 legs;


    B, 1 leg;


    C, 2 legs;


    D, 16 legs.


    Complete silence fell over the room.


    Everyone:


    Is this a joke?


    Is this an insult to our intelligence?!


    Is it a brain teaser? But he chose Math! Not a fun trivia question!


    Bai Youwei burst outughing, ¡°Hahaha! Genius! Tan Xiao, did you know you¡¯re going to be the savior! Hahaha! It¡¯s too funny!¡±


    Tan Xiao stared nkly at his LCD screen, scratching his head in confusion, he couldn¡¯t help turning to Bai Youwei, ¡°Is there a trap in this question?¡±


    Even someone with his intelligence found it overly simple.


    Bai Youwei smiled widely and said, ¡°Shut up, don¡¯t make a fuss over such a simple question, be careful not to blurt out the answer and get yourself disqualified by the system!¡±


    Tan Xiao quickly shut his mouth in surprise.


    Shen Mo was alsoughing, his mouth slightly curved upward in a more restrained smile than Bai Youwei.


    ¡°Apparently, whoever is lucky enough to be chosen by the pointer, can answer any question no matter what type they choose.¡± He said.


    ¡°This game is just too considerate.¡± Bai Youwei was all smiles. ¡°So, the questions aren¡¯t predetermined, but instead extracted from the knowledge library in the chosen yer¡¯s brain, and then the questions are generated in real-time!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably for the sake of bnce.¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°Everyone¡¯s knowledge library has blind spots, and the game is utilizing this, creating apetitive rtionship between us. At the same time, the game has to ensure a certain uracy rate during the quiz, to avoidplete defeat at a rapid rate¡­¡±


    But the game didn¡¯t anticipate the existence of someone like Tan Xiao.


    His blind spot of knowledge is so prominent that the system had no choice but to aim questions within the cognition level of young children.


    ¡°Ah, I was worried earlier that we might waste a puzzle piece, but it turned out to be so easy.¡± Bai Youweiughed happily. ¡°For the next ones, let¡¯s let Tan Xiao choose every question. We¡¯ll breeze through the game! Hey, Inspector, does this count as a game Bug?¡±

 Chapter 229: Let Me Teach You a Lesson

    Chapter 229: Let Me Teach You a Lesson


    Trantor: 549690339


    Bai Youweiughed at the Inspector, ¡°What you know, others may not; what others know, you may not. The essence of this game is to have the knowledge bases of the yers countering each other! Truly interesting~~ No wonder there¡¯s a rule in the second round stiptes that the randomly chosen yer by the pointer can transfer the right to choose the topic to any yer who hasn¡¯t been eliminated. So that¡¯s what it¡¯s for!¡±


    The Inspector standing in the center of the rotating tform, his faceless mask half-exposed under the cloak, seemed to be looking at her, silent and motionless.


    ¡°This mustn¡¯t be a bug.¡± Yan Qingwen suddenly interjected from the other side.


    Bai Youwei was mildly stunned, looking at him.


    Yan Qingwen continued, ¡°Your method, under ideal circumstances may work, but don¡¯t forget, there are 36 people ying the game, and they may not all know and trust each other. Without one hundred percent trust, how could they follow yourmands to select the topics?¡±


    Why would Tan Xiao choose ¡°mathematics¡± if he wasn¡¯t obedient to Bai Youwei?


    The reason Tu Dan was able to lead her students to pass safely was because they trusted her, relied on her. Moreover, those students were ssmates who spent day and night together, their knowledge ovep was very high!


    But as for people like Bai Youwei, Yan Qingwen, and Fei Ge!


    They came from different social sses, different cities, and had different educational levels! No possible way to cooperate!


    At this moment, the Inspector announced the answer to the third question:


    ¡°The answer is D. Correct answers earn 1 point, incorrect answers lose 1 point. yers with zero points will be eliminated.¡±


    This time, no one was eliminated.


    The surviving 20 yers all received a beautiful peach-pink heart.


    The ck pointer on the wheel began to rotate again.


    As the pointer spun, the Gray Robe Supervisor¡¯s hoarse voice echoed, ¡°Ignorant humans¡­my game, in the end, has never been about how much knowledge you have, but trust between individuals.¡±


    The pointer slowed down.


    It gradually stopped.


    Finally, it pointed to a crew-cut guy standing next to Fei Ge.


    The Gray Robe Supervisor let out a cackle, as raspy as pouring sand into a coarse earthen jar.


    ¡°So¡­now, without trust, how are you going to make him obey you, to transfer the right to choose the topic to you?¡±


    The corners of Bai Youwei¡¯s mouth lifted into a disdainful smirk, ¡°Did I hear that right? You designed such ame game just to test the trust between people? Old man, the fool is you!¡±


    She cast a sidelong nce at the crew-cut man who was targeted by the pointer, as if looking at an especially ridiculous object.


    ¡°Today I¡¯m going to teach you a lesson. When you want someone to follow yourmands, it¡¯s never about trust, but¡­threat and temptation~¡±


    -¨C Whoosh!


    A sound of the air splitting!


    A streak of silver shed by!


    It was followed by a bang! A small knife flew towards the crew-cut man, deeply embedding itself in the gap between his legs!


    Everyone knew how sturdy the metal chair was, yet the knife had plunged so deep into it! The handle was still vibrating from the remaining force!


    The crew-cut man was shaking like a sieve; his whole face turned ashen! He was so frightened that he didn¡¯t even make a sound!


    It was Shen Mo who moved. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Yan Qingwen raised his eyebrows slightly in surprise. He had thought that Shen Mo was a ¡°kind and gentle¡± officer.


    Bai Youwei grinned at the crew-cut man: ¡°As long as you do as I say, every one of us can pass the game with full marks, isn¡¯t that great? So why hesitate? Unless¡­you want to die right here and now?¡±


    The crew-cut man looked at her fearfully;rge beads of sweat rolled down his face, too petrified to speak.


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her!¡±


    Fei Ge suddenly roared from the side:


    ¡°That man only has one knife! He can¡¯t hurt you anymore!¡±

 Chapter 230: 230 Unity is Strength

    Chapter 230: 230 Unity is Strength<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Bai Youwei frowned and looked over.


    Feige shouted at hisrades, ¡°We all kicked the ball together! You just choose sports, and it¡¯s most likely to be about football! Not only will we be able to pass the level, but also eliminate everyone else!¡±<div>


    He was hoarse from all the shouting!


    ¡°Choose sports! ¨C They all deserve to die! They¡¯ve killed so many of us! They all deserve to die!!!¡±


    Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes were dark and cold as she spat out two words:


    ¡°Idiot.¡±


    Shen Mo knew what she wanted to do and reminded her mildly, ¡°Take it easy.¡±


    Bai Youwei replied, ¡°I¡¯ve always been taking it easy.¡±


    Then, she picked up the fluffy bunny doll she was holding and casually tossed it out ¡ª


    Thud.


    The bunnynded on the carousel.


    All eyes focused on the bunny, wondering why Bai Youwei would throw a toy rabbit.


    Did she throw it in a tantrum because her scheme didn¡¯t work?<div>


    The rabbit¡¯s ear twitched.


    Everyone was stunned, questioning their vision, when they saw the rabbit stand up on its own!


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­it¡¯s a prop¡­¡± someone whispered in horror.


    How else could one exin a plush toy moving on its own?!!


    Bai Youweiughed and said, ¡°That knife was indeed intended to scare you, but who told you that you have to kill with a knife?¡±


    She lowered her head slightly and spoke to the rabbit in a voice that was both gentle and cruel, ¡°See the guy with the bandage on his head? I want to see him~ dance the poppin¡¯ style.¡±


    The rabbit shuffled its short little legs and walked towards Feige.


    ¡°¡­ What the¡­Get away! Get the hell away from me!¡±


    Feige was a bit frightened, he desperately tried to back away, but his body was firmly strapped down.


    He wanted to kick the bunny away but couldn¡¯t move his legs! He tried to swat it away with his hands, but his neck was restrained¡ªhe couldn¡¯t bend down!


    The rabbit solemnly came to him, lifted its head, and looked at him with its little ck eyes.<div>


    Feige¡¯s pupils shrunk, he was tense, unable to predict what would happen next.


    Suddenly!


    Blue-violet electricity shed before his eyes!


    Like a gliding snake! Or a dazzling light! With a sizzling sound, Feige¡¯s body started to convulse violently!


    He kept shaking!


    Kept shaking!


    His face turned pale, his eyes rolled back, and drool flowed uncontrobly down from the corner of his mouth!


    Even though there was no sound, no screams, the people around could feel a deep sense of terror¡ª


    They were at the mercy of the game, and at the mercy of Bai Youwei!


    The electric shock ends¡­


    It onlysted three to five seconds, but it seemed like Feige had lost half his life. He slumped limply in his chair, unable to speak, his limbs twitched from time to time.<div>


    The rabbit turned around, its footstep tap-tap-tap as it walked back.


    ¡°No need toe back.¡± Bai Youwei said indifferently with a wave of her hand, ¡°Just stand there. Whoever is unwilling to give up their voting rights, just taser them.¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The crowd:


    Bai Youwei said, ¡°Don¡¯t kill them, just taser them until they are willing.¡±


    The crowd:


    Where the hell did this demone from?!!


    ¡°Why not cooperate well and get out of here together?¡± Bai Youwei pped her hands lightly, her tone cheerful, ¡°Why do we have topete? Making it a life or death matter. In times of crisis, humans should unite, right?¡±


    Pausing a moment, perhaps feeling it strange to say such things, she looked to the other side, ¡°Mr. Cheng, why don¡¯t¡­ you try to persuade them?¡±


    Chang Weicai was startled.


    He then wiped away his tears and said determinedly, ¡°Weiwei is right! At this moment, what we need most is unity!


    What is unity? Unity is the concentration of strength to achieve amon ideal!


    Those withmon interests prevail! United people are strong!


    A single blooming flower can only appreciate itself, whereas a full field of blossoms can dazzle and shine!


    We gathered here to pass this game! We are a whole! The nation needs to be united! Society needs to be united! We, too, must be united!!!¡±

 Chapter 231: 231: Transfer of Topic Selection Rights

    Chapter 231: 231: Transfer of Topic Selection Rights<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    ¡°p, p, p, p, p, p, p¡±


    ¡°Mr. Chang certainly speaks well,¡± Bai Youwei pped her hands with gleeful eyes, ¡°Whoever you are, have you decided yet?¡±<div>


    The man with the t-topped hair shuddered in fear.


    The rabbit stood right in front of him.


    He shrank back and stuttered, ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ we should¡­ should unite. I¡­ I choose to yield my question selection privilege to¡­ yer number 3.¡±


    The Inspector remained silent.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    It saw everything.


    From the moment Bai Youwei discovered the hidden rules, Yan Qingwen suggested a strategy to clear the game, Shen Mo threatened yers with a fruit knife, Fei Ge resisted with hisst breath, then came Bai Youwei¡¯s use of the rabbit prop¡­Chang Weicai¡¯s fervor¡­


    One thing led to another.


    Intimidation, and temptation.


    The Inspector turned to the man with the t-topped hair and asked softly, ¡°Does the yer confirm the decision to yield the question selection privilege? Once you give up, you will lose the advantage of choosing questions. Your current points stand at 1. If you answer one more question incorrectly¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, didn¡¯t you just say that you would conduct the game strictly ording to the instructions?¡± Bai Youwei interrupted, her tone was very displeased. ¡°What¡¯s going on now? Deliberately inducing yers to change their decision? Isn¡¯t that considered tampering with the game¡¯s bnce? It seems you Inspectors love to talk the talk but not walk the walk! You unt your impartiality, don¡¯t you find it ridiculous?¡±


    The Inspector fell silent, and after a moment it responded, ¡°My only wish is for yers to consider their choices carefully before making important decisions.¡±<div>


    ¡°Stop speaking eloquently!¡± Bai Youwei mocked it mercilessly, ¡°Is the question selection considered an important decision? Earlier when yer 2 chose poetry, you didn¡¯t give him the chance to rethink his decision. You stated that the question category was locked and could not be changed! Do you have dementia and simply lost your memory from a few moments ago?¡±


    The Inspector once again fell silent:


    Bai Youwei tilted her head, giving it a sarcastic smile: ¡°Old fool, just officiate your game honestly. No underhanded tricks, don¡¯t n on killing any of the 20 people here~¡±


    The elderly man in grey robe stood silently, all his emotions hidden beneath the shadowed brim of his cowl.


    Shen Mo narrowed his eyes.


    He remembered that this thing could summon hurricanes. Even though it looked like a feeble old man, it was undoubtedly a dangerous element.


    Would it attack Bai Youwei?¡­ As the Inspector, could it attack a yer who hasn¡¯t broken the rules?


    The atmosphere fell into a strange silence.


    Everyone has their eyes fixed on the Inspector in the center of the field.


    After a few seconds, the old man in the grey robe moved. He slightly turned his body towards Tan Xiao:


    ¡°yer number 3, please choose a question category.¡±<div>


    Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, then mixed feelings of love and hate began to rise towards Bai Youwei.


    They hated her for being very hateful! But loved her because she could really lead them to survive here!


    As usual, Tan Xiao chose his weakest category, Math.


    The Inspector didn¡¯t immediately read the question.


    It was silent for a long time before calmly reading:


    ¡°Question 4, a yground measures 100 meters in length and 50 meters in width, how many square meters is the total area of the yground?¡±


    Tan Xiao eximed: ¡°Wow, finally a challenging question! This is probably my limit for math!¡±


    Inspector: ¡°¡­¡±


    Everyone: ¡°¡­¡±


    Suddenly, a tiny, subtle, sympathy towards the system began to develop in their hearts.


    Hmm¡­<div>


    Next, the pointernded on Yan Qingwen.


    The Inspector asked: ¡°yer number 7, will you yield your question selection privilege too?¡±


    Everyone¡¯s gaze fell on Yan Qingwen.


    Including the rabbit on the roulette wheel.


    Yan Qingwen smirked and turned his head to ask Bai Youwei, ¡°As far as I know, most props are disposable. Are you sure it can still discharge lightning?¡±


    Bai Youwei kept a straight face, ¡°If I say it can, would you believe it? Why don¡¯t you try?¡±


    Yan Qingwen didn¡¯t want to try.


    He smiled and looked at the Inspector and said, ¡°I also yield my question selection privilege to yer number 3.¡±

 Chapter 232: 232: Special Reward

    Chapter 232: 232: Special Reward<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Round after roundn/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Each person chosen by the pointer granted the power to choose the questions to Tan Xiao.<div>


    Because Tan Xiao¡¯s mathematics knowledge was pitifullycking, to ensure the correct rate of the person choosing the question, the system had to continuously decrease the difficulty of the questions.


    Multiplication was the highest it could go, and even then, they only dared to introduce division with two-digit numbers.


    As the 36pulsory questions were gradually reaching their end, everyone remained in a perfect state, with sixty little pink hearts glittering beautifully and neatly across the field.


    By thest few questions, even without the rabbit looming ominously before the yers, they would automatically choose to pass on the power to choose the question.


    Because they all understood that as long as they held on, they would clear the game!


    Thest question was finally over.


    Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.


    Bai Youwei called back the plush rabbit, carelessly stroking its ears, her tone casual and airy:


    ¡°This is not a game of intelligence. It tests not knowledge, but human hearts. Whoever controls the hearts controls the game, and yers can only be led around by the nose. However, it¡¯s a shame¡­¡±


    She looked at the Inspector, her mouth curled in a hint of smugness: ¡°This time, the controller is not you, it¡¯s me.¡±


    The Inspector watched her silently.<div>


    ¡°Let¡¯s.¡± Bai Youwei softly squinted her eyes, returning to herzy demeanor, ¡°Settle the game, and remove these metal bracelets. It¡¯s very ufortable having them on.¡±


    As her words fell, the metal chairs unlocked with a clicking sound, and everyone was free.


    They climbed off the metal chairs one by one, their expressions filled with disbelief as they watched each other, their eyes confirming that they truly escaped the danger.


    The grey-robed Elder congratted them with his raspy voice: ¡°Congrattions on clearing this game.¡±


    Everyone was somewhat uncertain.


    Happy? Of course, they were happy. However, more than that, they felt lost.


    How many more such games were there?


    Would the next game be as lucky as this?


    The grey-robed Elder stood unmoving at the center of the carousel, speaking in his usual tone: ¡°The total number of yers who cleared this game is twenty, each can receive a Lucky Question Card.¡±


    A card immediately appeared in Bai Youwei¡¯s hand. It was the size of a poker card, without a pattern, and had a ck center with red edges.


    [Lucky Question Card: It allows you to ask a question once to any yer. The person who is asked must answer correctly. Otherwise, they are penalized by not being able to act freely for 60 seconds. If they answer incorrectly a second time, they are penalized for 120 seconds; a third time for 180 seconds. The restriction is lifted afterward.]<div>


    Bai Youwei stuffed it into her bag, feeling that she had gained another useless thing.


    It was obviously a defensive item, and it could only be used once. It was utterly useless!


    It waspletely disproportionate to the effort she had put in~


    She looked up at the Inspector, couldn¡¯t help asking: ¡°Isn¡¯t there an extra reward for the person with the highest score? I remember there being some sort of brocade bag?¡±


    Everyone stared at the Inspector in surprise.


    ¡°Brocade bag, that is the only¡­¡± the grey-robed Elder slowly said, ¡°However, I can give you a better reward.¡±


    He raised his arm, revealing a hand wrapped in bandages from under his sleeve.


    The bandages were an old yellow-brown and his fingers looked skinny. It looked like the bandages were not wrapping a hand, but a long-buried skeleton.


    He opened his hand, revealing a gleam of gold in his palm¡ª-


    It was a shiny gold coin!


    About the size of a one yuan coin, pure golden in color, with something engraved on it.<div>


    ¡°In this round, everyone scored perfect. There is no highest score. Hence, whom should I give this to?¡± the grey-robed Elder looked at the crowd, passing his gaze from one to another. ¡°Should I give it to you? ¡­Or you? ¡­What about you? ¡­And you¡­¡±


    In the end, he paused in front of Tan Xiao, chuckling in a raspy voice.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you young man. You asked the most questions in this round. I believe your courage and wisdom are deserving of this reward.¡±

 Chapter 233: 233 Gold Coin Gold Coin

    Chapter 233: 233 Gold Coin Gold Coin<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    The game settlement finished, and the Inspector and the wheel of fortune disappeared before their eyes.


    So did those gruesome metal seats.<div>


    They found themselves back on the street, the sky as blue as ever, trees still lush, and the fire built in front of the tents crackling away.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The only difference was the addition of 16 mannequins on the road.


    Feige gazed dazed at these dolls.


    Some of those within had willingly joined his team after the incident in Hangzhou. The bond between them wasn¡¯t particrly deep. But among them were also some of his closest friends!


    He couldn¡¯t quite put abel on the feeling he was experiencing.


    Neither fury nor sorrow sufficed to describe it.


    His eyes reddened, and, fatigued, he motioned for some of his men to help him load the dolls into the vehicle. They had to find these dolls a resting ce, so they wouldn¡¯t be left out, exposed to the elements.


    On the side, Su Man, who had been waiting for a long time, couldn¡¯t help but throw herself into Li Li¡¯s arms and hug him tightly.


    ¡°Why did you onlye out now!!!¡± She barked, the choked sob in her voice evident.


    Li Li was taken aback, his face slightly embarrassed.


    He could argue a few points when she was being aggressive, but he was at a loss on how to handle her when she suddenly turned so feeble.<div>


    Zhu Shu, who was standing next to Li Li, seeing the two embrace, softly stepped aside without a word.


    Yan Qingwen came over to soothe Su Man¡¯s feelings as Li Li exined what happened inside the game to her. Gradually, Su Man calmed down.


    At this moment, Feige and his team had already loaded everything into their vehicles and were preparing to leave.


    Yan Qingwen warned them, ¡°Hangzhou, without its maze, will soon attract the game. This ce is not for long-term stay; you¡¯d better make early ns.¡±


    Feige nodded, but said nothing.


    Perhaps his heart had grown numb, and his demeanor seemed topse into despair.


    If not staying in Hangzhou, where else could they go? ¡­ There was no safe ce left in this world¡­


    As everyone watched the convoy drive away, varying emotions swirled within their hearts.


    The game was strange like that; it could incite hatred and also dissolve enmity.


    After all, what was more important than staying alive?


    Li Li, watching the vehicles disappear into the distance, thought for a moment, then sidled up to Tan Xiao and asked, ¡°What did the Inspector give you just now?¡±<div>


    Tan Xiao shot him a wary look. ¡°Why? You want it? ¡ª¡ªNot giving!¡±


    Li Li was at a loss for words, but he didn¡¯t lose his temper. After answering over thirty elementary school math problems in the game, he had a new understanding of Tan Xiao!


    As a respected doctoral scientist of a prestigious research institute, how could he let a primary school student get to him? Right?


    ¡°I just want to look at what it is,¡± Li Li said. ¡°There are so many people here, it¡¯s not like you think I¡¯d steal it.¡±


    Tan Xiao looked him up and down, then scoffed dismissively, ¡°Ha! You couldn¡¯t steal it even if you wanted to.¡±


    Li Li:


    That¡¯s why he hated kids. They were such brats!


    ¡°Here, let brother Xiao show you~¡± Tan Xiao opened his hand to reveal the gold coin.


    Strangely, this tiny gold coin had an indescribable appeal, solid to the touch, glistening gold in color, it caught the attention of those around them.


    Bai Youwei also watched, curious about the use of the gold coin.


    ¡°There seems to be words on it.¡± Li Li adjusted his sses, ¡°What does it say?¡±<div>


    Tan Xiao squinted, ¡°¡­There are words, they are really small¡­¡±


    He held the gold coin up to his eyes, trying to make out the tiny, delicate characters, reading them one word one sentence at a time:


    ¡°Wee¡­to¡­the¡­doll¡­¡±


    An ominous feeling surged in Bai Youwei¡¯s heart, herplexion paling, she shouted, ¡°Tan Xiao! Stop reading!¡±


    ¡°House¡­¡±


    As thest word left Tan Xiao¡¯s mouth, the gold coin suddenly shone brightly!

 Chapter 234: 234: In Debugging

    Chapter 234: 234: In Debugging<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Everyone¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment!


    The gold coin slipped out of Tan Xiao¡¯s hand, bounced high up, and then traced an arc in the air!<div>


    Itnded on the ground


    Ding!


    The gold coin spun like a top at a high speed on the ground!


    As it spun, the space behind Tan Xiao gradually tore open! An elliptical gap appeared, revealing a bottomless darkness within, and with an astonishing suction force! Without giving anyone time to react, it sucked in Tan Xiao and Li Li, the ones closest to it!


    Zhu Shu and Su Man subconsciously reached out to grab Li Li, but only caught air, and were also sucked into the gap!


    Shen Mo moved swiftly, grabbing Tan Xiao¡¯s arm in time, but the suction force was so strong that even he was sucked in


    ¡°Shen Mo!¡± Bai Youwei cried out anxiously, wheeling toward them.


    Yan Qingwen held her back, ¡°We¡¯ll go rescue them, you stay here!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Bai Youwei pped his hand away, allowing herself and her wheelchair to be sucked into the ck void!


    Left behind were Teacher Cheng, Pan Xiaoxin, Lun Ang, and Yan Qingwen.


    ¡°Xiaoxin, let¡¯s get in there quickly!¡± Teacher Cheng scrambled to pick up his backpack and cane from the ground, and rushed in!<div>


    Pan Xiaoxin wasted no time, picked up his backpack and rushed in as well!


    Lun Ang furrowed his brows, asking Yan Qingwen, ¡°Are we going in?¡±


    The gold coin on the ground began to slow.


    The gap was getting smaller and narrower, the bulging ellipse gradually thinning.


    Yan Qingwen guessed that when the coin stopped spinning, this gap wouldpletely close.


    ¡­Should he go in?


    There were unquestionably unimaginable dangers waiting for them there.


    ¡°Our mission is to get Li Li to his destination¡­¡± Yan Qingwen gritted his teeth, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Without time to grab their equipment, the two raced into the now narrow fissure


    The gold coin was spinning slower and slower.


    And slower¡­<div>


    tter, it fell onto the ground.


    The crevice disappeared.


    Mirroring its disappearance, the luster of the gold coin faded, seemingly coated with ayer of dust in an instant. Despite its vivid gold color, it lost the dazzling attraction it had just moments ago and looked like an ordinary small coin on the sidewalk.


    A gentle breeze drifted by.


    The leaves rustled.


    The empty street seemed as if nothing transpired at all¡­


    In the pure white diamond-shaped space, huge blocks were neatly lined up.


    A gray-robed Inspector stood in front of one of the cubes, murmuring mysteriously, ¡°Ignorance and foolishness are not the greatest obstacles to survival, arrogance is.¡±


    Behind him, the rabbit-headed Inspector approached, holding a ck top hat in his hands, and asked politely, ¡°This quote is from ¡®The Three-Body Problem 3: Death¡¯s End¡¯, first published in the Human Calendar Year of 2010, which depicts the war between civilizations. Why the sudden inspiration?¡±


    The grey-robed figure replied in a low voice, ¡°No reason, I just feel¡­that this quote fits perfectly right now.¡±


    The rabbit-headed figure looked at the cube in front of the grey figure, intrigued, ¡°You activated Game 7016¡­you know this copy is still in debugging, and it will be put into use next month. yers at this stage can¡¯t handle the difficulty of Game 7016.¡±<div>


    The old man in the grey robe chuckled, his raspy voice letting out a heh heh sound.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Those who went in are yers who have undergone two data upgrades. They¡¯re in need of such a challenge.¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The rabbit-headed figure was silent for a while before it asked, ¡°Do you want them to die?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± The old man in the grey robe nodded slowly, ¡°¡­If they don¡¯t die, how could this all end?¡±

 Chapter 238: 238: Everyone is Here

    Chapter 238: 238: Everyone is Here<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    This dollhouse, though it looked old and eerie, contained clean and well-arranged living necessities.


    The bathroom had hot water, the kitchen had an induction cooker, though itcked modern appliances like a refrigerator, television, and air conditioner, it essentially replicated British rural life.<div>


    Mr. Cheng had prepared a half tub of hot water for Bai Youwei.


    Shen Mo asked her if she wanted Zhu Shu or Su Man to assist her.


    Bai Youwei refused.


    She did not know these two women well enough, she didn¡¯t like getting too intimate with strangers, even of the same sex.


    Moreover, she only had a fever, she was not so weak that she needed help to bathe.


    However, letting her stay alone in the bathroom was out of the question. If something happened, with her small stature, she would not be able to climb out of the bathtub on her own.


    Bai Youwei suggested to Shen Mo: ¡°We could draw the shower curtain.¡±


    Shen Mo agreed.


    They shared rooms and meals all the way here, it wasn¡¯t necessary to put up pretences about the proscription of contact between men and women in this situation.


    Shen ¡®a gentleman¡¯ Mo, with his clear conscience, believed safety came first.


    During her bath, the sshing of water could be heard in the bathroom.<div>


    He stood on one side of the shower curtain, listening to the sounds on the other side.


    When there was no sound, he would call out Bai Youwei¡¯s name.


    Bai Youweiined, ¡°Don¡¯t keep calling my name then not say anything after, it¡¯s so strange. If you¡¯re worried about me, we can talk.¡±


    Shen Mo chuckled, ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want to talk.¡±


    Bai Youwei sighed, her voice soft and tired: ¡°I indeed don¡¯t have the energy to talk, but if I don¡¯t, I¡¯m afraid I might fall asleep while bathing.¡±


    ¡°Hold on just a little bit more, there¡¯s a bed in the adjacent bedroom, you can sleep after your bath,¡± Shen Mo said.


    Bai Youwei contemted before asking: ¡°How many bedrooms are there here?¡±


    ¡°Three bedrooms.¡±


    He paused for a moment, then decided to reveal all the details of the house to her.


    ¡°This house consists of three floors, or to be precise, two and a half. The first floor has a living room, dining room, kitchen, and storage room. The second floor has three bedrooms and a small study room, and there is an attic on the top half floor.¡±


    ¡°Are there lots of dolls here?¡± Bai Youwei asked.<div>


    Shen Mo nodded slightly, then remembering she couldn¡¯t see him, said: ¡°There are quite a few dolls scattered across the house, stuffed teddy bears, rabbits, cats and dogs, and even tin frogs and toy soldiers.¡±


    Suddenly, the door downstairs opened with a creak.


    With it came a rush of wind and rain, and people¡¯s voices.


    Tan Xiao¡¯s voice stood out: ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for the sses! We would have reached the top of the mountain early on!¡±


    ¡°What the heck are you talking about! You clearly couldn¡¯t find the right direction and ran randomly in the woods! I was the one that guided you out, okay!¡±


    ¡°If it isn¡¯t for your sses, why would I go into the woods?!¡±


    Li Li¡¯s voice was close to breaking: ¡°I said the sses must be nearby! Who asked you to go into the woods to look for them ah ah ah!¡±


    ¡°Ah,e on, both of you stop arguing¡­¡±


    This was Mr. Cheng¡¯s voice.


    Shen Mo in the bathroom listened for a while and whispered: ¡°Yan Qingwen should have found them and brought them back.¡±


    ¡°Now that everyone is here, the game can start at any moment¡­¡± Bai Youwei closed her eyes, struggling to keep her spirits up, ¡°I¡¯m done bathing, help me out.¡±<div>


    Shen Mo handed a towel into the curtain. When Bai Youwei had wrapped herself, he came in to carry her.


    The lower half of the towel was soaked through, and her washed hair was also dripping wet. Shen Mo drenched himself as he carried Bai Youwei and settled her onto a wooden stool, with her leaning against him weakly. He then took a dry towel and slowly helped her dry her hair.


    While drying her hair, Shen Mo took a quick nce at her discarded dress.


    The dress was soaked and muddied, with threads unraveling at the hem, as if it had been torn by something.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you wash itter and put it near the firece to dry. It should dry quite quickly,¡± he said.


    Bai Youwei shook her head gently, ¡°No need, I¡¯ll just wear the clothes from the closet.¡±

 Chapter 236: 236 Doll House

    Chapter 236: 236 Doll House<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    ¡­her consciousness is all jumbled up.


    She has a splitting headache, as if someone was hammering at her forehead.<div>


    Faintly, she can hear Shen Mo¡¯s voice, deep, even-tempered, each intonation filled with a sandy, maic charm, like plucking a string in her ear.


    Yes¡­it¡¯s the most pleasant G-string on the cello.


    Bai Youwei¡¯s mind is in disarray.


    After feeling dizzy for a while, she finally opens her eyes, the first thing she sees is an old-fashioned ceiling, then a countryside-style wallmp, a wall adorned with patterned wallpaper¡­ and, an old-fashioned firece.


    The mes within the firece are burning, slightly driving away the chill from her body.


    ¡°Awake?¡± Shen Mo, holding a ss of water, walks over and sits down by her side.


    The water in the cup is still hot, so he leaves it on the coffee table to cool.


    He helps her sit up a little and ces a pillow beneath her to make her morefortable.


    ¡°¡­.Where are we?¡± Bai Youwei breaks the silence only to find her throat is incredibly hoarse.


    Shen Mo looks around, then says, ¡°We¡¯re in a house on the top of a mountain. After encountering Mr. Cheng and Xiaoxin, we found you halfway up the mountain. Tan Xiao is still missing¡­ Yan Qingwen and Lun Ang went out to look for him.¡±


    After a pause, he adds, looking at Bai Youwei, ¡°You have a fever.¡±<div>


    Bai Youwei weakly touches her forehead. She can¡¯t really tell¡­ but she just feels listless, her head spinning.


    ¡°She needs a bath and a change of clothes, and her hair needs to be dried up,¡± Zhu Shu adds from the side, ¡°There¡¯s no medicine here, we need to figure out a way to reduce her temperature as soon as possible.¡±


    Exasperated, Su Man retorts, ¡°For goodness sake, she¡¯s a celebrity, where are we supposed to find bathwater for her?! Moreover, this is the doll¡¯s territory, nobody can guarantee this room is safe!¡±


    Zhu Shu tightens her lips, then says, ¡°There¡¯s a bathroom on the second floor with hot water, and the closet in the bedroom has clean clothes. If you¡¯re worried about potential hazards¡­ I can go check it out first.¡±


    Su Man raises an eyebrow, ¡°Hey, don¡¯t tell me you want to take a shower yourself?¡±


    Zhu Shu looks a bit helpless but doesn¡¯t retaliate, ¡°Being all damp isn¡¯t exactlyfortable.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Su Man tly refuses, her face stern. ¡°I disagree with this. Before Yan left, he asked me to ensure everyone¡¯s safety. Moreover, the clothes in the closet seem bizarre, they look like they¡¯re made for dolls, how could we even wear those?¡±


    Bai Youwei listens to them talk in silence, her eyes flickering briefly over her surroundings.


    Where she isying is a long sofa against the wall in the living room. It¡¯s a deep blue color, adorned with alternating patterns of pink and white roses. There are a few matching pillows on the sofa. In the corners of the living room are a countless number of toy dolls.


    Stuffed bears, bunnies, little cats, and dogs¡­


    She closes her eyes, her muddled mind recalling a sentence that Tan Xiao recited before they entered the game ¡ª Wee to the Doll House.<div>


    Is this ce¡­ the Doll House?


    Mr. Cheng brings over the brewed tea, setting one cup after another on the coffee table. ¡°Everyone, have some hot tea to fend off the cold.¡±


    ¡°Achoo!¡± Pan Xiaoxin suddenly sneezes.


    Everyone looks over.


    Xiaoxin rubs his nose, looking embarrassed.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Mr. Cheng expresses his worries, ¡°The temperature here is low, I¡¯m not sure if it has anything to do with the downpour outside. It feels like it¡¯s spring or autumn, we¡¯re all drenched and don¡¯t have much to wear, at this rate, it¡¯s easy to catch a cold.¡±


    Perhaps because she¡¯s facing an elder, Su Man¡¯s assertiveness is slightly softened as she hesitates, ¡°Then¡­ how about you guys take the kid upstairs to shower, I¡¯ll stand guard by the door.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Pan Xiaoxin, still rubbing his nose, walks over and sits by the firece, murmuring, ¡°I¡¯ll just stay here and dry my clothes¡­¡±

 Chapter 237: 237: Ten Sets of Clothes

    Chapter 237: 237: Ten Sets of Clothes<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    When they rushed in, there had been no time to prepare a change of clothes.


    Although Pan Xiaoxin was just a child, he didn¡¯t want to face the embarrassment of beingpletely naked.<div>


    Zhu Shu suddenly thought of something and said, ¡°There are also children¡¯s clothes in the bedroom.¡±


    ¡°Can you stop mentioning those clothes.¡± Su Man frowned deeply, her face full of discontent, ¡°Those clothes are not normal, we can¡¯t just wear them at will!¡±


    Zhu Shu exined, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant, think about it, the style of those clothes upstairs, isn¡¯t it just enough for us to wear? It feels as if¡­ this house was prepared specifically for us, it¡¯s really weird.¡±


    What she said gave Su Man goosebumps, ¡°No way¡­¡±


    Zhu Shu extended her finger and counted, ¡°You and I, Yan Ge, Lun Ang, Li Li, that makes five people. Here, there¡¯s also five of us. So that¡¯s ten in total. Upstairs, there are exactly ten sets of clothes, one of which is for children. I remember it very clearly. If the men¡¯s and women¡¯s styles also match us, then there must be a problem.¡±


    There was no doubt about it.


    There was something wrong with this ce, something wrong with this room, everything here was wrong!


    With gritted teeth, Su Man got up, ¡°I¡¯ll go up with you to double-check.¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The two women walked upstairs, one in front of the other.


    Bai Youwei watched them for a while, then withdrew her gaze and slumped weakly onto the sofa.


    The water on the coffee table had cooled a bit. Shen Mo brought it over and helped her take a few sips.<div>


    Her body temperature was scorching, her clothes dripping wet. Her long hair was thoroughly soaked, messily scattered around her, soaking the sofa cover and cushions.


    After drinking warm water, her flushed face seemed to turn even redder. Her eyes were dark and empty, contrasting with her white dress, she looked more and more like a wounded, dazzling Water Demon, fragile enough to die at any moment.


    Shen Mo frowned slightly, feeling a pang of distress.


    She looked nk, as if her high fever had left her in a daze.


    Shen Mo looked at her, his voice unconsciously softened as he asked, ¡°Do you want to take a bath?¡±


    Bai Youwei was stunned for a few seconds before nodding lightly,


    ¡°I want to take a bath.¡±


    Shen Mo said she had a fever, but she felt cold. She wanted to soak in a hot bath.


    Teacher Cheng said to Shen Mo, ¡°You take care of her, I¡¯ll go upstairs and prepare the hot water.¡±


    Shen Mo nodded.


    The two women upstairs quickly returned, both looking very grim.<div>


    ¡°Those clothes in the wardrobe were indeed prepared for us!¡± Su Man said with a strained face and a heavy tone, ¡°Ten sets of clothes, exactly nine adults and one child, among the adult clothes, six sets for men and three for women.¡±


    It matched their situation perfectly.


    Shen Mo calmly said, ¡°Let¡¯s think positively. Since the game has prepared clothes for all 10 of us, it indicates that Tan Xiao and Li Li are safe.¡±


    ¡°Game?¡± Su Man furrowed her brows, ¡°Are you sure this is a game?¡±


    Shen Mo said, ¡°You can check your weapons.¡±


    In the Doll Game, fruit knives, scissors, and kitchen knives could be brought in, but military daggers, firearms, and explosives¡­ these conspicuous weapons couldn¡¯t be brought in.


    Su Man was frustrated.


    She paced back and forth in the room, finally stopping by the window to look at the torrential rain outside. She wondered, ¡°If this really is a game, it¡¯s far too abnormal. We¡¯ve been here so long and we haven¡¯t seen an Inspector. Could it be that this isn¡¯t a game site?¡±


    Shen Mo slowly shook his head, ¡°Apart from this house, there¡¯s only the slope and the trees. I am more inclined to believe that the game has not officially started.¡±


    ¡°Maybe¡­¡± Su Man bit her nails anxiously as she stared out the windows, ¡°Perhaps because not everyone is here yet, when they return¡­ the game should start.¡±


    Zhu Shu also stared out of the window, feeling uneasy.<div>


    Having just escaped one danger, they seemed to be entering another. The sense of danger was closing in. They didn¡¯t know what was waiting for them this time around.

 Chapter 238: 238: Everyone is Here

    Chapter 238: 238: Everyone is Here<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    This dollhouse, though it looked old and eerie, contained clean and well-arranged living necessities.


    The bathroom had hot water, the kitchen had an induction cooker, though itcked modern appliances like a refrigerator, television, and air conditioner, it essentially replicated British rural life.<div>


    Mr. Cheng had prepared a half tub of hot water for Bai Youwei.


    Shen Mo asked her if she wanted Zhu Shu or Su Man to assist her.


    Bai Youwei refused.


    She did not know these two women well enough, she didn¡¯t like getting too intimate with strangers, even of the same sex.


    Moreover, she only had a fever, she was not so weak that she needed help to bathe.


    However, letting her stay alone in the bathroom was out of the question. If something happened, with her small stature, she would not be able to climb out of the bathtub on her own.


    Bai Youwei suggested to Shen Mo: ¡°We could draw the shower curtain.¡±


    Shen Mo agreed.


    They shared rooms and meals all the way here, it wasn¡¯t necessary to put up pretences about the proscription of contact between men and women in this situation.


    Shen ¡®a gentleman¡¯ Mo, with his clear conscience, believed safety came first.


    During her bath, the sshing of water could be heard in the bathroom.<div>


    He stood on one side of the shower curtain, listening to the sounds on the other side.


    When there was no sound, he would call out Bai Youwei¡¯s name.


    Bai Youweiined, ¡°Don¡¯t keep calling my name then not say anything after, it¡¯s so strange. If you¡¯re worried about me, we can talk.¡±


    Shen Mo chuckled, ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want to talk.¡±


    Bai Youwei sighed, her voice soft and tired: ¡°I indeed don¡¯t have the energy to talk, but if I don¡¯t, I¡¯m afraid I might fall asleep while bathing.¡±


    ¡°Hold on just a little bit more, there¡¯s a bed in the adjacent bedroom, you can sleep after your bath,¡± Shen Mo said.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Bai Youwei contemted before asking: ¡°How many bedrooms are there here?¡±


    ¡°Three bedrooms.¡±


    He paused for a moment, then decided to reveal all the details of the house to her.


    ¡°This house consists of three floors, or to be precise, two and a half. The first floor has a living room, dining room, kitchen, and storage room. The second floor has three bedrooms and a small study room, and there is an attic on the top half floor.¡±


    ¡°Are there lots of dolls here?¡± Bai Youwei asked.<div>


    Shen Mo nodded slightly, then remembering she couldn¡¯t see him, said: ¡°There are quite a few dolls scattered across the house, stuffed teddy bears, rabbits, cats and dogs, and even tin frogs and toy soldiers.¡±


    Suddenly, the door downstairs opened with a creak.


    With it came a rush of wind and rain, and people¡¯s voices.


    Tan Xiao¡¯s voice stood out: ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for the sses! We would have reached the top of the mountain early on!¡±


    ¡°What the heck are you talking about! You clearly couldn¡¯t find the right direction and ran randomly in the woods! I was the one that guided you out, okay!¡±


    ¡°If it isn¡¯t for your sses, why would I go into the woods?!¡±


    Li Li¡¯s voice was close to breaking: ¡°I said the sses must be nearby! Who asked you to go into the woods to look for them ah ah ah!¡±


    ¡°Ah,e on, both of you stop arguing¡­¡±


    This was Mr. Cheng¡¯s voice.


    Shen Mo in the bathroom listened for a while and whispered: ¡°Yan Qingwen should have found them and brought them back.¡±


    ¡°Now that everyone is here, the game can start at any moment¡­¡± Bai Youwei closed her eyes, struggling to keep her spirits up, ¡°I¡¯m done bathing, help me out.¡±<div>


    Shen Mo handed a towel into the curtain. When Bai Youwei had wrapped herself, he came in to carry her.


    The lower half of the towel was soaked through, and her washed hair was also dripping wet. Shen Mo drenched himself as he carried Bai Youwei and settled her onto a wooden stool, with her leaning against him weakly. He then took a dry towel and slowly helped her dry her hair.


    While drying her hair, Shen Mo took a quick nce at her discarded dress.


    The dress was soaked and muddied, with threads unraveling at the hem, as if it had been torn by something.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you wash itter and put it near the firece to dry. It should dry quite quickly,¡± he said.


    Bai Youwei shook her head gently, ¡°No need, I¡¯ll just wear the clothes from the closet.¡±

 Chapter 239: 239 Washing Skirt (Additional Update for Top 100 Recommendation List)

    Chapter 239: 239 Washing Skirt (Additional Update for Top 100 Rmendation List)<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Shen Mo paused, ¡°You don¡¯t mind?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a game, why should I care.¡± Bai Youwei closed her eyes and slowly said, ¡°Besides, my white dress is already worn out, so why bother washing it ¡±<div>


    Shen Mo: ¡°Even rags get washed, why can¡¯t a dress be washed?¡±


    Bai Youwei:


    She had a headache.


    ¡°Take advantage of my weakness while I¡¯m sick,¡± Bai Youwei grumbled, ¡°Take me to the bedroom, I need to rest.¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Shen Mo lightly chuckled then picked her up and went to the bedroom.


    The three bedrooms were simr. Shen Mo randomly chose one, the room was filled with dolls, on the table, ground, windowsill, and even on the bed. He ced Bai Youwei down, swiped up the dolls from the bed. Various plush dogs and teddy bears littered on the floor.


    Then he went to the neighboring room, selected three sets of women¡¯s clothing from the wardrobe, they were all vintage styled, gorgeous and refined,plete with matching shoes, socks, and essories. As if prepared for Lolita styled dolls.


    Bai Youwei sprawled on the bed, already drowsy. When Shen Mo came back with clothes, she half-opened her eyes, picking out a set of ck.


    Shen Mo nced at the other two sets and asked her, ¡°Are you sure about this one?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡± Bai Youwei spoke weakly, ¡°It¡¯s a matching outfit.¡±


    Shen Mo looked down at his own ck T-shirt, unsure of what to say.<div>


    He put the remaining two sets back, when he got back to the bedroom, Bai Youwei was already asleep, hugging the ck dress. She must be feeling really unwell, thus draped in the towel and wrapped in a quilt; she slept in her messy state without changing her clothes.


    Shen Mo sat down next to the bed, touched her forehead, but she remained unaware ¨C sleeping peacefullly.


    After her bath, her temperature dropped a bit, not as hot as before, but her cheeks were still flushed, hot, and her eyebrows slightly furrowed, like a little annoye kitten.


    Shen Mo smoothed her scattered hair on her forehead, then got up and left the room.


    He went to the bathroom.


    The dirty, wet dress was still there, crumpled next to the sink, not much cleaner than a rag.


    Shen Mo turned on the faucet to wash the dress.


    He finished washing it quickly, like an organized military operation, efficiently scrubbing away the stains, rinsed it with fresh water, wrung it dry, shook it out¡ª


    St!


    Water droplets sprinkled off the white dress, like rain, shimmering.


    Shen Mo smiled silently.<div>


    It¡¯s a pity that the dress is ruined, but he thought she looked nice in a white dress.


    There was a knock on the door from outside, thump, thump, thump.


    ¡°Who¡¯s in there?¡± Tan Xiao yelled from outside, ¡°I need to take a bath! I smell like rotten mud!¡±


    Li Li shouted from behind: ¡°What are you going to wear after your bath?!¡±


    ¡°None of your business what I wear! But certainly not your clothes!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be naked and blind me, that¡¯s why!¡±


    Tan Xiaoughed loudly: ¡°Hahahaha you four-eyed chicken! You¡¯d be blind without your sses anyway.¡±


    Li Li: ¡°Screw you!¡±


    The two caused a ruckus.


    Shen Mo opened the door, Tan Xiao was startled, ¡°¡­ Brother Mo, are you taking a bath?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Shen Mo stepped aside, spoke indifferently, ¡°Go ahead, there¡¯s hot water inside.¡±<div>


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    Once Tan Xiao entered the bathroom, Li Li had no one to argue with anymore. The entire room became considerably quieter, even Yan Qingwen showed a relieved expression.


    Shen Mo took the dress downstairs, dragging the old pine wood floor coat rack to the firece, and hung the dress to warm up.


    Of the ten people, one was sick, one was in the shower, leaving eight people in the living room downstairs, silent for a moment.


    Lun Ang wanted to smoke, he pulled out a packet from his pocket, and the cigarette case was dripping with water.


    He cursed under his breath, irritably threw the rain-soaked cigarette case into the firece. The red mes crackled, then continued to burn.


    Yan Qingwen said, ¡°Now that everyone is here, the game hasn¡¯t started yet, what do you guys think is the reason?¡±

 Chapter 240: 240 Not Enough Food

    Chapter 240: 240 Not Enough Food<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Everyone looked at each other, all silent.


    Zhu Shu asked tentatively, ¡°Could it have something to do with the clothes upstairs? For instance perhaps we need all ten of us to wear the designated outfits to start the game?¡±<div>


    ¡°That¡¯s possible.¡± Yan Qingwen nodded slightly, ¡°But those clothes might also be a trap. Until we have a clear understanding of the situation, I don¡¯t rmend everyone to change into those clothes.¡±


    Zhu Shu nodded in agreement, then turned to the others, hesitant, ¡°So what should we do now?¡±


    No one responded.


    The rain outside seemed to have grown heavier, as the drops pattered against the window.


    The room grew even quieter.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Shen Mo voiced his thoughts, ¡°My idea is that since the game hasn¡¯t started, we should conserve our strength and prepare. Those who are not feeling well should rest and recuperate as soon as possible. We need to figure out how much water and food we have, how long it can sustain us, and whether there are ces in this house we haven¡¯t checked yet, such as hiddenpartments or a basement.¡±


    Chang Weicai chimed in, ¡°When I was boiling water earlier, I searched the kitchen and found no food. But we have electricity and water, and I have a few packs of instant noodles in my backpack.¡±


    ¡°I have some loquats in my bag¡­¡± Pan Xiaoxin took out his backpack, opened it, revealing a bag half full of loquats.


    The shiny yellow fruits were dotted with raindrops, as Xiaoxin¡¯s bag had been soaked in the rain.


    Before entering the game, he and Tan Xiao picked loquats from a tree, collecting lots of them. Then, after exiting the question-and-answer game, he brought them into this ce inside his backpack.


    Chang Weicai took a big ss bowl from the kitchen, saying, ¡°Xiaoxin, pour out the loquats. They will go bad if they stay in the bag for too long.¡±<div>


    Yan Qingwen¡¯s group also searched around. But they¡¯de in even more hurriedly than Shen Mo¡¯s group, bringing nothing with them, let alone food.


    The only thing that could be ssified as a ¡°food item¡± on Lun Ang was probably his cigarettes, which he had already thrown into the firece.


    So, altogether, the only food they have among ten people are two packs of instant noodles and a bunch of loquats.


    Things were looking pretty grim.


    In a low voice, Li Li said, ¡°Earlier, Tan Xiao and I searched the woods and didn¡¯t find any signs of animals. It could be because of the heavy rain If there really is nothing here, we ¡±


    He left his sentence unfinished, but everyone understood his meaning.


    If there was indeed nothing here, and the game didn¡¯t begin, they would be trapped here and starve to death.


    ¡°All of us are yers with upgraded data, our physical fitness is stronger than ordinary people, a few days of hunger shouldn¡¯t be a big issue.¡± Yan Qingwen nced at his watch, ¡°We had breakfast this morning, then entered the lucky Q&A, which took about an hour. It¡¯s eleven now, not quite time to get hungry. I suggest that at noon, each of us eats a loquat, and we start rationing our food.¡±


    Chang Weicai added, ¡°Let¡¯s keep looking. This house is big, there might be food somewhere. When the rain stops, we can look outside¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s split up and look around,¡± Shen Mo suggested nonchntly, ¡°While searching, everyone should take turns to shower. A hot shower can help prevent anyone else from catching a cold from the rain and also help regain stamina.¡±


    Yan Qingwen nodded, and consensus seemed to be reached.<div>


    So, throughout the afternoon, they went around the house searching, taking turns to shower, and drying their clothes.


    Since Bai Youwei was ill and resting, her room was left untilst to search.


    When Shen Mo entered her room, he found the towel and nkets fallen to the floor. Bai Youwei was quietly lying on the bed, wearing a ck dress with white trim.


    Her long, slightly curled hair sprawled out like seaweed, almost blending with her ck dress, and her skin was so white it was almost transparent, like a delicate doll.


    A doll?


    Shen Mo felt a chill running down his spine, as he approached and gently called her, ¡°Bai Youwei.¡±

 Chapter 241: 241: Cold War

    Chapter 241: 241: Cold War<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Bai Youweiy there quietly, without reacting.


    ¡°Bai Youwei?¡± Shen Mo¡¯s voice deepened, like a tight string stretched to its limit.<div>


    She did not move.


    He held her hand, it was warm.


    Her cheeks, too, were hot.


    Her pulse, still there.


    Her breath, also still there.


    But why couldn¡¯t she wake up?


    Had she fainted from a high fever, or


    Shen Mo clenched his back teeth and picked Bai Youwei up from the bed!


    ¡°Ah¡±


    Bai Youwei, caught off guard, let out a sharp scream!


    Shen Mo was initially stunned, then his eyes filled with surprise and anger!<div>


    The sound attracted everyone, they saw Bai Youwei sitting on the bed unharmed, and Shen Mo standing in front of the bed, his face dark with anger, as if he could drip ink!


    ¡°What happened?¡± The teacher looked perplexed as he examined their expressions, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you two?¡±


    Shen Mo stared at Bai Youwei, after a while, he took a deep breath and said, ¡°Nothing.¡±


    He said it was nothing, but his tone was so cold it was like he was chilled to the bone, not at all like everything was fine!


    Before the teacher could ask again, Shen Mo turned around without a word and left the room.


    The few people gathered at the door looked at each other, sensing the subtle changes between Shen Mo and Bai Youwei.


    The teacher worriedly asked, ¡°Weiwei, what on earth happened? Did you have a fight with Shen Mo?¡±


    ¡°No ¡± Bai Youwei denied it, then pouted, muttered, ¡°He just now seemed to think that I had turned into a doll.¡±


    The crowd:


    In the silence, Tan Xiao blurted out, ¡°Wow! You didn¡¯t pretend to be one, did you!¡±


    Bai Youwei glowered at him right away: ¡°Do I look like that kind of person?!¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om<div>


    Without any hesitation, Tan Xiaoughed out loud, ¡°Yes, yes, you do!¡±


    ¡°Laugh your head off!¡± Bai Youwei threw a pillow at him!


    She missed, and Tan Xiao ran offughing.


    As he ran, he tattled: ¡°Mo, Weiwei is losing her temper again!¡ª¡ª¡±


    Bai Youwei:


    Damn, she really didn¡¯t do it on purpose!


    Shen Mo ignored Bai Youwei for the entire afternoon.


    Of course, it¡¯s not that hepletely ignored her. When Bai Youwei called him, he woulde over, when Bai Youwei wanted a drink, he would pour it, when Bai Youwei needed to go downstairs, he would carry her down.


    But, he didn¡¯t say a word, not even an extra nce.


    This made Bai Youwei very ufortable, but also a bit fresh. She figured that he was acting this way because he was worried about her, the shock of her potentially bing a doll seemed quite substantial to him.


    Thinking about it, she decided to give him a pass this time due to his rudeness.<div>


    Besides


    She looked at the white skirt drying by the firece.


    He had even washed clothes for her, how could she stay mad at him?


    Shen Mo found a bunch of chopped firewood under the eaves outside the back door. He brought in a pile. The firewood was damp, some even had mushrooms growing on them. It looked absurd as he held them in his arms.


    Bai Youweiughed watching him.


    But herughter didn¡¯t move him.


    Shen Mo expressionlessly dropped the firewood, drying them by the firece, ready for when there was no more wood to burn.


    As he crouched in front of the firece, his dark eyes reflected the firelight, and his muscr arms moved smoothly. He stacked the firewood into a small tower in no time, orderly and tidily, but leaving gaps to improve air cirction, so they would dry faster.


    Bai Youwei sat by his side, watching him. He was methodical, his aloof expression gave off a clear message ¨C keep your distance. This made him all the more irresistible, exuding a strong masculine charm.


    It was as if a feather was tickling her heart, she couldn¡¯t help but call out to him, ¡°Shen Mo.¡±


    Shen Mo turned to look at her, his slightly furrowed brows reflecting his confusion.


    ¡°If one day, I be a doll,¡± she gazed into his eyes, and asked seriously, ¡°would you cry for me?¡±

 Chapter 242: 242: Awkwardness

    Chapter 242: 242: Awkwardness<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Shen Mo¡¯s gaze was icy cold as he silently nced at her before getting up to leave.


    Bai Youwei stood still, watching him head for the back door, and couldn¡¯t help but grimace, finding the whole situation quite dull.<div>


    Pan Xiaoxin, who had been quietly roasting some food over the fire in a corner, nced at the two and whispered, ¡°Sister Weiwei, if you speak to Brother Mo like that, he¡¯ll get angry.¡±


    Bai Youwei sneered and rolled her eyes, ¡°What¡¯s there to get angry about? Didn¡¯t I just ask him if he cries?¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Pan Xiaoxin thought for a moment


    Despite feeling that Bai Youwei¡¯s question was inappropriate, he couldn¡¯t exactly articte why.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s unlucky,¡± suggested Pan Xiaoxin uncertainly.


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s unlucky, it¡¯s only unlucky for me, I never imed he¡¯d be a doll~¡± retorted Bai Youwei coldly, ¡°What¡¯s the big deal if I just ask? Humph, so petty!¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin didn¡¯t know what to say; he opened his mouth, then closed it again, and continued roasting his food in silence.


    ¡ªs, it was better not to meddle in the affairs of adults as a child.


    ¡°Hey, Xiaoxin.¡± Bai Youwei called out to him.


    Startled, Pan Xiaoxin looked at her.


    Bai Youwei irritably said, ¡°Go, bring me my loquats.¡±<div>


    Pan Xiaoxin: ¡°Huh? .. Get .get loquats?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Bai Youwei frowned, ¡°Didn¡¯t you and Tan Xiao pick a lot of them? I remember you kept them in your bag.¡±


    ¡°Loquats?¡± Their teacher overheard them from the kitchen, and poked his head out to ask, ¡°Weiwei, do you want to eat loquats?¡±


    He brought out arge ss bowl with about twenty loquats left in it.


    Bai Youwei¡¯s face fell instantly: ¡°That¡¯s all that¡¯s left?¡±


    Su Man and Zhu Shu were still seated in the dining area and could not help but feel awkward upon hearing this, as if they had stolen someone else¡¯s snack.


    Their teacher quickly tried to pacify her, ¡°We didn¡¯t bring any food with us and we don¡¯t know how long we¡¯ll be trapped here, so we had to eat your loquats first. But don¡¯t worry Weiwei, we¡¯ll pick more for you once we get out.¡±


    Bai Youwei pouted a bit. Although she was somewhat unhappy, she understood the whole picture was bigger, thus, she didn¡¯t say anything.


    Fearing that the others misunderstanding Bai Youwei, the teacher exined to Su Man and Zhu Shu, ¡°Weiwei has never had fresh loquats before, the ones in Xiaoxin¡¯s bag were picked especially for her, she really treasures them.¡±


    ¡°Who treasures them?¡± Bai Youwei said annoyed, ¡°I just haven¡¯t tried freshly picked loquats, that¡¯s all, I¡¯m not particrly fond of them!¡±


    She turned her face away, staring at the fire, and ignoring everyone.<div>


    Everyone in the room could feel the sulky tension from her.


    Resenting such inexplicably childish female behavior, Su Man silently nced at Zhu Shu by her side. Suddenly,pared to Bai Youwei, Zhu Shu seemed far more adorable.


    Then Shen Mo came back, his arms once again filled with firewood.


    He squatted down beside Bai Youwei and started to stack the wood methodically.


    Bai Youwei thought he would appease her since the loquats were gone.


    However, he didn¡¯t utter a word or even nced at her, he just got up and walked towards the staircase, where he began talking to Yan Qingwen, who had juste downstairs.


    ¡°I¡¯ve checked the entire floor, the flooring and walls, but found no hiddenpartments. I¡¯ve asked Li Li to draw a blueprint upstairs to see if anything looks amiss.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s firewood and an axe out the back door. The axe is rusty. Nothing else out of the ordinary was found.¡±


    ¡°We should set up a night watch.¡±


    ¡°Okay, we need two people downstairs¡ªone for the front door and one for the back¡ªas well as one person in the hallway on the second floor.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s three people in total. There are only ten of us, not counting the children. We have just enough people for three shifts.¡±<div>


    ¡± Count me in,¡± Pan Xiaoxin hesitated as he nced at Bai Youwei, ¡°Sister Weiwei still has a fever, I¡¯ll take her ce.¡±


    Shen Mo looked at Pan Xiaoxin, then Bai Youwei who had kept her back turned to everyone, thought for a moment, and nodded, ¡°Alright, you can take her ce then.¡±

 Chapter 243: 243: No Way Out

    Chapter 243: 243: No Way Out<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    In the evening, Chang Weicai cooked a pot of sugar water with the remaining loquats.


    Firstly, boiling it with water would give them a sense of ¡®waterful¡¯ satiety;<div>


    Secondly, the temperature was getting lower, and hot soup would provide some warmth.


    After finishing the loquat sugar water, hedled it out bowl by bowl, fortuitously there were exactly ten bowls in the cupboard.


    The yellowish fruit flesh, pale orange soup, when served in pure white porcin bowls, looked especially tempting.


    Chang Weicai then took a spoon to portion the soup, ensuring that each bowl had a simr amount, then carried them to the dining table, and continued to ponder ways to fill everyone¡¯s bellies.


    Although there was no food in this house, the bottles and jars in the kitchen were notcking in seasonings, a jar full of salt, another full of sugar, along with spices like pepper and bay leaves.


    Lunch and dinner, everyone had spent two meals without eating anything substantial. If they didn¡¯t eat tomorrow, it would definitely affect their strength. After all, they had only upgraded, notpletely transformed their physical functions.


    Chang Weicai took out the instant noodles, thinking that he would cook them tomorrow.


    Whilst he was busy, the others seemed to have a lot more idle time.


    The ces to be searched had been repeatedly searched several times, even the sofas and cabs were moved around for inspection, but nothing was found.


    The storm outside did not stop, Lun Ang tried to brave the rain, but came back soaked, finding nothing.


    Except for this house, there was only the forest downhill which seemed to have no end, as if it was an independent world.<div>


    Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen were both at their wits¡¯ end.


    They were trapped.


    Apart from waiting for the rain to stop and the game to begin, there was nothing else they could do.


    After dinner, everyone arranged the order for night shifts and went back to their rooms to rest.


    Two people slept in one bedroom, another person slept on the sofa downstairs, leaving exactly three people to choose from for the night shifts.


    Shen Mo returned to his room and found that Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t asleep.


    She sat in front of the window, her elbow propping up her face, silently looking at the rain outside.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The room was crowded with all sorts of dolls, which should have made the room feel crowded, but seeing her sitting alone among the pile of dolls, he felt an inexplicable sense that the room was spacious and lonely.


    Actually, by now, Shen Mo¡¯s anger had mostly dissipated, but remembering it still left a slight annoyance in his heart.


    He didn¡¯t like Bai Youwei joking about things like this.


    He looked at the bed, then looked at the chair she was sitting on, asking her: ¡°How did you get there?¡±<div>


    The wheelchair was downstairs, and she hadn¡¯t brought a cane in, so unless someone had carried her there.


    Bai Youwei turned her face, her denseshes hiding deep, watery eyes. She lowered her head further, her face resting on her arm, her eyes fixed on him, calm and quiet, not saying a word.


    Shen Mo walked over to her.


    She softly spoke: ¡°I really didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡±


    Honestly, Shen Mo didn¡¯t quite believe her.


    He understood her quirky humor more than anyone else.


    ¡°I was sleeping very soundly. When you called me, I thought I was dreaming ¡± Bai Youwei exined in a whisper, ¡°Afterwards I realized it wasn¡¯t a dream and was about to respond to you when ¡±


    She paused, an unnamed emotion shing in her eyes.


    Shen Mo patiently asked her: ¡°What happened?¡±


    But Bai Youwei just shrugged, slowly saying, ¡°At the time, I was wondering if you would secretly kiss me while I was asleep, so I hesitated for a moment.¡±


    Shen Mo:<div>


    Bai Youwei sighed again: ¡°But I didn¡¯t expect you to react that way, my shoulders were almost crushed.¡±


    Shen Mo:


    He was left speechless.


    ¡°Shen Mo, do you know?¡± She turned her face back towards the window, no longer looking at him, her eyes fixed on the rain streaks converging on the ss window, whispering, ¡°If you turned into a doll, I would definitely cry.¡±

 Chapter 244: 244: Insomnia for All

    Chapter 244: 244: Insomnia for All<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Shen Mo¡¯s heartstrings quivered, a feeling he couldn¡¯t quite put into words.


    After a moment of silence, he quietly looked up and watched the dark rain curtain outside with her.<div>


    Their blurred reflections shimmered on the ss window.


    Bai Youwei said, ¡°Thest time I cried was when I was twelve, and I realized I could no longer walk.¡±


    Shen Mo wondered, did that mean she regarded him as a second pair of legs?


    The sound of rainfall outside rustled against the window, stirring up a gust of wind that made the ss shiver slightly.


    The room was serene.


    ¡°You did cryst time,¡± Shen Mo said.


    Bai Youwei was taken aback, looking up at him.


    Shen Mo mildly replied, ¡°You cried once when I took you to the toilet. I think it happened at the toll gate.¡±


    First, Bai Youwei¡¯s face registered shock, then surprise, anger, and embarrassment¡ªshe was infuriated!


    ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense!¡± She red at him, adamant, ¡°I didn¡¯t cry!¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡°You did.¡±<div>


    ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± Bai Youwei cried out in anger, ¡°You saw wrong!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You did! You did! There¡¯s no way I could have cried!!!¡±


    Shen Mo didn¡¯t argue with her anymore, his lips curled in a half-smile watching her, a smirk not quite augh.


    Bai Youwei was infuriated.


    Shen Mo chuckled while gently stroking her damp hair and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being childish?¡±


    Bai Youwei raised her hand to smack him!


    Shen Mo didn¡¯t dodge.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Her hitnded squarely on his stomach, solid and hard. For a moment, Bai Youwei was unsure¡ªdid his abs hurt more, or was it her hand?


    She gazed nkly at the tightly fit ck t-shirt, hesitating whether she should strike again.


    The next second, Shen Mo captured her hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go down and warm up by the fire. We can sleep once we¡¯ve dried our hair.¡±<div>


    His tone regained its usual gentle touch.


    Bai Youwei blinked nkly. The tense standoff between them seemed to have just dissipated


    never mind.


    She thought to herself: let¡¯s make up just like this.


    Quite a few people were downstairs.


    Yan Qingwen, Lun Ang, Li Li, Chang Weicai, Tan Xiao, and Pan Xiaoxin were all gathered in the living room.


    There weren¡¯t enough seats on the couch, so they used cushions as floor seats, forming a circle around the firece.


    Shen Mo pushed Bai Youwei¡¯s wheelchair towards the gathering, and everyone naturally made way for her.


    ¡°Why is everyone here?¡± Shen Mo asked.


    Yan Qingwen shook his head lightly, a hint of self-mockery in his tone, ¡°Couldn¡¯t sleep. It seems more reliable to sleep in a tent.¡±


    Lun Ang chimed in, ¡°Too many dolls around the house, it¡¯s creepy.¡±<div>


    Li Liughed, ¡°Lun Ang, since when did you be so faint-hearted?¡±


    ¡°What does this have to do with having guts!?¡± Lun Ang red at him, ¡°Whether I¡¯m frightened or not is not the issue, those things just give me the creeps.¡±


    As they are chatting, footsteps sounded from the stairs, and Su Man and Zhu Shu also came down.


    They were to keep the night vigil. The first half of the night passed the easiest, thus Su Man, Zhu Shu, and Pan Xiaoxin were assigned the watch from 9 pm to midnight.


    The remaining people were to keep watch from midnight to 3 am, and from 3 am to 6 am.


    Seeing everyone was present, Su Man and Zhu Shu paused instinctively.


    ¡°Why is everyone here? Is there a new assignment?¡± asked Su Man in assumption.


    Yan Qingwen answered, ¡°No, just have some time, can¡¯t sleep.¡±


    Zhu Shu kindly reminded, ¡°You all have to keep watch in thetter half of the night, better get some rest early.¡±


    ¡°Zhu Shu, it¡¯s not that they don¡¯t want to sleep, they can¡¯t sleep,¡± Li Li mocked while casting a nce at Lun Ang, ¡°There are too many dolls in the room, it creeps them out.¡±


    Mentioning the dolls, Zhu Shu also showed difort, ¡°Indeed, there are perhaps too many dolls here ¡±


    Even in the living room where they were now, dolls were ced in every corner.


    On hearing this, Bai Youwei said lightly, ¡°Well, that¡¯s why they call it the Dollhouse.¡±

 Chapter 245: 245 Introduction to Each Other

    Chapter 245: 245 Introduction to Each Other<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Dollhouse¡ª


    Wee to the Dollhouse.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om<div>


    Associating the words with the Gold Coin, all eyes subconsciously turned to Tan Xiao.


    Tan Xiao looked befuddled, ¡°Huh? Why is everyone looking at me like this?¡±


    Some people turned their gaze away withplicated expressions.


    ¡°You guys aren¡¯t ming me, are you?¡± Tan Xiao refused to be the scapegoat and quickly pointed to Li Li, ¡°If he hadn¡¯t insisted on looking at that Gold Coin, I wouldn¡¯t have even noticed the words engraved on it! If anyone¡¯s to me, it¡¯s him!¡±


    Li Li looked as if he were constipated, ¡°It¡¯s normal human curiosity, alright? Aftering out of the game, of course, I would be curious about what the final reward would be!¡±


    Su Man also defended Li Li, ¡°If there¡¯s anyone to me, it should be the Inspector! What kind of rewards is he giving out? It¡¯s clearly to set us up!¡±


    ¡°So, by that logic, I should be to me?¡± Bai Youwei chimed in calmly, ¡°If I hadn¡¯t led everyone to clear the stage and offended the Inspector, perhaps he wouldn¡¯t have bestowed this Gold Coin upon us.¡±


    Tan Xiao immediately came to her defense, ¡°How could we me you?! If you look at it that way, shouldn¡¯t we be ming Fei ge? If he hadn¡¯t brought a bunch of people over, we wouldn¡¯t even be in the game!¡±


    ¡°Fei ge came over because you guys robbed them!¡± Lun Ang added.


    ¡°We robbed them because they were up to no good first! They wanted to steal our items!¡±


    ¡°How did they know you guys had items?¡±<div>


    ¡°Would we have revealed the item if you guys hadn¡¯t caused trouble?¡±


    Round and round they went, ending up right back where they started.


    ¡°Enough! Stop acting like three-year-olds.¡± Yan Qingwen was both frustrated and annoyed, ¡°Is there any point in arguing at this point?¡±


    Everyone closed their mouths.


    There was silence for a while.


    Shen Mo said, ¡°If the game system is really that strict, why was there no reaction from the system when the Inspector gave the Gold Coin to Tan Xiao as a reward?¡±


    ¡°Could it be a reward stage?¡± Tan Xiao suggested.


    He hadn¡¯t attended much school, but he had yed a lot of games and was quick-witted when it came to game logic.


    ¡°There¡¯s such a setting in many online games. You kill a monster and if you¡¯re lucky it might drop a key to a particr instance. These special instances are usually difficult but the rewards are also impressive, like rare equipment and such.¡±


    ¡°It seems we really have entered the game¡­¡± Yan Qingwen mused, ¡°Though we¡¯ve entered, we haven¡¯t met the conditions to start the game, so nothing has happened so far.¡±


    Li Li said, ¡°Could it be like what Zhu Shu said, the game will only start when all of us change into those clothes?¡±<div>


    ¡°There¡¯s a possibility¡­¡± Yan Qingwen thought a bit and nced at others, ¡°If there¡¯s still no progress tomorrow, shall we try putting on the clothes?¡±


    They all looked at each other, no one objected.


    Yan Qingwen continued, ¡°It seems we haven¡¯t officially introduced ourselves yet. Why don¡¯t we each share a bit about ourselves? That way we won¡¯t bumble around once the game starts.¡±


    Chang Weicai, Tan Xiao, and Pan Xiaoxin turned their heads to look at Shen Mo and Bai Youwei.


    Bai Youwei was busy roasting something on the fire, not making a sound.


    Shen Mo, on the other hand, nodded and said, ¡°Sure, knowing each other would indeed be good.¡±


    Seeing everyone agree, Li Li couldn¡¯t help but hesitate, ¡°But what if it¡¯s apetitive game ¡­everyone will know each other¡¯s weaknesses.¡±


    Yan Qingwen said, ¡°The chances of it beingpetitive are slim.¡±


    Li Li: ¡± But what if?¡±


    ¡°Heh, nit-picker.¡± Bai Youweiughed disdainfully, toozy to even flicker her eyelids.


    Li Li¡¯s expression stiffened slightly, defiantly said, ¡°There¡¯s always a ¡®what if¡¯ in everything, right?!¡±<div>


    Bai Youwei, with half-closed eyes, replied, ¡°I have a fever, I can¡¯t be bothered with arguing.¡±


    She nced at Pan Xiaoxin next to her, ¡°Xiaoxin, you tell him.¡±

 Chapter 246: 246: Continue Introducing

    Chapter 246: 246: Continue Introducing<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Li Li¡¯s face turned red!


    Damn! What the hell! He was a PhD holder, for God¡¯s sake, and a kid was lecturing him!<div>


    What an insult!


    Pan Xiaoxin also looked embarrassed, feeling somewhat uneasy.


    Tan Xiao, who never missed a chance for a spectacle, pped his shoulder, saying, ¡°Xiaoxin, give this bookworm a good lesson!¡±


    ¡°Hey! That¡¯s going too far!¡± Li Li stood up angrily, his face grim. ¡°I¡¯m just concerned about safety! After all, none of us know what kind of game this is!¡±


    ¡°Alright ¡± Yan Qingwen patted his shoulder, ¡°Rx. It¡¯s unlikely that it¡¯s apetitive format. Typically, reward-based game modes involve team y and strategy, it¡¯s different from the previous games.¡±


    The past games, the race between the tortoise and the hare, and the Quiz of Luck, were all about the yers fighting each other.


    Li Li sat back down, still appearing indignant, but he didn¡¯t say anything else.


    Yan Qingwen addressed the group, ¡°To show sincerity, I¡¯ll go first. As you all know, my name is Yan Qingwen. I¡¯m 30 years old. I used to be a|special|forces|soldier. I was injured in a mission and retired afterwards, dealing in some private security business.¡±


    He nced at Li Li before continuing, ¡°About half a month ago, I started working for the Li Family. The Li¡¯s only son, Li Li, is a researcher for SCO. He got separated from his team while evacuating. He¡¯s thought to be lost in the fog, and the Li¡¯s hope that we can do our best to rescue him.¡±


    Shen Mo asked, ¡°You¡¯re still doing business in this situation?¡±


    Yan Qingwen chuckled, ¡°The old man of the Li Family did me a favor. I owe him.¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om<div>


    The toughest debts to pay back are those of kindness.


    Shen Mo nodded slightly, saying, ¡°I¡¯ve exined my situation earlier. National Security Administration, Supervisor of Special Missions, it¡¯s a title in name only now. All of my team members have been sacrificed. The organization I am responsible for is practically non-existent. If I could escort Li Li to Shanghai with your help, I would like to see the progress of the research, about these games and mazes, what exactly are they.¡±


    ¡°Did your team members die because of the game?¡± Yan Qingwen asked.


    ¡°It seems so.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s brows furrowed and his face turned dark, ¡°While searching for the SCO research team, they were turned into dolls.¡±


    ¡°It might be the same as ourst encounter ¡± added Li Li, ¡°During the Quiz of Luck, we all entered the game, leaving only Su Man outside.¡±


    Shen Mo nodded: ¡°Doll games indeed have certain personnel requirements. After the incident, I tried to contact my superiors. Neither my mobile phone nor the inte was functioning and I suspected something had happened on their end. Later, I met Weiwei. We got to know Tan Xiao and Professor Cheng when we were leaving the city. We all narrowly escaped death in the same game, so we¡¯ve been traveling together since then.¡±


    ¡°In fact, your circumstances are simr to ours.¡± Yan Qingwenmented, casting a nce at Lun Ang next to him.


    Lun Ang nodded, joining in with his self-introduction, ¡°I was on the same team as Yan Qingwen. YHe retired due to injury. I retired for making some mistakes. After leaving, I had nothing to do, so I joined him in the private security business.¡±


    He paused, awkwardly adding, ¡°I¡¯m 35, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Next up was Li Li. He looked somewhat troubled. After hesitating for a moment, he finally said,


    ¡°Well what I¡¯m about to say is actually ssified but it doesn¡¯t matter now, given that there aren¡¯t many people left in the world.¡±<div>


    All eyes were on him, intrigued.


    Li Li began, ¡°Our original research institution was doing research in high-energy physics, also known as particle physics. This May, after that incident you know, the one where dolls suddenly appeared on the streets, we received a notification not long after. We merged with two other institutions to form a new organization called SCO, specifically researching these doll anomalies And indeed, we discovered something.¡±

 Chapter 247: 247: Still Introducing

    Chapter 247: 247: Still Introducing<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    ¡°We found anomalies in the maic field No, it isn¡¯t right either. To be precise, not only did we discover the anomalous areas of the maic fields, but we also found some areas where there was no maic field at all.¡±


    Li Li paused here, looking at the group, he was frustrated to find no reaction from them.<div>


    ¡°Don¡¯t you understand? Earth is a giant ma with maic fields everywhere! But our data shows that many cesck maic fields! It¡¯s like that area suddenly disappeared! Like it never existed!¡±


    ¡°Those ces must be the mazes,¡± Bai Youwei drawled, ¡°Can we hear something fresh?¡±


    Li Li:


    ¡°Yeah, Li Li,¡± spoke Lun Ang. ¡°We don¡¯t understand theory, mate. Tell them something about the mazes.¡±


    ¡°The Maze .¡± Li Li thought for a moment. ¡°The maze is an.undetectable mysterious object. At least for the time being, no devices we have are able to engage with it. It expands over time and the anomalous regions of the maic field near it, also known as the puppet game, repel the maze like the repulsion of two same maic poles, maintaining a considerable distance.¡±


    After pausing for two seconds, Li Li continued, ¡°When we evacuated, we followed this rule to avoid the game, retreating along the edge of the maze, but I underestimated the expansion time and range of the maze. I I and several special task force teammates were forced into the maze, they they all sacrificed their lives.¡±


    He turned to Zhu Shu, ¡°Later on, I met Zhu Shu in the maze. I was tired and thirsty at the time, and she saved me.¡±


    ¡°Not really, it was actually Li Li who saved me,¡± Zhu Shu smiled lightly. ¡°I was trapped in Nanchang with my agent. The fog came so suddenly and he said he went for help, but never returned. Then the driver also went to find the way out, leaving me alone in the nanny van. If it weren¡¯t for brother Yan and his teaming to rescue Li Li, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to get out.¡±


    After saying this, she hesitated, then continued, ¡°As for me I am 24 years old, I know foreignnguages, I¡¯m good at singing and dancing I suppose, I know a bit about fashion design and makeup, but these skills are pretty useless now.¡±


    She gave a self-deprecating smile.


    Tan Xiao asked in surprise: ¡°Aren¡¯t you 20?¡±<div>


    ¡°Oh that .¡± Zhu Shu giggled, ¡°My agent modified my file. It¡¯s easier to draw fans when you¡¯re younger.¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Tan Xiao: ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    His expression once again fell.


    Bai Youwei curiously asked, ¡°Which number was the Nanchang Maze?¡±


    Yan Qingwen said, ¡°Number 8. The city turned into a desert, all the skyscrapers became ruins. Vehicles trapped in the sand unable to move. People either died from thirst or were buried in quicksand.¡±


    Bai Youwei asked, ¡°Which do you think is more difficult, the Hangzhou Maze or the Nanchang Maze?¡±


    The Hangzhou Maze was number 7.


    Yan Qingwen furrowed his brows, thought for a moment, then said, ¡°Number 7 is harder I guess. Although the environment in Number 8 is very harsh, there are no harmful creatures. As long as you find the right direction and avoid the quicksand, you can find the exit.¡±


    After a pause, he asked Bai You Wei, ¡°Do you think the number of the maze is rted to its difficulty level?¡±


    ¡°Just a guess.¡± Bai Youwei shrugged, ¡°We¡¯ll need to face a few more mazes to confirm.¡±


    The next person to introduce herself was Su Man.<div>


    She didn¡¯t have much to say, stating it bluntly: ¡°The Su and Li families have been friends for generations. I¡¯ve known Li Li since I was a child. When I heard he was in trouble, I came here with Brother Yan. My strengths are hand-to-handbat and weapon skills.¡±


    Mr. Cheng said, ¡°I¡¯m anguage teacher at Nanjing¡¯s 13th Middle School, just turned sixty this year, please take care of me.¡±


    Tan Xiao asked: ¡°What does ¡®just turned sixty¡¯ mean?¡±


    Mr. Cheng: ¡°Cough, it means sixty years old.¡±


    Tan Xiao: ¡°And twenty?¡±


    Mr. Cheng answered formally, ¡°That is, of course, one¡¯sing of age.¡±


    Tan Xiao looked puzzled: ¡± Quite weak, huh?¡±


    He originally wanted to use some high-ss idioms, but now he thought better of it.

 Chapter 248: 248: Introduction Completed

    Chapter 248: 248: Introduction Completed<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Here¡¯s Tan Xiao¡¯s self-introduction:


    ¡°My name is Tan Xiao, the same Tan and Xiao from ¡®Speaking and Laughing¡¯. I¡¯m known as Brother Laugh! I roamed the underworld at eight, swore loyalty to an older brother at ten! I¡¯ve seen the ebbs and flows of the underworld for decades! I became strong bare-handed! I live by brotherhood! Come to me if there¡¯s any trouble! Brother Laugh is always at your service!¡±<div>


    He finished speaking, hands on his hips, revealing a set of pearly white teeth.


    Everyone:n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Tan Xiao looked left and right, and yet no one pped.


    He was deste.


    Only Bai Youwei and Pan Xiaoxin were left to introduce themselves.


    Pan Xiaoxin nced at Bai Youwei.


    Bai Youwei, half-lidded eyes, looked nonchnt, showing no intention of speaking.


    Pan Xiaoxin:


    After contemting for a moment, he said: ¡°My name is Pan Xiaoxin. I lived with my grandparents in Hangzhou, attended Central Elementary School, grade five After Hangzhou was hit by the cmity, I had nowhere to go, so I wanted to join a group. But those adults, I don¡¯t know why, they fought all the time, they were reckless many people died ¡±


    While he was speaking, he noticed Bai Youwei nce over at him, eyes still half-lidded.


    Pan Xiaoxin felt guilty and his voice faded:<div>


    ¡°Later Later I met Sister Weiwei and Brother Mo, they were willing to take me into the maze, so I felt that this team might survive, so I joined all of you.¡±


    ¡°Child, you¡¯re not entirely honest, huh~~¡± Bai Youwei spoke slowly and leisurely.


    With his head hung low, Pan Xiaoxin honestly confessed: ¡°Those injuries were self-inflicted, but I didn¡¯t mean to harm you. I was just scared¡­ scared you would doubt me, so¡­¡±


    ¡°A kid with a mind for scheming, not cute at all.¡± Bai Youweizily said, ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. You aren¡¯t a pet, you don¡¯t have to be cute. As long as you can stay alive, it¡¯s enough.¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin paused, then looked up at her.


    ¡°Is it my turn now ¡± Bai Youwei stretched, looking tired, ¡°My name is Bai Youwei, a cripple.¡±


    That was it.


    Everyone waited quietly for three seconds.


    Then they realized she had no intention of saying anything more. Their feelings were somewhatplex.


    ¡°Weiwei, you¡¯re not being fair.¡± Tan Xiaoined, ¡°You didn¡¯t even tell us your age!¡±


    Bai Youwei red at him, ¡°Since when is it okay to ask ady her age?!¡±<div>


    Tan Xiao: ¡°Everyone else said it!¡±


    ¡°Hmmph, I¡¯m not going to tell you anyway.¡± Bai Youwei turned her face away haughtily, refusing to look at him, ¡°Only two people in the world could know my age, one is the person who gave birth to me, the other is the person who will bury me.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Tan Xiao was puzzled.


    Bai Youwei exined, ¡°Because the person who buries me will have to write on my tombstone, ¡®Here lies Bai Youwei, born in this year and month, died suddenly in this year and month.¡¯ Don¡¯t you understand that?¡±


    Tan Xiao gave an ¡°oh¡±, ¡± that makes sense.¡±


    The others had nothing left to say.


    Yan Qingwen asked another question, ¡°You seem to be good at clearing games, have you had any previous training?¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily good, but after ying a few times, one can always be more proficient than others.¡± She rested her chin on her hand, speaking casually, ¡°Just like um, if you y connect games more often, your sense of touch will also improve, it¡¯s the same principle.¡±


    She asked Yan Qingwen, ¡°How many times have you yed the game?¡±


    ¡°Three times.¡± Yan Qingwen smiled, ¡°The first ythrough was sessful, and we received an item called the Self-Healing Bandage. The second game was too hard, and we used up five jigsaw puzzles. The third time was the luck-and-answer quiz. If this one also counts, then it¡¯s four.¡±


    Bai Youwei nodded deliberately: ¡°That¡¯s a bit short. It¡¯s better to go into the game more often. Practice makes perfect, and it saves you from being at a disadvantage in the future.¡±<div>


    Li Li couldn¡¯t help saying: ¡°The games get sicker and sicker each time, yet we should go more often? What if we die before getting used to it?¡±


    Bai Youwei burst intoughter: ¡°Then I¡¯ll set up a tombstone for you. ¡®Here lies Li Li, who died suddenly in a certain year and month¡«¡¯¡±


    Li Li:


    He just shouldn¡¯t have asked.

 Chapter 249: 249 Reserve Three Pieces

    Chapter 249: 249 Reserve Three Pieces<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Yan Qingwen said, ¡°Our situation is not suitable for frequent game y. The doll games are mostlypetitive, and going in inevitably leads to infighting. What matters now is to safely escort Li Li and the object in his possession to Shanghai.¡±


    He paused, then added, ¡°I hope nothing has happened in Shanghai.¡±<div>


    Shen Mo asked him, ¡°If you¡¯re in a hurry to escort someone, why did youe to Hangzhou?¡±


    Yan Qingwen was silent for a moment.


    The others around him also fell silent.


    Shen Mo picked up a piece of firewood and threw it into the firece.


    The mes were suddenly suppressed, then suddenly red back up, burning fiercely.


    ¡°Before we entered the fog, we did not know that there was a maze inside.¡±


    Yan Qingwen spoke again.


    ¡°Aftering out of the maze, our physical abilities had upgraded and we obtained five puzzle pieces. We believed at that time that the puzzle pieces were the key to our research. Unexpectedly, in the subsequent game, we had to use up our game exemption of the puzzle pieces. Li Li is worried if the puzzle pieces, now devoid of their exemption, still hold enough research value to allow SCO researchers to crack the doll game?¡±


    ¡°So you went?¡± Tan Xiao asked incredulously. ¡°Just for a research sample? Wow, you guys are fearless!¡±


    Li Li couldn¡¯t help but interject, ¡°We didn¡¯t expect the maze to change! We thought any ce with fog would turn into a desert and that we could get the puzzle pieces as long as we got out of the desert. Who would¡¯ve known that the maze in Hangzhou would turn out like that!¡±


    The inertia of human thinking.<div>


    If you find a box on the road, open it and find a pair of shoes inside, when you see a second box exactly the same, you would instinctively judge: there is a pair of shoes in the box.


    ¡°We were too hasty,¡± Yan Qingwen exined calmly. ¡°After our physical abilities were upgraded, we all got a bit too excited and neglected the maze numbers that the game system mentioned when settling the scores.¡±


    Bai Youwei said, ¡°The five puzzle pieces without the exemption are useless to you anyway. Why not give them to me?¡±


    Yan Qingwen was slightly startled, ¡± You want to collect the puzzle pieces?¡±


    Li Li was shocked. ¡°We don¡¯t even know how many pieces there are in total! How can we collect them?!¡±


    ¡°In life, we always need a goal,¡± Bai Youwei chuckled.


    Tan Xiao also chimed in, ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re useless to you guys anyway. Just give them to us~¡±


    Instinctively, Li Li clutched his pocket tightly, where the puzzle pieces were stored. The pieces were hard-won, and although they were indeed useless to them now it still hurt so much to part with them!


    ¡°If we can get out of here, we will give them to you.¡± Yan Qingwen said.


    ¡°Boss Yan!¡± Li Li and Su Man eximed almost simultaneously.


    Yan Qingwen waved his hand and looked at Bai Youwei, ¡°It is indeed useless to us. As for research material, the three pieces from the Hangzhou maze are enough. If we can leave here, it can serve as a gift for our encounter.¡±<div>


    Bai Youwei smiled slyly and nced sideways at Pan Xiaoxin at her side, ¡°Xiaoxin, learn from it. This is true cunning ¨C don¡¯t spread out the hunting falcons till the hares appear. He¡¯s trying to curry favor while making an outright deal.¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin:


    Yan Qingwen smiled faintly, ¡°If you think it¡¯s not appropriate, we don¡¯t need to make this deal.¡±


    ¡°Sure, we should make a deal,¡± Bai Youwei smiled gleefully. ¡°As long as you take us out, we¡¯ll take those five puzzle pieces, and we¡¯d also like to reserve the other three pieces you have.¡±


    Yan Qingwen:


    Li Li couldn¡¯t help but say: ¡°You are just too greedy ¡±


    ¡°Li Li.¡± Yan Qingwen stopped him, a gentle smile ying on his handsome face, ¡°This is a good thing, at least it shows Miss Bai has confidence.¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 250: 250: The Sound of Music

    Chapter 250: 250: The Sound of Music<div>


    Trantor:549690339n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Su Man was unconvinced. ¡°What if we¡¯re the ones who get us out in the end? How should we count that?¡±


    ¡°How to count? Well perhaps I can give you my puzzle?¡±<div>


    Bai Youwei took out a puzzle from her bag, spread it out in front of them,ying in her palm was three almost identical puzzle pieces.


    They had a silver-grey metallic texture, reflecting the flickering light from the firece, sparkling brilliantly.


    One piece was hers, another was Shen Mo¡¯s, and thest one had been snatched from Old Zhao.


    Su Man, Yan Qingwen, and Li Li were all taken aback.


    Especially Su Man.


    She had mentioned it offhandedly earlier, not really intending to ask for Bai Youwei¡¯s puzzle.


    Just as she was about to decline, Bai Youwei suddenly drew back her hand and put the puzzle back in her bag.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way I would give it to you.¡± Bai Youwei responded coldly,¡±On ourst game, I didn¡¯t even charge you for helping you pass.¡±


    Su Man:


    Li Li:


    Unable to contain hisughter, Yan Qingwen asked, ¡°Are you sure you can pass? You must know that the Inspector didn¡¯t issue this Gold Coin for simple reasons. This game is incredibly difficult.¡±<div>


    Bai Youwei hooked the corner of her lips and squinted at the leaping mes in the firece, ¡°Yes, I wonder if I can pass¡­¡±


    Unconsciously, she was starting to look forward to it


    If it were too easy, she would find it dull,


    Only on the line between life and death could she truly appreciate being alive.


    Therefore


    She was really looking forward to it.


    Theirte-night discussionsted until midnight.


    Everyone then gradually retired to their rooms to rest.


    Bai Youwei fell asleep by the firece.


    Shen Mo took the middle shift of the night, choosing to stay in the living room with her. When the time came to change shift around three am, Bai Youwei¡¯s hair was already dry. Shen Mo carried her upstairs to rest.


    Bai Youwei muttered something in her sleep before sinking back into his arms.<div>


    That night, Shen Mo only slept for two to three hours but slept peacefully. The house seemed to have a certain magic that allowed everyone to let go of all their defenses and fears, resulting in a peaceful night¡¯s sleep until dawn.


    The first thing Shen Mo felt when he woke up the next morning was surprise. It was eerie to have slept so deeply in a strange environment.


    The next thing he realized was that the rain had stopped.


    The clear blue sky outside the window was spotless and cloud-free. The brilliant sunshine poured in, coating the dull wooden floor with ayer of golden glow, the wood grain rippling like gentle waves in water.


    Bai Youwei wasying with her head on his arm. Under the sunshine, her hair shone brightly, and even the tiny hairs on her skin visible were visible ¡ª pinkish, soft, her facial expression was mildly calm, devoid of the usual sarcasm and arrogance, only childlike innocence remained.


    She was lying sideways in his arms, her small hand resting on his chest, sleeping peacefully.


    Shen Mo watched her for a while, thinking about something she had said yesterday.


    ¡ªWould you sneak a kiss on me while I¡¯m asleep?


    Yesterday, he thought her thought pattern was unusual.


    Now that he thought about it, his breathing had unconsciously be gentle.


    He nced at the beautiful morning light outside the window again, then swept his gaze over the quiet room. His gaze lowered and fell back on her face.<div>


    The sound of his heartbeat was clear.


    He leaned in slightly, the tip of his nose brushing against the stray hair on her forehead, causing a slight tickling sensation.


    Her eyshes fluttered, slowly opening her eyes. The light brown eyes, filled with a hint of drowsiness as if on the brink of falling back to sleep.


    Shen Mo quietly waited for a while, watching her clear eyes gradually awaken.


    He exhaled gently, reached out a hand and ced it on her forehead. She no longer had a fever.


    In her drowsiness, Bai Youwei muttered, ¡°Did you hear I think there¡¯s music ying?¡±


    Music?


    Shen Mo furrowed his eyebrows.


    He hadn¡¯t noticed it earlier, but now, he thought he actually heard it¡­


    A faint sound of music, almost inaudible, with a soft tinkling like a music box.

 Chapter 251: 251 Dedicated to Alice

    Chapter 251: 251 Dedicated to Alice<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Without having a chance to wash up, Shen Mo got up hastily and went downstairs, bumping into Su Man, Zhu Shu, Pan Xiaoxin, and Chang Weicai at the front door who had also heard the music.


    ¡°What¡¯s making that noise?¡±<div>


    ¡°Not sure, it seems to being from downstairs.¡±


    They quickly exchanged a few words and went downstairs together, where they saw Yan Qingwen, Lun Ang, and Li Li. All three were leaning against tables or lying against the wall, having just been roused from sleep.


    Shen Mo was bewildered.


    These three were the ones who kept watch during thest night shift, but looking at them now, had all of them fallen asleep?!


    Peopleing out of special forces shouldn¡¯t have such ack of alertness! The only answer was that there was some force at y, causing these three people to fall into an unconscious sleep!


    Just like he hadst night!


    On thinking about this, he felt tense.


    This situation was awful. In such arge room, with ten people, not one person was awake. This was too rming!


    Yan Qingwen¡¯s face also wore a look of disbelief, evidently also realizing his unusual behavior.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± He looked around the room, ncing towards the front door in response to the sound, questioning, ¡°What noise is that?¡±


    The music seemed toe from outside the door.<div>


    ¡°We don¡¯t know. We just heard it.¡± Zhu Shu stopped on the stairs, looking uncertainly at the door, ¡°The sound isn¡¯t loud but I don¡¯t know why Su Man and I were awoken by this music almost simultaneously.¡±


    Lun Ang frowned, ¡°Why did music suddenly start ying? Where did ite from?¡±


    He walked to the window, trying to peer through it to see if there was anything at the front door. However, within his limited field of view, he didn¡¯t find any suspicious persons or items.


    Everyone looked at each other in shocked disbelief.


    The music was beautiful and captivating, lively and soothing, amon tune called ¡°F¨¹r Elise¡± yed frequently in music boxes. Yet, in the current situation, it sounded out of ce, hauntingly eerie like some requiem.


    Yan Qingwen was pondering over who should be assigned to open the door.


    Shen Mo thought of Bai Youwei who was alone in the bedroom, and unable to set his mind at ease, returned to carry her out and set her on the wheelchair near the stairs.


    Bai Youwei was never in a good mood when she woke up early.


    She nced at everyone, asking with annoyance, ¡°What are you all standing around for? Open the door.¡±


    Lun Ang thought for a moment and, leveraging his tall and robust stature, went to open the door with confidence.


    Yan Qingwen stopped him halfway.<div>


    Yan Qingwen handed Lun Ang a piece of firewood to serve as a weapon for self-defense.


    Seeing this, everyone held their breath and quieted down, their faces tense as all eyes turned to the door.


    Lun Ang gripped the rough piece of firewood in his hand, stared at the door, and began advancing slowly.


    Slowly


    Steadily


    Closer and closer


    The music was still ying.


    Just as he gathered his nerves to reach for the door handle, Bai Youwei lost patience and snapped, ¡°It¡¯s so freaking noisy, who¡¯s that outside!¡±


    Lun Ang staggered!


    And just then, the music stopped!


    A childish yet familiar voice echoed from outside the door¡ª<div>


    ¡°Aha~ Hello everyone! I am the game inspector for this round. It seems that you¡¯ve all got up, may Ie in now?¡±


    Everyone:


    What the heck was happening! They could even knock the door???


    And they even responded to the knock!!!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Bai Youwei rolled her eyes, ¡°Can¡¯t youe in by yourself? Do we need to invite you in?¡±


    The voice outside didn¡¯t show any signs of rush or frustration and seemed to chuckle:


    ¡°Hey hey~ Because of the peculiarities of this game, without the permission of the doll house owner, no one can enter, even if I¡¯m the inspector~¡±


    Bai Youwei: ¡°Huh, then stay outside forever.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not good either, if I don¡¯te in, the game can¡¯t start, if it doesn¡¯t start, it can¡¯t end, if the game doesn¡¯t end, you can¡¯t get out Do you want to stay in the doll house forever?¡±

 Chapter 252: 252: The Late Inspector

    Chapter 252: 252: The Late Inspector<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Bai Youwei bluntly shouted at the door: ¡°It¡¯s none of your business whether I want to stay here or not. Just wait outside for now!¡±


    Su Man stared in disbelief, ¡°You¡¯re seriously not letting it in? The game can¡¯t start if the Inspector doesn¡¯te in!¡±<div>


    ¡°Did I say it couldn¡¯te in?¡± Bai Youwei rolled her eyes, ¡°The question is, do you think now is the right time? What¡¯s the point of letting it in? To start the game? Are you even prepared? You haven¡¯t washed your face or brushed your teeth! What¡¯s the rush?¡±


    Su Man blushed at her words, biting her lower lip. She was furious but couldn¡¯t argue back.


    Bai Youwei curled her lips, saying: ¡°I don¡¯t care. I need to wash up first. I also need to drink water, eat something, go to the bathroom I haven¡¯t evenbed my hair. I can¡¯t let it in!¡±


    ¡°Qingwen,¡± Su Man said angrily, turning to Yan Qingwen.


    Yan Qingwen nced at Bai Youwei and said calmly, ¡°Let¡¯s do as she suggests. We indeed need to make some preparations before the game starts.¡±


    Frustrated, Su Man stormed upstairs.


    Zhu Shu thought for a moment and followed her up.


    Mr. Cheng was the first to rush to the kitchen to make instant noodles, hoping everyone could fill their stomachs before the game started.


    Everyone else scattered, some to freshen up, some to find handy weapons.


    With the game not yet started and everyone knowing little about the content of the game, the preparations they could make were also limited, they could only do their best to adjust their conditions.


    Everyone was busy, and they all ended up eating a thin noodle soup in the dining room, barely feeling ¡°full¡±.<div>


    Throughout the whole process, the Inspector actually stayed outside the whole time, ying ¡°F¨¹r Elise¡± over and over again.


    The originally pleasant melody had turned into ¡°noise¡± after countless repeats, it was terribly annoying, made people nauseous, and their ears almost calloused.


    When everyone had eaten and drunk their fill and was fully prepared, Bai Youwei finally agreed to let the Inspector in.


    A click was heard from the door.


    No one needed to open the door as it opened by itself.


    A music box with a circr top and square bottom appeared in front of everyone?


    The main body of the music box was a square box with a white background and gold edges, decorated with amon rose pattern, and one side had a gold winding key.


    A decorative crystal ball was on top of the square box. It was the kind of ss ball that would ¡°snow¡± if you shook it.


    ¡°Why is it you guys?!¡± the music box suddenly raised its voice.


    More precisely, it was the ball on top of the music box that was talking.


    ¡°I remember you! You stabbed my frog¡¯s belly! You bad man!¡±<div>


    The voice of the crystal ball was agitated, paused for a second, then forcibly suppressed its emotions and said:n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°But don¡¯t worry, as the Inspector, I will preside over the game fairly and impartially, and will not take the opportunity to seek revenge, making it intentionally difficult for you~¡±


    The ending tone of its words showed its schadenfreude nature.


    Everyone looked at each other.


    Shen Mo and Bai Youwei naturally recognized it; the childish voice, coupled with this spherical shape, how could they not be familiar?


    Tan Xiao also recognized it, expressing his surprise: ¡°So the Inspector can change shape? It¡¯s not a golden ball this time!¡±


    ¡°I can be any ball!¡± the crystal ball said cheerfully and proudly, ¡°Golden ball, silver ball, iron ball, wooden ball, fireball, ice ball, crystal ball~ any ball in the world!¡±


    It floated into the room contentedly,nding on a cab by the wall. Its ball body was crystal clear, with fine snow swirling inside, making it look beautiful.


    ¡°Can you transform into a ser ball?¡± Tan Xiao asked.


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    ¡°And a basketball?¡±<div>


    ¡°As long as it¡¯s a ball, it¡¯s possible. The perfect sphere is the most perfect shape in the entire universe!¡± it said happily.


    ¡°So, as long as it¡¯s a ball, you can transform into it? Um uh ¡± Tan Xiao pondered, ¡°Can you transform into a football (rugby)?¡±


    The crystal ball seemed insulted and yelled: ¡°I keep saying that a perfect sphere is the most perfect shape in the universe! You are still talking about football (rugby)! Is football (rugby) round?!¡±

 Chapter 253: 253: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Without Winter

    Chapter 253: 253: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Without Winter<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Tan Xiao, feeling guilty under its questioning, whispered to the teacher beside him, ¡°Isn¡¯t the rugby ball round?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Li Li disdained, ¡°Of course, a rugby ball is olive-shaped!¡±<div>


    Tan Xiao was taken aback, immediately puffed up his chest and said to the Crystal Ball, ¡°Did you hear that? It¡¯s olive-shaped! Isn¡¯t an olive round? You think I¡¯ve never seen an olive before!¡±


    Li Li was speechless, ¡°An olive is elliptical! Elliptical!¡±


    Tan Xiao was angry and looked at him, ¡°Which side are you on?!¡±


    Li Li was furious, ¡°This TM has nothing to do with which side I stand on!¡±


    Crystal Ball:


    It was silent for a few seconds, murmuring disdainfully, ¡°Such a level of yer could survive until now this is truly a miracle in the data world ¡±


    Bai Youwei also joined in the fun, ¡°The Dung Beetle also pushes a ball~¡±


    Ball:


    Everyone:


    Tan Xiao: ¡°HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH *burp*!!!¡±


    Heughed crazily for a while, noticing everyone else was notughing, he stopped, opened his eyes wide and asked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t youughing? Don¡¯t you find it funny? It¡¯s shit! It¡¯s shit¨C¡±<div>


    ¡°Laugh~ Laugh~~ Laughter will be the prelude to your suffering.¡± the Crystal Ball hummed coldly, ¡°Now let¡¯s start the game hey, the guy who wasughing stupidly,e here.¡±


    Tan Xiao asked in a daze, ¡°What for?¡±


    The Crystal Ball twisted, and the snowke inside floated, ¡°Hey, do you see my winding key? Come and turn it a few times, then we can start announcing the game rules.¡±


    Tan Xiao: ¡°Why do I need to wind it? It¡¯s so troublesome, just tell me the rules directly!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called a sense of ritual! Do you understand the sense of ritual?!¡± The Crystal Ball said irritably, ¡°You yers just won¡¯t cooperate! Not at all!!!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Yan Qingwen stepped forward, grasped the winding key on the side of the music box, and turned it several times.


    He let go, the golden winding key slowly turned and a soothing melody began to y¨C


    Ding ding dong dong


    Ding ding dong dong


    With the ethereal music, a childish voice recited a joyful nursery rhyme:


    ¡°Spring Bear wakes up,<div>


    It lost two children and is really anxious;


    The summer rain is so heavy,


    It¡¯s pitch ck and the treasure is nowhere to be found;


    Who came in the autumn?


    Look, why does the Nail Tooth Monster open its mouth to reveal no teeth?


    Winter, finally winter is here~


    Which child will see Snowke?¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    As the nursery rhyme ended, so did the music.


    The Crystal Ball spoke again: ¡°The theme of this game is ¡®Dollhouse¡¯, the rules are very simple. Every 8 hours, the season will change. In spring, summer, and autumn, the dollhouse will receive three guests ordingly. The yers need to meet each guest¡¯s needs. When winteres, the game will end.


    Be aware that if a guest¡¯s needs aren¡¯t met, time will remain in the season corresponding to that guest.¡±


    The Crystal Ballughed, and the snowke inside it fluttered about.<div>


    ¡°You understand now, right? If winter doesn¡¯te, none of you can leave~¡±


    Yan Qingwen asked, ¡°What are the needs of the guests?¡±


    The Crystal Ball chuckled, didn¡¯t answer him directly, but recited the nursery rhyme again:


    ¡°Spring Bear wakes up,


    It lost two children and is really anxious;


    The summer rain is so heavy,


    It¡¯s pitch ck and the treasure is nowhere to be found;


    Who came in the autumn?


    Look, why does the Nail Tooth Monster open its mouth to reveal no teeth?


    Winter, finally winter is here~


    Which child will see Snowke?¡±


    Yan Qingwen pondered for a moment, went to the side, and picked up a stuffed bear on the ground.


    ¡°The bear in the spring lost its children, so, is the guest a bear? And its need is to find its own child?¡±

 Chapter 254: 254: The Bear in Spring

    Chapter 254: 254: The Bear in Spring<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    ¡°Aha~ You are a smart yer.¡± The Crystal Ball chuckled, ¡°And I am an excellent and responsible Inspector, so I can¡¯t give you anymore hints~¡±


    Li Li asked with an unhappy look on his face, ¡°If the toy bear is the bear¡¯s child, what about the treasure of summer? We¡¯ve turned this house upside down and haven¡¯t found anything that could be considered a treasure.¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om<div>


    ¡°It appears to be a scavenger hunt. If the corresponding item isn¡¯t found, the guest won¡¯t leave and the Doll House will remain in a certain season.¡± Yan Qingwen pondered for a moment before asking the Inspector, ¡°If we get it wrong, will there be a penalty?¡±


    The Ball replied, ¡°Of course! If you upset the guest, they will throw a tantrum!¡±


    At this point, the Ball seemed particrly excited, and its Snowke special effect fluttered more lightheartedly.


    ¡°The first time an incorrect item is found, the guest will throw a tantrum for 1 minute! The second time, 3 minutes! The third time ¨C a full 5 minutes! Trust me, there won¡¯t be a fourth time, because no yer can withstand 5 minutes of their tantrum! ¡ª¡±


    Thest sentence was purposely drawn out, resembling a viinous character in an anime.


    After sessfully turning a few yer¡¯s faces white, the Ball seemed quite satisfied. Apart from the snowkes fluttering, its built-in little colored lights also intermittently brightened and twinkled.


    Bai Youwei and Shen Mo exchanged nces.


    After a moment of silence, Bai Youwei asked an unrted question:


    ¡°Why did youe only now? Is the Inspector short-staffed?¡±


    The Crystal Ball shook head, mimicking the action, ¡°Each Inspector¡¯s avatar count is not less than 99, enough to manage every game. What¡¯s more, the recent decline in the number of online yers will make our work less busy in the future~¡±


    ¡°Avatar? As in a clone?¡± Shen Mo asked.<div>


    ¡°Clone?¡± The Ball paused, thenughed out loud, ¡°Hahaha, it seems like humans with only one body find it hard to understand the existence of multiple bodies! In fact, I also don¡¯t understand why you only evolved one body? Doesn¡¯t that make things inefficient?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not being efficient either.¡± Bai Youwei retorted coolly, ¡°You¡¯rete.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s because this game is running for the first time, there are many things to debug, the early stage work is very tedious~¡±


    The Inspector Ball, without a sense of any wrongdoing, cheerfully said:


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s start the game now! ~ I will guide and give you hints throughout the game, you just need to wind my spring! ~ Ah ah ah, so excited, it¡¯s the Doll House¡¯s first start!¡±


    Its colored lights twinkled, its snowkes danced, and it recited:


    ¡°The Spring Bear is awake, it is very worried about losing two children ¡±


    As its voice trailed off, a bear¡¯s roar suddenly came from outside the house!


    Everyone:


    There¡¯s really a bear?


    A brown-gray bear slowly climbed the hillside, its bodyrge and sturdy, with thick fur, and bear paws as big as a human head!<div>


    The bear at this moment stood upright on the hillside, over 2 meters tall! So fierce, yet with a red bow around its neck! It¡¯s as if it walked straight out of a circus.


    In its left paw, it carried a bucket containing several fishes.


    Everyone looked at the bear outside the window and were momentarily speechless.


    The bear wobbled to the front door, looking rather foolish, then squatted down, lifted its paw, and knocked on the door.


    Bang, bang!


    Everyone looked at each other.


    ¡°¡­Should we give it the toy bear now?¡± Li Li looked at everyone¡¯s expressions, then turned to Yan Qingwen, ¡°Yan bro, if we give it the toy bear, would this round be over, and then we¡¯ll enter summer?¡±


    Yan Qingwen mused, ¡°Each seasonsts for 8 hours, there¡¯s no rush, let¡¯s look around the house first.¡±

 Chapter 255: 255: Magical or Not

    Chapter 255: 255: Magical or Not<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Out of the ten people present, everyone minus Bai Youwei, who was handicapped started rummaging through the house.


    The house was filled with countless dolls. Although finding them was a rtively easy task, they soon unearthed a huge pile of teddy bears of various colors, materials, and shapes¡ª<div>


    Big and small, fat and thin, ones with pants or hats, all types were found.


    ¡°Look at this one, it¡¯s like the bear outside!¡±


    Zhu Shu pulled one out of the pile of dolls. It was a brown stuffed bear with a bow at the cor. The bow was identical to the one on the bear outside, both were red with ck polka dots.


    ¡°The Spring Bear has awoken. It has lost its two cubs and is truly anxious There should be one more bear like this,¡± Yan Qingwen furrowed his brows, ¡°Everyone look again. Is there another toy bear with a red and ck dotted bow?¡±


    Everyone was busy looking for the bear.


    Drawers, wardrobes, wall cabs, storage boxes, underneath beds, behind doors, inside the attic¡ªeven the chimney was not spared!


    They found different types of bears, but none wore a red and ck dotted bow!


    ¡°Brother Yan, these are all the bears we could find.¡±


    ¡°Could we have been wrong? Perhaps it doesn¡¯t necessarily have to wear a bow?¡±


    ¡°But the bears without bows make up for more than forty. The range is toorge; we can¡¯t confirm this way.¡±


    ¡°What about ones with bows? Here we have blue bows, ck bows, pink bows¡­¡±<div>


    ¡°That would also result in dozens ¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve searched every possible ce, what do we do now?¡±


    The group discussed in a mor, checking the toy bears time and time again.


    Bai Youwei, having nothing to do, rolled her wheelchair over to the window to look at the bear outside.


    The bear was still there.


    It crouched motionless at the door, its massive, hulking figure resembling a mountain of meat.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    If a beast of this magnitude ran wild, every single person or even the house would likely suffer severe damages. Luckily it was noting in yet, giving them enough time to prepare.


    As the Inspector said, without the toy house owner¡¯s permission, no one could enter.


    Owner of the Toy House¡­


    Bai Youwei mused, finding this detail interesting.


    Then, Shen Mo came down from upstairs, his hands empty, unable to find anything.<div>


    He came over to take a sip of water and said, staring out the window, ¡°Each season changes after 8 hours, so the seasons of Spring, Summer, and Autumn take up 24 hours, a full day. But we can¡¯t be searching for things non-stop, there¡¯s no food here, and the longer we stay, the less favourable it is for us.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve just started, let¡¯s take it slow.¡± Bai Youwei remarked nonchntly as she watched the bear.


    Being wheelchair-bound, she knew she wouldn¡¯t be able to contribute much to the search.


    ¡°Brother Yan! Look at this!¡± Li Li suddenly shouted from upstairs.


    The few people downstairs turned to look as Li Li came downstairs, carrying a model of a pirate ship, with Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai following him.


    The ship model was about the length of an adult¡¯s forearm, with skull heads the size of a pinky fingernail, along with wood-carved food and gems painted neatly. It looked pretty convincing.


    ¡°This must be the treasure, right?¡± Li Li ced the ship model on the dining table and said, panting, ¡°When the guest from summeres, this wille in handy.¡±


    Yan Qingwen looked at the ship model, slightly nodding, he asked him, ¡°Who found it?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Li Li looked a little ufortable. He nced to the side, ¡± and Tan Xiao.¡±


    Tan Xiao didn¡¯t think much of it and straightforwardly said, ¡°We were up in the attic searching for the bear and found a huge whale stuffed animal! When we lifted it, it was pretty heavy! A plush toy shouldn¡¯t weight this much, right? So, we cut open its belly! Wow besides the stuffing, there was this big ship! Magical, isn¡¯t it!¡±


    <div>

 Chapter 256: 256 Red Ribbon

    Chapter 256: 256 Red Ribbon<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Bai Youwei chuckled, asking, ¡°Tan Xiao, were you guys ying in the attic just now?¡±


    Tan Xiao pondered for a moment, iming seriously: ¡°I misspoke earlier, it should be research! We found this whale, and while examining it, something didn¡¯t feel right, so we found this ship!¡±<div>


    Bai Youwei wheeled herself over and closely examined the ship model, ¡°Hmm It looks like a pirate ship loaded with treasure that unfortunately sank to the bottom of the sea and into the belly of a whale. If viewed this way, it indeed matches the ambiance of a ¡®treasure¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any ideas?¡± Yan Qingwen asked her.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Compared to others, Yan Qingwen attached more importance to Bai Youwei¡¯s reactions and attitudes. Not only due to Bai Youwei¡¯s calmness during the lucky quiz, but also because of the trust that Shen Mo, Tan Xiao, and Chang Weicai have towards her.


    However, the Bai Youwei at that moment wasnguid and careless, lightly shaking her head and remarking: ¡°No, I just feel the nursery rhyme, it seems a bit too simple.¡±


    Yan Qingwen: ¡°Simple?¡±


    ¡°As simple as an exam that directly tells you the answers, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡± Bai Youwei leaned on her hand as she gazed out of the window, murmuring, ¡°The old man in the grey robe brought us in, obviously with a vindictive intent, so there must be something wrong with this game.¡±


    There must surely exist a trap she had yet to discover or notice.


    She needs to think it over from the beginning.


    Spring Bear woke up, it lost two children and is really worried


    Now they found a pile of bear ¡°children¡±, but among the toy bears simr to the mother bear they found outside, there is only one, why?


    ¡°Could it be this one?¡± Su Man picked out one from the pile of teddy bears, took off its tiny boots, removed its small hat, and ced it next to the one Zhu Shu found. They looked almost identical, both being brownish-grey.<div>


    Chang Weicai sighed, ¡°But this toy bear doesn¡¯t have a bow.¡±


    Everyone was worried.


    After a moment of silence, Pan Xiaoxin asked hesitantly, ¡°What if we borrowed a bow from another toy? Would that count?¡±


    Everyone was stunned, then looked towards Pan Xiaoxin.


    ¡°Xiaoxin, have you seen other toys wearing this kind of bow?¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin pointed to the other side of the living room, ¡°A plush monkey over there has a red bow tied to its tail. The style is simr to this one.¡±


    To prove his point, Pan Xiaoxin quickly ran to the corner of the wall and dug out a plush monkey from a pile of stuffed toys.


    Everyone¡¯s hope was ignited.


    But when Pan Xiaoxin brought the monkey back, disappointment washed over their faces.


    The bow on the monkey¡¯s tail wasn¡¯t red with ck polka dots, but in red.


    Zhu Shupared the two bows, they were very simr in size and style, the only thing missing were the ck polka dots.<div>


    While contemting, Pan Xiaoxin spoke again: ¡°There is a ck marker in the small study room upstairs. We can draw the polka dots ourselves.¡±


    Nobody spoke for a moment.


    A child¡¯s approach can sometimes be surprisingly straightforward.


    Even though adults are used to the constraints of the adult world, it¡¯s hard for them to return to their original innocence.


    It¡¯s not that adults can¡¯t think of the same solution, but rather they¡¯re either afraid to think about it, or avoid thinking about it as much as possible. They¡¯re cautious and circumspect, unwilling to oppose the rules they are familiar with.


    ¡°Is this considered cheating?¡± Lun Ang frowned, ¡°If the bear isn¡¯t satisfied, ording to the Inspector, it will ¡®rage¡¯.¡±


    The indoor space is limited. If a raging beast were to be let loose, no matter where the ten of them would hide, someone would definitely get hurt.

 Chapter 257: 257: Need to do Needlework

    Chapter 257: 257: Need to do Needlework<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Xiaoxin¡¯s face was tiny and tensely creased, particrly serious.


    In truth, he was also not sure in his heart, but now he could not find the same type of bow tie, whether this n could truly work, he had no certainties at all.<div>


    Yan Qingwen pondered for a moment, then said: ¡°Let¡¯s do this, we¡¯ll search again, if we still can¡¯t find a bear wearing a red bow tie, nor can we find this type of red bow tie, we¡¯ll attempt Xiaoxin¡¯s method.¡±


    Everyone nodded in agreement.


    Bai Youwei said: ¡°The method to clear this stage should have a unique characteristic. If we can draw ck dots on the red bow tie with a ck pen to make it work, then wouldn¡¯t a homemade bow tie cut from a red fabric also work? While you are searching, you could concurrently look for fabrics of the same color; for instance, red furniture covers or red doll clothes.¡±


    ¡°There should be quite a few, I saw several fluffy dolls wearing red earlier.¡± Lun Ang stated.


    Even Teacher Cheng chimed in: ¡°I think I¡¯ve seen simr fabrics in the kitchen.¡±


    Once again, everyone spread out to search, but after a circuit of searching, they still gained nothing.


    Though in their memories an abundance of dolls with bow ties and red clothes existed, upon actual search they found that either the color pattern was incorrect, or the fabric was wrong.


    Some red was too deep, some red was too pale; some red was purplish, some red was orangey; and some were the correct red but had chequered patterns.


    Then there was also the problem with fabric. For example, silk and velvet havepletely different textures. Even if you were to cut them out and make them into bow ties, the shapes would be very different.


    Everyone regrouped in the downstairs dining room, where there were two bears set on the dining table.


    As well as a sewing kit.<div>


    Yan Qingwen said: ¡°It appears this methodplies with the characteristic of uniqueness, we may try it. Who is good at handicrafts here?¡±


    We need to remove the bow tie from the monkey¡¯s tail, draw ck dots of simr size onto it, and finally stitch it neatly in ce on the small bear¡¯s cor.


    This is something that most men cannot do.


    Zhu Shu looked at everyone, ¡± If none of you are confident, I can give it a try.¡±


    Li Li asked: ¡°Zhu Shu, do you know how to sew?¡±


    Zhu Shu: ¡°I can manage to sew things together simply, but I am not able to do anything moreplicated.¡±


    After she finished speaking she smiled lightly, ¡°Don¡¯t specte from my current state, but when I was studying, I used to score really well in handicraft.¡±


    Everyone had no objections.


    Zhu Shu took the scissors, attentively detached the bow tie from the monkey¡¯s tail, thenpared it to the other bear, and slowly drew ck dots


    There was just this one red bow tie in the entire room, so she couldn¡¯t make a single error as it would result in wasted efforts.


    Before anyone realized, Zhu Shu¡¯s forehead was dotted with fine sweat, and her hand was a bit shaky.<div>


    After thinking for a bit, Yan Qingwen said softly: ¡°We shouldn¡¯t all crowd here, let¡¯s disperse, and let her do it slowly by herself.¡±


    Zhu Shu was slightly startled, then gratefully smiled at Yan Qingwen.


    Everyone else also realized btedly that sticking around here wouldn¡¯t help, and would only make Zhu Shu more nervous.


    However, the room was so small that there was nowhere to hide. Some people went upstairs to see if they could find any additional clues rted to summer or autumn.


    Having alreadybed through the areas that could be searched, Shen Mo did not think another search would make any difference.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He stayed on the first floor, pulled up a chair, and sat down next to Bai Youwei to rest.


    Yan Qingwen also came over, stood by the window, and looked outside at the mother bear waiting quietly.


    ¡°A two-and-a-half-story building, aplete search should take no more than two hours, but the time set by the game system is a full 8 hours. Even after finding the correct item, we must wait for these 8 hours to pass before we can proceed into the next season What do you think is the reason for this?¡±


    ¡°To make us more restless ¡± Shen Mo said lightly, ¡°To create more doubt and uncertainty.¡±

 Chapter 258: 258 – How’s My Game?

    Chapter 258: 258 ¨C How¡¯s My Game?<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Bai Youwei murmured, ¡°We are the masters of the dollhouse, and they are the guests of the dollhouse. As masters, we entertain our guests If we take the wrong item and provoke the guests, we will have to face their rampage.¡±


    She seemed thoughtful, her gaze falling on the music box on the cab.<div>


    The Crystal Ball noticed her gaze and gave a light shake, ¡°Hey, why are you looking at me?¡±


    Bai Youwei smiled, ¡°Nothing much, I just find that nursery rhyme catchy. Can I listen to it again?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± The ball responded generously, ¡°Juste and wind the spring.¡±


    Shen Mo walked over, picked up the music box and gave it a few turns. The music followed, along with that nursery rhyme-


    Spring Bear is awake,


    it lost two children and is really in a rush;


    The summer rain is heavy,


    It¡¯s pitch ck and the treasure can¡¯t be seen;


    Who came in the autumn?


    Look, the Nail Tooth Monster is toothless when it opens its mouth?


    Winter, winter is finally here<div>


    Which child will see the snowke?


    Listening to it again, Bai Youwei¡¯s confusion remained unresolved. She rested her chin in her hand and muttered, ¡°Strange why is it so simple ?¡±


    Yan Qingwen nced at her, ¡°Spring is about finding the bear¡¯s children, summer is about finding treasure, the Autumn Nail Tooth Monster has no teeth; literally it should mean finding teeth, but we don¡¯t know what the Nail Tooth Monster is yet, so we¡¯ll ignore the teeth for now. Thest sentence, ¡®which child will see the snowke¡¯, should mean which yer will survive until winter.¡±


    ¡°If we take it all literally, indeed there are no obvious challenges.¡± Shen Mo looked around, ¡°Unless what we are looking for is not in this house.¡±


    Bai Youwei frowned and looked at the Crystal Ball, ¡°Are you sure what we¡¯re looking for is in this house? If it¡¯s out of scope, there must be hints, otherwise it would be breaking the rules.¡±


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s in this house!¡± The Crystal Ball huffed proudly, ¡°Every game designed by the inspectors is absolutely fair and just! How could it possibly be designed to prevent yers from passing? Am I really that bad?¡±


    Bai Youwei: ¡°You are.¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The Crystal Ball jumped!


    It jumped half a meter high, as if it was infuriated!


    ¡°You yer are crossing the line! If I was so bad, do you think the peoplest time would have passed safely?!¡±


    Bai Youwei: ¡°If you weren¡¯t so bad, we wouldn¡¯t have had to hold out until the ninth round to pass.¡±<div>


    Ball:


    Yan Qingwen said: ¡°So, you¡¯ve met before?¡±


    ¡°What, haven¡¯t you?¡± Bai Youwei was intrigued, and asked him curiously, ¡°You¡¯ve also passed the game, which Inspectors have you met?¡±


    Yan Qingwen said: ¡°The first Inspector we met, had a rabbit¡¯s head, looked like a gentleman, but sounded like ady. The second Inspector we met was very tall.¡±


    ¡°Was he blond and blue-eyed, looked like an out-of-date character from a 1980s girls¡¯ic, and had particrly long arms and legs, like a noodle man?¡± Bai Youwei asked.


    Yan Qingwenughed, nodding, ¡°I haven¡¯t read girls¡¯ics, so I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s simr, but he did have blonde hair and blue eyes.¡±


    ¡°That guy has a lot of tricks, likes to drive people into a corner.¡± Shen Mo frowned slightly, seemingly repulsed, ¡°I hope we don¡¯t run into him again.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s quite interesting, very innovative.¡± Bai Youwei said with a smiling face, ¡°The one I don¡¯t want to meet again is the Gray Robe Monster, his games are so boring, and so rudimentary.¡±


    ¡°The Rabbit Head¡¯s game is actually not bad, the rules are simple and crude, there¡¯s not so many twists and turns.¡± Yan Qingwenmented.


    Bai Youwei agreed: ¡°Yes, the simpler the rules are, the more they challenge the bnce of the game, and the Rabbit Head is much cuter than the others.¡±


    Unknowingly, the three began to discuss which Inspector¡¯s game was better.<div>


    The Crystal Ball, having listened to their conversation, couldn¡¯t contain itself and asked, ¡°What about me, what about me? How about my game?¡±

 Chapter 259: 259 Unfavorable Impression

    Chapter 259: 259 Unfavorable Impression<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    The three of them looked at it.


    With gentle courtesy, Yan Qingwen merely smiled and said, ¡°We¡¯ve just met. It¡¯s not fair to judge.¡±<div>


    Bai Youwei candidly replied, ¡°I¡¯m not impressed.¡±


    Shen Mo also said, ¡°I don¡¯t like pranks.¡±


    The sphere angrily responded, ¡°You ignorant humans! My game has the lowestpletion rate, thergest coverage, and the most data among all the doll games ..¡±


    Getting to this point, it was stumped, recollecting the rabbit man¡¯sment about the game data being too singr Unconsciously, its voice trailed off, expressing a slight air of guilt.


    There was a two-second silence before the sphere let out a loud snort!


    ¡°Humph! Anyway ..you guys just don¡¯t appreciate quality!¡±


    Meanwhile, Zhu Shu, having finished the bows, shouted from the dining room, ¡°Does this look eptable to you?¡±


    Everyone hustled over.


    The three left the inspector be and headed towards the dining table.


    Two small fluffy bears sat upon the walnut dining table.


    Brownish-grey fabric, ck eyes and noses, with a bow at their necks that had a red base with ck dots. They were almost identical.<div>


    Li Li eximed, ¡°Not bad at all Zhu Shu, you¡¯ve done a good job!¡±


    Su Man twitched her mouth, sarcasm dripping from her words, ¡°It¡¯s just sewing on a bow, nothing so skilled¡­¡±


    Yan Qingwen picked one up and inspected it, then looked at the others, ¡°I think it¡¯s eptable. What about you all?¡±


    Everyone took turns inspecting the teddy bears.


    Zhu Shu watched everyone¡¯s expressions nervously while biting her lip.


    This was their only chance, and she didn¡¯t want to be the one to mess it all up.


    When no one objected, Zhu Shu, who had the most tense look on her face, clenched her fist and asked in a dry and raspy voice, ¡°So do we open the door now?¡±


    Yan Qingwen turned to Shen Mo, asking for his opinion with a look.


    Shen Mo thought for a moment and stated, ¡°If we¡¯re wrong, the guest might go berserk. To be safe, I believe the elderly, children, and women should go upstairs and find a ce to hide.¡±


    Yan Qingwen nodded: ¡°That would be wise.¡±


    Su Man frowned, ¡°I¡¯ll stay. Let Li Li go upstairs, he¡¯s useless.¡±<div>


    ¡°Su Man!¡± Li Li¡¯s face turned red, ¡°I am, after all, a man. Can you at least respect that?¡±


    Su Man gave him a nce, surprisingly her words were not filled with temper this time, ¡°Li Li, I admit you¡¯re smart, but this is not the time to be stubborn.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going upstairs either.¡± Bai Youwei said.


    Everyone looked at her.


    Bai Youwei said calmly: ¡°I¡¯d be better off staying downstairs. Sitting in a wheelchair, no matter where I hide, it won¡¯t be suitable. I¡¯ll stay in the storage room on the first floor.¡±


    The storage room was right next to the stairs, a very small room with no windows, piled haphazardly with brooms, dustpans, mops, old cartons, adder, and other misceneous things.


    Shen Mo opened the door of the storage room, and the musty smell of dust hit them. He frowned, then turned to look at Bai Youwei behind him:


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s face was expressionless, ¡°Just here.¡±


    Shen Mo looked at her for a moment, then went into the storage room. He moved out some cartons that were taking up too much space and made room for the wheelchair.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Chang Weicai took Pan Xiaoxin and Zhu Shu upstairs to find hiding ces.<div>


    Though their bodies had been upgraded through the maze, they possessed neither the skills nor the experience to defend themselves or fight.


    Six people were left in the living room on the first floor.


    Yan Qingwen, Lun Ang, Su Man, Li Li, Shen Mo, and Tan Xiao.


    They each prepared, ready to wee the first guest of the Doll House.


    Su Man brandished her whip she took from behind her waist. As Tan Xiao didn¡¯t bring his baseball bat, he had to pick up a chunk of firewood to wield in his hand as a weapon. Li Li also picked up a stick, and lit one end in the firece¡­


    Bai Youwei motioned Shen Mo from behind the partially ajar door.


    Shen Mo walked over and asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    She grabbed his hand gently, and whispered, ¡°The rabbit is charging. If anything happens, I¡¯ll have it help you¡­¡±

 Chapter 260: 260: In Madness

    Chapter 260: 260: In Madness<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Ever since he participated in the lucky Q&A, the rabbit¡¯s battery had been almost drained. cing the rabbit on the turntable for thest few rounds of questions was merely an intimidation tactic.


    Now that they¡¯ve discovered the house has electricity, Bai Youwei will not miss this opportunity to charge.<div>


    She¡¯d left the rabbit near the firece throughout the night. It might have seemed like she was drying it, but in fact there was a socket on the wall.


    Charging from noon yesterday till this morning meant it wasn¡¯t fully charged, but it should be enough to deal with the bear outside.


    The only problem was how to control the current so as not to harm others.


    Bai Youwei took a quick look at the indoor environment.


    If it were a living space, the size of the house was just right and cozy.


    But if they had to fight a monster, the space was too cramped


    Too cramped; whether to attack or dodge, there wasn¡¯t enough room to maneuver.


    Shen Mo was also considering this issue, he reminded Bai Youwei, ¡°Don¡¯t attack when you¡¯re not at a safe distance.¡±


    Bai Youwei nodded in understanding.


    Shen Mo quietly closed the storage room door, then stood to the right of Yan Qingwen, while Lun Ang stood on his left.


    Yan Qingwen held the two bear cubs standing two meters from the door.<div>


    Tan Xiao guarded the stairs, Li Li was next to the drapes, and Su Man stood the furthest away, staring at the door with a whip in hand.


    Everyone was ready, just waiting for the bear toe in


    Yan Qingwen¡¯s heart sank and he addressed the door, ¡°Guest, pleasee in.¡±


    The door creaked open.


    Bai Youwei peeked out from the crack of the storage room door¡ª


    The sow was leisurely walking in, looking like a circus bear, moving its head from side to side, a picture of innocence.


    Yan Qingwen cautiously handed over the bear cubs.


    The mother bear slightly bowed her body, her eyes on him. After about two or three seconds, she parted the fur of her cheeks, revealed her shiny teeth, and growled


    Suddenly, the bear erupted!


    It raised its neck and let out a roar! It was unclear what had angered it, but the massive creature charged directly at Yan Qingwen with an overwhelming force!


    Yan Qingwen reacted swiftly, avoiding the charge on the side!<div>


    The wooden floor behind him instantly shattered! Under the ferocious impact of the bear¡¯s paw, the floor was as fragile as foam!


    Bai Youwei saw this and her heart skipped a beat.


    ¡ªWhy didn¡¯t it work?!


    By then, Yan Qingwen had already dashed towards the living room without thinking!


    The thundering impacts behind him continued as the bear relentlessly pursued!


    ¡°Stall for time!¡± Yan Qingwen shouted!


    A bear in rage can onlyst for one minute!


    They just needed to survive 60 seconds to be safe!


    Boom!


    The wooden coffee table was crushed by the enormous creature. Yan Qingwen dodged to the window, and the bear missed again!


    It was even more furious! Seeing Li Li near the firece, it let out another roar and went to pounce on him!<div>


    Li Li paled with fright, and raised a burning log in front of him, waving it and shouting, ¡°Come,e on! Come on!¡±


    The raging bear was not afraid of fire at all!


    Lun Ang and Shen Mo grabbed a tablecloth from either corner andted the sow, quickly switching positions to cross the bear¡¯s path and prevent it from attacking!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    However, the bear¡¯s strength took everyone by surprise! Its sharp ws tore through the tablecloth like a piece of paper!


    Pir¡ª


    The beast broke free, its huge paw pped into Li Li! He and the log he was holding were thrown against the wall and fell heavily!


    He coughed up blood and passed out right there.


    ¡°Li Li!!!¡±


    Su Man swung her whip at it!


    But a whip is not suitable for close-quartersbat. With too many obstacles, the cabs and tables around them affected the angle and power of the whip.


    This whip didn¡¯t even phase the bear.


    The log Li Li had struck before he fell had¡ª


    Sparks from the lognded on the thick fur, emitting a smell of burning hair, quickly snuffed out. It didn¡¯t harm the bear at all!

 Chapter 261: 261: Still in Shock

    Chapter 261: 261: Still in Shock<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Bai Youwei was anxious in the storage room.


    The rabbit could project electricity within two meters, but right now the distance was inadequate, and she could not lend a hand!<div>


    She indeed could order the rabbit to get close to the bear, but the bear remained in a berserk state, making it impossible for the rabbit to keep up, and she still needed to take into ount the distance of others!


    Electrical shock was different from other attacks, if she made a mistake, the consequences would be irreversible.


    By now, everyone had realized the extraordinary strength of this mother bear, each of them were spreading out to distract its attention!


    With no suitable weapons, and a huge disparity in strength between them, everyone was struggling, including Shen Mo.


    The previous battle with the frog was sessful because there was ample space to maneuver in the cave, and the frog did not have sharp ws or teeth, hence when attacked by Shen Mo it was defenseless as an elephant beset by fleas.


    But this berserk bear in front of them now


    Bai Youwei could not bear to think, what if Shen Mo met the same fate as Li Li, would he still survive a bear paw swat?


    She did not want to wait anymore!


    Instead of awaiting an opportunity, why not create one yourself!


    Bai Youwei pushed the door open abruptly! She stepped out, picked up a broom and whacked it at the wild beast!


    ¡°Dimwit,e here!¡± she said fiercely to the she-bear outside the storage room.<div>


    The charging position of the rabbit was right behind her.


    The mother bear turned around, stood up on its hind legs, and ¨C towering over Bai Youwei ¨C let out a deafening roar!


    The roar of the wild beast was filled with threats and wildness, different than the sound effects on TV. Hearing such a roar up close sent shivers down the spine, and evoked an instinctive fear!


    Bai Youwei was no exception, her heart pounded wildly!


    But she didn¡¯t dodge, she didn¡¯t retreat! She only waited for the bear to pounce, to strike it back when it entered within two meters!


    But then something unexpected happened.


    After the bear roared, for some unknown reason, it didn¡¯t attack Bai Youwei. Instead, it turned its attention to Tan Xiao at the stair entrance!


    It opened its big red mouth and snapped the piece of wood Tan Xiao was wielding in half!


    Tan Xiao shrieked!


    Just when he thought that he was done for, the mother bear retreated, spat out the wood splinters from its mouth, huffed and puffed for a while and then leisurely turned around, swayed, and walked out


    The door, slowly closed.<div>


    Everyone was still in shock,


    They looked at each other and saw the confusion in each other¡¯s eyes.


    Why didn¡¯t the two cubs work?


    Why didn¡¯t the bear attack Bai Youwei?


    Was it just because Tan Xiao was closer?


    There was no time to think further.


    Yan Qingwen and Su Man ran over to Li Li, after a brief check, both of them together helped to take off his top, revealing a horrifyingly bruised back.


    Yan Qingwen furrowed his brows, ¡°Lun Ang, bandages!¡±


    Lun Ang immediately took out a small roll of bandages from his waist pack and handed it to him. Yan Qingwen wound them around Li Li.


    The bandage was thin and narrow, like the props kids use when ying doctor, but once applied it immediately lessened the bruising. Yet Li Li still didn¡¯t regain consciousness.


    Su Man kneeled next to Li Li, crying, ¡°Li Li, please be alright you have to be alright ¡±<div>


    People from upstairs began toe down. When they had heard the beastly roars and howls, they knew something was amiss. Now seeing the mess on the first floor, they became even more uneasy.


    The bear went crazy, which meant they didn¡¯t get the items right.


    But if it wasn¡¯t the two cubs, then what were the two children mentioned in the nursery rhyme?!


    ¡°Is Li Li alright?¡± Zhu Shu asked as she walked over.


    Yan Qingwen frowned and shook his head, ¡°There might be internal bleeding, and we¡¯re not sure if there are fractures. Let¡¯s apply the bandage first, and move him to the sofa.¡±


    Shen Mo turned the flipped-over sofa upright, several marks from the beast¡¯s ws clearly visible on the back of the sofa.


    Yan Qingwen said in a low voice, ¡°Li Li¡¯s body was upgraded and is much stronger than the average person. But even then, just one swipe from the bear and look at the condition Li Li is in now ¡±


    He paused, raising his head to look at Shen Mo and Bai Youwei:n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°The difficulty of this dollhouse is undoubtedly not something an ordinary yer can handle.¡±

 Chapter 262: 262: Clothes

    Chapter 262: 262: Clothes<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    This is not something ordinary yers can handle, then, who can?


    The Dollhouse is a game designed specifically for maze yers.<div>


    This thought urred to the three of them almost simultaneously.


    ¡°A game that doesn¡¯t match the current yers¡¯ strength a game that the Inspector brought inte, a game that needs to be debugged because it was first run ¡± Yan Qingwen spected, ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, this game shouldn¡¯t have appeared at this stage. It was deliberately prepared for us by the Gray Robe Monster.¡±


    Everyone in the room understood what Yan Qingwen meant.


    Su Man grit her teeth and said, ¡°I must kill it! Kill it!!!¡±


    ¡°yers who attack the Inspector will be counterattacked,¡± Bai Youwei frowned, ¡°The rabbit-headed man can release lightning, the Gray Robe Monster can control the hurricane, and the ball seems to be able to control its gravity. None of them are easy to deal with.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget, each Inspector has hundreds of copies.¡± Shen Mo looked at them, ¡°Even if you kill one, there are countless others still alive.¡±


    Su Man bit her lip and cried bitterly.


    Powerlessness, despair, resentment!


    The emotions followed them like a shadow, recurring whenever they thought of the game¡¯s control over them, and no matter what they couldn¡¯t be shaken off!


    ¡°Let¡¯s discuss the game,¡± Yan Qingwen said, ¡°The bear went berserk after entering the room. Does this indicate that our thinking is incorrect and the bear¡¯s children are not these toy bears?¡±


    Everyone¡¯s faces turned solemn.<div>


    ¡°If it¡¯s not the toy bears, what does the bear¡¯s child refer to?¡± Yan Qingwen turned to Bai Youwei, ¡°Also, why didn¡¯t the bear attack you? A berserk Beast should not shift its target so easily after being provoked.¡±


    This point also puzzled Bai Youwei.


    If she was to say there was something different about her, it was her disabled legs, and also


    She frowned, looking at her vintage Lolita dress.


    Yan Qingwen noticed it too.


    ¡°Is it because of the clothes ¡±


    Bai Youwei looked towards the Crystal Ball not far away.


    Surely that thing is enjoying our misfortune, it is unusual for it to be silent seeing us in such trouble.


    ¡°Hey, Inspector ¡± Bai Youwei called out.


    The Crystal Ball swayed, a clear childish voice rang out, ¡°Mmm I¡¯m here, I¡¯ll guide you through, you just need to wind up my key ¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already memorized that nursery rhyme. I don¡¯t need to wind your key.¡± Bai Youwei frowned, ¡°But I want to know, what is the purpose of the clothes in the wardrobe upstairs?¡±<div>


    ¡± Clothes?¡± The Crystal Ball hummed and hawed, ¡°Clothes are, of course, to be worn.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no such rule in the game.¡± Bai Youwei said.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s because because ¡± the Crystal Ball wobbled, ¡°because you can wear them or not, there¡¯s no strict requirement, so it wasn¡¯t mentioned.¡±


    Bai Youwei sneered, ¡°Are you sure it doesn¡¯t matter whether we wear them or not? Then why did the mother bear attack those who weren¡¯t wearing dresses as soon as she came in?¡±


    The Crystal Ball continued to wobble, giving a vague exnation, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because it doesn¡¯t recognize you all ¡±


    Bai Youwei¡¯s smile went colder, ¡°It doesn¡¯t recognize us because those who don¡¯t wear doll clothes can¡¯t be considered the masters of the Dollhouse, right?¡±


    The ball grumbled, ¡°If you already know, why do you ask me?¡±


    ¡°If I don¡¯t ask you, I suppose you¡¯ll voluntarily tell me?¡± Bai Youwei mocked, ¡°By the time you voluntarily tell me, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll be long dead! You Inspectors really make me sick, on one hand saying fair and selfless words, on the other hand secretly tricking yers into the game, and that¡¯s not enough! You also deliberately hide the game rules! Why doesn¡¯t the game eliminate you wastes first!¡±

 Chapter 263: 263: Perfect Everywhere

    Chapter 263: 263: Perfect Everywhere<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    ¡°How can you say that?! That¡¯s outrageous!!¡± The sphere shouted in anger, ¡°For a game with such avish reward, of course the difficulty needs to be increased on an existing basis! Otherwise, how could there be bnce in the game?! How?!¡±


    Red lights flickered inside the crystal ball, and the floating snowkes were illuminated by the red light, looking like boiling sma!<div>


    ¡°You bunch ofymen! You don¡¯t understand anything at all!¡±


    It roared like a child.


    ¡°The Inspector has not only the duty to ensure the smooth running of the game but also to intervene in time when the game bes unbnced! I did not deliberately hide the game rules!¡±


    Bai Youwei looked at it steadily, ¡°So, if we dress correctly while giving it the teddy bear, there won¡¯t be any problems, right?¡±


    ¡°Well ¡± The sphere¡¯s voice faltered and then became angrier, ¡°Are you purposely trying to trap me with questions?!¡±


    Bai Youwei denied, ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡±


    Sphere: ¡°You¡¯re clearly trapping me with questions!!!¡±


    Bai Youwei no longer wasted words with it, and turned to Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen, ¡°It seems to be just a clothing issue. Let¡¯s go upstairs to change clothes.¡±


    Yan Qingwen gave her a deep look, nodded, and turned to go upstairs.


    The others also followed one after another.


    Shen Mo was thest to leave, leaving Bai Youwei and the sphere alone on the first floor, as well as the unconscious Li Li on the sofa.<div>


    The Crystal Ball floated unsteadily towards Bai Youwei, and said gloomily, ¡°Do you think you can pass the game just like this? Don¡¯t dream the difficulty of the Dollhouse is not that simple. Soon, you will pay the price for your arrogance!¡±


    Bai Youwei smiled.


    ¡°I have something to tell you.¡± she said.


    The sphere was slightly stunned and asked, ¡°What is it?¡±


    Bai Youwei said, ¡°Actually your game is the lousiest one out of all games! It¡¯s simply appalling!¡±


    Sphere:


    ¡°See, you paid the price even faster than me.¡± Bai Youwei smirked, ¡°Like right now, forced to endure humiliation in front of the yers. Are you happy?¡±


    Sphere:


    So furious.


    I wish she would die soon.


    One by one, the people upstairs came down.<div>


    Everyone had changed into new clothes, all feeling a bit ufortable.


    Zhu Shu was still okay, as she was used to wearing all kinds of performance costumes and theatrical clothes, so she was quitefortable with these kinds of clothes.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    But Su Man was quite awkward. She hardly wore dresses, unless necessary, and her normal outfit was a simple women¡¯s dress shirt with jeans. But now she had to wear this puffy princess dress with all sorts ofce and decorations. Su man looked quite upset.


    Teacher Cheng wore a ck tuxedo, looking like the butler of some old mansion.


    Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin were like the eldest and younger sons of that mansion.


    Lun Ang was robustly built, and even in a full suit, he still looked like a bodyguard.


    Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen were handsome enough, with good figures, looking like dignified and refined princes once dressed up¡ª


    Especially Shen Mo, maybe because there was a filter in Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes. When she saw Shen Moing downstairs, she almost stared.


    The broad outfit, the firm contours, the stern features, the deep eyes every aspect was perfect. Her gaze was undisguised, almost greedily admiring him.


    Shen Mo came to her, his thin lips slightly raised.


    ¡°Is it my illusion?¡± Heughed softly, ¡°Why do I feel that your eyes seem a bit lustful?¡±<div>


    ¡°Really ¡± Bai Youweiughed and wrapped her arms around his waist, her small hands wandering around, ¡°The clothes fit so well.¡±


    At this, several others looked upset.


    ¡°Yeah ¡± Lun Ang muttered, ¡°It¡¯s as if they were tailor-made for us.¡±

 Chapter 264: 264: Sigh of Relief

    Chapter 264: 264: Sigh of Relief<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Su Man was wearing a dark red dress with ckce trim, she assertively whipped the whip in her hand,ining:


    ¡°How can I fight dressed like this? It¡¯s even difficult just to get upstairs!¡±<div>


    Yan Qingwen said, ¡°We can¡¯t have too many people on the first floor. The space is too small, if the number of people increases, it will be difficult to dodge. Su Man, you take Li Li upstairs.¡±


    Shen Mo thought for a moment, then looked at Tan Xiao: ¡°You go too.¡±


    Teacher Cheng was quite worried: ¡°If so, wouldn¡¯t we have too few helpers downstairs?¡±


    ¡°This is enough,¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Later, I will go to get the teddy bear. All of you should stay away to avoid injury due to the props. If the teddy bear does not work, I will use the puzzle to exit the game before the bear rushes over. The rest of you are responsible for restraining it to prevent it from going upstairs to harm others.¡±


    After a pause, she nced at the music box not far away, then continued:


    ¡°However, I do not think there is likely to be an incident. If there is an issue with the teddy bear, the Inspector would not have answered so smoothly just now.¡±


    The Crystal Ball sat on top of the music box, quietly, refusing to talk.


    Everyone in the room looked at each other.


    They all have seen the power of Bai Youwei¡¯s prop, if it is her, maybe she can really do it.


    Yan Qingwen handed the two teddy bears to Bai Youwei.


    Shen Mo picked up the dry rabbit charging by the firece, walked to Bai Youwei, and gently ced it on herp.<div>


    The rabbit had been drying all night, it waspletely dry and carried the warm feeling of the fire, it was incredibly warm.


    It sat motionlessly on Bai Youwei¡¯sp along with the two teddy bears, as if they were just ordinary stuffed toys.


    Bai Youwei stroked the fur on its ears and said to Shen Mo: ¡°Push me to the door.¡±


    The others heard and exchanged nces, they went to the second floor and the attic to find ces to hide.


    Without much hesitation, Bai Youwei turned to the door and said, ¡°Guest, pleasee in.¡±


    The door again creaked open.


    The mother bear sat at the door, and after receiving permission from her host, she stood up with a robust and impressive body, she staggered in¡ª¡ª


    From such a close range, the sheer size of the beast was more oppressive than before, the sunlight at the door was almostpletely blocked by this beast, and the shadow of the beast engulfed Bai Youwei.


    The foul smell of the beast permeated out, making her frown involuntarily.


    The mother bear lowered her head and approached. The breath from her mouth was so strong that she wanted to close her eyes, she gritted her teeth and held out the two teddy bears in her hand.


    The mother bear sniffed the cubs in her arms, then suddenly gave a loud roar!<div>


    Bai Youwei was slightly startled, she then saw the bear raising its paws!


    Shen Mo on the other side clenched the fruit knife in his hand!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Yan Qingwen held onto him and whispered, ¡°Wait and see.¡±


    Two healthy bear paws attacked Bai Youwei! With a thud, the bear hugged the teddy bears in her hands!


    ¡°Roar roar roar roar roar! ¡±


    The mother bear roared!


    She wasn¡¯t sure if it was because of happiness from getting back what she lost, or it was scolding the two children who ran away from home.


    She held the two toy bears, turned around satisfied, and then slowly walked out of the room ¡ª¡ª down the slope and into the woods she disappeared.


    Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen both breathed a sigh of relief at the same time.


    Although they were pretty sure before the operation, they still felt flustered for a moment when they saw the bear raising its w.


    Fortunately, nothing happened.<div>


    ¡°Our guess was correct, the first time the guest went berserk was because we didn¡¯t change into the dollhouse¡¯s clothes,¡± Yan Qingwen said, ¡°It seems that in the guest¡¯s perception, if the yer does not change clothes, they are not considered the master of the dollhouse, but more like a strange invader, an enemy.¡±


    After speaking, he forced a bitter smile: ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the clothes would hold such a mystery. The Inspector intentionally hid it, maybe he wanted us to experience the guest¡¯s rampage?¡±

 Chapter 265: 265: Summer Preparations

    Chapter 265: 265: Summer Preparations<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    ¡°Next, as long as we find the items required by the guests of summer and autumn, we should be able to pass.¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°However, since the teddy bear¡¯s bow tie required us to draw and sew ourselves, the second round treasure won¡¯t probably be easy.¡±


    Yan Qingwen nodded, ¡°That¡¯s what I think. At present, that ship matches the characteristics of the treasure. But the so-called treasure is not necessarily restricted to gold and silver jewels.¡±<div>


    Shen Mo thought for a while and said, ¡°There¡¯s still time. After meeting the summer¡¯s guest, maybe we will get some hints.¡±


    Yan Qingwen walked up the stairs. ¡°I¡¯ll call them down.¡±


    Shen Mo slightly nodded, grabbed the wheelchair handle, and pushed Bai Youwei back to the living room.


    Bai Youwei casually ced the bunny back to where it should be charged and continued charging it.


    ¡°What do you think the treasure could be?¡± Shen Mo asked.


    Bai Youwei gently shook her head. ¡°The hint given by the nursery rhyme is very limited. Before seeing the guest, anything is possible.¡±


    She asked Shen Mo, ¡°Have you guys found anything suspicious after ransacking this house?¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡°If it¡¯s about the treasure, probably, the ship model found by Tan Xiao and Li Li.¡±


    Bai Youwei frowned.


    The difficulty of the game should be increasing, not decreasing. Since the first round toy bear required the yer to refine manually, how simple could the second round be?


    She turned her head and nced at the inspector in the distance.<div>


    The Crystal Ball seemed to be bothered by her previous act of evasion, humph, it turned it¡¯s back and presented its music box¡¯s gear lever towards her.


    Bai Youwei nonchntly withdrew her gaze.


    At this point,panions from upstairs wereing down in session. Besides Su Man, she stayed upstairs to take care of Li Li.


    Eight people sat in the living room, discussing what should be done next.


    ¡°The second part of the nursery rhyme goes, ¡®In summer, the rain is so heavy in the pitch dark that the treasure is nowhere to be seen.¡¯ Yan Qingwen looked at everyone, ¡°Anyone has any ideas, you can share.¡±


    Tan Xiao looked left and right, ¡°Isn¡¯t the treasure we found with Li Li the ship?¡±


    Lun Ang picked a toothpick and held it in his mouth to relieve some of his craving for nicotine, and vaguely asked, ¡°How sure are we about the ship?¡±


    Yan Qingwen thought for a while and said, ¡°Thirty percent.¡±


    Tan Xiao bulged his eyes in surprise, ¡°Thirty percent?! That¡¯s so low!¡±


    He didn¡¯t believe it and turned to Bai Youwei for confirmation, ¡°Weiwei! He says it¡¯s only thirty percent!¡±


    Bai Youweizily looked at him, ¡°If you ask me .only ten percent.¡±<div>


    Tan Xiao:n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Shen Mo: ¡°Considering our current understanding of the doll game, the game¡¯s difficulty should be increasing, not decreasing. We haven¡¯t got sufficient reason to believe that it¡¯s the ship. Since there are less than four hours from the arrival of summer, I suggest we start a new round of search. Not looking for the treasure this time, but observing every detail in this house, making note of all suspicious points, and then reasoning with all the clues after the summer guest arrives.¡±


    Yan Qingwen nodded and said, ¡°There¡¯s a study and three bedrooms upstairs. We can assign four persons to search, and three persons downstairs. After finishing their own assigned areas, they can start swapping for further search. Su Man will stay in the attic to look after Li Li. She will be responsible for the attic area.¡±


    He paused for two seconds and looked at Pan Xiaoxin, ¡°Also, Xiaoxin, in addition to searching your own assigned area, you should also check the stairway and hallway areas. You¡¯re younger and might notice things we could overlook. Can you do that?¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin nodded with a grave expression on his little face.


    ¡°Get one more person out.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°So far we have been only looking inside the house. The exterior eaves, window sills, and roofs should also be within this house area.¡±


    Yan Qingwen slightly nodded, scanning others with his eyes.


    Choosing the person was a problem.


    The outside of the house is more dangerous than inside. He thinks Shen Mo is the best choice, but Bai Youwei might not agree Although they haven¡¯t known each other for long, he can see Bai Youwei is very attached to Shen Mo.

 Chapter 266: 266: Until the Summer Begins

    Chapter 266: 266: Until the Summer Begins<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡±


    Lun Ang stood up, stretching his legs.<div>


    ¡°It¡¯s too exhausting for me to look for small details, my eyes are tired. I¡¯ll go outside and move around.¡±


    Yan Qingwen agreed.


    After some discussion, everyone set off on their own tasks.


    Lun Ang made a new discovery just as he stepped outside¡ª


    He hauled back arge iron bucket.


    ¡°Hey! The bear left its fish here!¡± Lun Ang couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°Such fat fish!¡±


    The iron bucket was filled with seven or eightrge Coho salmon, still alive, their mouths opening and closing in the cramped bucket, looking chubby and dumb.


    Master Chang quickly took it into the kitchen, filled the sink with water, and put the fish in it, preparing for a big feast.


    ¡°Two for soup, two for steaming, two for frying, and the remaining two how do you guys want to eat them?¡± Master Chang, who had only given them a few strands of instant noodles in the morning, asked apologetically.


    ¡°But why are there only eight fish? We have ten people!¡± Lun Ang grumbled, ¡°This damn game, always throwing strange things at us, but stingy when ites to rewards.¡±


    Master Chang reassured him: ¡°Eight fish are enough.¡±<div>


    ¡°Fine then.¡± Lun Ang patted his stomach and walked out, ¡°I¡¯ll go and see if there¡¯s anything else outside ¡±


    The others also dispersed to search the house.


    Bai Youwei, with nothing to do, sat on the first floor, taking in the house¡ªold, rustic, cozy with a touch of uncanny, just like a doll¡¯s house.


    The searchsted for more than an hour.


    By the end, the fish that Master Chang had cooked was ready. The entire room was filled with the aroma of fish, making everyone¡¯s mouth water. Who could still concentrate on the search?


    In the two days since they had arrived, other than a few loquats and strands of noodles, they hadn¡¯t had a proper meal. Although their bodies were coping, everyone was struggling with hunger.


    On the table, there was fish soup, fried fish fillets, and fish chunks, etc. The scent of fish was overwhelming.


    Everyone gathered around the table, praising Master Chang while eating.


    ¡°Master Chang! This fish is cooked perfectly!¡± Tan Xiao wolfed down his food, ¡°So delicious!¡±


    Chang Weicai, for once, didn¡¯t show any modesty: ¡°I also think the taste of the fish is quite good. Being single, I rarely cook such big meals. However, for some reason, this fish is easy to cook and doesn¡¯t have a fishy smell. Just a little bit of salt makes it taste great ¡±


    He took a bite of the fish, chewed and added: ¡°Even the fish bones are soft, so you don¡¯t have to worry about fish bones.¡±<div>


    All anyone else at the table could do was eat; they didn¡¯t have time to talk.


    Yan Qingwen thought for a moment, picked up another bowl, and scooped some fish soup into it. ¡°This fish might be the first round reward. It could be beneficial for our bodies. I¡¯ll bring some up to Li Li.¡±


    Shen Mo asked: ¡°Is his injury serious?¡±


    Yan Qingwen shook his head: ¡°There should be no life-threatening danger. The bandage is one of our props, it can heal any wounds; the only disadvantage is that it works slowly. If it¡¯s not applied for a long time, you can¡¯t see the effects.¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Shen Mo understood.


    The mud in their hands was also a prop and it worked extremely quickly. However, it was only effective for surface wounds. It helped stop bleeding and heal wounds but was useless for fractures or internal bleeding.


    Inparison, each prop had its advantages and disadvantages.


    Not long after Yan Qingwen went upstairs, he returned to the dining room downstairs, followed by Su Man.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have an appetite.¡± Su Man sat down at the dining table with a gloomy look, still concerned about Li Li in the attic.


    ¡°This is the reward for the first round, it might be helpful for the next round. Try to eat some.¡± Yan Qingwen encouraged her.


    After hearing this, Su Man reluctantly took a sip of soup. She seemed surprised by the exquisite taste and soon began to eat the fish meat in the soup.<div>


    Shen Mo walked over to the window, squinting slightly, and asked: ¡°How many hours until summer?¡±


    Yan Qingwen, seeming to understand what he meant, looked out of the window.


    In the far distance, the sky had started to darken¡­

 Chapter 267: 267: Two Hours Left

    Chapter 267: 267: Two Hours Left<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    It was dark clouds.


    A sinking feeling hit Yan Qingwen as he recalled the heavy rain when they first entered the game.<div>


    ¡°When we were woken up, it was around 7 a.m., each seasonsted 8 hours, so summer¡­ is two hours away.¡±


    Two hours. They didn¡¯t have much time.


    What initially seemed like a long 8 hours was now ominously short because ording to the game¡¯s difficulty level, the visitor in the summer would indeed be scarier than the bear in the spring.


    Yan Qingwen asked Shen Mo, ¡°How tough do you think that bear was?¡±


    Shen Mo nced at him, ¡°¡­ Outdoors, I¡¯d give it a rating of 5. Indoors, 7.¡±


    Bai Youwei asked, ¡°Out of 100?¡±


    Shen Mo chuckled, ruffling her hair, ¡°Out of 10.¡±


    Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t willing to ept this answer.


    She thought Shen Mo should be able to instantly ovee any obstacle. But on second thought, she understood why:


    First, their movement was constrained by the space. If a beast entered, they would be trapped and unable to effectively fight back.


    Second, their weapons were regted. Even if their bodies were enhanced by the maze, they would be at a disadvantage barehanded against a fierce beast.<div>


    ¡°The bear was indeed tough to handle,¡± Yan Qingwen pondered, ¡°The visitor blocking the door doesn¡¯t allow us to leave. As hosts, we can¡¯t leave the dolls¡¯ house, which is the game field. Besides, the doll game doesn¡¯t allow yers to carry any weapons¡­ With the time left, in addition to looking for the ¡®treasure¡¯, we need to prepare some self-defense tools.¡±


    ¡°If we can¡¯t fight back effectively, can we make some traps using the existing conditions?¡± Bai Youwei suggested, ¡°I don¡¯t have any experience, but it¡¯s just a thought. For example, we could pile up furniture like beds and wardrobes near the staircase. If the visitor rampages, we can hide on the second floor. Having these things blocking their path could buy us at least a few extra seconds, right?¡±


    As long as they held on for 1 minute, they could survive.


    ¡°I can do this.¡± said Yan Qingwen, ¡°But I need some help. Some mechanisms cannot be installed by one person.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help,¡± Lun Ang stepped up, ¡°We¡¯re used to working together. I know what materials he needs.¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Bai Youwei turned to Lun Ang, ¡°The dry grass you found on the roof just now, right?¡±


    Lun Ang was stunned, ¡°Yes, would you like me to bring it over? I left it in the living room.¡±


    Bai Youwei slightly shook her head: ¡°Xiaoxin found some dried grass on the edge of the staircase too. It looks like water grass. I suggest you make your traps waterproof.¡±


    Yan Qingwen and Lun Ang exchanged nces.


    If they had to waterproof the traps, any mechanisms involving fire had to be scrapped.


    That was a pity. Fire was the simplest and most effective means of attack.<div>


    Especially when Bai Youwei had an electric rabbit, thebination of the two would surely be effective.


    Yan Qingwen looked out of the window again. The dark clouds were spreading wider. He furrowed his brows and said solemnly, ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up.¡±


    Everyone started to get busy.


    Two hours. It¡¯s not long, yet not short.


    As time approached, the sky gradually darkened. ck clouds enveloped the entire sky, devoid of any light, rendering the room pitch ck.


    Shen Mo turned on the light.


    The mountain top cabin emitted spots of light in the impending storm.


    The music box on the windowsill flickered. The long silent snowkes started to flutter again¡ª


    The sphere said, ¡°It¡¯s so dark in the summer rain, can¡¯t see where the treasure is¡­¡±


    Whoosh!


    The downpour came suddenly!<div>


    All the views outside the window were blocked by the curtain of rain, just like when they first arrived at this house.

 Chapter 268: 268: Summer Guests

    Chapter 268: 268: Summer Guests<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    ¡°Is it here?¡± Bai Youwei asked, unable to see clearly through the window.


    Outside was pitch dark, and the sound of the rain was like a waterfall, they couldn¡¯t see or hear what kind of guest was arriving.<div>


    Shen Mo rubbed his foot on the watery floor, saying, ¡°Let me take you upstairs first.¡±


    Yan Qingwen also noticed the increasing umtion of water on the floor. His eyebrows furrowed as he said, ¡°Let¡¯s all go upstairs, the first floor might get flooded.¡±


    The aquatic nt on the stairway was not there for no reason, this house surely had been submerged during the game debugging phase, and it had been flooded for a considerable amount of time.


    Everyone went upstairs.


    The staircase was a ¡°7¡± shape. They paused at the bend, continuing to monitor the conditions on the first floor.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The rainfall continued to seep into the house, with the water level rising at a rapid pace, soon submerging a whole step. There was no sign of the rain ceasing outside.


    ¡°What the hell just arrived¡­¡± Lun Ang muttered, ¡°The damn thing flooded the whole house. Now we can¡¯t use the props.¡±


    Everyone instinctively looked at Bai Youwei.


    Speaking of offensive props, Bai Youwei¡¯s rabbit was undoubtedly the most powerful. If it can¡¯t be used, it would mean a great loss of strength.


    Bai Youwei sat quietly, ignoring the gazes studying her surroundings.


    The water level was rising steadily. In just moments, three levels of steps were submerged.<div>


    Everyone started to look panicked.


    Professor Cheng said, ¡°If this water keeps rising, we we must think of a solution¡­.¡±


    What kind of solution?


    Turn into fish and swim away?


    Even if they managed to turn into fish, they would need to open the doors and windows, but their guest outside was waiting for them¡­


    When the water level flooded the fifth step, perhaps due to a short circuit, the indoor lights flickered then suddenly went out.


    The first floor was engulfed in darkness.


    Only the lights on the second floor and attic were still on.


    The darknesspounded the chill and terror in the atmosphere, stretching the tension to its limit.


    Finally agitated, Lun Ang suggested, ¡°How about trying the boat! After all, we haven¡¯t found any other ¡®treasures¡¯. We can¡¯t just wait around!¡±


    Yan Qingwen looked at Shen Mo and Bai Youwei.<div>


    Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°It¡¯s worth a try. We can¡¯t see the guest outside now, we can¡¯t analyze the true meaning of the ¡®treasure¡¯, let it in. Even if it¡¯s wrong, at least we¡¯ll know the power of the other party.¡±


    Yan Qingwen nced at the others.


    They all nodded in agreement.


    Even if they knew the boat might not be the right answer, it was at least an answer. It was better than doing nothing!


    ¡°Alright.¡± Yan Qingwen gritted his teeth, making the decision, ¡°Bring the boat over.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get it.¡± Lun Ang volunteered, ¡°You keep an eye on the trap on the stairs. As soon as anything goes wrong, release the trap.¡±


    The only one who could urately control the timing of the trap release was Yan Qingwen.


    The space at the bend of the stairs was narrow, to avoid interference, the rest continued upwards and stopped at the entrance of the second floor staircase.


    Lun Ang held therge ship model with both hands, staring at the direction of the door, took a deep breath, then shouted:


    ¡°Pleasee in, guests!¡±


    The door sprang open with a bang!<div>


    Unlike the previous slow creaking opening, it was quickly forced open by the water!


    The whole house seemed to be submerged in the sea, an endless amount of water poured in from the door! With a roaring sound, the water level rose rapidly in front of their eyes!


    Six steps!


    Seven steps!


    Eight, nine, ten steps! Half of the ¡°7¡± shaped staircase was submerged!


    Everything from Lun Ang¡¯s stomach down was in the water!


    ¡°Lun Ang! Can you see the guest now?¡± Hispanions on the second floor shouted.


    Lun Ang scanned the area, noticing a dark shadow in the water.


    ¡°There¡¯s something in the water!¡± He shouted up to the second floor, ¡°It¡¯s big! But it¡¯s too dark, I can¡¯t see clearly! Does anyone up there have a shlight?¡±


    Before his words were finished, there was another loud rushing sound of water!


    A huge monster surfaced from the water!

 Chapter 269: 269 Anglerfish

    Chapter 269: 269 Anglerfish<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    A massive monster emerged from the water!


    The ck and t body, a mouth that took up half of its body, long fin spines were suspended above the water! They flickered back and forth, like a lure for fishing, tempting people to take the bait¡ª¡ªN?v(el)B\\jnn<div>


    ¡°An anglerfish?¡± Bai Youwei eximed in shock, ¡± No, how could an anglerfish be so big?!¡±


    Mr. Cheng and Zhu Shu from upstairs brought over shlights, the light beams shone on the water, making everyone¡¯s vision clearer.


    The Water Monster looked like a deep-sea anglerfish, but as big as a water buffalo! Its protruding broad lower jaw was lined with sharp teeth, above the gill slit were bulging eyeballs. The eyeballs were ck with a ring of gray-white, as if they had already degenerated of their supposed function.


    Half of its body floated above the water, while the other half sunk underwater, it was clumsily and slowly approaching Lun Ang¡ª¡ª


    When faced with such a creature, Lun Ang¡¯s sturdy frame appeared insignificant.


    He involuntarily took half a step back.


    Realizing his own fear, he gritted his teeth, steadied himself, and slowly put down the boat model in his hand.


    The boat model was made of wood, it sunk slightly in the water, and then bobbed back up to the surface.


    The Water Monster hade up to the front of Lun Ang.


    There was only a boat model separating the two.


    The shlight¡¯s beam shone on both of them, like the focus of everyone¡¯s attention at the beginning of a show.<div>


    Lun Ang remained vignt, his eyes unblinking as he stared at the half of the fish face above the water surface, ready to evacuate at any sign of movement from the monster.


    However, the fish remained still.


    The colossal creature just floated there silently, its gills slowly pulsating. Under the strong light of the shlight, its grisly, ghastly face disyed crumpled, grey-white skin. Its shadowed contours were intense, its eyeballs rotated and slightly twitched.


    Lun Ang was doubtful, wondering why the monster remained still.


    Yan Qingwen was uneasy. If the conditions for passing had been met, guests should have taken its item. Itsck of movement at the moment could only imply that they were wrong!


    With this in mind, Yan Qingwen couldn¡¯t help but feel chills. He shouted, ¡°Lun Ang! Come up!¡±


    Lun Ang turned around to go upstairs!


    At the same time, a ssh of water erupted! The enormous anglerfish leapt out from the water, opened its mouth full of sharp teeth, and lunged at Lun Ang!


    Lun Ang rolled sideways, grabbed the staircase railing using his inertia to continue to move upwards!


    Yan Qingwen let go of the rope in his hand, the furniture rested alternately on both sides of the staircase fell down, blocking the channel at the angle he had calcted! However, he did not take into ount the buoyancy of the water wave! After the wooden furniture jammed the staircase channel, it became loose due to the buoyancy, and broke into pieces under the collision of the Anglerfish Monster!


    ¡°Ah!¡±<div>


    The wide-open jaw snapped shut at lightning speed, biting Lun Ang¡¯s leg. The turbid umted water immediately turned red. It was a horrifying scene of bloodied water!


    Under the bright light, Lun Ang¡¯s face was ghastly pale, twisted in pain!


    He tried to break free, but the pulling force of the Fish Monster was astonishingly powerful! Lun Ang¡¯s grip on the railing inevitably loosened, and his body rapidly moved backward under the dragging force! Just as he was about to be pulled into the water, a hand grabbed him!


    It was Shen Mo!


    Shen Mo held onto Lun Ang with one hand and forcefully threw a fruit knife with his other hand!


    The tip of the knife pierced the Fish Monster¡¯s cheek!


    The enormous deep-sea anglerfish let out an agonizing shriek, its gigantic mouth opened, finally releasing Lun Ang¡¯s leg. Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen, working together, dragged him to the second floor!


    The anglerfish monster swung its tail with great force, attempting to pounce again! A whip crack was heard in the air! The whip smacked squarely on its fin!


    The Fish Monster quickly sunk back into the water!


    Unsatisfied, Su Manshed out several more times with the whip!


    The surface of the water made a cracking sound as it was whipped, sshes of water flew everywhere!<div>


    The heavy air in the room was saturated with rainwater, the Fish Monster¡¯s whereabouts unknown. It could be hiding, or it could be lurking in the dark ready to strike.


    Yan Qingwen called Su Man toe back, but she stubbornly refused. Red-eyed, she stood on the water-soaked staircase, seething with anger and wishing she couldnd another whip on it to vent her rage!


    Yan Qingwen had to take care of Lun Ang and could not attend to her. It took Mr. Cheng, Tan Xiao and Zhu Shu to pull the obstinate Su Man back to the second floor


    By now, the water level had risen to submerge the whole staircase!


    The first floor, waspletely flooded!

 Chapter 270: 270 Black as Pitch

    Chapter 270: 270 ck as Pitch<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Lun Ang was lying on the wooden floor of the second-floor corridor, panting heavily. He was soaked through, his face covered not only by rainwater but also by cold sweat that kept seeping out!


    On his right leg, there were a fewpletely through-and-through bloody holes, gushing out fresh blood incessantly!<div>


    Losing blood at a rapid pace caused his face to disy a defeated pallor, the usually chipper stubble on his face seemed to wilt in an instant.


    Yan Qingwen gritted his teeth, silently knelt down on the ground, ripped open the fabric around the wound, and swiftly tore a long strip of white cloth from his own body. He tightly tied it around Lun Ang¡¯s thigh where there was an abundance of blood vessels, attempting to staunch the bleed.


    Shen Mo held him back: ¡°The wound is toorge; you need to use a tool on him as soon as possible.¡±


    Yan Qingwen¡¯s expression was strained as he responded, ¡°There¡¯s none left thest bandage has already been used on Li Li.¡±


    Shen Mo frowned and took a chunk of mud from his clothes, kneading it like putty and stretching it into a wide noodle shape, then covering Lun Ang¡¯s wound with it!


    The dark mud quickly turned gray.


    Shen Mo drew back his hand, the mud regained its sticity, whooshing back to its original shape.


    And Lun Ang¡¯s leg wound hadpletely healed!


    Yan Qingwen was surprised and overjoyed at the same time, he asked, ¡°A tool?!¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Shen Mo¡¯s expression did not rx in the least, he slightly nodded and said, ¡°Although it works quickly, it only heals flesh wounds. The crushed bones can only heal slowly on their own after being set.¡±


    ¡°Thank you ¡± Lun Ang said thanks coarsely and heavily. He continued, ¡°We¡¯ve been through the maze twice, our bodies¡¯ self-healing ability is still, not bad help me up ¡±<div>


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say his bones were also crushed?!¡± Chang Weicai impatiently said, ¡°Let¡¯s not help him up, get a bed board and lift him instead!¡±


    They dismantled a bed board and several of them lifted Lun Ang.


    Tan Xiao asked again, ¡°Where do we take him?¡±


    The second floor was already flooded with a shallowyer of water, making everything wet underfoot.


    ¡°To the attic.¡± Yan Qingwen said.


    ¡ª The house was two and a half stories tall, and the attic only took up half a floor, packed just like a storage room with all sorts of odds and ends, and also dolls.


    The small space was crammed with ten people and it instantly felt ustrophobic.


    There was limited space, Bai Youwei¡¯s wheelchair was inconvenient to bring upstairs, so she had to sit leaning against the wall. Apart from Pan Xiaoxin, everyone else couldn¡¯t stand upright.


    Everyone found a spot to sit down.


    Outside, it was pouring heavily. The rain mming on the roof echoed throughout the entire attic.


    The atmosphere was oppressive.<div>


    Li Li had woken up, leaning against the wall without speaking.


    Lun Ang was also greatly weakened.


    Shen Mo nced at everyone and calmly said, ¡°There¡¯s still time, let¡¯s think, what else could possibly be the treasure.¡±


    There was no response.


    Yan Qingwen¡¯s team has consecutively had two people injured, severely affecting his condition.


    Although Tan Xiao and Su Man differed in temperament, both were action-oriented and not adept at brainstorming.


    Zhu Shu was a celebrity and was used to reading people and situations, not daring to speak freely without absolute certainty.


    Pan Xiaoxin was even more cautious than Zhu Shu.


    Mr. Chang looked at everyone, uncertainly saying, ¡°The monster is like some sort of fish, so the treasure could it be rted to fish?¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Tan Xiao¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Could it be the fish we ate? We already ate them, we can¡¯t just make it vomit them back up can we?¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, several people felt nauseous.<div>


    Bai Youwei thought for a moment and suggested, ¡°The summer rain is so heavy, it¡¯s pitch-ck outside and we can¡¯t see where the treasure is If we can¡¯t see it in the dark, it must be in bright ces. Only the second floor and the attic are lit right now, we should focus on searching these areas.¡±


    She spoke as she turned to look at Chang Weicai, ¡°Mr. Chang, lead some people to search the study thoroughly. See if there are any books rted to the Water Monster.¡±

 Chapter 271: The Water Monster’s Liking

    Chapter 271: The Water Monster¡¯s Liking


    Trantor: 549690339


    Aside from three bedrooms, the second floor also had a small study room.


    Despite the room¡¯s small size, there was no shortage of books. Even if one were to skim through each book, it would take more than 24 hours, or even 24 days to go through them all.


    Ever since they began searching the room, Professor Cheng had already busted through dozens of books. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The books in the study room were diverse, in Chinese, English, and even in Latin, which they couldn¡¯t understand. They could only skim through them roughly.


    While they were flipping through books on the second floor, those in the attic were still pondering over the weird nursery rhyme: Summer rain patters loud, the darkness veils where the treasure could be found


    Li Li voiced his weak suggestion, ¡°Could there be a chance it¡¯s on the first floor ?all the lights are off down there, which fits the ¡®pitch-dark¡¯ environment.¡±


    Bai Youwei frowned, disagreeing with his proposal. ¡°The first floor is flooded. There¡¯s no light and it¡¯s underwater, making it impossible to conduct any searches.¡±


    ¡°What about using a shlight?¡± Li Li asked.


    Bai Youwei wanted to say that if they used a shlight, it would not fit the ¡®pitch-dark¡¯ environment. Besides, their shlights weren¡¯t waterproof. If they only shone them on the surface of the water, visibility would be very limited. The treasure shouldn¡¯t be hidden in a ce where the yers can¡¯t find it.


    But ?Li Li was only proposing a possibility. She shouldn¡¯t immediately extinguish this tiny glimmer of hope. At least they should try.


    As Bai Youwei was contemting this, she closed the mouth she was about to open.


    She thought for a moment, then changed her question. ¡°Where¡¯s the Inspector now?¡±


    ¡°Not sure,¡± Yan Qingwen answered. ¡°We haven¡¯t seen it since the first floor was flooded.¡±


    Bai Youwei¡¯s brows furrowed tighter.


    So much for guiding and providing hints throughout the game. Now in only the second round, it had vanished. Truly an unreliable cream puff.


    Feeling thirsty, she remembered that all the food and water were on the first floor. Now she had neither food nor drink, her mood grew increasingly irritable. She could only close her eyes to force herself to calm down.


    The attic¡¯s light was dim and dull.


    Time psed slowly


    About forty minutester, the search on the second floor and attic ended. They had searched the ce multiple times already and no matter how hard they tried now, they found nothing new.


    Except for Bai Youwei and the injured Li Li and Lun Ang, everyone else went to the study room to search the books with Professor Cheng, hoping to find some clues.


    Reading was a meticulous task.


    Because the answer to passing this level might be hidden in a book, on a page, or within an obscure phrase.


    After waiting for what felt like an eternity, Bai Youwei fell asleep.


    When she woke up, it was still pitch-ck outside, and the rain continued to fall.


    Li Li could now get up. He couldn¡¯t make anyrge movements, but leaning against the wall, he managed to take a few steps.


    Not wanting to be idle, he asked Su Man to bring over a dozen books from the study room so he could flip through them in the attic.


    Lun Ang also felt bored lying around and decided to grab a book to read.


    Even though his leg wound was healing, the bone inside had not yet mended and the throbbing pain was unbearable.


    He wanted to distract himself with a book, but not only did it not soothe his leg pain, but it also stirred a headache.


    Lun Ang sighed in frustration.


    Bai Youwei nced at him, ¡°What, scared you might beme?¡±


    Lun Ang:


    He unwittingly nced at Bai Youwei¡¯s leg.


    ¡°Why are you looking at me? Don¡¯t worry, if you do end upme, I can share my diapers with you,¡± Bai Youwei evaluated Lun Ang from head to toe, ¡°But first, you¡¯ll have to lose weight, otherwise, they won¡¯t fit.¡±


    Half of Lun Ang¡¯s face turned red while the other half, which was covered by his thick beard, seemed unbothered.


    He recalled the first time he met Bai Youwei when he inadvertently made fun of her beingme. Now the tables have turned, and he was


    Sigh


    Lun Ang¡¯s emotions wereplicated.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Li Li suddenly called out, ¡°Quick,e over here and look at this!¡±


    Everyone was rmed and rushed over from upstairs and downstairs¡ª


    Regardless of his injuries, Li Li held up the book in his hand, ¡°It¡¯s written here! The Water Monster likes shiny objects!¡±

 Chapter 272: Going to the First Floor

    Chapter 272: Going to the First Floor


    Trantor: 549690339


    Li Li found an old English book with tattered pages, which recorded many foreign folk tales.


    As they were not fairy tales, many were iplete, and some legends were only briefly mentioned.


    About the Water Monster, the book recorded:


    The Water Monster¡¯s home lies deep underwater, where shiny treasures are kept.


    There was only that.


    Li Li spent over two hours thoroughly perusing the book all the way to itsst page, but regrettably, he found no further information on the Water Monster.


    Nobody else found anything in the books they were looking at either.


    Information on the Spring Bear and Autumn Nail Teeth Monster was also missing.


    Of course, there were still many unread books where the remaining clues could be hidden, but they would need more time and energy to read through all the books in the study.


    This was not feasible. Without food and water, they couldn¡¯t continue to exhaust themselves like this.


    Everyone reconvened in the attic.


    Yan Qingwen said, ¡°Summer starts at three in the afternoon and it¡¯s now eight at night. If we haven¡¯t found the treasure three hours from now, summer will continue.¡±


    ording to the game rules, a change of season urs every eight hours, but if after eight hours, the guests still remain outside, then time will stay within the corresponding season.


    Li Li asked, ¡°Did any of you find anything shiny?¡±


    They looked at each other.


    ¡°The scope for ¡®shiny¡¯ is too broad.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Mirrors in the house, the ss windows, reflective silver forks and spoons, even the ss eyeballs on these dolls, all could be considered shiny. Just from this, we can¡¯t pinpoint the target.¡±


    ¡°Since it¡¯s something to be given to a guest, it must be quite unique ?mirrors, sses, these things, are probably not it.¡± Zhu Shu looked at everybody and hesitantly said, ¡°What if, we search again? There are still three hours, we have time ¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve searched almost eight hundred times, if it could be found, we¡¯d have found it by now.¡± Su Man was irritable though her hands never stopped rummaging through the items around her.


    She found a ss bottle hourss and muttered, ¡°Does this count as shiny?


    She then found a piece of a toy train and touching the metallic engine asked, ¡°Does this count?¡±


    If anything shiny was eptable, then the range would be just too wide.


    ¡°I still think the treasure is on the first floor.¡± Li Li lowered his head, his voice weaker than usual because of his injuries, ¡°The Spring Bear woke up and it was truly worried when it lost two kids. The bear was looking for a teddy bear that looked like itself, then¡­ this heavy summer rain made everything pitch ck, it¡¯s hard to see where the treasure is. There must be a reason why they specifically mentioned pitch ck, every word in the nursery rhyme has its deeper intent, we should probably look for the treasure in pitch ck ces.¡±


    ¡°You mean we should search the first floor?¡± Tan Xiao widened his eyes, ¡°But the first floor is flooded!¡±


    Li Li looked at him, ¡°As long as the shlight is wrapped in stic wrap before diving into the water, it should be alright.¡±


    Tan Xiao was more surprised: ¡°Where are we going to find stic wrap?¡±


    ¡°If there¡¯s no stic wrap, then a stic bag can substitute.¡± Yan Qingwen said, ¡°I think Li Li¡¯s method is worth a try.¡±


    ¡°The problem is we don¡¯t have stic bags either.¡± Tan Xiao looked at them, his face full of confusion, ¡°Almost everything that could be used is on the first floor! But the first floor is flooded!¡± n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    After thinking for a moment, Shen Mo stood up, ¡°I can go down for a look. It¡¯s hard to find ¡®treasure¡¯ in the dark, but it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult to find things if we know the exact location and direction.¡±

 Chapter 273: Emotion got healed

    Chapter 273: Emotion got healed


    Trantor: 549690339


    At his words, the heavy atmosphere instantly lightened, and everything felt different.


    But Bai Youwei was not happy.


    She frowned slightly at Shen Mo, thinking: why must it be Shen Mo? Why couldn¡¯t it be someone else?


    Then she looked around and discovered that among the old and the young, there really was no suitable candidate. Tan Xiao was young and energetic, but no one trusted him.


    There was also Yan Qingwen who could be used, but on Yan Qingwen¡¯s side, two people had already been injured. She and Shen Mo had no reason not to send anyone.


    Sometimes, it¡¯s easy to understand logic, but how one feels about it is a different story.


    Bai Youwei pouted her lips, sitting silently among the crowd, without speaking.


    Chang Weicai said: ¡°The stic bags are in the second cupboard from the right in the kitchen, the cling film is also in there.¡±


    Shen Mo nodded slightly and went downstairs to prepare.


    Even though it was summer, the temperature was not high at all. On the contrary, it was somewhat cold, not to mention the idea of having to soak in the pitch-ck and cold rainwater.


    Bai Youwei stayed in the attic, hearing Chang Weicai who followed Shen Mo downstairs nattering on about safety precautions, urging him toe back soon, and suggesting to tie a rope around himself so they would know if there was any trouble by pulling the rope.


    She wanted to say something to him, so she slowly moved her body with the support of both hands on the floor, gradually making her way to the stairs down from the attic.


    She saw a crowd of people around Shen Mo.


    Apart from the nagging Teacher Chang, there was also Yan Qingwen, Su Man, and Tan Xiao.


    Yan Qingwen said, ¡°We¡¯ve thoroughly searched the first floor. The problem now is if there are changes we didn¡¯t anticipate after the rainwater soaked in ?For safety, we should ensure to get the waterproof bags and cling film first this time.¡±


    Su Man interjected, ¡°Brother Yan, maybe I should go too?¡±


    Yan Qingwen shook his head: ¡°You¡¯re not a good swimmer. If there were danger, he would have to find a way to save you too. Every second under the water may cost lives.¡±


    Tan Xiao wanted to go down, but Shen Mo rejected him too.


    ¡°You stay here and keep an eye on the rope,¡± said Shen Mo.


    Bai Youwei stood at the entrance of the attic, staring quietly at the group of people downstairs. Shen Mo, standing amongst them, was tall,posed, calm, and full of energy. He had the approval and trust of everyone.


    And she could do nothing.


    Before figuring out the solution, she could only huddle in this tiny attic. Without Shen Mo, she could only wait for the moment someone felt sympathy and extended a protective hand to her.


    Bai Youwei¡¯s hands unwittingly clenched into fists. She suddenly realized that she was surplus to requirements


    ¡ªThe game gave her the illusion of independence, and the game could shatter this illusion at any time.


    Not far away, Shen Mo looked up at her.


    Bai Youwei was startled, then saw Shen Mo walk towards her, ascend the stairs, and stand in front of her.


    He was tall, and even sitting down, slightly stooped, could obstruct the light in front of her. The rtive darkness brought her closer to him, and Bai Youwei held her breath.


    ¡°I¡¯m going down now,¡± Shen Mo said.


    Bai Youwei pursed her lips, shifted her face to the other side, and retorted indifferently: ¡°You¡¯ve made the decision, why bother telling me?¡±


    ¡°Feeling bad again?¡± Shen Mo asked with a wry smile.


    She didn¡¯t look at his face, but just from his tone, she could imagine the helplessness and frustration on his face.


    No matter, let him feel that she is being capricious and throwing a tantrum again.


    Bai Youwei thought to herself, not caring.


    A hand stretched over, holding hers.


    Bai Youwei froze. Before she could react, her hand was against Shen Mo¡¯s abdomen.


    Bai Youwei:


    Shen Mo: ¡°Feeling better now?¡±


    Bai Youwei:


    She moved her fingertips slightly, the firm and warm touch seemed to calm her heart.


    ¡°Hmm ?somewhat better,¡± she said softly.


    Shen Mo let go of her, ruffled her hair, rose to his feet, and left.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 274: Her Weakness

    Chapter 274: Her Weakness


    Trantor: 549690339


    The rainwater has flooded the whole first floor; even the ceiling is submerged.


    Standing on the second floor, all you can see is a rectangle of water upying the stair entry point.


    Yan Qingwen is squatting by the water¡¯s edge holding a rope. Everyone else stands to the side, their eyes fixed on the rectangr body of water.


    Shen Mo has been under for a minute now. Besides some minor ripples, the surface of the water remains unchanged.


    Bai Youwei¡¯s heart is ame with anxiety.


    She wants to pull the rope but fears it would disrupt his movements underwater. But without pulling the rope, she has no way of judging his circumstances from the ck and somber water surface.


    Her eyes are transfixed on the water. She bites her lower lip without blinking, frequently ncing at the rope in Yan Qingwen¡¯s hand, hoping to see some movement.


    But nonees.


    Nothing happens at all.


    Perceiving Bai Youwei¡¯s nervousness, Yan Qingwen turns his head towards her and says, ¡°An ordinary person can usually hold their breath underwater for about 1 minute. Those with professional training can manage around 3 minutes.¡±


    The implication was clear: Shen Mo was indeed trained for this sort of situation.


    Bai Youwei doesn¡¯t respond. Her eyes remain fixed on the water surface while she mentally counts the passing seconds.


    With every ticking second, the minutes feel like years to her.


    By the time three minutes have passed, she can¡¯t stand the wait anymore and turns to Tan Xiao, saying: ¡°You should go take a look.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Tan Xiao begins to take off his shoes and clothes. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Yan Qingwen tries to dissuade him. He thinks it¡¯s not the right time. If there¡¯s true danger underwater, another person going under would only lead to more sacrifice.


    But on second thought, if Lun Ang or Li Li were the ones in the water, even if he knew of the dangers, Yan Qingwen admits that he would go in after them.


    He mulls this over and says: ¡°Let me try pulling the rope first. If there¡¯s no response, it¡¯s not toote for you to go down after that.¡±


    Bai Youwei nods, knitted brows betraying her worry.


    Yan Qingwen starts to reel in the rope. Four attempts in, the rope suddenly bes taut and motionless.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Bai Youwei anxiously asks him.


    Yan Qingwen shakes his head with a grave look on his face, ¡°Something has jammed the rope if that¡¯s the case, even if he¡¯s pulling the rope underwater, we won¡¯t be able to feel it.¡±


    Bai Youwei instantly pales, her scared expression so pitiful it¡¯s hard to bear seeing.


    Tan Xiao hollers, ¡°What are we waiting for then? Hurry up and tie a rope around me so I can go down and take a look!¡±


    With a panicked look on her face, Su Man paces back and forth helplessly in the hallway, blurting out, ¡°¡­We don¡¯t have any more ropes. The one tied to your boss was our only one!¡±


    ¡°Can we use the bed sheets?¡± Zhu Shu suggests, ¡°When we¡¯re acting, we do this often. We tear the bed sheets into strips and tie them together¡­¡±


    Professor Cheng quickly says, ¡°Yes, yes! Bed sheets,forters, curtains; we can use all of these! If you¡¯re worried that it¡¯s not strong enough, just tie multipleyers around!¡±


    Yan Qingwen agrees: ¡°Good. There¡¯s no time to lose. Go get the bed sheets now. Get all of them. Also, take down the curtains. I¡¯m going in too.¡±


    Tan Xiao, together with Professor Cheng and Pan Xiaoxin, heads towards the bedrooms. As they walk they shout at Bai Youwei, ¡°Weiwei! Keep calm. We promise we¡¯ll bring back Shen Mo!¡±


    Bai Youwei sits at the door leading to the loft and doesn¡¯t utter a single word. Her lips are tightly pursed and her face is snow white.


    Anybody can see that her emotional state is on the verge of copse.


    Yan Qingwen wants tofort her but feels disheartened. Five agonizing minutes have already passed ¨C not even a professional diver could stay underwater for five minutes without any aids.


    There¡¯s a very high likelihood that Shen Mo is in danger!


    Yan Qingwen doesn¡¯t feel particrly upset or heartbroken by this ¨C at most, he can sympathize with the rted pain. His more pressing worry is how to get the summer guests out if they can¡¯t go by the water route?!


    Meanwhile, Tan Xiao is back with a pile of bedsheets andforters. In the chaos, everyone hurriedly rips and secures the fabrics into rope-like strands, with Su Man and Zhu Shu also lending a hand.


    Just then, with a sudden ssh


    After being underwater for five minutes, Shen Moes back out!

 Chapter 275: 275: The Effect of Fish Meat

    Chapter 275: 275: The Effect of Fish Meat<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Everyone stared at Shen Mo in shock, unable to believe their eyes!


    Five minutes!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om<div>


    Staying in a pitch-ck, cold, oxygen-deficient environment for more than five minutes, anding out unscathed?!


    Shen Mo wiped the rain off his face, tossed a stic bag onto the corridor, took a brief breath, and said: ¡°After opening the cab, everything inside floated away due to the buoyancy. It¡¯s too dark below; I can¡¯t see anything. It took me a bit of time to find the stic bag.¡±


    Seeing everyone still looking at him, he paused and continued: ¡°Maybe it has something to do with the fish we just ate. It seems fine to stay underwater a bit longer.¡±


    ¡°Really?! Let me try too!¡± Tan Xiao couldn¡¯t wait, wading into the water. A chill gripped him immediately, and he hopped back out, ¡°Damn, the water¡¯s freezing!¡±


    Shen Mo advised: ¡°Warm up before getting in the water. Otherwise, a sudden drop in body temperature might cause cramps.¡±


    ¡°Oh ¡± Tan Xiao replied, half-understanding. He found a spot in the corridor and began doing chest-expanding and leg-lifting warm-up exercises.


    Chang Weicai passed a dry towel to Shen Mo: ¡°Go to the room and change your wet clothes quickly, don¡¯t catch a cold.¡±


    After wiping himself with the towel, Shen Mo turned his gaze towards Bai Youwei on the loft.


    She stood nkly, staring at him.


    Holding the towel, he climbed the steps, scrutinizing her face, he asked: ¡°Worried?¡±


    Bai Youwei tried to speak: ¡°¡­It¡¯s okay.¡±<div>


    She realized her tongue and mouth were stiff; she was stuttering.


    She was more than worried


    She was afraid, terrified! She couldn¡¯t imagine what she would do without Shen Mo!


    This panic didn¡¯t just stem from objective helplessness, but also the copse of her emotional support!


    Since when did it start? Unbeknownst to her, he had be irreceable in her heart.


    Shen Mo held up his hand to touch her cheek.


    Her body was icy cold, even colder than him, who had just emerged from the chilly water. Her back was soaked with cold sweat.


    He was silent for a while, then said: ¡°I was going to inform you guys, but I was afraid the stic bag would be even harder to find if the location shifted.¡±


    ¨CImagine searching for a stic bag bobbing with the water currents in the pitch-dark underwater.


    ¡°I understand¡­¡± Bai Youwei took a deep breath, attempting to relieve her rigid body, ¡°Go change your clothes¡­ I¡¯m, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡± He put the towel in her hand and instructed, ¡°Wipe your sweat.¡±<div>


    Bai Youwei nodded as she held the towel.


    After Shen Mo went to change his clothes, she stood at the door of the loft in a daze. She didn¡¯t know what she was thinking. Maybe she was just spacing out, or pondering issues she hadn¡¯t even realized. When she snapped back to reality, she noticed Tan Xiao and Yan Qingwen on the second floor had changed their clothes.


    Su Man had changed too.


    Ditching the cumbersome dress, she put on her shirt and jeans again, preparing to dive with the others.


    Considering they would need to go underwater again, Shen Mo, who had returned, was still wearing his wet clothes.


    This time, four people would be diving.


    Shen Mo took Tan Xiao, Yan Qingwen took Su Man, two people per rope.


    They made an agreement with Chang Weicai and Pan Xiaoxin, who watched over the ropes from above the water. Every 1 minute they would tug the rope ¨C if they were okay, they would tug back. This would ensure the safety of all.


    With everything ready, the four of them, each with a shlight sealed in a stic bag, slowly plunged into the water


    This time, they stayed even longer than five minutes.


    Every minute, Chang Weicai and Pan Xiaoxin would tug the rope, each time getting a response.<div>


    As time passed, everyone stopped panicking.


    That Shen Mo could stay underwater for so long was due to his unique abilities, but now everyone had surpassed five minutes, indicating that the fish really worked!


    Receiving rewards naturally made everyone happy, but it was a shame the crisis was not yet resolved, otherwise, it would be a good moment to celebrate.

 Chapter 276: 276: Finding Beads

    Chapter 276: 276: Finding Beads<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Fish meat has only enhanced everyone¡¯s adaptability in the underwater environment without turning them into fish who do not require air to breathe.


    Fifteen minutester, Shen Mo emerged from the water with Tan Xiao, holding 5 beads in his hand.<div>


    Tan Xiao also had a few beads.


    ¡°Where did you get these from?¡± Teacher Chang couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°We¡¯ve searched the first floor several times and didn¡¯t see these beads.¡±


    Shen Mo exined, ¡°There are many of these beads on the floor underneath, but the water is too turbid to see through, even with shlights. The visibility is very limited. They¡¯re tough to find.¡±


    Tan Xiao, who was rubbing his arms because of the cold, hastily handed the beads he found to Teacher Chang and hurried off for a hot shower.


    Chang Weicai found a ss vase and put the beads in, suggesting to Shen Mo, ¡°Go take a hot shower to warm up. You¡¯ve been in the freezing water for far too long. Don¡¯t let it harm your health.¡±


    Shen Mo shook his head and looked at the water, ¡°No need, I will have to dive in in a while.¡±


    Everyone understood his intention.


    The sudden presence of these beads on the first floor could very well be key to their clearance. Therefore, they had to keep diving in, looking for more beads.


    After another ten minutes, Su Man came back from the water with a poorplexion and her skin frozen blueish-white.


    She had found a little more, 9 beads.


    Yan Qingwen was thest one to return. Wanting to put his underwater tolerance to test, he stayed under for a full half hour.<div>


    ¡°Fish meat can slow down the human body¡¯s oxygen consumption rate. After entering the water, our oxygen consumption automatically decreases. You start to feel suffocated after 20 minutes, 30 minutes is the limit. But, if you exercise intensely underwater, you muste up to the surface within 20 minutes.¡±


    As Yan Qingwen spoke, he took his time to inhale and regte his breathing.


    ¡°Hypoxia can cause brain damage. Be careful to keep track of time when you dive in.¡±


    Everyone nodded in agreement.


    Teacher Chang proimed, ¡°I¡¯ll keep the time for you all. If it exceeds 20 minutes, regardless of how many beads you found, we¡¯ll pull the person up immediately!¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Yan Qingwen has faith in Teacher Chang. He nods and gratefully says, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    In the following time, these individuals took turns diving for beads.


    Finding something underwater is a difficult task, let alone looking for something as tiny as beads. Especially when the water visibility is less than a metre, even with a shlight, the turbidity of the water furtherpounded the difficulty of finding these beads.


    asionally they were lucky, bringing up six to seven beads;


    Sometimes they were not, only finding two or three.


    As the number of beads umted to 32, they started returning empty-handed more frequently, seemingly struggling to find any more beads.<div>


    Unbeknownst to them, the time had passed 11 p.m.


    Meaning, they have been trapped here over eight hours into the summer.


    Originally, they believed that searching such a house would take at most two hours. But now, they have been trapped in the summer for eight hours¡­


    ¡°Are we sure that the answer is the beads?¡± Lun Ang asked.


    ¡°Most likely.¡± Li Li definitively replied, ¡°The home of the Water Monster locates in the depths of the water, storing glittering treasures. The shiny treasures pointed to the treasure! Now the beads, which we have never seen before on the first floor, appear. When light illuminates the beads, they be shiny; obviously, they fit the answer. The only problem now is, we cannot determine the quantity of the beads. Is it that as long as we hand over the beads, we will pass the level, or do we have to find all the beads? But how many are there in total?¡±


    Zhu Shu looked at Li Li, then at Yan Qingwen, tentatively suggesting, ¡°How about I also go down and look for it?¡±


    Yan Qingwen nodded after consideration, ¡°Everyone has their own way to look for things. If someone else gives it a try, there may be new findings.¡±


    He looked at the others, ¡°Everyone, take a break. Warm up as soon as possible. If we¡¯re sure that these are all the beads, we¡¯ll give it another try.¡±

 Chapter 277: 277: Entertain Guests Tomorrow

    Chapter 277: 277: Entertain Guests Tomorrow<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Let¡¯s try again.


    As these words were spoken, everyone fell into a synchronised silence.<div>


    If we make another mistake, I fear even the second floor will be flooded


    Even the normally confident Li Li hesitated, unwilling to make a decision on a whim.


    Tan Xiao seemed perplexed, looking around at everyone¡¯s changing faces and asking, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Haven¡¯t we found the beads? Why the long faces?¡±


    Li Li said, frustrated, ¡°We¡¯re worried about misunderstanding¡­¡±


    ¡°How could we misunderstand?¡± Tan Xiao asked, his eyes wide with confusion. ¡°If they¡¯re not beads, what else could they be?¡±


    Everyone exchanged nces.


    Indeed


    If they¡¯re not beads, what else could they be?


    They had searched the entire house countless times! Apart from the ship they found in the whale stuffed toy, there was nothing else that could be considered treasure.


    These shining beads were their only hope!


    After a moment of contemtion, Shen Mo suggested, ¡°Just to be safe, let¡¯s move everything we can use from the second floor to the loft. If the second floor floods, we won¡¯t be able to use anything down here.¡±<div>


    Professor Cheng said, ¡°Let¡¯s move the books we haven¡¯t finished too!¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Shen Mo nodded.


    Maybe there were other clues in the remaining books.


    Everyone rallied and began moving the items from the second floor to the loft. Some carried books, others moved bedding and pillows.


    During this time, Zhu Shu went into the water once and found a bead.


    After a brief rest, she went back under to search, but had no such luck on the second attempt.


    The loft, now housing 10 people and with the added clutter of books and household appliances, felt cramped and stuffy, even the air felt heavy.


    Lun Ang, a man of robust build, feeling much too suffocated, asked Tan Xiao to open a window.


    The loft had only one small window.


    Thetch was rusted, and it took Tan Xiao a couple of hard shoves before he was able to push it open.


    The salty wind carrying with it light rain blew in, bringing in fresh air and dampening the floor by the window.<div>


    Tan Xiao stuck his head out of the window to check the view¡ª all he saw was an endless expanse of water. The hills and forests were no longer visible, and their house seemed like an ind in the middle of the sea, facing the risk of submersion at any moment.


    Pulling his head back in, he sighed, ¡°The window is too small. If we get flooded here, we won¡¯t be able to get out.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll take it head-on!¡± Lun Ang said gruffly, ¡°We have ten people here. Even if we think of something, surely we can take down a fish?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s tough and thick-skinned, how do we take it down?¡± Tan Xiao was worried, ¡°We don¡¯t even have any weapons.¡±


    Their only utility knife had fallen into the water when they were rescuing Lun Ang.


    Having heard this, Shen Mo calmly responded, ¡°The utility knife should be near the stairs, it wouldn¡¯t be too hard to find it. But we should verify the number of beads first.¡±


    Including the bead found by Zhu Shu, they had a total of 33.


    But were there only 33 beads?


    If a few beads were missing when they served them to the guests, would the guests be irate?


    Then, Yan Qingwen advised, ¡°Let¡¯s do one more thorough check. Each one of us should dive one after another. The beads are small, when we swim underwater, the waves could shift the beads. Everyone, please be more careful.¡±


    Apart from the injured Lun Ang and Li Li, along with Professor Cheng and Bai Youwei who couldn¡¯t swim, the remaining six went to the second floor.<div>


    This time Xiaoxin went too.


    They took turns diving for beads.


    Before they knew it, another two hours passed.


    At three in the morning, everyone was extremely exhausted.


    Dragged their wet, cold bodies back to the loft, they put all the beads they found together¡ª


    ¡± everyone rest on the spot. Tomorrow, we will serve the guests.¡± Yan Qingwen¡¯s voice rang out like the final verdict.

 Chapter 278: 278 Quiet and Peaceful

    Chapter 278: 278 Quiet and Peaceful<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Some people could fall asleep as soon as theyy down, while others were restlessly tossing and turning.


    Tired and weary bodies, but the nerves were strained and could not rx.<div>


    Shen Mo leaned next to Bai Youwei, head down, silently thinking about every event that had happened since they started the game.


    He and Bai Youwei had yed numerous games, but this was undoubtedly the toughest. It had taken such a long time, they had suffered so much, and they hadn¡¯t even cleared the second round.


    Bai Youwei remained unusually silent.


    She seemed to be scared because Shen Mo didn¡¯t surface for a long time the first time he jumped into the water. Even as she closed her eyes to sleep now, she was clutching his hand tightly, daring not to let go.


    Shen Mo subtly adjusted his position to avoid crowding her.


    Bai Youwei opened her eyes.


    Shen Mo paused, whispering, ¡°Can¡¯t sleep?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not sleeping either¡­¡± Bai Youwei moved a little andy on her side facing him.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Said Shen Mo casually, ¡°I¡¯m thinking about the game. If we fail to find the ¡®treasure¡¯, the only way to clear the game would be to kill the guests. However, our mobility underwater is greatly impaired, unless we can find a way to get the fish to shore.¡±


    Bai Youwei did not respond, just pursed her lips.


    She could have used her rabbit to deal with the fish, but the house was too damp Water was everywhere, and the fish caused flood when it raged. No one could guarantee where the electric current would go.<div>


    And to be effective, the electric shock must be concentrated in one point. If it was dispersed in the entire body of water, could it seriously injure the fish? After all, she couldn¡¯t see the fish underwater.


    No matter how she considered it, the risks seemed to outweigh the benefits.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    After pondering for a bit, she croaked, ¡°This game is difficult because¡­ the hints are too vague. The golden orb of the frog asked us to find the golden orb; the friends reunion game required us to pick the most beautiful flower. Every game has a specific objective, yet in this game, we¡¯re left to guess what we¡¯re looking for. The only clue is a nursery rhyme.¡±


    She sighed softly, closed her eyes and continued, ¡°The summer rain is so heavy, it¡¯s pitch-ck, and we can¡¯t see where the treasure is¡­ Based on this line alone, there could be twopletely different interpretations.


    One is what Li Li has said¡ª the treasures are hidden in the darkness and are thus hard to find because we cannot see them.


    The other is that the treasures are not hidden in the dark, so no matter how we look in the dark, we¡¯ll never find them.


    Either interpretation can be logically consistent within the context of the nursery rhyme.


    We found the beads on the first floor¡­ Based on the hint that Li Li found in the book, the beads possess the characteristic of being shiny. But one thing I don¡¯t understand is, shiny objects usually reflect or refract light to shimmer. So, without a light source, how can the beads shine?¡±


    Shen Mo, hearing the mention of light, reflexively asked, ¡°Could it be the shlight?¡±


    Bai Youwei shook her head, ¡°The Inspector said the answer is in the house, and the shlight was something we brought from outside the game.¡±


    Shen Mo pondered for a moment and said softly, ¡°For now, there is a good chance it¡¯s the beads. We¡¯ll give it a try tomorrow. Perhaps we¡¯re overthinking this, and the answer is not thatplicated.¡±<div>


    Bai Youwei murmured, ¡°I hope so¡­¡±


    The two spoke on and off before closing their eyes to rest.


    The night passed.


    In this environment, no one could get a peaceful sleep.


    The room was cold and damp. The walls around were soaked, and even though the water only flooded the first floor, moist vapor still filled the entire house.


    Bai Youwei drifted in and out of sleep, the sound of pitter patter rain and asional movements and breaths of people in the room echoing in her ears.


    She opened her eyes in a daze and saw Shen Mo¡¯s handsome face, deep and shallow shadows cast on his face in the dim light.


    She looked for a while, snuggled into his arms, and fell asleep again¡­


    The night passed quietly.

 Chapter 279: 279: An Argument in the Morning

    Chapter 279: 279: An Argument in the Morning<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    The next day, Bai Youwei woke up a bit disoriented.


    The light in the attic had been on all night, and it had been raining outside continuously. She couldn¡¯t tell how long she had slept. She learned from Yan Qingwen that it was now seven thirty-five, realizing she¡¯d probably been asleep for about four hours.<div>


    After a night¡¯s rest, both Li Li and Lun Ang looked substantially better. However, Zhu Shu¡¯s face was flushed, seemingly feverish.


    While tidying up the beds, Su Man muttered under her breath, ¡°Not even saying anything about catching a fever, trying to tough it out for who to see, purposely wanting to attract someone¡¯s sympathy, aren¡¯t you¡­¡±


    Zhu Shu, feeling dizzy and unwell from her fever, leaned against the wall, staying silent.


    Feeling re-energized today, Li Li hit back directly, ¡°What¡¯s the big deal with being ill? Zhu Shu¡¯s previous injury had just gotten better, and she¡¯d gone underwater several times yesterday. Isn¡¯t it normal for her to fall ill? You think everyone is as strong as an ox like you?¡±


    Staring at him, Su Man¡¯s chest heaved incessantly, fuming with anger. She then rounded on Zhu Shu and vented all her frustration, ¡°Are you happy now?!! A man has stepped up to defend you! Are you satisfied now, stirrer of trouble?!¡±


    Zhu Shu:


    Li Li walked over directly, standing in between the two women. Pointing at Su Man¡¯s nose, he scolded, ¡°I think you¡¯re the actual troublemaker! If she says she¡¯s sick, you use her of being melodramatic. Now that she¡¯s keeping quiet, you¡¯re using her of stirring up trouble! Can you rify what exactly she should do to please you?¡±


    Zhu Shu opened her mouth to mediate, but thinking about Su Man¡¯s character, she closed it again.


    She shouldn¡¯t say anything at this time, it¡¯d only add fuel to the fire.


    If she said anything now, Su Man would surely hate her even more, thinking she was putting on a sanctimonious act.


    ¡°Li Li! You bastard!!!¡± Su Man¡¯s eyes were red with anger.<div>


    Lun Ang joined in from the side, ¡°Yeah, Li Li, you are really going overboard¡­ You¡¯re a guy, go easy on her¡­¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Li Li retorted in indignation, ¡°When did I ever not amodate her? I can¡¯t recall how many times I¡¯ve done so since we were kids! Ask her, how many times I¡¯ve taken the me for her during childhood? How many beatings I¡¯ve taken?¡±


    Simultaneously furious and irritated, Su Man wished she could pounce on him and hit him!


    If it weren¡¯t for the bandage across Li Li¡¯s chest reminding her that he was still injured,


    She would have probablyunched at him long ago!


    In the tone of an elder brother, Lun Angmented, ¡°Li Li you¡¯re a man, stop harbouring grudges let¡¯s all say less, we¡¯re not even certain we can escape from here¡­¡±


    Consumed with grief and anger, Su Man red at him with reddened eyes, ranting, ¡°Who knows what love potion Miss Goody-Two-Shoes has swayed him with! Now he talks nothing but nonsense to me!!!¡±


    Zhu Shu, holding her forehead,


    Looking around at everyone, Yan Qingwen spoke calmly, ¡°Since we all have this much energy, let¡¯s discuss how to entertain our guests.¡±


    The air went quiet in an instant.


    Neither of the two quarrelling parties spoke.<div>


    Scanning everyone, Shen Mo said calmly, ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡±


    Bai Youwei raised her eyelids slightly, looking at him.


    Yan Qingwen also turned to look, ¡± If sessful, summer will pass; if unsessful, the rain will flood the second floor too.¡±


    He paused for two seconds, turning to everyone, ¡°If there are no other suggestions, for the second visit, let¡¯s try using these beads.¡±


    The beads in the bottle gave out a faint glow.


    They were bigger and fuller than pearls, emanating a warm orange glow under the light, reminding everyone of marbles yed with during childhood.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Yan Qingwen nced at his wristwatch, saying, ¡°The final hour of preparation, everyone change into the dollhouse clothes.¡±


    He went downstairs with Shen Mo.


    Li Li and Su Man, who had been arguing, nced at each other, temporarily setting their conflict aside as they also headed downstairs.


    Mr. Cheng, Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin also followed in session.


    Only Bai Youwei, Lun Ang, and Zhu Shu remained in the attic.<div>


    Zhu Shu, still clutching her burning forehead, sat down beside Bai Youwei. After a moment of silence, she asked, ¡°What do you think how likely is it that it¡¯s the beads?¡±


    Bai Youwei frowned, looking at Zhu Shu.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t said much since yesterday ¡± Zhu Shu tentatively asked her, ¡°Is the answer these beads?¡±

 Chapter 280: 280: A Fifty Percent Feeling

    Chapter 280: 280: A Fifty Percent Feeling<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Although it seemed somewhat unfair to say this, for some reason, she was more inclined to trust Bai Youwei¡¯s judgement rather than Li Li¡¯s analysis.


    From their very first encounter, she noticed something different about Bai Youwei. She had intended to get to know her, but her ns were disrupted several times by Su Man, preventing her from making direct contact.<div>


    Throughout her many years in the entertainment industry, Zhu Shu had managed to avoid any negative publicity and secure top-tier resources in film and television. Her sess was due to her uncanny ability to align herself with the strong ¨C a strategy that had be almost second nature to her.


    Bai Youwei was the ¡°strong¡± person she had identified.


    Of course, seeking protection also spoke volumes about Zhu Shu¡¯smentable situation.


    She was very clear about this. But over the years, she had be ustomed to it. If she was suddenly asked to live in any other way, she would be at a loss.


    Just like in this abnormal world.


    Bai Youwei remained silent, watching her, her eyes inexplicably sharp.


    Zhu Shu understood that this was a long-honed caution, an instinctive response, the same as how a cat would tense up when seeing a stranger.


    Zhu Shu did her best to look sincere.


    But it seemed to have little effect.


    Bai Youwei remained indifferent, answering with a nk expression, ¡°I¡¯m silent because I haven¡¯t found the answer yet.¡±


    A chill ran through Zhu Shu¡¯s heart. ¡°It¡¯s not the beads?¡±<div>


    Bai Youwei looked down at the damp wooden floor, ¡± I hope so. But if you ask me how I feel, I¡¯d say there¡¯s a fifty percent chance.¡±


    Fifty percent.


    Zhu Shu¡¯s heart dropped.


    Fifty percent. Did that mean there was only a fifty-fifty chance?


    Lun Ang beside her cursed under his breath.


    Not at Bai Youwei.


    But at this goddamned world.


    Yan Qingwen¡¯s team set up a fewrge bed boards on the stairs leading to the loft, reinforcing them with other pieces of furniture.


    Having learnt from their previous close call, he had upgraded the setup, even incorporating a rusty axe from outside the front door into the setup.


    The old axe, now separated from its wooden handle, was wrapped with a rope, one end hanging in mid-air, the other tied to a beam above. Once the Fish Monster breached the boards, gravity would pull the axe towards it!


    Against such a massive creature, a rusty axe would have miniscule effect, but even a few extra seconds to escape would be considered fortunate.<div>


    All was set up.


    Shen Mo stood at the top of the second-floor staircase with the gathered beads, while the others spread out along the corridor and the stairs.


    Shen Mo nced at hispanions behind him, then back to Bai Youwei at the entrance of the loft. Then, refocusing on the surface of the water¡ª


    ¡°Doe in, guest.¡±


    There was no sound, perhaps drowned out by the water.


    The water level began to rise, spreading, submerging the second floor and the stairs to the loft.


    Everyone retreated further.


    When the water flooded one meter high, they retreated one meter, and when it flooded two meters, they retreated two meters When the water reached half the height of the staircase, the second-floor lights flickered and went out.


    Darkness enveloped the room, leaving only the dim glow from the loft as their only light source.


    Simultaneously, there were heavy soundsing from downstairs, as if something was clumsily making its way up from the water


    Bang!<div>


    Something collided with the tworge wooden boards Yan Qingwen had erected on the stairs.


    The boards, shaking and almost ready to fall, managed to stay upright, held in ce by the ropes.


    The Fish Monstery motionless at the bottom of the water.


    As if waiting, just like the previous round.


    The beam from their shlight cast upon the water¡¯s surface could only make out a blurry shadow.


    Shen Mo, holding the beads, stepped into the water.


    One step


    And another stepn/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He was now within striking distance of the Water Monster.


    Bai Youwei watched as he moved deeper into the water, her heart jumped into her throat. She wanted to call him back, but found herself unable to utter a word.


    Suddenly, with an enormous boom!


    The Fish Monster leapt up! Sshing monstrous waves!

 Chapter 281: 281: Unaware of Life and Death

    Chapter 281: 281: Unaware of Life and Death<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    It smashed its entire body into the bed board. The solid wood, as fragile as a thin wafer, shattered instantly!


    Shen Mo immediately ducked down, an axe flying out from behind him and smashing into the grotesque head of the Fish Monster with a thud!<div>


    The Fish Monster let out a squawk, seemingly in pain, retreating back into the water with a boom!


    ¡°Quick, get up!¡± Yan Qingwen shouted, extending his hand towards Shen Mo in the water!


    As Shen Mo just pulled himself out of the water, the Fish Monster leapt again from behind him¡ª-


    A huge shadow fell over Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen. Both of them dodged to the side, one tumbling over the staircase handrail, the other retreating into the loft. The Fish Monster, mouth wide open,nded down, instantly smashing the wooden staircase steps, biting away a huge chunk!


    Both men were swallowed by the water!


    The water level kept rising!


    In an instant, the second floor was flooded by rainwater!


    Everyone scampered back into the loft, only hearing the house being bombarded, unable to see what was happening underwater! Everyone¡¯s heart clenched in fear!


    The beam of the shlight swept back and forth. Apart from the muddled surface of the water, they could see nothing!


    Teacher Cheng was anxious, staring at the water surface and fretting, ¡°What to do what to do ¡±


    Su Man stood at the edge of the loft by the water, holding her whip tightly, she shouted, ¡°Elder Yan! Elder Yan, where are you?!!¡±<div>


    ¡°I¡¯ll go down and take a look!¡± Tan Xiao jumped into the water!


    Bai Youwei shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t go!!!¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, Tan Xiao started to tremor! His body convulsed as if dancing, while the water surface flickered with blue light! Even Bai Youwei¡¯s hands resting on the floor felt a numb sensation!


    It was electricity!


    She instinctively looked at her fluffy bunny, then with disbelief, looked back at the water surface!


    It wasn¡¯t the bunny!


    ¡°Come back! The fish can produce electricity!¡± Bai Youwei shouted!


    As she finished the sentence, fear was etched onto everyone¡¯s faces.


    If the Water Monster could create electric shocks, what would happen to Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen underwater?!


    Tears welled up in the usually strong Su Man¡¯s eyes. ¡°Damn it!¡± she cursed through her teeth, ignoring the danger of electrocution, repeatedly striking the whip on the water surface!


    ¡°Come out! You monster! Come out!!!¡±<div>


    ¡°Have you lost your mind?!!!¡± Li Li rushed over, holding her and dragging her back to the depths of the loft.


    Lun Ang, supporting his unhealed leg, stood up and shouted, ¡°Goddamn! I¡¯m going to fight it!¡±


    ¡ª¡ªBOOM!!!


    Half of the loft floor was blown up!


    The huge Fish Monster had gnawed through the loft floor, causing Bai Youwei, Li Li, and Su Man to plunge into the water!


    Su Man, quick to act, managed to whip out, the whip hanging from an iron wallmp. She grabbed Li Li, and their bodies stopped momentarily in the water!


    The whip loosened again!


    They uncontrobly slid into the water!


    Just before they fully submerged, Lun Ang grabbed the whip, pulling them up with all his strength!


    However, the Fish Monster underwater twisted and gnawed on another big section of the floor!


    The loft floor, unlike the second floor which was bricked, consisted of a thinyer of wooden boardsid over a steel frame, simply unable to withstand the Fish Monster¡¯s gnawing and battering!<div>


    Zhu Shu at the side fell into the water hole!


    Lun Ang hurriedly reached out an arm to catch her!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Teacher Cheng and Pan Xiaoxin also tried to help. But as soon as they neared, the floor beneath their feet began to crack. They had no choice but to crawl on the ground, each of them grabbing onto Lun Ang¡¯s one leg, preventing him from being dragged into the water¡ª-


    Even so, Lun Ang¡¯s body kept sliding closer to the water. He couldn¡¯t hold up against the weight of three people, his leg injury was not healed yet, and the pain he was experiencing made his face twisted.


    Zhu Shu bit her lip and suddenly let go of Lun Ang¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Zhu Shu!¡± Lun Ang was shocked and reached out to grab her but only managed to pull up a handful of wetness.


    Su Man and Li Li, one after the other, climbed back onto the loft, panting heavily, sitting with Teacher Cheng and Pan Xiaoxin in the corner of the loft.


    Everyone looked nkly at everything in front of them.


    Only half of the loft floor was left. The water surged in waves, gloomy and boundless.


    Theirpanions were nowhere to be seen, their fate unknown.

 Chapter 282: 282 She Knows the Answer

    Chapter 282: 282 She Knows the Answer<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Bai Youwei¡¯s body was sinking.


    Continually sinking<div>


    From the moment she fell, she hadn¡¯t struggled, instead remaining motionless, letting her body slowly descend in the water.


    The surroundings were dim, but there was a faint light from above, a beam leaking from the loft.


    asionally, a dark shadow would streak by, seemingly the Water Monster chasing the light.


    Someone had dropped a shlight. The beam of light agitated the monster, like a bull enraged by a red cape, and it came rushing, gnawing, and crunching the shlight to pieces! It swallowed it whole and swum off to another location, shaking its head and wagging its tail.


    Luckyn/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Although it was a crazed monster, it couldn¡¯t see her hidden here in the dark water as long as she didn¡¯t make too much noise.


    Bai Youwei quietly stayed in the water.


    Her cumbersome dress made it more difficult for her to move in the water, but it also indirectly provided her with cover. Her wide hem, floating in the water, resembled a cluster of seaweed.


    Her hand slowly felt around the surroundings.


    A wooden floor, a steel bed frame, coarse wallpaper judging by their locations, she must have fallen from the loft to the side of a bedroom on the second floor.


    Yan Qingwen¡¯s people had taken the bed base away, leaving only a bare bed frame.<div>


    She couldn¡¯t swim, so if she wanted to return to the loft, she¡¯d have to go around the outside of the door and climb up the damaged staircase.


    There¡¯s no hurry.


    The monster was still around, so she could wait until the three minutes of its frenzied period passed before making a move.


    Anyway, she had eaten fish, so it should be okay to stay in the water a little longer.


    However


    The water was really cold


    Bai Youwei thought about Shen Mo.


    Was he also somewhere on the second floor? Maybe he was close by, but they couldn¡¯t see each other because it was too dark under water.


    Was he safe?


    Did he get hurt?


    No, he should be alright. Given his intelligence, he should have quickly realized the monster¡¯s weakness in having poor vision. If he stayed still, he could avoid being discovered.<div>


    Speaking of which, most fish have poor vision.


    People say eating fish eyes can improve eyesight, but in fact, almost all fish are highly nearsighted, and the vision of deep-sea fish has mostly degraded. They rely on other sensory organs to get around.


    Hold on.


    What was that clue Li Li found?


    [The Water Monster¡¯s home is in the deep waters, hiding glittering treasures.]


    The deep waters


    At a depth of 100 metres, only 7% of the light from the surface prates. As the water gets deeper, the intensity of light rapidly declines. Around 2000 metres deep, it¡¯s virtually pitch ck.


    If there¡¯s no light, the beads won¡¯t ¡°glitter¡±, so how did people spot the ¡°glittering treasures¡±?


    The beads must be wrong.


    The ¡°glittering treasure¡± must emit light.


    Bai Youwei¡¯s body was cold under the water her mind, as if stimted by the cold water, was extraordinarily clear.<div>


    Of course, it was that thing


    It could shine


    It could generate electricity


    The water rippled as though something big was approaching.


    She slowly shrunk her body, silently tucked against the wall, keeping her eyes open, utterly motionless.


    In the murky water, the light was so faint it was almost nonexistent.


    She saw a massive figure swimming by slowly. It seemed that the three-minute frenzy period had ended. It sluggishly waved both of its pectoral fins, bumping into the door or furniture asionally, then opened its big mouth, gnawing irritably to the left and right!


    Bai Youwei stared at its long fin spines, and her previous guess turned into certainty.


    She knew what the answer was now.

 Chapter 283: 283: Like a Human

    Chapter 283: 283: Like a Human<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    For the second time this summer, they suffered tremendous losses.


    Shen Mo and Qingwen, who were the first to fall into the water, were injured to varying extents.<div>


    Shen Mo, smeared in mud, was luckily not impacted much as his injuries were treated timely. But, Zhu Shu, when in the water, was badly hurt by a spike on the fin of the Fish Monster; she was near death when pulled out of the water.


    Shen Mo saved himself, saved Qingwen, saved Zhu Shu. The mud was used up three times in a row.


    When Zhu Shu regained consciousness, she was dazed.


    She subconsciously touched her stomach. She remembered clearly that her guts were exposed. But the skin there was intact now.


    It felt as if it was all a big dream.


    Someone was calling her name repeatedly nearby, ¡°Zhu Shu, Zhu Shu ¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    It was Li Li.


    He was holding her hand, regretfully saying, ¡°Why did you let go. You shouldn¡¯t have ¡±


    ¡°If she hadn¡¯t let go, the ones falling into the water to feed the fish would be us,¡± Su Man muttered from the side, ¡°Lun Ang was not strong enough to hold on to three people.¡±


    Li Li became sadder, ¡°Zhu Shu did it to save me.¡±


    Su Man rolled her eyes but didn¡¯t argue with him, considering the situation.<div>


    Zhu Shu pulled her hand back from Li Li and, while holding her stomach, slowly sat up.


    The wound was gone, there was no pain anymore


    Someone must have used some tool on her.


    Su Man took Li Li away to check on Lun Ang¡¯s recurring leg injury.


    Zhu Shu was sitting alone in a daze, still somewhat confused.


    She let go to save others but it wasn¡¯t just for that. Zhu Shu knew her worth to the teampared to Li Li and Su Man.


    Instead of waiting for Lun Ang to eventually let her go, it was better for her to let go proactively. This way, she would not only manage the situation but also earn respect.


    Why not?


    Seeing her still in a daze, Qingwen frowned and asked, ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Zhu Shu snapped out of it, looked at him, and gently shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m fine ¡±


    After a pause, she whispered, ¡°I, once again, caused you to waste another tool.¡±<div>


    Upon hearing this, Qingwen subconsciously looked towards Shen Mo. The tool was provided by Shen Mo, it didn¡¯t seem like a waste to them.


    At this time, Zhu Shu spoke slowly, ¡°Actually every celebrity has thought about their exit. Is it by having their public image tarnished, being caught up in negative news; or is it after growing older, being phased out by the younger generation of fans; or is it by fading away from the industry due to ack of work


    Some celebrities would carefully design their exit, a concert or a performance, leaving at the peak of their glory; it¡¯s a wonderful thing, isn¡¯t it?


    I¡¯ve thought about that too.


    If I have to die sooner orter in this Doll Game, I hope that my death is beautiful. Not because I¡¯m too stupid to solve the riddles and end up being a doll, or by ying mind games to fight for a chance to survive. I wish to die like a human.¡±


    Live like a human.


    Die like a human.


    Being able to maintain the bottom line till the end, being genuine, and kind.


    Having experienced life and death firsthand, she poured out her feelings.


    The room was silent for a long time.


    Zhu Shu looked around, only to realize that she was under everyone¡¯s gaze at some point.<div>


    Li Li and Su Man, Qingwen and Lun Ang, Bai Youwei and Shen Mo, as well as Chang Weicai, Tan Xiao, and Xiaoxin every single one of them was looking at her.


    After a while, Qingwen said, ¡°Of course. If we lose our humanity and be demons to win the game, then even if we win, it¡¯s a loss.¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t lose!¡± Li Li dered with excitement, ¡°Even if I have to dive in to find it myself, if we can find all the beads, we definitely can clear the stage!¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t need to look for the beads,¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s voice was unusually calm, ¡°What the Water Monster wants is not the beads.¡±

 Chapter 284: 284: Outlandish Ideas

    Chapter 284: 284: Oundish Ideas<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Li Li was stunned, ¡°Not beads? Then what is it?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s light.¡± Bai Youwei responded.<div>


    ¡°Light?¡± Li Li couldn¡¯t understand, ¡°Why light? The rain in summer was so heavy, you couldn¡¯t see where the treasure was hiding in the darkness Why would the treasure be light?¡±


    Bai Youwei exined: ¡°The nursery rhyme did not say that the Water Monster cannot find the treasure, only that it cannot see the treasure.¡±


    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s light.¡± Li Li disagreed, frowning, ¡°Besides, how do you exin those beads? Why did they suddenly appear in areas that were flooded?¡±


    Bai Youwei was silent for a moment, then said, ¡°It¡¯s not hard to understand. If a bear can bring fish, then a fish can bring beads.¡±


    Li Li was dumbstruck upon hearing this.


    Yes


    If a bear could bring fish, then why couldn¡¯t a fish bring beads?


    Could it be that the beads they found were actually the reward for the second round?


    ¡°Try to recall that nursery rhyme again.¡± Bai Youwei murmured softly, ¡°Spring Bear is awake, it loses two children and gets really worried; Heavy rain in summer, can¡¯t see where the treasure is in the darkness; Who¡¯s here in autumn? Look, the Nail Tooth Monster opens its mouth and where are his teeth


    Spring and Autumn both mentioned the names of the guests, so why doesn¡¯t summer? The nursery rhyme could have been made like this¡ª¡ª


    The Water Monster can¡¯t see where the treasure is.<div>


    Why did they not write it that way and instead say, can¡¯t see where the treasure is in the darkness?n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Because ¡®Darkness¡¯ is the name of this Water Monster. It is ¡®lightless¡¯ and can¡¯t see its own treasure, it can¡¯t see anything!


    And we we were all misled by the term ¡®treasure¡¯!¡±


    ¡°So, what you¡¯re saying is, what we need to do now is not to find the treasure,¡± Yan Qingwen asked, ¡°but to help it see the treasure?¡±


    Bai Youwei nodded, saying: ¡°When I fell down earlier, it was really dark underwater, even when the fish swam up to me, everything was still dark. It seems to be very sensitive to light sources, and it looks like an Anglerfish, which should have a luminescent substance on its fin spines ¡±


    ¡°That would be a ndr cell.¡± Li Li couldn¡¯t help but speak, ¡°The ndr cells of the Anglerfish can secrete luciferin, which, catalyzed by luciferase, can glow through a chemical reaction with oxygen. But where can we get these ndr cells for it? Do we give it a shlight?!¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t need a shlight.¡± Bai Youwei lightly shook her head, ¡°If my guess is correct, there should be a light bulb in this house that will match it.¡±


    ¡°Light bulb!?¡± Li Li yelled! He thought that Bai Youwei was being unduly imaginative!


    Yan Qingwen nodded, ¡°If this Anglerfish monster can generate electricity, it¡¯s highly possible there¡¯s a light bulb.¡±


    Li Li:


    ¡°But this house has many light bulbs, which one is it?¡± Teacher Cheng asked.<div>


    ¡°The one that won¡¯t light up,¡± Bai Youwei said confidently.


    Everyone looked at each other.


    Out of all these light bulbs, which one doesn¡¯t light up? Now that the first and second floors were flooded and the electricity was gone, it was impossible to test them, unless


    Their eyes involuntarily went to the rabbit in Bai Youwei¡¯s arms.


    Shen Mo spoke up, ¡°The light in the storeroom doesn¡¯t work.¡±


    Everyone was taken aback.


    ¡°I¡¯ve searched the storeroom,¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°I tried the switch a few times, the light didn¡¯t turn on. I thought the bulb was spoiled, but now that I think about it, it seems like that¡¯s the only light in the entire house that¡¯s spoiled.¡±


    Listening to this, Yan Qingwen added, ¡°In that case, you go and get the bulb from the storeroom, I¡¯ll go and remove the other lights we haven¡¯t switched on. Then we canpare.¡±


    Shen Mo nodded slightly.


    The two men agreed and one after the other went into the water.


    Outside the window, the rain was relentless.<div>


    The rain had flooded everything, only the small triangr roof of a house could be seen from the oceanic expanse. Inside the house, the people were sitting on the half piece of remaining attic floor, waiting for thest piece of news¡­

 Chapter 285: 285: No More Preparation

    Chapter 285: 285: No More Preparation<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    ¡°Will it be a sess this time?¡± Su Man looked at the enveloping flood outside the window, her nerves frayed. ¡°This is ourst chance If this is wrong too, we¡¯ll be drowned here.¡±


    No one spoke.<div>


    A sense of death permeated the room.


    After a while, Li Li broke the silence, ¡°If we still fail to get through Lun Ang, give my piece of the puzzle to Su Man, and you and Yan Qingwen should take her and leave. All the research data is in the bag anyway. You guys just need to take it to Professor Song. Whether I¡¯m there or not doesn¡¯t matter ¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Su Man instantly scowled, ¡°Do you n to stay here with Zhu Shu? What for? You¡¯ve only known each other for a few days, and you already want to die together?¡±


    Li Li snapped back irritably, ¡°Will you ever let it go! Or would you rather I leave the puzzle for Zhu Shu, and die with you? I bet then you¡¯din again! Saying that I only care about the damsel in distress and neglecting your well-being, right?!¡±


    Su Man fumed, ¡°Who¡¯s asking for charity?! Can¡¯t you keep the puzzle for yourself?!¡±


    ¡°Keep it to myself? Zhu Shu just saved me, how could I abandon her here and run, would I still be a man?!¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°So, in the end, all this for her! You just want to be with her!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re utterly unreasonable! A lunatic! A madwoman!¡±


    The two started arguing as usual.


    The others remained silent.


    They¡¯d often interject in the past, but now everyone was absorbed in their own thoughts, letting them argue incessantly.<div>


    Until the water rippled, and a ssh sounded¡ª


    Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen had returned.


    All eyes turned to them.


    Yan Qingwen took a deep breath and nodded gravely at them, ¡°You¡¯re right, it¡¯s the light bulb.¡±


    A simple sentence felt like a royal pardon.


    Everyone exhaled in relief.


    Shen Mo produced the storage room light bulb for everyone to see.


    It was a small, oval bulb.


    Unlike regr ones, several hair-like ck objects emerged from this bulb, thicker than hair, looking like nerve cords.


    Furthermore,


    Shen Mo had also found a full box of simr bulbs in the storage room.<div>


    This was the type of bulb actually used in the storage room. Everyone hade across these bulbs when they were searching, but just assumed that they were regr recement bulbs.


    The answer was right in front of their eyes.


    Everyone looked at each other, registering surprise, suspicion, hesitation in each other¡¯s eyes


    ¡°If we¡¯re wrong this time too ¡± Li Li was anxious.


    ¡°We won¡¯t be.¡± Shen Mo cut him off. Holding the light bulb, he paused for a moment before saying, ¡°Dear guest, pleasee in.¡±


    Li Li¡¯s face went pale. ¡°Hey! We¡¯re not ready yet!!!¡±


    ¡°What do you need to prepare for?¡± Shen Mo asked.


    ¡°I! ¡± Li Li was speechless.


    At this point he really didn¡¯t have anything to prepare.


    Regarding injuries, the heble parts were more or less healed, and the intractable parts weren¡¯t going to get better any time soon;


    In terms of defense, there was only half a floor left in the attic. If the water came up, there would be nowhere to defend!<div>


    And speaking of water, here it came¡ªit seems that every time they formally invited the ¡°guest¡±, the water level would rise. It was as if the increase was specifically to facilitate the monstrous fish¡¯s approach.


    The water surged into the attic.


    It submerged the floor, reached their ankles, their calves Everyone stood up.


    Mr. Cheng and Tan Xiao were supporting Bai Youwei from either side.


    Shen Mo nced over at her.


    Bai Youwei gave him a barely perceptible nod.


    Shen Mo redirected his gaze, looking back at the rippling water surface.


    The waves were heavy, the attic wall light finally went out, leaving only a small light up above and a few rays from shlights illuminating the surroundings.


    Following some thudding and bumping sounds, the massive fish monster, guided by the light source, came to the edge of the attic.

 Chapter 286: 286: It’s Not Over Yet

    Chapter 286: 286: It¡¯s Not Over Yet<div>


    Trantor:549690339n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Its colossal head floated on the surface of the water, revealing a grotesque, terrifying half-face, protruding fiendish teeth, and a thin, curved fin spine.


    A small glob of ck, meaty substance hung off the pointed end of the fin spine.<div>


    No one had noticed this before. Even when it had appeared numerous times in front of them, they had never associated it with a light bulb.


    Even now, it was hard to think of a connection between a light bulb and this glob.


    This time could they be wrong again?


    They couldn¡¯t afford to be wrong again.


    If they continued to be wrong, all those who were unable to solve the puzzles would be eliminated!


    Shen Mo jumped into the water with the light bulb in his hand.


    Everyone¡¯s nerves were on edge, anxiously watching the human and fish in the water, only one question on their mind: is this right, or wrong?


    The anglerfish monster in the water was as quiet as ever.


    It had been so the previous two times as well. It would stay stationary before going berserk, as if waiting for something.


    However, the calmer it was, the more uneasy people felt. They feared it would suddenly leap up and swallow all the yers alive!


    Yet, Shen Mo¡¯s movements were decisive and swift.<div>


    After he jumped into the water, he raised his hand to grab the fin spine, presenting the light bulb!


    He did it in one swift, unhesitating motion!


    Everyone held their breath for a moment.


    The glob of meat-like substance stretched out like tiny ws, securing the light bulb tightly!


    Zzzt, Zzzt


    The light bulb flickered twice, then lit up!


    Everyone was dumbstruck.


    The fish monster seemed pleased, grinning widely.


    Then, it blew out a string ofrge bubbles, sank slowly into the water, swayed its tail, and swam away


    Everyone:


    They felt a bewildering sense of relief as if they had finally sent away a gue.<div>


    The water level was falling.


    It dropped rapidly, revealing the floor, the stairs, the wallpaper on the second floor. Looking out of the window, they could see the clouds dispersing, the rain stopping, and the hillside and forest gradually emerging from the water.


    What was more surprising was that the receding tide not only took away the water but also restored the building¡¯s structure.


    All the stairs and furniture that had been bitten and damaged were restored to their original state.


    Everyone came down to the first floor and found many shiny beads on the floor ¨C not just 33, but at least a hundred at first nce!


    Shen Mo picked up one.


    [Rejected Egg of Water Monster: It stings when you¡¯re hit and there¡¯s a 20% chance of triggering the Thunder st Effect.]


    These descriptions were not present when they picked up the beads just now. Now, however, they floated into their minds. It seemed that only after passing the level could the rewards genuinely be rewards.


    As everyone was being attracted by the shiny beads scattered on the ground, a surprised and high-pitched voice sounded¡ª


    ¡°You guys actually survived?!¡±


    The Crystal Ball couldn¡¯t help but hop up from the music box, whizzing in front of them! It seemed incredulous, circling around them twice before stopping:<div>


    ¡°How is this possible?!! You guys actually survived the summer without losing anyone?!! No impossible! Is there an error in the data? I¡¯m going to recheck the information!¡±


    It flew back to the music box and stood still, seemingly processing internal information.


    There was silence for no more than two seconds when the Crystal Ball screamed again!


    ¡°You guys really passed the summer! Just a bit more! Ahhhh just a tad more, and the Water Monster would have swallowed you whole! What a pity!!!¡±


    Everyone:


    Bai Youwei gave it a tired nce, then said to Shen Mo, ¡°Let¡¯s clean up the beads on the floor first. Even though they are rewards, if we trip on them and fall, we might get hurt.¡±


    Yan Qingwen also heard her and nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s clean up together, watch your step.¡±


    Having barely escaped with their lives, it would be a real pity if they were to die due to the reward items.


    Everyone took this seriously and started picking up the scattered beads on the floor.


    No one paid any attention to the Inspector.


    Unwilling to be left out, the Crystal Ball flew over again, swayed around, and finally settled in front of Shen Mo and Bai Youwei:


    ¡°Hmph! Don¡¯t be high and mighty! It¡¯s not over yet! You won¡¯t escape from the Nail Tooth Monster in the fall! You¡¯ll never get out of this game!!!¡±

 Chapter 287: 287: The Final Reward

    Chapter 287: 287: The Final Reward<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Yes, it¡¯s not over yet.


    When summer ended, autumn followed. Unbeknownst to them, the grass on the hill had all dried up, and the trees at the foot of the hill had turned yellow. The autumn breeze blew in through the doors and windows, causing those in damp clothes to shiver from the cold.<div>


    Thankfully, the house had been restored to its original state, with the walls and floors all dry, as well as the firewood in the firece.


    Shen Mo reignited the firece.


    Everyone scattered; some went to take hot showers, some sat by the firece to warm up, and others searched in corners to see if any beads had been overlooked.


    The guest of autumn had already arrived.


    Stationed at the front door.


    However, everyone was too worn out, trapped in the summer for nearly eighteen hours; each person was physically and emotionally drained. All they wanted for the moment was to properly rx and rest, they didn¡¯t care about the guest outside.


    Two hourster ¡ª by the time everyone had bathed and changed, and assembled in the living room looking fresh and clean¡ª


    Professor Chang poured ten cups of hot tea and ced them on the coffee table in the living room.


    Thin columns of steam rose from the tea.


    The firewood in the firece crackled.


    Ten individuals in exquisite doll costumes gathered in the living room. If you overlooked the serious or troubled expressions on their faces, it almost felt like a tea party.<div>


    ¡°There are a total of 102 beads. I suggest we divide them evenly.¡± Yan Qingwen looked at Shen Mo and Bai Youwei. ¡± Logically speaking, as you two have passed the round, you should gain more. But we still have the third round of the autumn game toe. Once the guest begins to lose control, the injured, elderly, women, and children will all need more props for support.¡±


    He paused, before continuing: ¡°This is just my personal opinion. If you guys don¡¯t agree, we can discuss other ways to divide them.¡±


    Unlike fish meat, beads serve as reward props.


    With fish meat, everyone could share a pot, but everyone could not share the limited quantity of beads.


    As long as there is a fixed amount, there will be disparities.


    Yan Qingwen was smart. He had ulterior motives; he wanted to get more beads for the injured Lu Ang and the delicate Zhu Shu, but he did not say it. Instead, he pointed out the predicaments of Professor Chang and Pan Xiaoxin.


    If only those passing the game receive beads, how would the previous round be ounted for? The idea had been Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s, and Zhu Shu was the one who sewed the bow, but neither of them received any extra fish meat as a result.


    Furthermore, if Chang Weicai and Pan Xiaoxin didn¡¯t get any beads, what would they do in the following round? If danger arises, Shen Mo would have to step in and save them. It would be better to give them more beads now, allowing them the ability to protect themselves and making things easier for Shen Mo.


    Shen Mo also had his considerations.


    Each round of the game was more challenging than thest, and they still didn¡¯t know how to deal with the guest of the autumn round. For yers right now, the most important thing was cooperation. If disagreements arose over the distribution of rewards, it would be undesirable.


    After some thought, he said, ¡°Then let¡¯s each take 10 beads. The extra two will go to Bai Youwei.¡±<div>


    Bai Youwei frowned, ¡°Are my ideas only worth two beads?¡±


    Yan Qingwen couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°How many beads do you want? Just say a number and we can discuss it.¡±


    Bai Youwei had actually given this some serious thought and replied, ¡°Let¡¯s just divide them as you guys suggested.¡±


    Yan Qingwen was taken aback, ¡°There¡¯s no need to force yourself If you¡¯re not satisfied, we can split it 40-60 or 30-70. We¡¯d be fine with that.¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Bai Youwei shook her head gently, ¡°Actually, you guys were right. There¡¯s still the third round, and it¡¯s better to have more protection for the old, the women, and the children. This will allow those with good physical abilities to handle things without being restricted. Moreover, I trust that the game¡¯s final reward will be fair and just. I don¡¯t need to worry about this.¡±


    Yan Qingwen furrowed his brows, ¡°The final reward?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± Bai Youwei gave a faint smile, ¡°As for these little beads, whether it¡¯s a few more or a few less, I really don¡¯t care. My aim is the final reward.¡±

 Chapter 288: 288: Looking for a Nail

    Chapter 288: 288: Looking for a Nail<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Yan Qingwen remained silent for a while, then let out a light smile.


    ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded, ¡°This is only the second round. Only after autumn passes can we truly clear the game.¡±<div>


    Li Li encouraged everyone: ¡°We made it through summer despite its difficulty, why fear autumn!¡±


    Lun Ang also nodded in agreement: ¡°Even if the third round is difficult, but we¡¯ve experienced spring and summer, we should be able to deal with autumn. I believe we won¡¯t be clueless.¡±


    The Crystal Ball sat quietly on the Eight Immortals cab, watching them discuss their next strategies.


    Shen Mo walked over, turned the winding box on the music box, and a familiar nursery rhyme floated around the room with the music:


    The Spring Bear is awake,


    It¡¯s really worried about losing two children;


    Summer rain is so heavy,


    It¡¯s pitch-ck, and the treasure can¡¯t be seen;


    Whoes in the fall?


    Look, isn¡¯t there a tooth in the wide-open mouth of the Nail Tooth Monster?


    Winter, winter finallyes<div>


    Who will see the snowke?


    Shen Mo leaned against the window, and the half-open window vaguely reflected guests outside, ¡°Just as expected, it¡¯s the Nail Tooth Monster Whoes in the fall? Look, isn¡¯t there a tooth in the wide-open mouth of the Nail Tooth Monster? Just as the nursery rhyme says.¡±


    Everyone quickly moved to the window, curious to see what the guest outside looked like.


    The window and the door were in a parallel line, and the doorposts and coverings on the sides of the door made it impossible to see directly through the window, leaving them to rely on the reflection on the ss window to increase their visual range.


    The guest of autumn, in terms of size, was not as big as the bear or the anglerfish.


    It looked like a walking shark, just without fins and a tail, with glossy gray skin, strong lower limbs, slender ws, plus an extremelyrge head¡ª


    It stood at the door with its mouth wide open, and only about seven or eight pointed teeth could be seen.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The teeth looked like nails.


    Shen Mo looked at the rest of them, ¡°For this round, it seems our task is to find nails.¡±


    Yan Qingwen observed the reflection carefully on the window ss and slowly nodded, ¡°And it looks like we¡¯re going to find quite a few nails.¡±


    Scarred from thest round, Li Li looked at the two leaders uncertainly, ¡°Are you confident? Is it really just to find nails? What if it¡¯s something else?¡±<div>


    He turned his head to ask Bai Youwei, ¡°Do you also think it¡¯s nails?¡±


    Bai Youwei nced at him expressionlessly, ¡°No matter what it is, the one-minute rampage in the first round is unavoidable.¡±


    Whether it¡¯s the bear or the anglerfish, without real contact, it¡¯s hard to find out what they really need based only on the clues from the nursery rhyme.


    Hearing this, Su Man next to him nervously tugged at her dress.


    She¡¯s sick to death of this game, because dressing like this was affecting her performance. However, if she didn¡¯t dress like this, she¡¯d be attacked by the guests.


    Zhu Shu asked, ¡°If it¡¯s nails, how many do we need to find?¡±


    ¡°Its mouth was wide open ¡± Yan Qingwen squinted his eyes a bit, ¡°Just by looking at it, there should be about 26 upper teeth, 24 lower teeth. Minus the six nails in its mouth, we¡¯re left with 44.¡±


    Bai Youwei shook her head gently, ¡°The game can¡¯t be that simple, it¡¯s possible that there are double or multipleyers of teeth.¡±


    Shen Mo pulled his gaze back, looking at the facilities in the room, ¡°If it¡¯s doubleyered teeth, then it¡¯s 100 nails, tripleyered, 150 nails, fouryers, 200 nails In other words, the more nails we find, the better.¡±


    Li Li¡¯s scalp tingled hearing these numbers.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this a bit outrageous? We¡¯ve turned over every corner of this room, and apart from the dozen or so nails in the storage room, there are none at all!¡±<div>


    Tan Xiao patted him on the shoulder with one hand, tapped his chest with the other hand and said seriously, ¡°You need to look carefully! As it is said, nothing is too difficult if you put your heart into it! We must keep at it until death!¡±


    Li Li snapped, ¡°It¡¯s supposed to be ¡®stick to it until the end¡¯!¡±


    Who the hell wants to keep at it with you until death! Get lost!!!

 Chapter 289: 289: Remove The Stumbling Block

    Chapter 289: 289: Remove The Stumbling Block<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    A simple two and a half story townhouse was thoroughly searched.


    In the end, only 23 nails were found.<div>


    This number, was far from sufficient.


    Tan Xiao picked up two more from under the bed and dropped them into the nail dish, clinking softly.


    He looked up at Li Li, patted his chest, seemingly indicating: see? Look carefully!


    Li Li hadn¡¯t found a single nail and didn¡¯t want to deal with him.


    Pan Xiaoxin, with a small backpack on his back, came down to the living room and took out a handful of nails from his bag!


    At least forty or fifty by visual estimation. This number far exceeded thebined total of everyone else!


    Everyone suddenly eximed: ¡°Xiaoxin! Where did you find these nails?¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Pan Xiaoxin scratched his head and honestly said, ¡°I couldn¡¯t find any nails Then I saw a toy train in the attic, so I dismantled the train ¡±


    ¡°Ah! That train!¡± Su Man recalled, ¡°I took it when I was looking for shiny objects. It¡¯s metallic and has so many nails on it!¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin nodded, ¡°It also has a metal track, with two nails on each rail.¡±


    Everyone had a sudden burst of inspiration!<div>


    ¡°If this is the case, every metal toy in the house can be dismantled!¡±


    ¡°The nails holding up the paintings on the wall can also be removed!¡±


    ¡°All things with nails can be taken apart! This game is very tricky, I wouldn¡¯t have thought of removing nails if it wasn¡¯t for the child ¡±


    There were all kinds of screwdrivers in the tool box in the storage room. Everyone picked up a few and started to dismantle the nails.


    This way, their reach was greatly extended.


    Of course, not all nails could be undone. Some couldn¡¯t be unscrewed no matter what, especially ones rted to the structure of the house or furniture.


    Everyone gradually summarized the experience, ¡°Structural¡± nails couldn¡¯t be dismantled, but ¡°movable¡± and ¡°decorative¡± nails could be taken apart.


    The entire house echoed with a symphony of nging sounds. Chaotic, yet lively, no nailden toy was spared, nor were the wall lights, the living room sofa, bedroom drawers, the bathroom towel hooks everything was cleaned out.


    Tan Xiao initially wanted to uninstall the doorknob, but it seemed the system wouldn¡¯t allow it. No matter how he turned the screwdriver, he couldn¡¯t unscrew it.


    Even so, they managed to collect 226 nails!


    How many teeth the Nail Tooth Monster had was unknown, but 226 nails such a quantity, ought to be enough, right?<div>


    Bai Youwei nced at the crystal ball on the cupboard.


    This ball


    When lively, it made lots of noise.


    But when quiet, it could easily be mistaken for an ordinary music box.


    Who knows what kind of mischief it was up to.


    ¡°The first rampage is unavoidable.¡± Yan Qingwen said, ¡°Whether nails are necessary or how many are needed, we¡¯ll know after this round.¡±


    Shen Mo looked at him, ¡°The time of the first round is short, but the uncertainty is the highest, and the danger is the greatest. The yer inviting guests must be agile, or they will not escape.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± Yan Qingwen said calmly, ¡°You¡¯ve taken the lead twice this summer, it¡¯s my turn.¡±


    ¡°Yan, if it¡¯s about agility, I¡¯m not bad either.¡± Su Man stepped forward, ¡°You need to take Li Li to see Professor Song, you can¡¯t afford to get hurt. I¡¯ll invite the Nail Tooth Monster in.¡±


    Yan Qingwen pondered for a moment, nodded and said, ¡°Alright, you go first in the first round, be careful.¡±


    He knew his position in the team. Letting Su Man go was not because he was afraid of dying, but as the backbone of the team, his ident would likely affect the team¡¯s morale and performance in the next round.<div>


    Besides, Su Man might be impulsive, but her agility certainly wasn¡¯t inferior to his.


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s stick to our usual n.¡± Yan Qingwen stood up, ¡°The elderly, women, children, and those who are injured, go upstairs and find a ce to hide for now. Those who remain, prepare to receive our guest.¡±

 Chapter 290: 290: Laying a Nail

    Chapter 290: 290: Laying a Nail<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Chang Weicai, Pan Xiaoxin, and Zhu Shu,cking the ability to protect themselves, headed upstairs.


    Lun Ang¡¯s leg bone hadn¡¯t fully healed and couldn¡¯t be of assistance, so he went upstairs as well.<div>


    Bai Youwei was still hiding in the storage room.


    Only Shen Mo, Tan Xiao, Yan Qingwen, Li Li, and Su Man remained on the first floor in the living room.


    After facing a bear and anglerfish, everyone¡¯s faces had lost a bit of panic and gained a bit more calm andposure.


    Su Man stood by the door, holding arge ss bowl that had previously been filled with loquats, but now was filled with nails.


    At Yan Qingwen¡¯s signal, she pursed her lips, watching the door and said, ¡°Pleasee in, guest.¡±


    Click¡ª¡ª


    The door opened slowly.


    Upon seeing the monster up close, they found that it looked even more ridiculous than they had imagined.


    Its head was disproportionatelyrge, and its front ws were pitifully short. Originally, they thought it was like a shark with arms and legs, but now it seemed more like a miniaturized Tyrannosaurus Rex, only without a tail.


    It walked in with a pattering sound, all the way to Su Man, sat down on the floor, raised its head, and opened its mouth wide!


    How wide?<div>


    The upper and lower jaws almost opened past 90 degrees!


    Its mouth was full of tiny pits instead of a tongue, like the suction cups on an octopus¡¯s tentacles, some of which had grown nails out of them!


    Su Man felt nauseous at the sight of these dense pits, her face going pale.


    The Nail Tooth Monster sat motionless in front of her.


    ¡°Su Man.¡± Yan Qingwen softly reminded her from the side.


    Su Man snapped back to reality, biting her lip as she tremblingly picked a nail from the ss bowl


    The one she randomly picked was ck, thin, long, and the tip was a helix.


    She held the nail and cautiously approached the Nail Tooth Monster¡¯s open mouth.


    At this moment, the numerous suction cups in the monster¡¯s mouth began to ¡°joyfully¡± contract, as if they could sense the nearby nail. They contracted and expanded, contracted and expanded, like countless hungry buds!


    Disgusting!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    As a tomboy, Su Man wasn¡¯t afraid of smelly rogues, ferocious beasts, but she couldn¡¯t stand these nauseating things!<div>


    Her heart leapt as she clenched her teeth, her fingers trembling as she ced the nail inside the Nail Tooth Monster¡¯s mouth¡ª


    The sucker-like buds had a strange affinity for the nail. As soon as they touched the nail, they sucked it in! The nail was firmly embedded in the flesh-like suction cups. At first nce, it even seemed as if the nail had grown out of the flesh!


    With one nail in ce, the other small sucker-like buds contracted even faster!


    They seemed unbearable!


    They even began secreting a sticky oil-like liquid which trickled out, just like drool!


    The Nail Tooth Monster found the feel of the suction cups and drool in its mouth ufortable. It rumbled from its throat and closed its mouth, rubbing its mouth hard¡ª


    Su Man thought it was about to go wild and pulled her hand back in fright!


    As it turned out, the Nail Tooth Monster only swayed its head. It wasn¡¯t satisfied and began to grind its mouth on the floor, smearing oil all over the ce.


    Everyone exchanged nces.


    It hadn¡¯t gone berserk, which meant the nail was indeed the right choice, but what was the Nail Tooth Monster trying to do?


    After rubbing its mouth on the floor for a while, the Nail Tooth Monster sat up again and opened its mouth wide towards Su Man.<div>


    Su Man was somewhat stunned.


    ¡°Keep feeding it nails.¡± Yan Qingwenmanded.


    Su Man nodded, took a deep breath, picked up another nail from the bowl, and ced it into the Nail Tooth Monster¡¯s mouth¡ª


    The flesh-like suction cups quickly sucked in the nail!


    The more she practiced, the smoother her feeding action became, and Su Man became faster at feeding the nails.


    When she heard the Nail Tooth Monster¡¯s throat rumbling, she knew that the monster was itchy and couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. She pulled her hand back, waited for it to grind itself a few times, then continued to feed it nails.

 Chapter 291: 291: Missing Nails

    Chapter 291: 291: Missing Nails<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    cing hundreds of nails, one by one, was time-consuming.


    While Su Man was busy with the nails, Yan Qingwen and Shen Mo were also not idle, closely examining the Nail Tooth Monster.<div>


    ¡°Its height is around 1.5 meters, length approximately 2 meters. The front limbs are small and non-threatening, but the head is huge, so the biting power is probably extraordinary.¡±


    ¡°Its hind limbs are strong, it shouldn¡¯t be too slow.¡±


    ¡°Not only is it fast, but it also has a strong jumping ability. Inbination with the powerful bites, fighting it would be tricky.¡±


    ¡± However, it has no tail and an oversized head, so its bnce should be quite poor.¡±


    ¡°We could try changing directions during the attack.¡±


    Shen Mo and Yang Qingwen exchanged thoughts back and forth.


    Tan Xiao listened in nkly on the side.


    He didn¡¯t understand; how could these two extract so much information just from a few nces at the monster full of nails in its mouth?


    Tan Xiao quietly nudged Li Li, whispering, ¡°What are they talking about?¡±


    Li Li replied impatiently, ¡°Even if I told you, you wouldn¡¯t understand. Just keep quiet and listen, don¡¯t interrupt.¡±


    Tan Xiao suddenly realized, ¡°Oh you don¡¯t understand either, do you? Well, I¡¯m relieved. As long as I¡¯m not the only one who doesn¡¯t get it.¡±<div>


    Li Li: ¡°You !¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t disturb.¡± Tan Xiao insisted, ¡°We should just listen.¡±


    Li Li:


    He wanted to swear.


    The number of nails in the Nail Tooth Monster¡¯s mouth was increasing.


    Yet, the number of nails left in Su Man¡¯s bowl was decreasing.


    Seeing the dwindling quantity, Yan Qingwen reminded Su Man, ¡°Slow down on cing the nails.¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    On hearing this, Su Man nodded, intentionally slowing down her pace.


    Yan Qingwen took the chance to count the remaining nails in her bowl; there were seventeen left.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have enough nails.¡± Shen Mo furrowed his brows, staring at the flesh-like suckers inside the monster¡¯s mouth. ¡°Even including the 17 nails in the bowl, we¡¯re still short by around thirty.¡±


    ¡°Thirty something?¡± Yan Qingwen responded, ¡°We need to know the exact number to figure out the answer.¡±<div>


    Shen Mo¡¯s brows furrowed tighter, staring into the monster¡¯s mouth, ¡± 36 or 37; the suckers keep moving, you guyse and count too.¡±


    Yan Qingwen, Li Li, and Tan Xiao gathered around; each of them counted the sucker missing a nail and subtracted the number of nails left in the bowl ¡ª


    Yan Qingwen got 38.


    Li Li got 37.


    Tan Xiao got 31.


    Li Li was speechless toward him: ¡°Your number is the lowest!¡±


    Tan Xiao was defiant and recounted. This time, he ended up with 44 nails.


    Su Man¡¯s pace had slowed down significantly, the nail count kept decreasing, and the bowl now had fewer than ten left.


    She took out a nail, slowly, very slowly cing it into the Nail Tooth Monster¡¯s mouth, asking anxiously, ¡°Are you guys done yet?¡±


    The men huddled around the monster and recounted, but failed to get a unanimous count.


    Either 36 or 38.<div>


    Because the flesh-like suckers constantly contracted, erging and shrinking at different times. When contracted, it would be blocked by other erged suckers. With none contracting at the same time, it was tough to determine the exact number.


    There were only three nails left in Su Man¡¯s bowl.


    Yan Qingwenmanded, ¡°Disperse and get ready to attack.¡±


    ¡°As soon as you put in thest nail, run! Got it?¡± Li Li instructed Su Man.


    ¡°Look out for yourself!¡± Su Man retorted impatiently, ¡°I¡¯m sure I can run faster than you!¡±


    Two left.


    Tan Xiao gripped his piece of firewood, fiercely dering, ¡°I¡¯ll stand behind it and whack it before running!¡±


    Shen Mo stood quietly on one side, a folded fruit knife open in his hand.


    One left


    The tension reached its climax¡ª


    When the sucker enveloped thest tiny nail, Yan Qingwen cried out:


    ¡°Run!!!¡±


    Su Man and Li Li turned and bolted!


    Tan Xiao swung down his stick! The firewood splintered!


    Shen Mo drove his knife towards the monster¡¯s neck. The de sparked as it failed to prate and chipped!


    Both he and Yan Qingwen¡¯s faces changed!


    ¡°Its body is made of metal!¡±


    ¡°Roarrrrrrr!!!¡±


    The Nail Tooth Monster let out a hoarse roar, opening its mouth full of nails, lunging to bite them!¡ª

 Chapter 292: 292: Rampaging Nail Tooth Monster

    Chapter 292: 292: Rampaging Nail Tooth Monster<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Shen Mo and Tan Xiao were closest to the Nail Tooth Monster!


    The monster kicked up its hind legs and charged directly at Shen Mo!<div>


    Shen Mo countered with a swift knife strike! He was strong enough, but the cracked de wasn¡¯t tough enough. When it hit the monster¡¯s massive head, it was like chopping a rock!


    The fruit knifepletely broke! Half the de flew threw the air!


    But the Nail Tooth Monster became even more furious and lunged in retaliation!


    Shen Mo dodged to the side; swiftly changing direction, he moved to the monster¡¯s left. He pulled out a Bead and tossed it at the creature!


    The Nail Tooth Monster, less agile than Shen Mo, identally rammed its head into a wall. Dust flew up everywhere! Ignoring the pain, it raised its head only to be hit by another Bead in the back of its head!


    A loud bang resounded!


    The sound wasn¡¯t loud, but the monster seemed to be in excruciating pain, squealing and clutching its head!


    But its forelimbs were too short to hold its head. After a few frantic cries, it saw Tan Xiao nearby and charged at him!


    Tan Xiao turned and ran towards the dining hall!


    The Nail Tooth Monster¡¯s hind legs were powerful. Chasing Tan Xiao, it quickly caught up despite his attempt at blocking it with a table


    Shen Mo yelled from a distance, ¡°Use the Beads! All other means of attacks are useless against it!!!¡±<div>


    But it was still toote!


    Tan Xiao, unable to extract a Bead in time, was flung against a wall by the monster!


    The monster, its head hard and huge like a block of iron, mmed into Tan Xiao¡¯s back. He immediately coughed up blood! The next second, the monster bit into his shoulder, its sharp nails piercing deep into his flesh as if it was paper under a stapler! Blood sshed everywhere!


    Boom!


    Yan Qingwen threw a Bead that promptly exploded into a spark on the monster¡¯s head!


    The Bead achieved a 20% Thunder st effect!


    The Nail Tooth Monster was immediately caught off guard. It retreated a few steps, groggy, its body swaying.


    ¡°Hold on a little longer!¡± Yan Qingwen shouted to everyone, ¡°Only 30 seconds left!¡±


    Seizing the opportunity while the Nail Tooth Monster was still dizzy, Shen Mo raced forward, picked up Tan Xiao, and ran up the stairs!


    The others also found ces to hide.


    But the beast was only dazed for six to seven seconds. It quickly realized that the room was empty and, with a roar, charged up the stairs! It was remarkably fast and soon caught up to Shen Mo!<div>


    Su Man threw down her whip from upstairs to hinder the monster¡¯s ascent, but the monster was unfazed by it. With a powerful leap, it jumped straight up from the staircase to the second floor and bit Su Man¡¯s hand holding the whip!


    ¡°Ah!!!¡±


    Su Man shrieked in agony!


    She fell straight down from the balcony of the second floor staircase!


    The monster kept its mouth open for another bite, but Shen Mo quickly pulled out a Bead and threw it!


    The monster managed to dodge, roaring fiercely. It strangely gave up on attacking them and turned towards the storeroom next to the stairs!


    Bai Youwei was in the storeroom!


    Shen Mo¡¯s face turned grim, he put down Tan Xiao and swiftly ran towards the storage room!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    But before he could get in, he heard several loud bangs! The monster bellowed in pain and stumbled backward while ayer of crystalline Beads¡¯ powder was scattered across the storeroom doorway!


    Yan Qingwen was stunned as well!


    They had all been throwing Beads one by one, who knew Bai Youwei would toss a handful!<div>


    At least seven or eight Beads, three of which had triggered a Thunder st effect, leaving the Nail Tooth Monster disoriented!


    There were only a few seconds left.


    By the time the Nail Tooth Monster had recovered, the one-minute frenzy time was also over.


    It chomped its mouth, and then rubbed its un-nail-studded fleshy disc against the floor, before finally leaving the house reluctantly ..


    Bai Youwei stepped out of the storeroom, gripping her wheelchair tightly, her face dark with displeasure, ¡°Why did it know I was in there?¡±


    ¡°Something¡¯s not right with this monster¡¯s vision.¡± Shen Mo looked grim, ¡°When it attacked me, from that angle it shouldn¡¯t have been able to see Tan Xiao. Yet, not only did it discover Tan Xiao, it executed a precise attack on him!¡±

 Chapter 293: 293: Still Missing Nails

    Chapter 293: 293: Still Missing Nails<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s unusual,¡± Yan Qingwen said with a serious expression. ¡°When it attacked Su Man, it didn¡¯t rise up. It seemed to be able to know our location without needing eyes.¡±


    ¡°Considering those little eyes of it, it¡¯s impossible for them to be giving it a 360-degree field of view,¡± Bai Youwei said calmly, her face remaining indifferent. ¡°The Inspector must have missed something again.¡±<div>


    Shen Mo looked in the direction of the staircase.


    Tan Xiao and Su Man were both severely injured, their wounds where the Nail Tooth Monster had bitten them were drenched in blood. It was a gruesome sight.


    ¡°Let¡¯s save them first.¡±


    Despite the one minute rampage, their injuries were serious.


    The wound where the nail had punctured was bloody and mangled, even the bone inside had been pierced. Even though Shen Mo had tried to treat the wound with mud, the effect was still minimal.


    Su Man¡¯s right hand was nearly broken off, and Tan Xiao was still unconscious.


    ¡°We wouldn¡¯t survive for 3 minutes if it rampages again.¡± Yan Qingwen warned.


    While the Nail Tooth Monster wasn¡¯t the biggest of its kind, its speed, strength and precision of judging the position of its targets made it far more terrifying than the previous two monsters. One minute had already resulted in two serious injuries. What would happen if it rampaged for 3 minutes?


    Upstairs, teacher Cheng, Pan Xiaoxin, and Zhu Shu, there¡¯s no use hiding no matter how hard they try;


    Bai Youwei might have a rabbit, but even electric shock might not be effective;


    They themselves could not think of any solutions in front of the monster, which was as hard as metal;<div>


    And about those beads, normal attacks could dy for two or three seconds, thunder effect could extend to seven to eight seconds, these were indeed useful in one minute of rampage, but what if the rampagests for 3 minutes? What¡¯s the use of these few seconds gained through dying?


    Their predicament had reached a deadlock.


    Unless .


    The remaining nails can be found.


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep looking,¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°36 to 38 nails, that¡¯s the minimum, it can¡¯t be fewer than that.¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Li Li stood up, ¡°Let¡¯s check again to see if we¡¯ve missed any nails. Thirty plus is not a small number, there must be some ce we¡¯ve overlooked.¡±


    Teacher Cheng and Pan Xiaoxin both nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll look in the kitchen.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go to the attic .¡±


    Everyone dispersed, each going his own way to search for the nails.


    Two hourster, they regrouped in the living room, each shaking their head.<div>


    Not a single nail was found.


    This wasn¡¯t surprising.


    Long before they decided to allow the ¡®guests¡¯, they had already scoured this house several times. Trapped here for several days, they were all too familiar with every corner of the Dollhouse. Any nail that could be removed had been removed by them, with virtually no oversights.


    Searching again, the result would naturally be the same.


    Everyone sat silently in the room.


    The Nail Tooth Monster was still outside.


    From time to time, it would grind its teeth against the ground. The scraping sound made people irritable.


    Li Li couldn¡¯t sit still any longer. He stood up and began pacing back and forth to alleviate his restless mood.


    Su Man sat on the sofa, holding her injured hand, more silent than ever.


    Bai Youwei was also irritable. Her eyes flicked to the crystal ball on top of the eight-drawer cab, she began, ¡°What if we ¡±


    Before she could finish, the ball unexpectedly spoke up:<div>


    ¡°Hey! I should remind you, attacking the Inspector is a major vition!¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin looked at the ball, then Bai Youwei, and quietly said, ¡°Sister Weiwei, the music box can¡¯t be dismantled.¡±


    Bai Youwei mused, ¡°But it¡¯s weird the appearance of a music box here has no use, other than reciting a nursery rhyme but there is no need for the nursery rhyme to be recited through a music box, right? The game rules could bepletely announced by the Inspector. Earlier they mentioned it was for a sense of ceremony ¡±


    She voiced her thoughts and frowned at the crystal ball.


    ¡°Was it really just for a sense of ceremony? Or perhaps it was to mislead us, to let us assume that the crystal ball and the music box are one and the same?¡±

 Chapter 294: 294: Still Missing Nails

    Chapter 294: 294: Still Missing Nails<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    The Crystal Ball remained silent.


    Bai Youwei looked at it with growing suspicion.<div>


    After a while, she said to Pan Xiaoxin, ¡°You go, bring the eight-note box here.¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin:


    The Crystal Ball, enraged, yelled, ¡°Hey! Can¡¯t you understand me?! I¡¯ve made it clear that attacking the Inspector is against the rules! It¡¯s a serious, vition of the rules!!!¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin, who was about to stand up, froze, unsure whether to listen to Bai Youwei or the Crystal Ball.


    Bai Youwei gazed at Pan Xiaoxin calmly and gently, ¡°It¡¯s alright, we¡¯re just going to look at it, wind it up, listen to the music, we¡¯re not going to vite the rules by attacking it.¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin nodded, walked over with a serious face, picked up the eight-note box, and walked back.


    The Crystal Ball on the eight-note box snorted, ¡°You better not y any tricks! Don¡¯t try to exploit loopholes in the rules! Any vition will be punished by the Inspector Ahhh! ¡ª¡ª¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin suddenly stumbled and fell to the ground with a thud!


    He held the eight-note box in his arms, but the Crystal Ball was flung out in a parabolic arc, hitting the ground hard, bouncing twice and rolling to the corner of the room!


    ¡°Ah! Xiaoxin, are you okay? Get up quickly!¡± Bai Youwei, who was startled, held her chest, ¡°How could you identally fall? It¡¯s lucky you didn¡¯t do this intentionally, otherwise the Inspector would consider it a malicious attack!¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin on the ground:<div>


    The Crystal Ball on the ground:


    Teacher Cheng hurriedly helped Pan Xiaoxin up, dusting off his legs, ¡°Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself? Be careful next time, the floor had just been flooded, did you slip because there was still standing water?¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin silently set the eight-note box on the table and then looked at Bai Youwei.


    Why did he feel just now, it seemed like Sister Weiwei tripped him?


    Hmm


    Sister Weiwei¡¯s legs are disabled, aren¡¯t they


    ¡°Where¡¯s the screwdriver?¡± Bai Youwei was eager, ¡°Now that the Inspector is not around, it¡¯s okay to dismantle it, right? Let¡¯s do it, let¡¯s do it!¡±


    Shen Mo picked up the screwdriver and began to dismantle the eight-note box.


    The Crystal Ball, covered in dust, slowly rolled back from the corner of the room¡ª


    The ball pressed against the wooden floor made a creaking sound. The floor it rolled over cracked slightly, as if bearing a tremendous force, leaving a long track like silent, simmering anger.


    It rolled back into the living room and came to a halt, watching as these people took the eight-note box apart.<div>


    They were counting screws as they dismantled it.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°One, two, four eight ¡±


    ¡°Do you think, by dismantling the eight-note box, you can clear the game?¡± A sullen child¡¯s voice echoed from the depths of the Crystal Ball, ¡°Dollhouse has one life in one season, and in the trial stage, 6,798,052 yers stayed in the doll¡¯s house, only 1,289 of them survived to autumn! And none of these people survived till winter!¡±


    Bai Youwei looked at the Crystal Ball on the floor.


    The counting voice next to her ear had stopped


    It stopped at 12.


    The number of screws they needed was far more than this.


    The Crystal Ball on the groundughed out loud, ¡°Haha! Stupid humans! Thought by dismantling the eight-note box, you could clear the game? The Dollhouse is not the simple game you used to y before! Its difficulty is unparalleled!¡±


    People looked at the screws on the table, fell silent, their faces slowly showed signs of despair.


    ¡°Dollhouse, one life in each season ¡± Yan Qingwen gave a bitter smile, lightly sighing, ¡°So that¡¯s how it is.¡±


    Bai Youwei frowned, ¡°What do you mean?¡±<div>


    Yan Qingwen looked up at her, ¡°Remember the first round in summer? Tan Xiao and Li Li found a model ship ¡±


    He did not finish his sentence, but everyone understood what he meant.


    Li Li¡¯s face turned pale as paper, he mumbled to himself, ¡°There were many screws on the model ship ¡°

 Chapter 295: Still Missing Nails

    Chapter 295: Still Missing Nails


    Trantor: 549690339


    At the start of the summer, they had found a model of a pirate ship filled with gold, silver, and jewels, and fed it to the anglerfish as a treasure¡ª


    Now, they¡¯re short on nails. Where do they find them?


    Are they truly going to be trapped here until death?! N?v(el)B\\jnn


    So, the difficulty of the doll house game isn¡¯t how obscure the clues are, or how hard it is to find the objects, but it makes you unknowingly use resources that you¡¯ll need in the next round!


    Everyone¡¯s faces drained of color. Words were pointless.


    They had forced themselves into a dead end!


    Bai Youwei bit her lip and held Shen Mo¡¯s hand: ¡°Lift me up.¡±


    Shen Mo looked at her.


    She closed her eyes, as if making a difficult decision, she reluctantly said:


    ¡°Dismantle the wheelchair.¡±


    Everyone:


    Ball:


    Holy shit!


    The ball couldn¡¯t help but burst into the air!


    ¡°You guys actually brought a wheelchair into the game! That¡¯s unfair! That¡¯s unfair!!!¡±


    Li Li was overjoyed: ¡°Hahahaha! We still have a wheelchair! How could we forget about the wheelchair hahaha!!!¡±


    Yan Qingwen, being civil, understood the importance of the wheelchair to Bai Youwei and said, ¡°If we can escape from the game, we¡¯ll help you look for a simr wheelchair when we search for resources.¡±


    Bai Youwei turned up the corners of her mouth, did not utter a word, and quietly pulled Shen Mo.


    Shen Mo held her up, gently rubbed her back, as ifforting a child.


    Leaning on his shoulder, she muttered: ¡°My wheelchair was imported from Germany, it¡¯s very expensive.¡±


    Shen Mo gently patted her: ¡°Hmm.¡±


    She continued: ¡°This model was discontinued a long time ago, you won¡¯t be able to find it.¡±


    Shen Mo kept patting her: ¡°Hmm.¡±


    She was still not feelingfortable, ¡°I¡¯ve been sitting on it for several years, leaving it only when I go to sleep ¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Shen Mo responded, but added, ¡°It was bound to leave eventually.¡±


    Bai Youwei froze and looked up at him.


    A gentle smile graced Shen Mo¡¯s lips.


    Bai Youwei blinked, all of a sudden realizing, perhaps, Shen Mo had seen her trip Xiaoxin.


    ¡°Can you stand up now?¡± Shen Mo smiled at her.


    After staying silent for two seconds, Bai Youwei feigned weakness in his arms: ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t feel well ¡±


    Shen Moughed and continued to hold her.


    While they talked in whispers, Yan Qingwen and Li Li proficiently disassembled the wheelchair, counting the number of nails as they went.


    One nail, two nails


    Four nails, five nails


    Ten nails


    Sixteen nails


    Combining with the twelve nails taken from the music box, they ultimately obtained thirty-eight nails.


    Thirty-eight.


    When Su Man ced the nails earlier, they estimated there were thirty-eight nails missing!


    The Crystal Ball sat silently on the floor, not making a sound, only the snowkes inside were swirling wildly! Like a storm was raging within!


    Yan Qingwen counted the nails onest time, assured that it was indeed thirty-eight, he couldn¡¯t help heaving a sigh of relief and looked towards everyone:


    ¡°We should be alright this time.¡±


    Nails back in full, everyone felt relieved.


    Li Li concurred, ¡°Su Man¡¯s hand is injured, let me do it this time.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± Bai Youwei suddenly straightened up in Shen Mo¡¯s arms, her tone was slightly childish, ¡°It¡¯s my wheelchair!¡±


    Everyone:


    Everyone knew that Bai Youwei suddenly volunteered because the person chosen to usher in the guests was likely to influence the final distribution of rewards.


    However ?The nails were taken from her wheelchair, it made perfect sense for her to install the nails.


    Besides, she had one of the puzzle pieces, which gave her more confidence than others.


    Yan Qingwen nodded, ¡°In that case, everyone else finds a hiding ce and prepare to greet the guests.¡±

 Chapter 296: Still Missing Nails

    Chapter 296: Still Missing Nails


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Guest, pleasee in.¡±


    The tall and skinny Nail Tooth Monster walked in, its footsteps creating a pping sound all the way to Bai Youwei. Just likest time, it sat down in front of her, and then it tipped its head back and let its mouth fall open!


    Whoosh!


    Last time, it had a mouthful of dense meaty suckers; this time, its mouth was full of nails.


    Each nail stood erect in its mouth, wet with an oily saliva that made them glisten, their sharpness extreme!


    Bai Youwei frowned at this. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    There were still dozens of meaty suckers left unfilled in the monster¡¯s mouth, convulsing constantly, and their sight was revolting.


    Fortunately, Su Man had already filled more than half of them, or else if they were all clumped together she would probably faint on the spot from trypophobia.


    The Nail Tooth Monster stayed still with its mouth wide open, like a children¡¯s toy ¡°Shark Teeth¡± ¨C slightly careless and one might get bitten by it.


    Bai Youwei picked up a nail and put it into the monster¡¯s mouth. The sucker quickly attached itself to the nail, bing one with it.


    Some of the suckers were particrly small, so small that they were hard to find due to their constant contraction.


    She held her breath and concentrated, gently putting in nails and counting silently


    38 nails, fewer and fewer;


    The mouth of the Nail Tooth Monster was getting fuller and fuller.


    Bai Youwei¡¯s expression gradually became somber.


    She repeatedly nced at the monster¡¯s mouth and the nails in her hand, her eyebrows knitting tightly as sweat began to form on her brow.


    Shen Mo sensed her uneasiness first, and asked, ¡°Not enough nails?¡±


    ¡± Not enough,¡± Bai Youwei said with gritted teeth, ¡°We are still ?4 nails short.¡±


    The moment the words fell, everyone tensed up!


    ¡°Why are we still short?!¡± Li Li couldn¡¯t believe it, ¡°We counted before! It can only becking 38 nails at most! We found exactly 38! Is it still not enough?!¡±


    ¡°It should be 42 ¡± Bai Youwei said gravely, ¡°The farthest sides of the upper and lower teeth have 4 tiny suckers ?very small. I only just noticed.¡±


    ¡°Slow down!¡± Yan Qingwen immediately said, ¡°Li Li, Zhu Shu! Start looking to see if there are any nails left on the wheelchair that can be dismantled!¡±


    Everyone panicked!


    Li Li and Zhu Shu hurriedly scoured theponents of the wheelchair. Teacher Cheng and Pan Xiaoxin also joined in!


    The Crystal Ball on the ground was also taken aback by this situation before it began to hoot withughter!


    ¡°Didn¡¯t expect that, did you? Even if you dismantle the wheelchair, it won¡¯t be enough! From the moment you threw that boat away, you were destined to lose! Destined to die in autumn! This is what you get for being so arrogantly confident!¡±


    The Crystal Ball flew into the mid-air, singing triumphantly:


    ¡°Ignorance and stupidity are not the biggest barriers to survival, arrogance is! Death awaits, humans! Wahahaha! ¡±


    Bai Youwei tightened her lips.


    The snoring sound from the Nail Tooth Monster¡¯s throat seemed almost impatient with the speed she was installing the teeth.


    Another nail was engulfed by a sucker.


    She only had five nails left in her hand, and Yan Qingwen still hadn¡¯t found any.


    Bai Youwei picked up the penultimate fourth nail and slowly put it into the monster¡¯s mouth.


    Her heart was in her throat.


    The sweat was dripping down her body.


    She clenched her wet palms and said to Shen Mo, ¡°Tell them to stop looking, go upstairs, find a ce to hide ¡±


    Shen Mo nodded and asked her, ¡°Do you have the puzzle piece?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    She had the puzzle piece to save her life.


    But what about Shen Mo?


    His puzzle piece had been used up during the Truth or Dare game! Given his character, he definitely wouldn¡¯t rob someone else of their puzzle piece!


    Bai Youwei bit her lip, every single cell in her brain working in high gear! She was thinking of a way to survive! A way to clear the game!


    Where in the world were the missing nails?!


    Did the game really not leave them any chance at all?!

 Chapter 297: 297: Snowflake

    Chapter 297: 297: Snowke<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    They had only three nails left, but still seven suckers in need of nails.


    The music box was disassembled, the wheelchair disassembled; where else to find nails?!<div>


    They had made it through spring, through summer. They were just about to clear the level, were they really going to die here?!


    Bai Youwei felt like her head was about to explode!


    She was not willing to ept this!


    She didn¡¯t want to lose! She wouldn¡¯t ept defeat!!!


    Those with insufficient fighting power all headed upstairs, the urgent sounds of footsteps filled the room, thud, thud, thud


    Yan Qingwen and Shen Mo stayed on the first floor, ready to dy the Nail Tooth Monster and buy theirpanions some time when it goes on a rampage.


    Su Man and Li Li also wanted to stay behind.


    Li Li said, ¡°I have beads in my hand, I can at least throw a few at it!¡±


    When it came to this life and death situation, Su Man didn¡¯t want to quarrel with him, but she couldn¡¯t help but retort, ¡°Your sses are already cloudy, you¡¯re no help at all! I can aim better with just one hand than you can!¡±


    Zhu Shu returned, beads in hand, and stood at the staircase saying, ¡± I can help as well.¡±


    Yan Qingwen sternly ordered, ¡°What¡¯s all this fuss about?! Aside from those putting together the puzzle, everyone get upstairs!¡±<div>


    ¡± Wait!¡± Bai Youwei suddenly shouted.


    Everyone looked at her.


    Bai Youwei, her face as white as a ghost, held a nail in her hand, slowly feeding it into the mouth of the Nail Tooth Monster, ¡°Li Li, youe here ¡±


    Li Li was stunned, then snapped, ¡°Dream on! You wanted to do it yourself when I offered before,peted with me! Now that you see there aren¡¯t enough nails, you want me to do it?! Over my dead body!¡±


    Bai Youwei didn¡¯t want to hear his prattling, and yelled, ¡°Shen Mo! Grab his sses! Quickly!¡±


    sses?


    Li Li paused once more, but before he could react, his vision blurred! Shen Mo had taken his sses!


    ¡°The screwdriver is here!¡± Yan Qingwen quickly handed it to Shen Mo.


    Li Li was stupefied, ¡°Brother Yan ¡±


    Yan Qingwen had no time for him, he and Shen Mo worked together, quickly disassembling the legs of the sses and unscrewing the two screws on the nose pads. Four perfect nails!


    ¡°Nails!¡± Su Man eximed excitedly, pping Li Li on the back, ¡°Li Li, you¡¯re awesome!!!¡±<div>


    Li Li¡¯s world was a blur, his head reeling from the blow¡ªwhat happened? What made him awesome? How on earth did he warrant praise from Su Man?!!


    ¡°Done!¡± Bai Youwei ced thest nail and let out a sigh of relief!


    The Nail Tooth Monster closed its mouth.


    The metal teeth of nails made a creaking sound as they ground together, the mouth opened with a click, closed with a click!


    It seemed quite satisfied with the sound, no longer itching, chattering its teeth as it leisurely turned around and walked away .


    People starteding down from upstairs, hearts pounding as they looked towards the door.


    The monster¡¯s figure was getting further and further away.


    It waspletely gone .


    The Crystal Ball on the ground slowly lifted, its childlike voice grim to the extreme, like a demon crawling out from the ground:


    ¡°You actually made it through .


    You actually got through my Dollhouse .¡±<div>


    The eerie voice echoed, the ball continuously swelling.


    Everyone cautiously stepped back, gathering together, watching as the ball in front of them grewrger. The snowkes inside were whirling riotously! As if they would break out of the ball at any moment!


    Until with a loud bang!


    White light exploded!


    The Crystal Ball shattered into specks of dust. The snowkes turned solid and gently fell into everyone¡¯s hands¡ª


    ¡°Congrattions on clearing this game. The total number of yers who cleared the game is ten.¡±


    In ce of the original Crystal Ball, a glowing white orb appeared.


    The immature childlike voice waspletely devoid of emotion:


    ¡°Now let¡¯s calcte the game rewards.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Each yer who cleared the game will receive a Winter Snowke.


    The yer who received the most recognition from the guests will receive the ¡®Master of the Dollhouse¡¯ title and be the real owner of the Dollhouse.¡±

 Chapter 298: 298: Golden Key

    Chapter 298: 298: Golden Key<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Three grey icons appeared in front of each yer.


    They were icons of a bear, a fish, and a nail respectively.<div>


    As the Light Orb¡¯s voice fell, Shen Mo¡¯s fish icon got illuminated, and Bai Youwei¡¯s bear and nail icons got illuminated as well.


    This was consistent with the guests they had invited.


    The Light Orb reluctantly shifted toward Bai Youwei, its voice icy: ¡°Congrats, you are now the master of the Dollhouse.


    Ding!


    The icons vanished, and a golden key materialized out of thin air and fell into Bai Youwei¡¯s palm.


    The moment she touched the key, relevant information abruptly appeared in her mind:


    [Dollhouse Key: Turn the key clockwise half a turn to open the Dollhouse in any space.]


    Bai Youwei gripped tightly onto the golden key, an idea popping up in her mind.


    The scene in front of her began to warp, bing detached and illusory, eventually transforming into a vast white light.


    As the light faded, they were back at the corner where it had all started.


    Upon seeing the familiar streets which they had been away from for several days, they all appeared stunned.<div>


    Shen Mo picked up the gold coin by the roadside. It was the very same coin that had brought them into the game.


    The gold coin was still a gold coin, but it was now dull and its words faded. Holding it produced no reaction.


    ¡°The game is shut down. This gold coin is probablypletely out ofmission now,¡± Yan Qingwen walked over and said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep it as a souvenir.¡± Shen Mo turned around, came to the still unconscious Tan Xiao, bent down, and ced the gold coin in his pocket.


    Looking at Tan Xiao, Yan Qingwen reassured Shen Mo, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we have sustained worse injuries before. After leaving the Maze, the self-healing ability is very strong. It just takes time. You guys just need to take good care of him for the next few days.¡±


    Shen Mo asked him, ¡°How is Su Man¡¯s injuries recovery going?¡±


    Yan Qingwen frowned slightly and looked at Su Man who was not far away, ¡± It¡¯s not very promising. Her hand bones are almost pulverized. Even if we used tools to reconnect them, I¡¯m afraid she won¡¯t be able to use her whip in the future.¡±


    Not only could she not use her whip, the right hand likely wouldn¡¯t be able to exert any strength for a long time.


    ¡°Being alive is enough.¡± Yan Qingwen murmured under his breath.


    With a game instance exceeding normal difficulty, ten people entered, and ten people exited, this alone was enough for them to be grateful.


    ¡°What are your ns now?¡± Yan Qingwen asked.<div>


    Shen Mo looked around, finally resting his eyes on Bai Youwei.


    She sat on the side of the road, sans her wheelchair, looking rather rough. At the moment she was ring at him unhappily.


    Shen Mo chuckled, ¡°Next I need to find a wheelchair.¡±


    On the first day they exited the Dollhouse, the two teams camped and rested together.


    On Yan Qingwen¡¯s side, most of the yers were injured and needed rest.


    On Shen Mo¡¯s side, since Tan Xiao was unconscious and Bai Youwei without her wheelchair was immobile, their team also needed to regain their strength.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    A bonfire zed brightly in the night, under a sky filled with twinkling stars.


    They all gathered around the bonfire, engaging in leisurely conversation, discussing both their gains and losses.


    ¡°They say the rewards would be great, but all we got was a snowke ¡± Li Li said sullenly while holding the icily cold snowke, reading out its effect. ¡± only the snowke can invite the guests of winter, and the guest of winter leaves when the snowke dissolves. What kind of guests are the winter guests? Are they more brutal than the Nail Tooth Monster?¡±


    ¡°That should be enough. Didn¡¯t we also eat the fish and pick up the beads?¡± Lun Ang consoled, ¡°Plus, we are lucky to be alive. Who cares about the rewards ¡±


    Li Li frowned, ¡°It¡¯s not the same, wasn¡¯t it so difficult for us to make it out! You hurt your leg, Su Man hurt her hand, Zhu Shu and I both nearly lost our lives! If it wasn¡¯t for the tools ¡±<div>


    ¡°The loss this time was indeed significant.¡± Yan Qingwen lifted his gaze towards Shen Mo¡¯s side, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for the tools, some of us might have been dead already.¡±

 Chapter 299: Better Not to Say

    Chapter 299: Better Not to Say


    Trantor: 549690339


    In terms of rewards, they had obtained a bear¡¯s fish, a water monster¡¯s egg, and a winter snowke, totalling three rewards. Moreover, Bai Youwei got the final reward, the Golden Key.


    It seemed like a substantial harvest.


    But if we¡¯re talking about losses, the injuries of Li Li, Lun Ang, Su Man, Zhu Shu, they could im their lives at any moment.


    Bandages and mud saved them!


    They had used up thest life-saving bandage, and Shen Mo had used the mud resource up to six times!


    Was the reward they received enough to offset this loss?


    No one could clearly figure out this math problem.


    ¡°The reward exnation is vague, nobody dares to use that tool until we understand what the Winter Guest refers to ¡± Li Li put the snowke back in his hand and said, ¡°However, those beads are quite thrifty, whether for hitting people or monsters, they¡¯re very convenient.¡±


    ¡°The Maha fish is also good.¡± Zhu Shu gently interjected, ¡°If we encounter underwater games in the future, the physical change can be of great help.¡±


    ¡°Since the first two rewards were good, thest reward shouldn¡¯t be bad either.¡± Yan Qingwen took over the conversation, ¡°Although the dollhouse game is dangerous, each reward gives great help to the yers, there¡¯s no doubt about that.¡±


    ¡°Not all, right? What about the gold coin from thest lucky Q&A?!¡± Li Li frowned in disgust, ¡°That old man has screwed us over!¡±


    Mentioning the old man in the gray robe, Yan Qingwen also fell silent.


    ¡°That was an ident.¡± Shen Mo spoke lightly, ¡°It seems that as long as the yers do not break the rules, even if the Inspector wants to target the yers out of personal reasons, he must do so within the system rules. The Inspector gave us a gold coin, but it also brought opportunities. If it was purely punishment, the system wouldn¡¯t allow it.¡±


    Li Li couldn¡¯t help grumbling, ¡°What is this ¡®system¡¯ after all?¡±


    Shen Mo looked up at him, ¡°That¡¯s what you guys at SCO need to research.¡±


    Hearing this, Li Li let out a deep sigh.


    s, it¡¯s a world-ss problem.


    The bonfire crackled and burned, casting shadows on everyone¡¯s faces, showing deep thought, confusion, or weary numbness N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Silence ensued for a while.


    Yan Qingwen asked, ¡°What¡¯s the deal with the master of the dollhouse? Can that golden key keep opening the dollhouse?¡±


    As soon as the words fell, everyone looked at Bai Youwei.


    Being the final reward, how could anyone not be curious?


    Bai Youwei, who had been leaningzily against Shen Mo, saw many gazesing over, she lifted her eyelids and let them drop back down, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Li Li raised his voice in surprise.


    Bai Youwei lifted her eyes again, her voice slightly cold, ¡°You can guess, but I won¡¯t say.¡±


    Everyone fell silent.


    The atmosphere became a bit tense


    But yet there was nothing to me, because when they came out of the game, the cooperation between the two teams had already ceased.


    Everyone had a snowke, so speaking of its use was no problem, but there was only one golden key, and those who didn¡¯t have it, simply didn¡¯t qualify to know its purpose.


    After a long silence, Yan Qingwen suddenly chuckled.


    He said, ¡°It¡¯s good that you don¡¯t tell us. Human nature can¡¯t stand the test, and I¡¯m not a saint. If it¡¯s a particrly tempting reward, I might not be able to suppress my covetous heart, so it¡¯s better not to say.¡±


    He smiled at Bai Youwei, ¡°At least this way ?we¡¯re still friends, right?¡±


    Bai Youwei looked at him, then at Li Li, Lun Ang, Su Man, and Zhu Shu sitting next to him.


    After a moment, she reluctantly grunted an ¡°Mhmm¡± from her nostrils.

 Chapter 300: The Master of the Dollhouse

    Chapter 300: The Master of the Dollhouse


    Trantor: 549690339


    With Yan Qingwen¡¯s intellect, Bai Youwei believed he must have guessed arge part of the truth. Li Li and Zhu Shu, despite their limited perspectives, probably also had their own ideas about what the final reward would be.


    What they guessed was their business.


    Whether she told them was her business.


    If she indeed told them everything about her own reward, Bai Youwei felt that would be something only a fool would do. Who could guarantee that someone among them wouldn¡¯t ¡°sell¡± her out in the future?


    Of course, until such a thing happened, these people could remain as her friends.


    In this day and age, having an additional friend, especially a clever one, could be more valuable than having an extra tool.


    Later, everyone chatted about their future ns, intentionally or unintentionally avoiding the topic of rewards.


    Children tend to fall asleep early. During their conversation, Pan Xiaoxin was nodding off next to his teacher, falling asleep like a pecking chicken.


    The tent, initially meant for three to sleep in, was now upied by the injured Tan Xiao and was no longer suitable for others.


    Zhu Shu made her tent avable. She decided to share a tent with Su Man, who didn¡¯t object.


    Once the child and the elderly were settled, everyone else went about their personal routine of washing up and resting.


    As the night grew darker, it became quiet and tranquil.


    Bai Youwei restlessly tossed and turned in her tent, clutching the golden key, unable to fall asleep.


    When Shen Mo came back, she sat up and asked, ¡°What were you discussing with them for so long?¡±


    ¡°I was confirming tomorrow¡¯s route with Yan Qingwen.¡±


    Shen Mo sat beside her and took out several pieces of the puzzle, cing them next to her. ¡°Yan Qingwen asked me to give these to you. They are five pieces of a puzzle.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s quite trustworthy.¡± Bai Youwei took the puzzle pieces and leaned in closer to ask, ¡°Are we definitely going to Shanghai?¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡°Yes, I would like to meet Professor Song. I¡¯ve asked the teacher and Xiaoxin, and neither of them opposed the idea.¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t oppose it because they have no idea, right?¡± Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but retort.


    ¡ªWhat difference does it make which city we go to now that the world has turned into such a mess?


    At this, Shen Mo chuckled and asked her, ¡°What about you?¡±


    Bai Youwei blinked, pondering, and said, ¡°I have no objections either.¡± n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Shen Mo smiled and tapped her forehead with his finger, ¡°Hurry up and get some sleep.¡±


    Bai Youwei: ¡°Wait a moment ¡±


    She suddenly became coquettish, catching Shen Mo¡¯s attention. He smiled and asked, ¡°What is it now?¡±


    Bai Youwei held the golden key in one hand and Shen Mo¡¯s hand in the other. Her eyes sparkled in the dim light of the tent.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the dollhouse, shall we?¡± she suggested.


    ¡± Right now?¡± Shen Mo raised an eyebrow.


    Bai Youwei blinked, ¡°Or ?shall we wait another half an hour? Once everyone is asleep, we can ¡±


    Her words became more provocative, causing Shen Mo tough and hold her hand, ¡°Let¡¯s go now.¡±


    Bai Youwei opened her hand. Even in the darkness, the golden key was dazzlingly bright, just as attractive as that gold coin had been when they first found it.


    ¡°Hold the key ?turn it half a circle clockwise, you can open the dollhouse in any space.¡±


    Bai Youwei held the key, looked around the inside of the tent.


    ¡°There are no restrictions, theoretically, it should work here as well ¡±


    She was a little nervous, but also a little excited. She took the key and turned it half a circle against the tent cloth¡ªlike opening a door.


    Click!


    A familiar sound.


    It was the sound the door used to make every time they invited guests into the dollhouse when they were trapped inside!


    ¡°It¡¯s opened.¡± Bai Youwei looked at Shen Mo.


    Shen Mo reached out and touched it. The cloth still felt like cloth, but he could distinctively feel the texture of a metal door handle.


    He held the handle.


    Then pushed it open.


    The living room of the dollhouse appeared in front of them!


    It was the same house, but this time, there was no eerie feeling. The furnishings all around lookedmonce, absolutely quiet, just like an ordinary house that couldn¡¯t be more ordinary.

 Chapter 301: Bang Bang

    Chapter 301: Bang Bang


    Trantor: 549690339


    Shen Mo carried Bai Youwei into the house, setting her down by the edge of the sofa.


    Bai Youwei took in her surroundings.


    Perhaps due to suddenly bing the owner, she saw the same environment with a different perspective.


    ¡°Can we stay here?¡± she looked around, incredulous, ¡°Does that mean we don¡¯t have to sleep in tents anymore? This game always loves to torment people, it¡¯s surprising that they suddenly gave me such a nice reward¡­¡±


    Shen Mo found a pair of pinkdies¡¯ slippers in the shoe cab.


    Thinking about how Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t walk, he put the slippers back.


    They¡¯de directly from the tent, so they were both barefoot, and the floor was not very clean, covered with ayer of dust.


    Bai Youwei looked at the dust on the floor, frowning inint, ¡°It¡¯s so dirty here¡­ Can¡¯t it be a bit cleaner?¡±


    Thud, thud!


    There were suddenly two loud sounds in the house!


    The sounds were so sudden that Bai Youwei jumped in fear.


    Shen Mo stood in front of her, looking warily toward the storage room next to the stairs.


    ¡°Did the noisee from there?¡± Bai Youwei asked him in a low voice.


    ¡°Mmm.¡± Shen Mo responded in a deep voice, ¡°You stay here, I¡¯ll go see.¡±


    Feeling apprehensive, Bai Youwei worried the reward would carry a trap like the Gold Coin, so she warned Shen Mo, ¡°¡­ Be careful.¡±


    Shen Mo nodded and slowly walked over¡ª


    His steps were steady and quiet, but he only took two steps when the door to the storage room squeaked open!


    Shen Mo froze, looking both wary and confused at the door.


    Then he saw a dustpan and a broom, hopping out of the room.


    Shen Mo:


    Bai Youwei:


    After a stunned moment, a bucket and a mop also came rattling out of the storage room! They aligned behind the dustpan and broom and began to sweep and mop the floor energetically.


    Bai Youwei and Shen Mo looked at each other, too shocked to utter a word.


    After a while, Bai Youwei regained her voice, ¡°Why not just give me an intelligent cleaning robot instead? Considering the system¡¯s technological capability, it could manage that. Why opt for something so old-fashioned, making me, the owner, look childish.¡±


    Shen Mo¡¯s lips twitched, suppressing a smile.


    ¡°What are youughing at!¡± Bai Youwei raised her eyebrows.


    Shen Mo replied, hiding his amusement: ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Bai Youwei pondered, ¡°It seems the Dollhouse executes the master¡¯s instructions, I just don¡¯t know to what extent¡­¡±


    She looked at the broom cleaning andmanded, ¡°Go sweep the stairs clean.¡±


    The broom and dustpan indeed changed their direction and went to sweep the stairs.


    She looked at the firece and said, ¡°Light the fire.¡±


    The fire suddenly started in the firece, burning the wood with a crackling sound.


    She turned to the kitchen again and said, ¡°I want tea.¡±


    The faucet turned on, the kettle filled itself up with water, and sat on the stove to heat up.


    Bai Youwei again said, ¡°I want a steak.¡±


    This time, the Dollhouse stayed silent. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Shen Mo rubbed her head, ¡°Don¡¯t torture it, at least give it a cow first.¡±


    ¡°Just trying.¡± Bai Youwei didn¡¯t care, throwing the rabbit in her arms onto the floor, ¡°Go charge yourself.¡±


    The rabbit got up, looked left and right, saw a plug in the wall corner, and walked over with its short legs.


    ¡°The intelligence level of the Dollhouse seems quite like that of the rabbit.¡± Bai Youwei stated, ¡°Both can ept brief verbalmands.¡±


    Shen Mo looked around, saying faintly, ¡°After all, they were created by the same system.¡±


    He lifted Bai Youwei in his arms, ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s check upstairs.¡±

 Chapter 302: Considered a Bargain

    Chapter 302: Considered a Bargain


    Trantor: 549690339


    Shen Mo and Bai Youwei took another turn around the dollhouse.


    Aside from the house bing smarter, theyout and furnishings remainrgely the same, but all the dolls that filled the house were gone, the books in the study were gone, and in the wardrobe, the only clothes left were Bai Youwei¡¯s previously-worn ck Lolita dress.


    Presumably, the dollhouse was now designed for only one master.


    When they exited through the front door, they found themselves back in the tent.


    If they went out through the back door, they woulde to the slope outside the dollhouse. Walking down led to a forest, while walking forward would loop around to the house¡¯s front door.


    After wandering around, the pair returned to the living room.


    The floor was polished clean, a fire was burning in the firece, and tea was set on the coffee table.


    Bai Youwei sipped the piping hot tea, put it down, and puckered her mouth, ¡°It doesn¡¯t taste as good as the tea Teacher Cheng makes.¡±


    ¡°Teacher Cheng made tea to your taste, which obviously differs from this thoughtless brew.¡± Shen Mo also took a sip of tea, looked around at the furnishings in the room, and said calmly, ¡°This reward is a bit out of the ordinary.¡±


    Bai Youwei momentarily froze, then nodded.


    ¡°Indeed, not only did they provide us with shelter, but they also offer unlimited water, electricity, and gas. No wonder the sphere said the game is in the debugging phase. It seems both the difficulty and rewards of this game are somewhat exceptional.¡±


    Most of the props in the doll game are single use.


    Sometimes, items like mud that could be used multiple times would appear, but their usage range would be correspondingly limited, such as only being applicable for superficial wounds.


    But the dollhouse was like a game bug.


    For example, if a yer entered the dollhouse during the game, would the game fail to proceed due to insufficient numbers?


    What would the Inspector do? Wait for the yer in the dollhouse toe out, or wait for other people to join the game?


    Furthermore, some mazes were incredibly challenging to the human limits, such as deserts, rainforests, and ciers. Any extreme environment could appear. But if a yer brought the dollhouse into such a ce, enjoying fine food and drink every day in the maze, would the maze¡¯s difficulty still hold any meaning?


    ¡°Do you remember the rabbit man from our first Tortoise and the Hare race?¡± Bai Youwei asked Shen Mo.


    Shen Mo nodded, ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Bai Youwei said, ¡°At that time, I exploited a loophole in the rules. To avoid breaking the rules, the rabbit man gave me a tenth of the rabbit as apromise. You found it strange that even with advanced technology, it still needed to recharge to replenish energy. Now I think about it, wasn¡¯t it all for game bnce?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Shen Mo pondered and said, ¡°If a yer brings a prop into the game that can discharge infinitely, it would be extremely unfair to other yers. For bnce, the Inspector restricted the prop¡¯s energy replenishment method, which can be considered a remedial measure.¡±


    Bai Youwei smiled slightly, ¡°But now, I can recharge infinitely.¡±


    ¡°Indeed strange.¡± Shen Mo shook his head with a wry smile, ¡°They clearly care about the bnce of the game, so how could theye up with such a reward?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps Yan Qingwen guessed right.¡± The corner of Bai Youwei¡¯s lips curled up, ¡°The difficulty and rewards of this game are both very inappropriate. The game hasn¡¯t been debugged to an eptable state yet, it seems we¡¯ve picked up a loophole.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d better not pick up such loopholes next time. No matter how many times we do, it wouldn¡¯t be enough.¡± Shen Mo rose from his seat, mussing her hair, ¡°Are we going to rest here tonight?¡±


    Bai Youwei extended her hands towards him, ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the tent, lest Teacher Cheng can¡¯t find us and gets a heart attack.¡±


    Seeing her act so naturally, Shen Mo was somehow slightly taken aback.


    Bai Youwei held out her hands, cocking her head to look at him, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Hug me.¡±


    Shen Mo watched her face, not blinking for several seconds.


    Bai Youwei looked even more puzzled and asked again, ¡°What¡¯s with you? Are you going to hug me or not?¡±


    He came back to his senses, bent over to pick her up, ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    She snorted, ¡°Then why were you dilly-dallying!¡±


    Shen Mo remained silent. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Just now, it was as though his heart was gently poked¡­


    The way she asked for a hug was sort of adorable.

 Chapter 303: Time to Sleep

    Chapter 303: Time to Sleep


    Trantor: 549690339 N?v(el)B\\jnn


    This feeling was quite strange.


    From childhood to adulthood, he had seldom interacted with women. The asional women he had contact with were mostly mature, well-mannered, and elegant female elders. He hadn¡¯t expected to associate the word ¡°adorable¡± with a grown woman.


    In the past, he would only associate this word with his five-year-old niece.


    But then again, Bai Youwei¡¯s affectation was not much different from his five-year-old niece¡­


    Thinking of this, Shen Mo couldn¡¯t help but smile, somewhat amused.


    The woman in his arms noticed his slight change in emotion¡ª


    ¡°What are youughing at?¡± Bai Youwei challenged him fiercely. ¡°Are you mocking me in your heart? Do you think I¡¯m d to be held by you? If it wasn¡¯t for your people dismantling my wheelchair¡­¡±


    Shen Mo changed the subject: ¡°Is the new wheelchair I found for you suitable?¡±


    Bai Youwei was taken aback and then scoffed disdainfully. ¡°Hmph, it smells like disinfectant¡­¡±


    But she didn¡¯t say it was bad.


    The wheelchair was something Shen Mo had fetched from Hangzhou Hospital.


    Returning to the tent, it was still a quiet night.


    Everyone was resting, and no one noticed the couple had gone out.


    Laying side by side, they kept awake, one moment reminiscing about the rewards from the dollhouse game, the other contemting their impending destination.


    Bai Youwei turned over, facing Shen Mo, and asked softly: ¡°What are you nning to do after we see Professor Song?¡±


    Shen Mo stared at the roof of the tent, and after a while, he said, ¡°¡­ I might try to find my family members.¡±


    ¡°Where will you look?¡± Bai Youwei asked further.


    Shen Mo shook his head slowly.


    In this world without electricity, inte, or any means ofmunication, finding someone was like finding a needle in a haystack.


    He looked at her: ¡°What about you? Have you thought about looking for your parents?¡±


    Bai Youwei replied quickly: ¡°No.¡±


    Shen Mo:


    Bai Youwei exined to him: ¡°Think about it, they¡¯re either in trouble now, or they¡¯re not. If they¡¯re in trouble, there¡¯s no point in finding them; if they¡¯re not, they¡¯re surely struggling. A daughter with disabled legs suddenly showing up isn¡¯t that going to put more burden on them?¡±


    Shen Moughed: ¡°You¡¯re thoughtful.¡±


    Bai Youwei candidly replied: ¡°I just don¡¯t like to be annoying.¡±


    ¡°Are you not afraid that I find you annoying?¡± Shen Mo asked with a smile.


    Upon hearing this, Bai Youwei slightly narrowed her eyes, her gaze bing dangerous, ¡°¡­. Are you annoyed?¡±


    This question was a bit tricky, not easy to answer, it¡¯s either perfunctory or ambiguous.


    Just as Shen Mo was pondering, Bai Youwei suddenly said: ¡°Gosh, I¡¯m suddenly so sleepy¡­ I should sleep now.¡±


    She then turned over, and wentpletely silent.


    Shen Mo looked at her for a while before closing his eyes.


    The night became increasingly silent.


    The distance from Hangzhou to Shanghai is 177 kilometers. If you drive fast, you can get there in 2 hours. But in order to avoid the roads with the fairy dolls, they spent a lot of time on the road.


    Upon reaching the Humin viaduct, they noticed many strange road signs along the way.


    For example: 1.2 kilometers ahead game, trigger number 12, 2119-7-30, A05.


    The game probably referred to the fairy doll game, the numbers following it were the date, the significance of A05 was temporarily unknown.


    It looked like the road signs were very friendly, providing safety alerts to passersby for free.


    As they continued forward, they discovered more simr road signs, some pointing to the left, others to the right.


    Yan Qingwen stretched his hand out of the car window, waving back.


    Both cars stopped one after another.


    Yan Qingwen walked over to the SUV and said to Shen Mo: ¡°It seems that Shanghai is safe. These road signs don¡¯t look like individual actions, they should have been put up by a rtivelyrge organisation after their investigations.¡±


    He paused, then added: ¡°We didn¡¯t find any fog up ahead.¡±


    Teacher Cheng sat in the car, puzzled: ¡°Shanghai has so many people, why is there no fog?¡±

 Chapter 304 - 304 People’s Square

    Chapter 304: People¡¯s Square


    Trantor: 549690339


    ording to their previous conjectures, the mazes and games tend to appear in densely popted areas.


    Cities like Chongqing, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, were the first ces where the dolls appeared, so logically, they should also be the first ces where mazes appear. So why is there no fog in Shanghai?


    They gazed ahead, the towering buildings in the distance were densely packed, and the interweaving elevated highways gave a sense of the prosperity of a modern metropolis, as if the city was unscathed in the disaster.


    Shen Mo said, ¡°Shanghai has arge poption, and there are naturally many capable people. If three groups pass through the maze, the maze will disappear.¡±


    Just like in Hangzhou.


    In Hangzhou¡¯s maze, Shen Mo¡¯s group was the third to get through, Yan Qingwen¡¯s group was the second, and they had no idea whopleted it first and where they went.


    This was also why Shen Mo initially arranged their destination in Jiaxing and Shaoxing. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    If they want topete for puzzles, they will have more opportunities in secondary and tertiary cities surrounding major cities than in major cities themselves.


    The group set off again.


    One was a powerful modified jeep, the other was a ruggedrge off-road vehicle.


    After driving for less than ten minutes, a roadblock suddenly appeared in front of them, and two uniformed men stopped them ¨C


    ¡°Spread out! Keep a gap of at least one minute between each car!¡± the man in the uniform said, ¡°Those are the rules!¡±


    They had no problem with the dispersion; they can cooperate. However, they needed to understand why it was necessary.


    Yan Qingwen got out of the car to negotiate: ¡°The signs show that the number of game triggers nearby is over 20. We should be within a safe range.¡±


    The other party was rtively polite and exined, ¡°This is a regtion from our superiors! To avoid a high concentration of people within a square kilometer and attract new game instances, all vehicles entering the city need to disperse! We hope for your cooperation!¡±


    Shen Mo heard this in the car, frowned slightly, and leaned out to ask, ¡°Which higher-ups are you referring to? I am an action director for the National Security Administration. I am currently looking for a professor named Song Mingchuan. If possible, I hope you can assist.¡±


    With that, he showed them his identification.


    The two uniformed men were stunned. They both looked and behaved untrained, clearly hastily promoted. They became somewhat nervous at the sight of an ¡°official representative¡± like Shen Mo.


    They turned Shen Mo¡¯s ID over and over several times, looking at each other.


    ¡°We¡¯re in traffic control; we¡¯re not sure¡­¡± One of them returned Shen Mo¡¯s ID and said, ¡°You can ask around People¡¯s Square. The people from the headquarters are there.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Shen Mo retrieved his ID and looked at Yan Qingwen.


    Yan Qingwen gave a faint smile, waved at Shen Mo and Bai Youwei in the off-road vehicle, and said, ¡°It seems like it¡¯s very safe in the city. See you at People¡¯s Squareter.¡±


    The jeep took off first.


    Only after a minute did Shen Mo¡¯s party start their vehicle.


    The road was smooth, with asional pedestrians. Although there weren¡¯t many, about one or two every kilometer, it was still much better than in Hangzhou because these pedestrians reacted normally when they saw the vehicles on the road.


    At least it indicated that the current situation in Shanghai was stable, with sufficient food and water, so the people here did not need to be overly tense.


    As they turned from Ninth River Road into People¡¯s Square, they noticed an increase in the number of people.


    About twenty people were crowding around arge public notice board outside People¡¯s Square, with a few men in duckbill caps maintaining order.


    Just as Shen Mo was about to get out of the car to take a look, one of the men suddenly lifted the brim of his duckbill cap and shouted in surprise, ¡°Brother Mo!!!¡±

 Chapter 305: Younger Cousin Shen Fei

    Chapter 305: Younger Cousin Shen Fei


    Trantor: 549690339


    Everyone was taken aback.


    A young man around 20, with handsome features and a striking resemnce to Shen Mo, was standing there.


    He excitedly ran over, throwing his arms around Shen Mo, who had just gotten out of the car!


    ¡°Bro Mo! You¡¯re not dead! This is great! We all thought that you had been killed by that vixen¡¯s daughter!!!¡±


    ¡°Shen Fei? What are you doing in Shanghai?¡±


    Shen Mo was also surprised. Seeing a familiar face, he naturally broke into a smile: ¡°What vixen¡¯s daughter are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Wang Jingxian¡¯s disabled daughter!¡± The young man named Shen Fei responded indignantly, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for her, why would you have disappeared for so long?! Uncle¡¯s been worried sick about you! Uncle¡¯s really clueless, you were on a mission, why did he insist you go pick up her daughter? I think uncle was just trying to curry favor with Wang Jingxian! He¡¯spletely smitten by that woman!¡±


    The passenger¡¯s door was pushed open abruptly.


    Shen Fei paused, looked over and saw a pretty girl in a white dress sitting in the passenger seat.


    ¡°Bro, who¡¯s she?¡± Shen Fei nudged Shen Mo with his elbow.


    Before Shen Mo could answer, Bai Youwei tly said: ¡°She¡¯s Wang Jingxian¡¯s disabled daughter.¡±


    Shen Fei:


    ¡°Stop teasing.¡± Shen Moughed, introducing, ¡°This is my cousin, Shen Fei.¡±


    He went to the trunk to get a wheelchair, and the others also got out of the car and greeted Shen Fei.


    Everyone from Yan Qingwen¡¯s side also got out of the car.


    The crowd was quiterge, and Shen Fei was a little overwhelmed as he greeted everyone. He stole a nce and saw Shen Mo lifting Bai Youwei up, and he was instantly startled!


    ¡°Bro! You?! ¡­¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Shen Mo ced Bai Youwei in the wheelchair and straightened up, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    Shen Fei looked at Shen Mo, then at Bai Youwei, his expressionplicated, his emotions even more so.


    ¡°No¡­nothing, um¡­I¡¯ll take you to your lodgings first.¡±


    Shen Mo asked, ¡°Are there ces to stay here?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Shen Fei nodded repeatedly, ¡°Because poption density can¡¯t be too high, peopleing into the city can¡¯t just live anywhere, they must stay in designated dormitories, but don¡¯t worry, the living conditions aren¡¯t too bad, apart from having no electricity, everything else is the same as before.¡±


    He moved ahead and waved his hand: ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you to register, it¡¯s just up ahead.¡±


    A row of red-roofed houses, from People¡¯s Square, were the original activity center, now turned into a temporary registration point with few people inside, only three or five.


    Shen Fei led ten people in, and among the ten, one was disabled, which instantly drew everyone¡¯s attention.


    Murmurs of surprise fell upon them, looking them up and down without stopping.


    Bai Youwei had grown ustomed to this type of attention, she simply lowered her gaze and didn¡¯t say a word.


    ¡°This is my brother, he just arrived, I brought him and his friends to check in.¡± Shen Fei exined as if he was a regr here, ¡°Can you arrange something closer?¡±


    ¡°If you want something closer¡­¡± The staff member looked at them, and flipped open arge book, ¡°Hmm, can you consider Kraus Road? Building 5 and 6 are still vacant, there are 10 of you, 5 people each is just perfect.¡±


    ¡°No need, arrange for 9 people will do.¡± Shen Fei quickly said, ¡°My brother of course needs to stay with me, we¡¯re at the Bund, can you check if there are any spots avable there?¡±


    The staff member nodded, flipping the book further back, Shen Mo said: ¡°No need, I¡¯ll stay with everyone else on Kraus Road.¡±


    ¡°Bro?¡± Shen Fei asked surprisingly, ¡°You¡¯re not staying with uncle?!¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Shen Mo replied calmly, ¡°I¡¯ll still go over to see him, but there¡¯s no need to stay together. These people were brought here by me, it wouldn¡¯t be right to just leave them.¡±


    Shen Fei¡¯s eyebrows knitted together, he looked at the old, young, and disabled people, then back at Shen Mo, ¡°Bro, you couldn¡¯t possibly be¡­¡± n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Shen Mo asked, ¡°Couldn¡¯t possibly be what?¡±


    Shen Fei hesitated for a while, and forced augh: ¡°Um¡­nothing.¡±

 Chapter 306: Are You Excited?

    Chapter 306: Are You Excited?


    Trantor: 549690339


    After the registration was over, Shen Fei led them to their amodation. It looked like an ordinary residential area, and they ran into a few people moving their luggage at the entrance of the neighborhood, seemingly new residents too.


    Shen Fei exined, ¡°This is a recently refurbished residential area. Each building is upied, but each is sparsely popted. By regtion, no building can amodate more than five people, so most of the residents are families.¡±


    Everyone asked as they walked, ¡°The limit of five people, is it to disperse the poption density?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Not only are there limits on the number of residents, but also on the number of people traveling. There is traffic control on each road section, and gatherings of crowds are strictly prohibited.¡±


    Shen Fei stopped, took out a key to open a door, and exined amicably, ¡°Keeping the city in its current state is not easy. I hope everyone can understand and abide by the regtions.¡±


    The door opened to reveal a three-bedroom apartment, elegantly decorated, and the furniture arrangement hinted at the former owner¡¯s bourgeois taste.


    ¡°There¡¯s another room in Building 6, also a three-bedroom, simryout, but it¡¯s on the other end of the neighborhood, about a hundred meters away. Who wants to go there?¡± Shen Fei asked.


    It seems they were serious about dispersing the density of the poption; they did not feel secure even with only five people in a building, and even had to maintain a distance of over a hundred meters between buildings.


    Feeling toozy to move again, Bai Youwei chose the three-bedroom on this side, and Shen Mo, along with Mr. Cheng and Pan Xiaoxin, began to move their luggage in.


    Although Tan Xiao had regained consciousness from hisa, his injuries were not fully healed. He sat sulking on the sofa, unable to help with the physicalbor.


    Shen Fei silently counted the people.


    Bai Youwei could share a room with the kid. The man on the sofa was seriously injured and certainly needed a bed to himself, so Shen Mo would have to share a bed with the old man.


    He sighed in his heart. His cousin could have lived with his uncle, wouldn¡¯t a room to himself be morefortable than sharing with an old man?


    But on second thought, among all his brothers and sisters, this cousin of his was always the most responsible and dependable. So it wasn¡¯t surprising that he chose to stay and take care of these people.


    As Shen Fei watched Shen Mo moving in and out with their luggage, he couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°If there aren¡¯t enough rooms, I can open another one for you. Don¡¯t worry, there are plenty of vacant ces in the city right now, just fill out a form at the registration center ¡­¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Shen Mo interrupted him, ¡°we have enough space here.¡±


    Shen Mo looked at Yan Qingwen, ¡°Do you need another room?¡±


    Yan Qingwen shook her head and replied, ¡°No need. Su Man and Li Li¡¯s families are currently in Shanghai. They will live with their families. The three of us remaining will have enough room.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take you to your quarters.¡± Shen Fei said, turning to Shen Mo, ¡°Brother, I¡¯ll take them there first, then I¡¯ll take you to our uncle.¡±


    Shen Mo gave a faint nod. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Everyone split up, and only five of them remained in the apartment.


    Mr. Cheng helped Tan Xiao into bed to rest, and then, together with Pan Xiaoxin, began arranging the room and unpacking their luggage.


    Shen Mo showed Bai Youwei around the house, looking into the bedrooms for sleeping and the bathroom for washing up.


    Just like Shen Fei had said before, aside from theck of electricity, it was a pretty good ce. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Shen Mo opened the refrigerator to look inside,menting, ¡°The appliances here are all quite new, probably recently purchased. Should we move them into the dollhouse? There¡¯s no electricity here anyway, so they¡¯re just decoration.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s move them tonight.¡± Bai Youwei replied nonchntly. Then nced at the expression on his face, ¡°You¡¯re about to see your father, don¡¯t you seem excited at all?¡±


    Shen Mo was taken aback, looking at her, ¡°What about you? If you see my father, you should also see your mother. Aren¡¯t you excited?¡±


    Bai Youwei yawnedzily, ¡°I am excited.¡±

 Chapter 307: 307: Regrouping

    Chapter 307: 307: Regrouping<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Her expression, posture, gaze, and even theziness seeping from every strand of her hair, showed no sign of excitement.


    Shen Mo, ustomed to her indirect way of speaking, reached out to touch her hair and gave a faint smile.<div>


    Bai Youwei leaned on the sofa, half-closing her eyes, and said softly, ¡°Originally¡­you promised my mother to take me to Yangzhou. Although it didn¡¯t work out, if you could bring me to my mother, then it would be considered mission aplished. After that¡­is there any need for us to see each other?¡±


    Shen Mo¡¯s movements paused slightly, then slowly withdrew his hand.


    ¡°Is Brother Mo leaving?¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    A feeble voice sounded.


    The two turned their heads and saw Pan Xiaoxin, who had been packing up her stuff, standing at the door, looking at them in astonishment.


    ¡°¡­Xiaoxin, who did you say is leaving?¡± Teacher Chang also came out of the room.


    Shen Mo exined, ¡°I¡¯m going to meet my family soon. Before settling down, I won¡¯t leave everyone behind.¡±


    Chang Weicai suddenly realized, Shen Mo¡¯s family was in Shanghai.


    Just like Su Man and Li Li, although they were in the same team as Yan Qingwen, now that they¡¯ve found their families, they naturally want to return to them.


    After thinking about it, Teacher Chang hesitated before saying, ¡°Xiaoshen, you¡¯ve saved us many times along the way. Now that you can finally reunite with your family, you should cherish it more. We¡¯ll be okay, we can take care of ourselves. You don¡¯t need to feel guilty. There¡¯s no such thing as a banquet that doesn¡¯t end¡­¡±


    As he spoke, he paused for two seconds and asked in confusion, ¡°Aren¡¯t you and Weiwei siblings? Don¡¯t you n to take her with you?¡±<div>


    Shen Mo lowered his eyes and nced at Bai Youwei. ¡°I¡¯ll take her to her mother.¡±


    A sarcastic smile appeared at the corner of Bai Youwei¡¯s lips.


    ¡°If she doesn¡¯t want to go, I¡¯ll take care of her,¡± he added.


    Bai Youwei froze, looking up at Shen Mo.


    He continued to gaze at Teacher Chang, his stern profile was calm andposed. in a steady tone he said, ¡°Everyone needs to settle down first, rest well. The situation here is unclear, we don¡¯t know anything yet, it¡¯s too early to talk about parting ways. Though we had different motivations when we first gathered, don¡¯t forget, what our current goal is.¡±


    ¡°We need toplete the puzzle!¡­¡± Tan Xiao¡¯s voice, hoarse and ragged, echoed in the room.


    Bai Youwei burst outughing!


    Once sheughed, everyone else also started to smile, lightening the heaviness of their imminent departure.


    Pan Xiaoxin hurried back to the room, ¡°Brother Xiao, you have to rest, stop speaking¡­¡±


    Chang Weicai shook his head, sighed, ¡°Miracles emerge with every rising sun, may its sublime radiance enlighten all beneath. Outraged by the sight of injustice, a thousand-year-old sword grinds within my chest! ¡ª¡ª I might be old, but I am still healthy and willing to do something, that¡¯s much better than living out my twilight years in mediocrity.¡±


    Bai Youwei held back augh, ¡°You¡¯re full of vigor in your old age, to live out your twilight years is too early for you.¡±<div>


    Shen Mo said, ¡°I¡¯ll leave soon, it may take half a day. Please take care of the house.¡±


    ¡°Just go, leave the house to me.¡± Teacher Chang rolled up his sleeves and mumbled as he walked into the kitchen, ¡°I¡¯ll start preparing dinner¡­¡±


    Only Shen Mo and Bai Youwei were left in the living room.


    Shen Mo looked at her, ¡°If you really don¡¯t want to see her, I can let them know over there, but I can¡¯t assure you that Aunt Wang won¡¯te looking.¡±


    After all, they are mother and daughter, if they really want to find each other, emotionally and rationally, Shen Mo can¡¯t stop them.


    Bai Youwei looked out the window and said lightly, ¡°See her?¡­Of course, I will, but one meeting would be enough.¡±

 Chapter 308: 308: Poaching People

    Chapter 308: 308: Poaching People<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    After Shen Mo left, the house seemed suddenly empty and quiet.


    Though he used to be silent and didn¡¯t talk much, his quiet presence wasforting and reassuring.<div>


    Now that he¡¯s gone, it takes some getting used to.


    Bored, Bai Youwei decided to bring Teacher Cheng, Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin into the dollhouse.


    Once inside the dollhouse, they were all surprised, amazed, curious, bewildered, delighted, excited, and at a loss. This roller coaster of emotions will not be detailed further. Once they got in, they didn¡¯t want to leave.


    The summer in Shanghai is unbearable without electricity or air conditioning. It¡¯s like stewing in a sauna room. The season in the dollhouse seems to be spring, pleasantly cool andfortable.


    Once they sorted out the rooms, Tan Xiao didn¡¯t even want to shower and just sprawled out on the bed to sleep.


    Teacher Cheng took out a paper and pen, sat at the dining table making a list,N?v(el)B\\jnn


    If they were to live in the dollhouse, many supplies would need to be collected all over again.


    For instance, something like slippers that weren¡¯t needed before, now¡­ hmm, let¡¯s prepare four pairs first.


    After thinking it over for a while, Teacher Cheng finally wrote on the paper:


    Slippers, four pairs;


    House slippers, four pairs.<div>


    Pan Xiaoxin was excited about the new environment and finally started acting like a child, running up and down the stairs non-stop.


    He ran over to Bai Youwei and asked, ¡°Sister Weiwei, will we live here from now on?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Bai Youweizily nodded her head, ¡°Yes~¡±


    ¡°Can I live in the attic?¡± Pan Xiaoxin looked at her, even more excited.


    Bai Youwei grimaced at the question, ¡°There¡¯s no bed in the attic.¡±


    ¡°I could sleep on the floor!¡± Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s eyes sparkled, ¡°Please let me stay in the attic, let me stay there!¡±


    Bai Youwei started to feel a sudden itch! She couldn¡¯t stand kid¡¯s whining, it was making her skin crawl.


    ¡°Whatever, sleep there if you want to!¡±


    ¡°Woohoo! I¡¯m going to live in the attic!¡± Pan Xiaoxin excitedly ran up the stairs, his footsteps ttering up and down, he lugged all his bedding upstairs, the whole house echoed with the sounds of him setting up his new space!


    ¡°What the hell, he has a bed but wants to sleep on the floor?¡± Bai Youwei was speechless.


    Teacher Chengughed merrily, ¡°He is a child.¡±<div>


    Bai Youwei pursed her lips, saying: ¡°I¡¯m leaving first, in case Shen Moes back and can¡¯t find anyone. You guys tidy up.¡±


    Teacher Cheng hurried to his feet, ¡°Wait a moment, wait a moment¡­ I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    Bai Youwei had already opened the front door. Teacher Cheng, notfortable leaving her alone, quickly ran after her.


    Once they got back to one of the three bedrooms, before they could settle down, they heard a knocking on the door. The persistent pounding went on.


    ¡°Hello! Is anyone there?¡±


    The brusque voice sounded like Lun Ang.


    Teacher Cheng walked over to the door, peeked out through the peephole, and sure enough, it was him. Yan Qingwen and Zhu Shu were standing at the door as well.


    ¡°Coming,ing¡­¡± Teacher Cheng opened the door for them.


    As soon as the door opened, Lun Angined: ¡°Why did it take so long to answer? We thought you¡¯d all gone out!¡±


    He leaned his neck to peek inside, asking: ¡°Hasn¡¯t Shen Mo returned yet?¡±


    Bai Youwei rolled out in her wheelchair, nonchntly closing the bedroom door behind her,<div>


    ¡°He hasn¡¯t. Tan Xiao and Xiaoxin are sleeping, Teacher Cheng and I were tidying up the bedrooms.¡±


    ¡°No wonder!¡± Lun Ang said, ¡°We saw your vehicles all empty when we came over! So, are you really nning to settle down here?¡±


    ¡°What else?¡± Bai Youwei shrugged her shoulders casually.


    Lun Angughed heartily: ¡°You certainly want to stick around Shen Mo! Just like Su Man, always clinging to Li Li! But not everyone has to follow Shen Mo right?¡±


    He turned to ask Teacher Cheng: ¡°Teacher, do you want to consider it? Oh, and ask that kid to join us too!¡±


    Bai Youwei blinked, looking at Yan Qingwen in surprise,


    ¡°Wait, you guys are really doing this, aren¡¯t you? Just settled down and you¡¯re already over here recruiting people?¡±

 Chapter 309: 309: Du Lai

    Chapter 309: 309: Du Lai<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Yan Qingwen gave a faint smile, not denying, nor continuing on the topic. She just said, ¡°It¡¯s still early, we¡¯re about to go for a stroll, do you want toe along?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Bai Youwei shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m waiting for Shen Mo.¡±<div>


    ¡°Who knows when he¡¯ll be back!¡±, Lun Ang urged, ¡°Let¡¯s go, it¡¯s stuffy and hot in here! It will be cooler outside! Besides, we still haven¡¯t figured out what the situation is around here!¡±


    Yan Qingwen smiled saying: ¡°Friends who have yed the game together should be trustworthy, right?¡±


    After hesitating for two seconds, Bai Youwei nodded: ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go for a stroll.¡±


    Teacher Chang surprised she agreed, as they had never separated from Shen Mo to act independently before.


    ¡°What about Tan Xiao and Xiaoxin¡­¡± Chang Weicai brought them up hesitantly to Bai Youwei.


    Tan Xiao and Xiaoxin were still in the Doll House.


    Bai Youwei said, ¡°Just leave them a note.¡±


    Thinking for a moment, Teacher Chang pulled out a nk sheet of paper and wrote a few reminders.


    They didn¡¯t have a specific destination in mind when they went out, they just wandered around to see what they could find.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The streets were very clean, with clear evidence of effective waste ssification.


    All the stores and supermarkets along the street were empty, no useful supplies were seen, probably taken away by the ¡°superiors¡± for organized and effective distribution.<div>


    After walking towards People¡¯s Square for about seven or eight minutes, they crossed paths with someone. But this character appeared indifferent, barely cast them a nce before hurrying away. Qingwen didn¡¯t bother to greet him.


    It seems that although this ce appears peaceful, it¡¯s not asfortable as they expected.


    When they were near People¡¯s Square, they saw people gathering in groups under the trees, chatting, enjoying the shade, and smoking.


    Seeing the exceptionally lovely Zhu Shu, a teenager whistled.


    Lun Ang immediately red at him: ¡°What are you doing?!¡±


    The other party was instantly scared and dared not act rashly,ughing nervously: ¡°No¡­ nothing.¡±


    After they moved away, the guy seemed to have changed his attitude due to Lun Ang¡¯s strong physique. Suddenly he became enthusiastic, shouting, ¡°Hey! Bro, want to join a game? We arecking one person, Russian roulette, there¡¯s a guide!¡±


    Lun Ang turned to look at him, his eyebrows knitted, then he nced at Yan Qingwen next to him.


    Yan Qingwen slightly shook her head.


    Knowing the man was dodgy, Lun Ang paid no mind.


    The man called out a few times, but seeing no reaction from Lun Ang, he gave up.<div>


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Bai Youwei hooked the corner of her mouth, a smile that wasn¡¯t quite a smile, ¡°Russian roulette, with a guide, needing one person. Not only do they know the specifics of the game, but also the triggers for the number of yers and methods to win, who provided them with information? The organizer of the survivors in Shanghai?¡±


    ¡°No one would provide it for free,¡± Yan Qingwen was calm, ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as a free lunch in this world. Suddenly inviting Lun Ang, this mustn¡¯t be a good thing.¡±


    ¡°Are they wanting to trap me?¡± Lun Ang sped his hands into fists, making a crackling noise, ¡°Should we go teach him a lesson?¡±


    Yan Qingwen shook her head lightly, ¡°We just arrived, let¡¯s just see how things are for now.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a smart one.¡±


    A stranger¡¯s voice suddenly rang out from ahead.


    Everyone was taken aback.


    Looking towards the direction of the voice, no one was to be seen.


    ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±


    The young voice rang out again,ing from a tree!


    Before anyone could look up, a shadow jumped down from the tree.<div>


    A man in a gray hoodie slowly stood up in front of them: knee-length shorts, canvas shoes, and a wide hood covering his head, preventing anyone from seeing his face clearly.


    ¡°Hello, my name is Du Lai, I only deal with smart people.¡±


    He pulled back his hood revealing a handsome young face, smiled broadly, disying two canine teeth, making him appear a little childish.


    Bai Youwei quietly observed the height from which he had jumped.


    This man¡­ must have been through thebyrinth before.

 Chapter 310: 310: Enter the Game on Time

    Chapter 310: 310: Enter the Game on Time<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    The young boy named Du Lai, with a beaming smile, extended his right hand towards Yan Qingwen.


    Yan Qingwen took a dispassionate nce at him without putting out her hand.<div>


    ¡°Excellent vignce.¡± Du Lai raised his palm, revealing a de held between two fingers.


    Lun Ang was instantly infuriated: ¡°You! ¡­¡±


    ¡°Tall guy, don¡¯t rush, look at these twodies here, they¡¯re much calmer than you¡± Du Lai mischievously flipped his hand, and the de which was supposed to be between his fingers disappeared into thin air.


    Zhu Shu widened her eyes in surprise.


    Lun Ang was also taken aback: ¡°What the hell? ! Prop?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s magic,¡± Bai Youwei said coldly, ¡°and it¡¯s the most inferior street magic that emphasizes speed butcks artistic appeal and skill.¡±


    Du Lai¡¯s smile froze slightly, his eyes fell on Bai Youwei, hisnguid tone carrying a threat: ¡°Little girl, such sharp words, ain¡¯t cute¡±


    Bai Youweiughed lightly, looking at his hands, and said unhurriedly: ¡°Every magician I¡¯ve ever met emphasises on hand maintenance. Not a bit of dirt can be in their nails, and your hands¡­ are very dirty.¡±


    She slightly looked up, smiled, and asked him: ¡°So, are you a wandering street performer? Or¡­ a thief?¡±


    It was as if Du Lai had been stung, and the smile on his face froze.


    After a few seconds of pause, he took a deep look at Bai Youwei, then stepped back half a step.<div>


    ¡°You guys aren¡¯t friendly at all¡­¡±


    He smiled wryly, forcing augh:


    ¡°Alright, let me get straight to the point. I need a partner for a game I¡¯m ying ¨C a doll-grabbing game. Here¡¯s the guide, and I need one good yer to join.¡±


    His gaze lingered on Lun Ang for half a second, adding: ¡°And he can¡¯t be too fat.¡±


    Lun Ang: ¡°Damn!¡±


    Yan Qingwenughed: ¡°What¡¯s going on? Are game guides running rampant on the streets of Shanghai?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Du Lai shook his head lightly. ¡°The game guide is in the hands of the review team. After we schedule the game time, the review team will tell us the detailed guide. But don¡¯t get your hopes up too much, because most of the game ispetitive. Even if you know the guide, you might not make it out alive.¡±


    As he said this, he leaned casually against the trunk of a tree by the sidewalk, looking at the young man who had greeted Lun Ang just now.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°For instance, the guy who just called you guys is trying to trick you into being the sacrificialmbs. In the game of Russian roulette, at least one person must die to clear the game.¡±


    ¡°And what about you?¡± asked Yan Qingwen. ¡°Why did you choose us?¡±


    ¡°Because everyone else here is too stupid.¡± Du Lai sighed. ¡°I value my life. I don¡¯t want to be dragged down by idiot teammates. Don¡¯t worry, the w machine game is not yer-against-yer, it requires cooperation. Of course, if we fail to cooperate and you die in the game, you can¡¯t me me.¡±<div>


    Bai Youwei furrowed her brows and asked, ¡°The game is so risky, why do you guys still participate in it?¡±


    ¡°Of course, for the props.¡± Du Lai naturally responded. ¡°A good prop can save your life at a crucial moment. Besides, everyone who lives here has to y the game. The more props you have, the more confident you are when ying the game.¡±


    ¡°Everyone has to participate in the game?¡± Bai Youwei was slightly shocked.


    ¡°Ah¡­ it looks like you guys are really new here, owning no idea what¡¯s going on.¡± Du Lai chuckled. ¡°The game reviewers take care of our food and amodation, and regrly provide us with game guides. Of course, this is not a free service. The only requirement they impose on us residents is¡­to participate in the game on time.¡±

 Chapter 311: 311: Three Rules

    Chapter 311: 311: Three Rules<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Twenty-three game zones have been detected around the city, these games are like hungry monsters that will move towards densely popted areas if not ¡°fed¡± within seven days.


    In order to maintain the space for human survival, an organization has established the following rules based on the characteristics of the games¡ª<div>


    Firstly, each resident must participate in the game assigned by the organization;


    Secondly, residents who refuse to participate in the assigned game will no longer receive food, housing, and strategies provided by the organization;


    Thirdly, residents who submit game clear tools can exchange them for leave passes, offsetting one assigned game.


    Du Lai briefly exined the current situation in the city to them.


    Yan Qingwen thoughtfully nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s an intelligent method. With 23 games, as long as each city resident takes turns, it can ensure that the games won¡¯t move for a certain period of time, indirectly guaranteeing everyone¡¯s safety.¡±


    Bai Youwei also nodded, ¡°If there are more than two thousand residents in the city, participating in a game every seven days, we could win three hundred days. With over four thousand residents, that equates to almost two years of peace. However, implementing this in reality may lead to various problems, right? For example, loss of poption, how will it be ounted for? The number of people is bound to decrease over time.¡±


    ¡°Any policy changes over time, there has never been a method that remains unchanged and effective over ten or more years,¡± Yan Qingwen said, ¡°When the timees, there will probably be a new n.¡±


    Du Lai also added, ¡°Actually poption loss is not a concern, the real trouble is the game¡¯s anti-brushing system.¡±


    ¡°Anti-brushing system?¡± Bai Youwei was slightly surprised. She remembered hearing about it from Tu Dan and his students, but she wasn¡¯t paying attention at the time.


    ¡°If everyone clears a game, the game will activate the anti-brushing system and disappear,¡± Du Lai exined, ¡°It may have moved to another ce, or it might cease to exist. No one knows.¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Lun Ang couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Isn¡¯t it a good thing if it just disappears?¡±<div>


    ¡°No,¡± Du Lai retracted his smile, ¡°Once an old one is gone, a new one wille. For a new game to appear, many lives have to be sacrificed¡­ toe up with a strategy.¡±


    With his words, everyone fell into silence.


    Through the journey, they had seen enough of good, bad, the deserving and undeserving¡­


    Zhu Shu sighed quietly, murmuring, ¡°Looking on the bright side, it¡¯s already quite good here. At least everyone has a goal, and they¡¯re still alive.¡±


    If stranded outside, there would be nowhere to go and no direction.


    Perhaps they would lead a muddled life and then unknowingly fall into a game on some road, dying in confusion.


    After a moment of silence, Du Lai did not forget to remind Yan Qingwen, ¡°Can you now consider taking part in the w machine game?¡±


    He smirked and said, ¡°I have a feeling that our partnership will be invincible.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say it¡¯s not good?¡± Bai Youwei interjected.


    Du Lai was taken aback, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The anti-brushing system.¡± Bai Youwei teased him, ¡°If everyone clears the game, the anti-brushing system will activate. You also said that when an old one is gone, a new one wille, and many lives will have to be sacrificed then. I think¡­ Yan Qingwen, it¡¯s best not to agree, to avoid more sacrifices.¡±<div>


    Du Lai:


    Yan Qingwen grinned helplessly, ¡°We can consider cooperating again in the future.¡±


    Du Lai¡¯s smile looked forced and cold. He nced at everyone and said, ¡°It seems that I¡¯m destined to leave empty-handed today.¡±


    Nobody paid him any mind.


    Du Lai finally looked at Bai Youwei onest time before turning around and leaving.


    After he had left, Lun Ang asked quizzically, ¡°What happened? Was he trying to pull something over us?¡±


    ¡°He probably genuinely wants to find a partner,¡± Bai Youwei watched his retreating figure, ¡°But as for that w machine¡­ it¡¯s likely a 2V2 mode. I wonder which two unfortunate souls will end up being his opponents¡­¡±

 Chapter 312: 312: Exchange Place

    Chapter 312: 312: Exchange ce<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    After meeting the uncertain friend or foe Du Lai, they proceeded to the notice board in People¡¯s Square.


    Arge city map was affixed to the notice board, marking out the game zones around the city. Several ces highlighted in red represented the registration center, the supply depot, the exchange center, and the headquarters of the so-called organization.<div>


    The registration center was where residents were registered and managed.


    The supply depot was where supplies were collected and distributed.


    The exchange center was where tools could be traded for leave permits.


    Of these, the exchange center was the most popr. In addition to trading for leave permits, new functions gradually evolved, such as trading tools or forming teams.


    The reason was simple, those who came here possessed tools.


    And those who possessed tools were generally more capable, making the crowd here much better than the bustling mix of characters in the square.


    Yan Qingwen had a look around, got a general idea of the situation, and prepared to return home.


    However, Bai Youwei seemed reluctant to leave. Her eyes were gleaming as she looked around. She asked Teacher Chang to call over a staff member to inquire if there was a ce where they could exchange puzzle pieces.


    Not far away, Lun Ang was startled and asked Yan Qingwen in a low voice, ¡°Is she nning to collect puzzle pieces here?¡±


    Ever since Bai Youwei took their five puzzle pieces, they knew what she intended to do.


    However, openly collecting puzzle pieces in such a ce, wasn¡¯t it kind of¡­drawing too much attention?<div>


    Yan Qingwen pondered for a moment and said, ¡°We should go over there as well. Since we brought her out, we need to ensure she returns safely.¡±


    Yan Qingwen and Lun Ang walked over.


    Zhu Shu thought for a moment and followed.


    They had only taken a few steps when they heard two nearby peoplementing:


    ¡°Old man, who would exchange their puzzle pieces? A puzzle piece can exempt you from the doll game once, it¡¯s even more useful than a leave permit!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, even if the organization opened a channel for exchanging puzzle pieces, nobody would do it.¡±


    Chang Weicai hurriedly exined: ¡°We can exchange used puzzle pieces.¡±


    ¡°Used puzzle pieces?¡± The two men looked at each other, then asked Chang Weicai, ¡°What are you guys going to do with used puzzle pieces?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that.¡± Bai Youwei said indifferently, ¡°Just say whether you¡¯ll exchange or not. After hearing about puzzle pieces, you two reacted quite strongly. Is it because either of you have puzzle pieces? Or perhaps, do any of your friends have them?¡±


    The two men looked at Bai Youwei, their faces alert, ¡°¡­Even if it¡¯s a used puzzle piece, it¡¯s still a puzzle piece. It might still have some unknown utility for all we know. Why should we exchange it with you?¡±


    ¡°Because I have tools.¡± Bai Youwei smiled, ¡°You¡¯ve been squatting here for so long, aren¡¯t you looking to exchange tools? Do your own tools not work well? Do you want to exchange them with someone else¡¯s? I can exchange with you~ I¡¯ll give you a tool if you give me a puzzle piece. It¡¯s a great deal, isn¡¯t it?¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn<div>


    As she spoke, more and more people started gathering around them, looking at Bai Youwei and Chang Weicai with curiosity and suspicion.


    People had seen trade-offs of food and medicine. Even tool exchanges weren¡¯t umon but no one had ever traded puzzle pieces.


    Yan Qingwen frowned and led Lun Ang and Zhu Shu to stand beside Bai Youwei, just in case these people thought it would be easy to bully an old man and a crippled man.


    Lun Ang whispered in his ear: ¡°This girl is reckless, daring to stir things up in such a ce without even bringing her rabbit. Only Shen Mo would be able to tolerate her.¡±


    At his words, the corner of Yan Qingwen¡¯s mouth twitched, but he didn¡¯t say anything. His gaze shifted slightly and he saw a familiar face.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s the same guy from before.¡±


    Lun Ang looked surprised, he followed Qingwen¡¯s gaze into the distance and saw that Du Lai was among the crowd, looking spellbound at Bai Youwei, apparently curious about what kind of tools she would bring out.


    Seeing the crowd expanding, the exchange center staff, fearing trouble, said to Bai Youwei: ¡°Any transactions must be posted on a notice. Once it is posted on the trading board, the parties involved can trade in private. The exchange center will not take responsibility for any problems that may arise.¡±

 Chapter 313: Changing Jigsaw Puzzle

    Chapter 313: Changing Jigsaw Puzzle


    Trantor: 549690339


    Mr. Cheng asked, ¡°How do we write it? Is there a standard format?¡±


    The staff casually picked up a few outdated notices for them to look at. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Each one had a simryout ¨C the first line listed items they possessed, the second listed the items they wanted in return, and the contact address was at the very bottom.


    Bai Youwei took the pen and paper, and wrote:


    ¡°Trading a used jigsaw puzzle; details to be discussed in person. Avable items for trade are¡­.¡±


    After pausing a while, she wrote:


    ¡°Modified flower seeds; can bloom into a sea of flowers within 24 hours, regardless of the season or environment. Once nourished by life, flowers canst a long time.¡±


    A buzz started amongst the onlookers.


    ¡°It is an offensive tool! And it can cover arge area!¡±


    ¡°Is it like nts versus zombies? nt a circle of flowers and you don¡¯t have to worry about defending yourself, hey! This tool is not bad!¡±


    ¡°Is there any game that needs this around here?¡±


    ¡°Not sure¡­but if wee across one, this tool would be very useful.¡±


    ¡°¡­Guys look! She¡¯s writing again!¡±


    Bai Youwei continued to write: ¡°Starting gun, people within a radius of 10 meters will run at full speed. Effect varies with distance, environment, and individual will. The one holding the gun is not affected by the gunshot.¡±


    ¡°Full speed running? What could this tool be used for?¡±


    ¡°Thisdy has quite a few tools¡­¡±


    ¡°If she can afford to trade them, she must have plenty in store. But it seems less practical than those flower seeds¡­¡±


    ¡°Whether it is useful or not is notparable in this way, it depends on the specific environment,¡± a middle-aged man among the crowd said, ¡°If the game field is on a ship, bridge, or cliffs and volcanicva, imagine how powerful it would be to have this tool in hand.¡±


    People pictured that scene and fell into silence, their faces bing grim.


    Yet Bai Youwei¡¯s pen did not stop.


    ¡°Substitute Doll, can act as a second body for the user¡­¡±


    Before she even finished writing, gasps arose from the crowd!


    Even Yan Qingwen furrowed his brows, stepping forward to ce his hand over her paper and whisper a reminder, ¡°This type of tool is better kept for saving your own life.¡±


    Bai Youwei looked up at him, puzzled.


    Yan Qingwen looked back into her eyes, ¡°Two tools are enough for trading the puzzle.¡±


    Bai Youwei gave a nonchnt smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know what I am doing.¡±


    Both Lun Ang and Zhu Shu who were standing by, hadplex expressions on their faces.


    Yan Qingwen let go of her hand, thought to himself: Thisdy is too provocative. Shen Mo needs toe back and monitor her, or else she¡¯ll cause trouble sooner orter.


    Bai Youwei finished the rest:


    ¡°¡­Act as a second body for the user, endure all harm within 36 hours untilpletely destroyed. Interested parties may contact, Kraus Road¡­Building 5, Room 102.¡±


    Mr. Cheng asked a staff member for transparent glue and stuck Bai Youwei¡¯s notice on the trading column.


    Before it was even fully adhered, someone already asked impatiently, ¡°How many puzzle pieces for the third tool?¡±


    His voice was loud. The chaotic atmosphere of the exchange ce suddenly calmed down after his question.


    A multitude of eyes focused on Bai Youwei.


    Bai Youwei nced at him, her voice soft,


    ¡°Well of course¡­ to the highest bidder.¡±


    As she finished saying this¡ª


    The silence grew even quieter.


    And the hush even more profound.


    Bai Youwei rolled her wheelchair towards the door and stopped at the entrance.


    ¡°Well.¡± She turned around, smiling. ¡°If you are not satisfied with these items, I have other tools. Feel free toe to me for a trade. Just remember, only puzzles are epted ¨C nothing else interests me.¡±


    She left cheerfully.


    Leaving behind a crowd of people with various expressions.


    Yan Qingwen looked around, sighed to himself, and followed Bai Youwei with the rest of the group.

 Chapter 314: Don’t Want to Go

    Chapter 314: Don¡¯t Want to Go


    Trantor: 549690339


    Du Lai stared at Bai Youwei¡¯s retreating figure in a daze.


    A man beside him threw an arm over his shoulder and chuckled, ¡°Du Lai, I remember you had a couple of puzzle pieces in your possession, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Du Lai blinked and thenughed, ¡°Yes, but I thought they were useless after I used them, so I donated them to the organization.¡±


    ¡°You donated?¡± The man seemed taken aback and wore a skeptical expression, ¡°Both puzzle pieces were donated?¡±


    ¡°I had no choice but to donate.¡± Du Lai forced a bitter smile, ¡°As you know, I was severely injured when I managed to make it out of that hide-and-seek game. I used up all my tools and had to donate the puzzle pieces in exchange for medical supplies.¡±


    The man listened with a mixture of belief and doubt, ¡°Is that so¡­?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the situation.¡± Du Lai gave a casualugh and gently shrugged off his arm, ¡°I still need to find my w machine partner, so I¡¯ll chat with youter~¡±


    With a lightness to his steps, he strode away in no time. Turning a corner, he left the exchange point entirely.


    In the deserted alleyway, Du Lai looked around to ensure he wasn¡¯t being followed.


    He pulled out two puzzle pieces from his clothes, weighing them in his hand and a smirk curling on his lips.


    Tools were not something scarce. Anyone who had survived so far in the city would have a few tools, more or less. But it was exceedingly rare for someone like Bai Youwei to expose three tools at once.


    Because tools are used up as much as they are gathered, everyone tends to use one or two after entering the game. Unless they are absolutely useless, they won¡¯t be brought to the trading point for exchange.


    Bai Youwei¡¯s tools were without a doubt extremely tempting.


    Those with puzzle pieces can exchange them for her tools;


    Those without puzzle pieces can steal puzzle pieces from others.


    ¡­or one could be more direct, by stealing Bai Youwei¡¯s tools.


    ¡°No. 5 Kraus Road, Room 102.¡± The young man in the deep alley squinted his eyes, a deep secretive smile on his face, ¡°Well now¡­ things are sure to get rowdy.¡±


    On their way back, Chang Weicai asked Bai Youwei in confusion:


    ¡°Weiwei, don¡¯t we live in Room 101? Why did you write a wrong address?¡± N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter~ Anyway, if anyone knocks on the door of Room 102, we¡¯ll hear it from Room 101~¡± Bai Youwei replied nonchntly.


    ¡°But what if we don¡¯t hear¡­¡±


    ¡°If we don¡¯t hear, the person can just leave a note, or they cane back some other day. It won¡¯t dy anything~¡±


    Chang Weicai considered it for a moment then nodded, ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    Lun Ang, who was behind them, had a silent exchange of looks with Yan Qingwen.


    Lun Ang silently mouthed in amazement: This girl is so clever¡­


    If anyone attempts to do anything shady at Room 102 in the middle of the night, they¡¯ll definitelye up empty, and might even end up being counter-attacked by the people in Room 101.


    Yan Qingwen, resigned to Bai Youwei¡¯s tactics, could only shake his head with augh.


    The five of them chatted and walked, quickly reaching the entrance to their residentialmunity.


    As they entered themunity, they saw Li Li leading a group of people towards them!


    ¡°Yan bro!¡± Li Li called out enthusiastically.


    Although they had been apart for only half a day, it felt like they hadn¡¯t seen each other for days, even his overall appearance seemed changed.


    Now, Li Li had returned to the SCO¡¯s research team, promoted to one of the core members of the organization, living with other SCO researchers, and allotted four bodyguards for protection when he is out and about.


    Now, he stood before them glowingly rejuvenated, and for some reason, the phrase ¡°returning to one¡¯s native ce in glory¡± popped into Bai Youwei¡¯s mind, making her want tough.


    ¡°I told Professor Song about what you all did, the professor is very grateful! He hopes to meet you guys in person.¡± There was a note ofcency in Li Li¡¯s voice, ¡°There¡¯s a banquet being held at the headquarters this evening, the professor asked me toe and pick you all up!¡±


    With that, his gazended on Bai Youwei, his tone bing unconsciously careful.


    He cleared his throat, saying, ¡°And you¡­ along with Shen Mo, are also invited to attend the banquet.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Bai Youwei responded indifferently, ¡°I don¡¯t feel like going.¡±

 Chapter 315: 315: Joining the Organization

    Chapter 315: 315: Joining the Organization<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Li Li suddenly became anxious, ¡°Shen Mo is also going!¡±


    Bai Youwei frowned upon hearing this, repeating his words, ¡°¡­ Shen Mo is also going?¡±<div>


    Li Li, having experienced Bai Youwei¡¯s unique temperament, nodded repeatedly, ¡°Yes, yes, yes, Shen Mo is also going! Don¡¯t you want to see him?¡±


    Bai Youwei muttered a little discontentedly, ¡°Shen Mo has also be vulgar.¡±


    Li Li:


    ¡°Are we going now?¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°I have to take Mr. Cheng, Tan Xiao, and Xiaoxin with me, otherwise, it¡¯s meaningless to go alone.¡±


    ¡°Xiaoxin probably doesn¡¯t need to go.¡± Li Li frowned, ¡°This dinner is very formal, it¡¯s not appropriate for children to attend¡­¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    In fact, he felt it would be best if Tan Xiao also didn¡¯t go, that silly fool, who knows what kind of mess he may cause.


    But then he thought about Bai Youwei¡¯s personality, so Li Li didn¡¯t say a word.


    ¡°What¡¯s so formal~¡± Bai Youweiughed at him, ¡°Isn¡¯t this organization just a makeshift outfit? It¡¯s not a real government agency, how formal can it be~¡±


    Li Li felt awkward, his face turning an embarrassing shade of red from being choked up.


    Mr. Cheng stepped in to smooth things over, saying to Li Li, ¡°If we all go, it is not appropriate to leave Xiaoxin, a child, home alone. What if something happens at home? Let¡¯s take him with us. Xiaoxin is a sensible child, he won¡¯t cause you any trouble.¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­¡± Li Li cornered his mouth, ¡°But it seems that Tan Xiao and Xiaoxin are not here, I already tried knocking on their door. If you are waiting for them toe back, you may miss the dinner time¡­¡±<div>


    ¡°Then you didn¡¯t knock hard enough.¡± Bai Youwei wheeled herself towards Building 5, ¡°I¡¯ll go call them.¡±


    Mr. Cheng gave an apologetic smile to Li Li and hurried to follow Bai Youwei.


    With those two far away, Li Li finally let loose a long sigh. He once again looked at Yan Qingwen and seriously said,


    ¡°The dinner this time is actually mainly to invite you to join the organization. Su Man and I have already joined. Brother Yan, Lun Ang, with our guarantee, there should be no problem for you to join too. But it won¡¯t be easy for Shen Mo and Bai Youwei; the organization¡¯s resources are limited and can¡¯t include the elderly and children. Considering Bai Youwei¡¯s attitude, she most likely won¡¯t stay.¡±


    ¡°What exactly is this organization?¡± Lun Ang was impatient, ¡°Li Li, exin your words clearly, just what is happening here?¡±


    Li Li exined, ¡°It¡¯s Professor Song. He and the survival team of the special situation group established this organization. While they continue to conduct research, they also ensure the residents¡¯ livelihood. Although there are deficiencies in various aspects, life here is much more steady than outside!¡±


    Li Li looked at Yan Qingwen and urged once again, ¡°Brother Yan, stay! You guys saved me from thebyrinth, now it¡¯s my turn to help you! As long as you are willing to stay, I can assure you, any vacant position within the organization is yours to pick!¡±


    Lun Ang stroked his goatee, looking towards Yan Qingwen.


    After a moment of silence, Yan Qingwen gave a faint smile, ¡°What to do, I¡¯ve been frencing for quite a while, already not used to living a life with this kind of regtion.¡±


    After hearing this, Lun Ang understood Yan Qingwen¡¯s meaning, and stated directly, ¡°I will go with Old Yan.¡±


    Li Li looked disappointed, then turned to Zhu Shu, ¡°Zhu Shu, what about you? You¡¯re a girl, are you nning to continue wandering?¡±<div>


    Zhu Shu pursed her lips, asking Li Li, ¡°If I stay, can I join the organization?¡±


    Li Li showed a troubled look, hesitated for two seconds, and said, ¡°Probably not this time¡­ but I promise, as long as you clear the game more than twice, I will help you apply to join the organization!¡±


    Hearing this, Zhu Shu slowly walked behind Yan Qingwen.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Li Li¡­ without Brother Yan and Lun Ang, I¡¯m afraid that I wouldn¡¯t be able to clear a single game.¡± Zhu Shu said softly, ¡°So¡­ I should stick with everyone else.¡±

 Chapter 316: 316: The Five Travelers (Extra update for Bobo )

    Chapter 316: 316: The Five Travelers (Extra update for Bobo )<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Bai Youwei led people out and found that something was clearly amiss.


    ¡°What happened?¡± She looked at Li Li, then at Yan Qingwen with a smirk, ¡°Did you guys have a fight?¡±<div>


    ¡°No. We just talked about something.¡± Yan Qingwen asked with a smile, ¡°Why, are you hoping for us to have a fight?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡± Bai Youwei candidly said, ¡°It¡¯s clear you guys aren¡¯t on the same page. It¡¯s strange if you didn¡¯t argue when you¡¯re together~¡±


    ¡°You!¡­¡± Li Li was furious.


    ¡°Did I say anything wrong?¡± Bai Youwei looked at him confusedly. ¡°You guys weren¡¯t on the same page to begin with. If it weren¡¯t for Yan Qingwen entering the maze to save you, you wouldn¡¯t even have crossed paths.¡±


    Li Li ground his teeth and shot back at her: ¡°Then you, Shen Mo, Tan Xiao, Mr. Cheng, and Pan Xiaoxin aren¡¯t on the same page either! You guys are¡­¡±


    He childishly held up a hand with all five fingers spread, stressing, ¡°You guys are five-page people!¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡± Bai Youweiughed, ¡°So what if we are five-page people? At least we have amon goal now. What about you guys? Do you have one?¡±


    Li Li¡¯s face turned a mix of green and white at herment, an expression of utter difort!


    Lun Ang patted his shoulder sympathetically and said, ¡°You¡¯d better argue with Su Man, don¡¯t argue with her, you won¡¯t win.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s arguing! I was just reasoning with her!¡± Li Li shook off Lun Ang¡¯s hand, stood tall and continued forward. ¡°Come on! The banquet is about to start!¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Tan Xiao clucked his tongue and said, ¡°Mr. Four Eyes is not to be trifled with.¡±<div>


    Li Li clenched his fists and swallowed his anger, he chose not to argue with him and kept going forward.


    It seemed that today was just not his day, having his invitation rejected by hispanions, and then dealing with a quarrelsome Su Man.


    Just because he supported a female colleague who was about to fall, Su Man made a big fuss about it. In the end, it took Yan Qingwen and Lun Ang¡¯s intervention to calm her down.


    And it didn¡¯t stop there.


    When they got to the headquarters, he led a group to meet Professor Song, but was stopped by the security team. No matter how he exined, they refused to let him pass!


    Li Li felt disgraced!


    ¡°How many times do I need to exin this?!¡± He said angrily, ¡°I¡¯m Li Li from the SCO Research Group! I¡¯m Professor Song¡¯s research assistant! I left my pass at the dorm!¡±


    He pointed to the security guards behind him. ¡°Don¡¯t you recognize them?! All of them can vouch for me!¡±


    The security guard nced at the people behind Li Li and said sternly, ¡°Professor Song just convened an emergency meeting. Anyone without a pass is not allowed near the conference center. If you insist on going in, I need to ask for higher-level permission.¡±


    Li Li said irritably, ¡°Then go ahead and ask!¡±


    The security guard took out his walkie-talkie and said a few brief words.<div>


    About three minutester, a woman in a brownbat suit appeared at the front of the corridor. She had short hair, slightly tanned skin. Even though she didn¡¯t say a word, her sharp eyes showed she is not someone to mess with.


    ¡°Leader! This man insisted on going in. He imed to be Professor Song¡¯s assistant and said that Professor Song asked him to bring people over, but he did not have a pass. The people behind him are security guards assigned by the research team.¡±


    The woman in thebat suit frowned at Li Li and said coldly, ¡°The meeting is not over yet. Let the men in, but the women and the old man will have to wait outside.¡±


    ¡°Why?!¡± Su Man was the first to object, ¡°When you invited us, you sure didn¡¯t have this attitude! Why can men go in, but women can¡¯t?!¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± The woman sneered and took two steps towards Su Man.


    She was tall and towered over Su Man, who¡¯s just five feet seven, by half a head. She looked down at her contemptuously:


    ¡°Let me tell you why


    Because a moring, noisy woman like you belongs in a marketce or a dance hall, not here, at the conference center.¡±

 Chapter 317: 317: Parting on Bad Terms

    Chapter 317: 317: Parting on Bad Terms<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Su Man was known for her fiery temper, and having been harshly rebuked, she boiled over with anger and swiftly struck!


    However, as the security team leader, her opponent was naturally skilled. One move followed another, with both women locked in a fierce fight!<div>


    Li Li was both anxious and furious, wanting to step in to mediate but fearing idental injury. He bellowed, ¡°Hold it! Stop! As the leader of the research group, Imand you to stop!¡±


    Unfortunately, as a newly installed leader, his words carried little weight. The two women ignored him, with their brawl intensifying!


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to stop them?!¡± demanded a frantic Li Li, looking at Yan Qingwen and Lun Ang.


    Lun Ang frowned, ¡°You want me to hit a woman¡­?¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Yan Qingwen simply watched the melee, ¡°Su Man should be able to handle this for now.¡±


    Even Yan Qingwen decided to stay out of this, so Bai Youwei was even less likely to intervene, preferring to watch the chaos unfold.


    ¡°Hmm, Su Man is quite tough~¡± Bai Youwei surprisingly sincerely praised someone for once.


    She had only seen Su Man use a whip in a game at the Dollhouse before. She hadn¡¯t realized how excellent her fighting skills were. Even Bai Youwei, despite not being trained inbat, could tell that each of Su Man¡¯s moves was precise and powerful, bearing no less than a man in her fierce attacks.


    Naturally, the security team leader who was fighting with Su Man was also no pushover. Her moves were swift, decisive and simrly matched.


    Su Man performed a sweeping leg kick, but her opponent nimbly evaded it and reached out to grab Su Man¡¯s shoulder!


    Su Man closed in using the force and quickly turned around tond a powerful punch!<div>


    The opponent dodged sharply, the punch grazing past a few strands of her short hair! She then caught Su Man¡¯s arm and forcefully twisted it behind her!


    Su Man seethed with anger, biting her lip and struggled to break free, yet her face suddenly turned pale and she broke out in cold sweat!


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± Bai Youwei was perplexed. Su Man had been holding her ground just moments ago, how had she suddenly slipped into a disadvantageous position?


    Things deteriorated rapidly, with Su Man getting punched several times, before being pinned against the wall, unable to move!


    ¡°Su Man injured her right hand.¡± Zhu Shuments, with furrowed brows.


    p! p!


    Yan Qingwen pped twice, and chuckled coldly, ¡°Indeed, impressive skills for a security team leader. You have certainly opened our eyes. May I know your name?¡±


    The short-haired woman let go of Su Man and replied icily, ¡°Yu Yaqing. If you wish to file aint, feel free.¡±


    Zhu Shu helped Su Man up, noticing that her swollen right hand had been injured. Zhu Shu turned to Yan Qingwen with concern, ¡°Brother Yan, Su Man is injured.¡±


    Seeing Su Man¡¯s injuries, Li Li chastised her, ¡°Look at you! You knew your hand wasn¡¯t healed, but you still rushed forward to fight! You knew you couldn¡¯t beat her!¡±


    ¡°Who said I couldn¡¯t beat her!¡± Su Man red at him, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for¡­¡±<div>


    She bit her lip, and didn¡¯t finish her sentence. ring at Yu Yaqing, she lowered her head reluctantly and retreated behind Yan Qingwen alongside Zhu Shu, looking visibly upset.


    Yan Qingwen ¡®s voice was calmly nonchnt, ¡°As for filing aint, that¡¯s a bit too much. We did intrude into the conference center without an ess pass. That was our mistake. Now that ourpanion is injured and not fit for the banquet¡­ Well then, sorry to have troubled you, we should take our leave.¡±


    Having said his piece, Yan Qingwen turned to leave.


    While he appeared polite in his words, when he truly got angry there was no room for negotiation.


    Li Li hurried to catch up, ¡°Brother Yan! Brother Yan! Please don¡¯t leave. Professor Song will be done with the meeting soon!¡­ Where are you going?¡±


    As Li Li was about to leave, Bai Youwei scowled, ¡°Li Li, didn¡¯t you say you were going to take me to meet Shen Mo?¡±


    Li Li retorted irritably, ¡°Who has the time for you!¡±


    Bai Youwei¡¯s face turned cold instantly, livid she roared, ¡°Are you ying me?!¡±


    A sudden sh of blue-violet light appeared!


    Like a rapidly flying light bird, its wings crashed into Li Li, knocking him t. He convulsed on the ground!


    Gurgling sounds came out of his mouth, ¡°Erk Erk Erk Erk Erk¡­¡±<div>

 Chapter 317: Parting on Bad Terms

    Chapter 317: Parting on Bad Terms


    Trantor: 549690339


    Su Man was known for her fiery temper, and having been harshly rebuked, she boiled over with anger and swiftly struck!


    However, as the security team leader, her opponent was naturally skilled. One move followed another, with both women locked in a fierce fight!


    Li Li was both anxious and furious, wanting to step in to mediate but fearing idental injury. He bellowed, ¡°Hold it! Stop! As the leader of the research group, Imand you to stop!¡±


    Unfortunately, as a newly installed leader, his words carried little weight. The two women ignored him, with their brawl intensifying!


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to stop them?!¡± demanded a frantic Li Li, looking at Yan Qingwen and Lun Ang.


    Lun Ang frowned, ¡°You want me to hit a woman¡­?¡±


    Yan Qingwen simply watched the melee, ¡°Su Man should be able to handle this for now.¡±


    Even Yan Qingwen decided to stay out of this, so Bai Youwei was even less likely to intervene, preferring to watch the chaos unfold.


    ¡°Hmm, Su Man is quite tough~¡± Bai Youwei surprisingly sincerely praised someone for once.


    She had only seen Su Man use a whip in a game at the Dollhouse before. She hadn¡¯t realized how excellent her fighting skills were. Even Bai Youwei, despite not being trained inbat, could tell that each of Su Man¡¯s moves was precise and powerful, bearing no less than a man in her fierce attacks.


    Naturally, the security team leader who was fighting with Su Man was also no pushover. Her moves were swift, decisive and simrly matched.


    Su Man performed a sweeping leg kick, but her opponent nimbly evaded it and reached out to grab Su Man¡¯s shoulder!


    Su Man closed in using the force and quickly turned around tond a powerful punch!


    The opponent dodged sharply, the punch grazing past a few strands of her short hair! She then caught Su Man¡¯s arm and forcefully twisted it behind her!


    Su Man seethed with anger, biting her lip and struggled to break free, yet her face suddenly turned pale and she broke out in cold sweat!


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± Bai Youwei was perplexed. Su Man had been holding her ground just moments ago, how had she suddenly slipped into a disadvantageous position?


    Things deteriorated rapidly, with Su Man getting punched several times, before being pinned against the wall, unable to move!


    ¡°Su Man injured her right hand.¡± Zhu Shuments, with furrowed brows.


    p!? p!


    Yan Qingwen pped twice, and chuckled coldly, ¡°Indeed, impressive skills for a security team leader. You have certainly opened our eyes. May I know your name?¡±


    The short-haired woman let go of Su Man and replied icily, ¡°Yu Yaqing. If you wish to file aint, feel free.¡±


    Zhu Shu helped Su Man up, noticing that her swollen right hand had been injured. Zhu Shu turned to Yan Qingwen with concern, ¡°Brother Yan, Su Man is injured.¡±


    Seeing Su Man¡¯s injuries, Li Li chastised her, ¡°Look at you! You knew your hand wasn¡¯t healed, but you still rushed forward to fight! You knew you couldn¡¯t beat her!¡±


    ¡°Who said I couldn¡¯t beat her!¡± Su Man red at him, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for¡­¡±


    She bit her lip, and didn¡¯t finish her sentence. ring at Yu Yaqing, she lowered her head reluctantly and retreated behind Yan Qingwen alongside Zhu Shu, looking visibly upset.


    Yan Qingwen ¡®s voice was calmly nonchnt, ¡°As for filing aint, that¡¯s a bit too much. We did intrude into the conference center without an ess pass. That was our mistake. Now that ourpanion is injured and not fit for the banquet¡­ Well then, sorry to have troubled you, we should take our leave.¡±


    Having said his piece, Yan Qingwen turned to leave.


    While he appeared polite in his words, when he truly got angry there was no room for negotiation.


    Li Li hurried to catch up, ¡°Brother Yan! Brother Yan! Please don¡¯t leave. Professor Song will be done with the meeting soon!¡­ Where are you going?¡±


    As Li Li was about to leave, Bai Youwei scowled, ¡°Li Li, didn¡¯t you say you were going to take me to meet Shen Mo?¡± N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Li Li retorted irritably, ¡°Who has the time for you!¡±


    Bai Youwei¡¯s face turned cold instantly, livid she roared, ¡°Are you ying me?!¡±


    A sudden sh of blue-violet light appeared!


    Like a rapidly flying light bird, its wings crashed into Li Li, knocking him t. He convulsed on the ground!


    Gurgling sounds came out of his mouth, ¡°Erk Erk Erk Erk Erk¡­¡±

 Chapter 318: Rely on Oneself

    Chapter 318: Rely on Oneself


    Trantor: 549690339


    Bai Youwei looked at him disgustingly, holding the rabbit, she said coldly, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    The rabbit was the toy she had taken out earlier from the dollhouse when she called Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin. If it wasn¡¯t for charging, she would never leave it behind.


    Teacher Cheng pushed the wheelchair out, followed by Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin.


    As they passed by the fallen Li Li, the three let out a sigh simultaneously, shaking their heads in dismay.


    Teacher Cheng: ¡°Confucius said, ¡®I don¡¯t know what one can do if they¡¯re not trustworthy.¡¯ Li Li, we came with you because we trusted you, but you¡­ sigh, look out for yourself from now on.¡±


    Tan Xiao: ¡°I never thought you were that type of person! Humph, I despise you!¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin: ¡°You¡­¡±


    After a thought, he as a child, decided not to meddle in adults¡¯ affairs and just followed behind Tan Xiao.


    The security team slowly gathered up, looking at the retreating figures, then turned to Li Li on the ground.


    Someone went over to check Li Li¡¯s breath.


    Li Li was fine.


    He had survived twobyrinths and Bai Youwei had showed restraint. The level of electric shock had just made him ufortable, but it was not life-threatening.


    ¡°Team leader, those people just now¡­¡±


    ¡°I saw.¡± Yu Yaqing held up her hand, ¡°It should be a tool, it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen a tool that can release electricity, and it seems to be reusable, no wonder the professor invited these people.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ did we, did we offend them?¡±


    ¡°Are you afraid of them?¡± Yu Yaqing nced unhappily at her subordinate, reprimanding harshly, ¡°Foolish! Tools only lead to endless dependency! What we ultimately rely on is ourselves! Not the damned tools the game gives us! All of you, double the training tonight!¡±


    She lifted her arm, clenched her fist tightly, ¡°Remember! Never ck off! What we can rely on, will always be ourselves!¡±


    The subordinates chorused, ¡°Yes! Team leader!¡±


    On the other hand, Yan Qingwen took Su Man back to Kraus Road.


    Although there were no tools with healing effects, theymonly had wound medicines for pain relief, anti-inmmation, detoxification, and blood stasis.


    Slice open the swollen flesh, let out the blood clot, apply medicine, and re-wrap.


    Yan Qingwen put a splint on Su Man.


    Such injuries that damage tendons and bones would normally take at least two months to recover. For yers who have been through thebyrinth, it would take no more than two weeks.


    After treating the wound, Yan Qingwen said to Su Man, ¡°The starting point of this organization is good, however, it¡¯s still newly formed andcks the stability tost long. Maybe in the future, it will be better, or it could¡­ get worse. I know you and Li Li grew up together and you¡¯ve never been apart, but I still suggest you reconsider whether you can leave the organization.¡±


    Su Man lowered her head and replied quietly, ¡°Brother Yan, I will join the organization, not just for Li Li. My family has moved here, I must stay and look after them.¡±


    Yan Qingwen thought for a while and then nodded, ¡°In that case, there¡¯s no choice. Of course, family is the most important.¡±


    Lun Ang sighed, ¡°Sigh¡­ I used to run around here and there without thinking, but now I want to go home, I don¡¯t even know where my old folks are.¡±


    He looked at Zhu Shu and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s your family? Is it alright for you to be with us?¡±


    ¡°My parents are abroad.¡± Zhu Shu smiled faintly, ¡°Even if I wanted to go to them, I couldn¡¯t.¡±


    Su Man couldn¡¯t help but speak, ¡°Are you all really leaving? Brother Yan, you have a connection with the Li Family, why won¡¯t you stay? The world is a mess now, no matter how bad it is here, it¡¯s a lot better than being unsure of tomorrow¡¯s survival.¡± N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Yan Qingwen was silent and didn¡¯t reply immediately.


    After a while, he said somethingpletely irrelevant, ¡°Today, Bai Youwei exchanged used puzzles for tools at the exchange point.¡±

 Chapter 319: Just Not Dead

    Chapter 319: Just Not Dead


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Exchange the prop¡­for used puzzle pieces?¡± Su Man was in a daze. ¡°¡­Why?¡±


    Why exchange for those puzzle pieces?


    And why did Yan brother bring up this matter?


    Yan Qingwen looked down, his tone calm: ¡°At first, I thought she was joking. After all, concerning the maze, except for knowing that it can produce puzzle pieces, we almost know nothing about the rest. We don¡¯t even know how many puzzle pieces there are in total. How do you put together aplete puzzle?¡±


    But she paid for it with actions and even traded valuable props.¡±


    He spoke, raising his eyes to take a nce at the people present.


    ¡°Later, I realized that she was not really trying toplete the puzzle.¡±


    Su Man furrowed her brows: ¡°Then what does she want to do?¡±


    ¡°A goal.¡± Yan Qingwen replied, ¡°A goalrge enough to attract the people around and bring hope.¡±


    Looking at him, Su Man vaguely thought she understood, but also vaguely felt that she didn¡¯t entirely grasp it.


    Yan Qingwen said: ¡°A valuable goal can generate immense motivation. As long as this force exists, even if they die on the road in the future, they will not regret it.


    As for us staying here, other than repeating the tasks set by our supervisors daily, nothing changes by sticking to the guideline of tackling the games assigned by the organization.


    We will never get the answers about the doll game.¡±


    ¡°Brother Yan, by staying here, we can pursue the answers too! There is also hope!¡± Su Man couldn¡¯t help but retort, ¡°Professor Song¡¯s research team has never given up on studying the doll game!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s them, not us.¡± Yan Qingwen calmly looked at her, ¡°Staying here is not called pursuing answers, that¡¯s called waiting for the answers. Su Man, you should understand, Lun Ang and I are not fond of sitting and waiting for death.¡±


    Su Man¡¯s eyes were red, ¡°But¡­the chance of survival outside¡­is really low¡­¡±


    ¡°Honestly¡­the way we live now¡­we can¡¯t really call it living.¡± Zhu Shu murmured softly.


    Su Man looked at her.


    Zhu Shu stated, ¡°We¡¯re just not dead yet.¡±


    Everyone was silent.


    After a moment, Yan Qingwen smiled faintly, ¡°Humans can never change their inherent curiosity and adventurous spirit. Since the world has changed, why not live as we wish to live, so we won¡¯t regret and feel pitiful when we die. Su Man, you don¡¯t need to persuade us anymore.¡±


    Su Man bit her lip, hung her head, and said no more.


    Lun Ang joked self-deprecatingly, ¡°If I had known we needed to collect the puzzle pieces, I wouldn¡¯t have bet with that girl. s, I lost five puzzle pieces all at once!¡±


    Yan Qingwen alsoughed, turned his head towards Zhu Shu beside him, ¡°Are you scared? You might struggle a bit if you follow us.¡±


    Zhu Shu shook her head lightly, ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as I¡¯m not bothering you.¡±


    Seeing them so resolved, Su Man looked even more depressed.


    They all barely escaped death many times, and although there were asional conflicts and arguments, their bond was no ordinary one. If possible, she really didn¡¯t want to part ways.


    Unfortunately¡­


    There¡¯s no feast that doesn¡¯t end.


    The night deepened.


    The temperature didn¡¯t cool down because of the nightfall; the air was still humid and hot, making people sweat all over, ufortably sticky.


    Bai Youwei hugged a fluffy bunny, sitting in the pitch-ck living room.


    Teacher Cheng, Tan Xiao, and Pan Xiaoxin were all asleep in the doll house, while she couldn¡¯t sleep, oftening out worrying that Shen Mo might return without anyone being there.


    Shen Mo didn¡¯t return all that time.


    The next door did wee a few waves of guests though.


    One of them was clever, after finding out that room 102 was uninhabited, he pried open the door of room 101.


    But as soon as Bai Youwei heard the sound, she went into the doll house. The man found nothing after turning the 3-bedroom t upside down, and left in frustration. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    He should be grateful that the hot weather made Bai Youwei exhausted andzy, reluctant to even move her fingers, so she let him go.


    At three in the morning, Shen Mo finally came back.

 Chapter 320: 320: Appearance of Many New Characters

    Chapter 320: 320: Appearance of Many New Characters<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Bai Youwei heard the familiar sound of footsteps and the taut string in her heart finally rxed.


    She had always been worried about him.<div>


    Even though she had endlessly pondered and thought, and she believes that the organization has only intentions to curry favor with Shen Mo, her heart wouldn¡¯t cooperate and she was still worried.


    Shen Mo opened the door and came in, quickly noting that something was off. Seeing Bai Youweie out of the bedroom, he asked her, ¡°Did someonee to the house?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not important¡­¡± Bai Youwei yawned sleepily, ¡°I waited for you for so long, I¡¯m almost falling sleep.¡±


    ¡°The research group found a game approaching the city and held an emergency meeting¡­¡± Shen Mo paused, walked over and held the armrest of her wheelchair. ¡°¡­Anyway, we¡¯ll talk inside.¡±


    The two of them moved into the bedroom one after the other, shut the bedroom door. Bai Youwei pulled out the golden key and opened the door to the doll house


    Once inside the doll house, Shen Mo carried Bai Youwei upstairs to their room and continued speaking:


    ¡°The structure of this organization is quiteplex, including the members of the SCO Research Group, a special task force, refugee old families, and some scattered local police¡­¡±. Shen Mo continued as they walked, ¡°However, the organization is primarily made up of researchers, led by Chu Huaijin, a former leader of a special task force, and thenes Song Mingchuan, a professor at SCO that I¡¯ve mentioned to you before.¡±


    Bai Youwei was sleepy in his arms, and she asked with her eyes closed: ¡°Oh ¡­ so why did they call you to the meeting?¡±


    ¡°Shen Fei introduced me.¡± Shen Mo made his way into the bedroom, put her onto the bed, hesitating on how to introduce his cousin.


    ¡°He¡­ has always looked up to me and hopes that I could join the organization. He even rmended me to Professor Song and sung praises about me¡­ I¡¯m also quite interested in Professor Song¡¯s recent research results, so I attended their meeting.¡±


    Bai Youweiid on the bed, barely managing to open her eyes halfway. She asked him in a murmur, ¡°So are you going to join?¡±<div>


    Shen Mo pondered for a moment, then asked her: ¡°If I join, would you join?¡±


    ¡°Sure¡­¡± Bai Youwei yawned again, her voice faint. ¡°But they probably wouldn¡¯t want a cripple.¡±


    Shen Mo smiled and gently yed with her hair. ¡°I still want to go to the ce with the maze¡­after we put together all the puzzle pieces, I want to see what happens for myself.¡±


    ¡°Then go¡­¡± Her voice became more and more unclear, as if she was fighting sleep. ¡°By the way¡­ have you seen my mom?¡±


    At her words, Shen Mo froze.


    Recalling the words of his father, and Shen Fei¡¯s resentful description, he was silent for a few seconds before telling Bai Youwei: ¡°Aunt Wang is currently not in Shanghai.¡±


    Bai Youwei: ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Shen Mo didn¡¯t want Bai Youwei to feel awkward, so he tried to exin in the most gentle terms: ¡°After the incident in Yangzhou, my father brought Aunt Wang to Shanghai. Because they heard that the extreme north was not within the range of the Doll game and it was very safe, Aunt Wang¡­ left by boat with a man.¡±


    He left out many details.


    He did not mention how his father cared for Wang Jingxian all the way, or that the family members of the organization¡¯s members did not need to enter the games. To avoid being assigned to the games, Wang Jingxian stayed as his father¡¯spanion.


    However, she met another old friend in Shanghai, who had once been her suitor. She left Shen Mo¡¯s father without any considerations for past sentiments to board a ship with the man and left Shanghai.N?v(el)B\\jnn<div>


    That¡¯s why Shen Fei would feel indignant for his uncle and since Shen Mo was nowhere to be found, he grew to despise Wang Jingxian, and by association, Bai Youwei became in his eyes the ¡°daughter of the fox spirit¡±.


    Bai Youwei didn¡¯t respond for a long time.


    Shen Mo hesitated for a moment before speaking again: ¡°We do not have a boat, the chances of finding Aunt Wang are slim.¡±


    Bai Youwei:


    Shen Mo looked down at her closely.


    She was already asleep.

 Chapter 321: 321 The Person Who Exchanges Props

    Chapter 321: 321 The Person Who Exchanges Props<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Bai Youwei sleptte into the night and didn¡¯t wake up until mid-morning the next day.


    In the doll house, it was easy to be deeply rxed and quickly recover energy, making it an ideal rest spot. So easy, in fact, she often slept heavily.<div>


    Because of itsfort, everyone spent the morning in the doll house, tidying up, doingundry, moving pots of coriander and spring onions to the backyard for sunlight¡ªN?v(el)B\\jnn


    While preparing breakfast, Teacher Cheng casually looked around the kitchen and said solemnly to Shen Mo:


    ¡°Our food supplies are running low. We still have plenty of rice and flour, but are in short of vegetables and meats, and our eggs are nearly gone.¡±


    Vegetables didn¡¯tst long and were always in short supply, while our meat supply relied entirely on the pile of vacuum-sealed cooked food, nowpletely depleted.


    Even instant noodles were reduced to a dozen or so packets.


    ¡°The city¡¯s resources are distributed by the organization, we can¡¯t gather supplies here,¡± Teacher Cheng sighed, ¡°unless we join the organization, we can collect food from the resource point for free. It seems, if we don¡¯t n to join, we can¡¯t stay here for long.¡±


    Shen Mo casually replied, ¡°Eat lightly this morning, we won¡¯t stay here for too long.¡±


    Bai Youwei gave him a nce.


    Shen Mo¡¯s situation was different than the rest; his father was in Shanghai.


    Would Shen Mo really be willing to leave his family to find those unknown pieces of the puzzle?


    ¡°I¡¯ll go out first.¡± Shen Mo got up and headed for the door, ¡°Everyone shoulde out once they¡¯re ready, to avoid suspicion.¡±<div>


    The main door was open, connected directly to their bedroom.


    As he was about to leave, there was a knock on the door.


    Since the door was open, the sound also echoed into the doll house.


    Bai Youwei tilted her head in thought, then wheeled over, ¡°It¡¯s probably for me.¡±


    ¡°For you?¡± Shen Mo asked, a bit puzzled.


    When he opened the door, twonky youths stood outside. Seeing Shen Mo, a mix of wariness and curiosity shed in their eyes, though they remained courteous:


    ¡°Does Bai Youwei live here?¡±


    Shen Mo raised his brow and turned to look back at Bai Youwei.


    ¡°While you were away yesterday, I posted a notice at the exchange to trade items.¡± Bai Youwei exined, ¡°Let them in.¡±


    Shen Mo stepped aside, allowing the pair to enter.


    The two youths nced at each other, approached Bai Youwei and produced two puzzle pieces: ¡°We want to exchange them for the Substitute Doll.¡±<div>


    Bai Youwei casually nced at their puzzle pieces, then shook her head lightly, ¡°You¡¯re quite a few pieces short.¡±


    ¡°How many do you need?¡± One of them asked.


    Bai Youwei counterposed, ¡°How many do you have?¡±


    ¡°We¡­¡± After a moment the man grudgingly replied, ¡°This is all we have. Only people who have entered the maze have puzzle pieces. Even having two is already a lot! Most don¡¯t have any!¡±


    ¡°Too few~¡± Bai Youwei still shook her head, ndly exining, ¡°Even for a starting pistol or seeds, I won¡¯t exchange them with such a paltry number of pieces, let alone the Substitute Doll.¡±


    ¡°How many do you want then!¡± The other one was getting anxious.


    Bai Youwei held up a hand, her pale fingers fluttered, ¡°At least five pieces.¡±


    ¡°And for the Substitute Doll?¡±


    ¡°Less than ten isn¡¯t worth considering.¡±


    Both youths exchanged looks, not speaking for a while.


    Bai Youwei drawled, ¡°You can go back and think it over, but I must remind you, this price will only go up, not down. After all, used puzzle pieces are worthless. I¡¯m just curious and want to collect them for fun. Maybe by tomorrow, I¡¯ll regret it, find it a bad deal and not want to trade anymore.¡±<div>


    Both of them frowned.


    One of them finally said, ¡°¡­ Okay, we¡¯ll go back and think it over.¡±

 Chapter 322: 322: Underground Parking Lot

    Chapter 322: 322: Underground Parking Lot<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    After sending the two of them away, a few more people came soon after, also wanting to exchange puzzles for props.


    However, denied by Bai Youwei due to insufficient number.<div>


    Shen Mo closed the door, furrowed his brows and looked at Bai Youwei, ¡°Thebyrinth of Shanghai has been cracked, at most 9 pieces of the puzzle. Even if outsiders who have entered otherbyrinthse to Shanghai, it shouldn¡¯t be that many¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah~¡± Bai Youwei put her hand on her cheek and thought for a while, and suddenly smiled, ¡°I underestimated them, I never thought, in this kind of environment, they could make fakes.¡±


    ¡°You mean, the puzzles are fake?¡± Shen Mo showed surprise, ¡°¡­used puzzles, when touched, do not generate any information in the mind, look like ordinary metal pieces, indeed they could be faked. However, if they want to deceive, they are too naive.¡±


    He pondered for a while, then got up and went outside.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Bai Youwei widened her eyes and asked.


    Shen Mo replied: ¡°In the shop outside where they repair electrical appliances, there should be a ma.¡±


    Bai Youwei froze first, then curved her eyebrows,ughing.


    The puzzle came from the game system. It only looks like steel, but its material is not of any substance found on earth.


    Bai Youwei and Shen Mo were preparing to wee guests who wanted to exchange puzzles, only to unexpectedly have a few cars showing up in the neighborhood when the clock was pointing towards 12 noon


    The organization once again sent people to invite them as well as Yan Qingwen.


    This time, Li Li didn¡¯te. Instead, Chu Huaijin, who is the organization¡¯s leader, and Shen Fei did.<div>


    Chu Huaijin is originally a member of the special events group, in the same system as Shen Mo, naturally they are close.


    Shen Fei is Shen Mo¡¯s cousin, although not a blood brother, in these circumstances, just seeing a living friend or rtive is already a rare urrence.


    Bai Youwei suspected that they wanted to bind Shen Mo with familial affection, she just didn¡¯t know if Shen Mo would fall for this strategy.


    Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t sure either.


    She didn¡¯t have any ill feelings towards this ce, whether to stay or not didn¡¯t matter. Anyway, the game can not be avoided, and thebyrinth will show up sooner orter, no matter where, it¡¯s all the same.


    The car moved forward, entering the underground garage of arge shopping mall.


    Bai Youwei initially found it strange, why did they park in the dark underground? The car didn¡¯t stop, from the first underground level of the car park, it drove into the second level, the third level¡­ until the fifth underground level!


    Usually, the underground parking lot of a shopping mall has at most three levels, she didn¡¯t expect this ce to go all the way down to the fifth level.


    What¡¯s more, the fifth level underground has light!


    Having light means having electricity.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The man named Chu Huaijin led the way after getting off the car, with guards following on both sides.<div>


    As he walked, he exined, ¡°Since the outage, we found that all power supply facilities have been unable to function properly, be it hydroelectric power, wind power, or other methods¡­ Although the equipment clearly works, it can¡¯t generate electricity. The diesel generator was able to generate power, but again could only support a short period of time. Once the power-on timests for a few hours, the electricity mysteriously disappears.¡±


    At this point, he sighed, his tone even more gloomy. ¡°It feels as if we are being monitored by something. As soon as it detects us using electrical energy ormunication equipment, it immediately nips it in the bud.¡±


    Shen Mo asked, ¡°So you all moved underground?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not exactly foolproof underground either, but fortunately Professor Song has tested out a safe range at present. As long as we use it in a limited way, we are temporarily safe¡­¡±


    Chu Huaijin stopped at the corner, raised his hand and made a ¡°please¡± gesture: ¡°This way, please.¡±


    The line of people followed him around the bend.


    On one side of the corridor, a huge screen was set up, disying a city district map. It could be seen that the surrounding areas were circled by colored blocks.


    Bai Youwei counted and there were 24 circles.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t it say that there are a total of 23 detected game areas?¡± she asked, ¡°Why is there one more?¡±


    Chu Huaijin stopped and looked at the screen, ¡°That¡¯s a new game that appearedst week. Don¡¯t worry, the number of people needed to trigger this game is likely to be very many, and even if they moved here, given the current distribution of people in the city, it would not trigger the game.¡±


    <div>

 Chapter 323: 323 Special Trigger Conditions

    Chapter 323: 323 Special Trigger Conditions<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Bai Youwei found it quite remarkable, saying, ¡°Professor Song is really impressive, able to determine the number of yers required to trigger the game.¡±


    Chu Huaijin looked a bit awkward and exined, ¡°Professor Song can determine the game¡¯s distribution location and range through anomalies in the maic field, but as for the number of yers required to trigger it¡­we have to figure it out ourselves.¡±<div>


    ¡°Figure it out ourselves?¡± Bai Youwei was surprised, ¡°How do you test that?¡±


    Chu Huaijin, sitting under themp, appeared somewhat serious. He looked about the same age as Yan Qingwen, but his face was more rugged. He stood straight, his skin slightly dark. He didn¡¯t resemble amander-in-chief but rather a general charging into battle.


    He said solemnly, ¡°Normally, I, or the deputy leader, would lead the team into the gaming area to test. We start with two people, then three, then four, then five¡­ adding one at a time until we enter the game. The number of people that allowed us to enter the game is the minimum number of yers needed to trigger the game.¡±


    Bai Youwei was even more surprised, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid you won¡¯t be able to get out?¡±


    Chu Huaijin sighed with a bitter smile and shook his head, ¡°Initially, it was indeed difficult, and we lost many team members¡­ But now things have improved. Since the prop exchange system has been established, everyone brings props into the game, which has significantly increased the survival rate.¡±


    Shen Fei, who had apanied them, interjected, ¡°Although the rules may seem harsh, you have no idea the sacrifices we¡¯ve had to make each time we test a new game!¡±


    His tone was slightly bitter, ¡°The peace and tranquility in the city that we¡¯re enjoying now is all thanks to the collective efforts of the research group and testing team!¡±


    ¡°Xiaofei,¡± Chu Huaijin stopped Shen Fei, then spoke in a pacifying manner, ¡°There¡¯s no need to say more. I believe that over time, everyone will understand our intentions.¡±


    He turned to look at Shen Mo, as well as Chang Weicai and Pan Xiaoxin behind him.


    ¡°The greater the ability, the greater the responsibility. Right now, our abilities are limited, and there are many shorings in the base¡¯s construction. Eventually¡­ eventually, we will try to exempt the elderly and children from ying the games,¡± Chu Huaijin said, ¡°For now, each core member in the organization can obtain a maximum of three quotas, exempt from the assigned games, to conveniently take care of their family.¡±


    Shen Mo slightly nodded, ¡°You¡¯ve put in a lot of thought. Not everyone might have done as well as you.¡±<div>


    Bai Youwei, still interested in the game aspect, asked, ¡°How many people have you tested the games nearby with at the most?¡±


    Chu Huaijin told her, ¡°The game in the vicinity that required the most number of yers to be triggered was a marathon game with 32 people. However, for game No. 24, we tested with over a hundred people but were not able to trigger the game. Professor Song believes that either the number of people is still not sufficient, or the game has special triggering conditions.¡±


    While they were speaking, the group had already walked to the end of the corridor, on the right was a ss sensor door.


    The sensor was no longer in use, and the ss door was wide open. Two security personnel stood on both sides, one of whom Bai Youwei recognized.


    It was Yu Yaqing, the stern female team leader from yesterday.


    Bai Youwei, who had been asking about the games, suddenly saw Yu Yaqing and was taken aback. She wanted to ask something but forgot what it was.


    Yu Yaqing didn¡¯t give Bai Youwei any surplus attention. Her expression was normal when she saw them.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    She saluted Chu Huaijin, her movements brisk as she moved to the side.


    Chu Huaijin led them in while the guard stayed outside the ss door.


    The room inside was brightly lit, with a number of tables arranged around. The tables wereden with fine wine and delicious food, and there were seven or eight scattered guests sitting at them.


    ¡°Please, sit here,¡± Chu Huaijin courteously said, ¡°We can talk slowly once everyone is seated. The dinner was postponed due to an unexpected meeting yesterday consider this meal as our apology to you all.¡±<div>

 Chapter 324: 324 Du Lai

    Chapter 324: 324 Du Lai<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Even though the surroundings were simple, after all, they were in an underground parking lot. But the tables were arranged neatly, tablecloths hanging down with pretty pleats, the dishes were inviting in color, and lights and flowers were sprinkled around. It gave off an illusion of banquet grandeur.


    Bai Youwei took a nce; the venue could amodate at least fifty people when fully seated.<div>


    She didn¡¯t see the so-called Professor Song, but there were still only a few guests present. Perhaps Professor Song would be thest one to arrive.


    After settling them down, Chu Huaijin briefly introduced the other guests. They were all core members within the organization, from the Evaluation Group, Research Group, Supply Group, Interior Affairs Group and so on.


    ¡°Professor Song always stays in hisb. Without anyone reminding him, he would forget to eat,¡± Chu Huaijin said to everyone with a smile. ¡°You start eating, I will invite Professor Song over.¡±


    After speaking, he stood up and left, asking Shen Fei to take care of everyone before he went.


    A few more guests arrived shortly after Chu Huaijin left.


    Apart from the internal members of the organization, there were also ¡°external individuals¡± like Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen. Presumably, they were all targets that the organization wanted to recruit, so they were also invited.


    Shen Fei sat next to Shen Mo, quietly introducing him to the guests:


    ¡°¡­That bald man who looks strong has been in the maze. He¡¯s very powerful, able to crush stones¡­ The thin one next to him is his good buddy. The two of them just joined the evaluation group for a short time.¡±


    ¡°The middle-aged man wearing sses used to be a bank financial manager. He¡¯s especially good at math and logical reasoning.¡±


    ¡°The boy in the red T-shirt is young, only 17 years old. He¡¯s a gymnast, with a very strong bnce and explosive power¡­¡±


    A young man wearing a hoodie and hip hop shorts walked in the entrance. His eyes swept around andnded precisely at the table where Shen Mo was seated. A smile crept up in the corners of his mouth.<div>


    Shen Fei was taken aback: ¡°Brother, do you know him?¡±


    Shen Mo frowned, replying: ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±


    Shen Fei lowered his voice: ¡°His name is Du Lai. They say he¡¯s a street magic performer. He¡¯s been in the mazes in Hangzhou and Shanghai. He¡¯s the only one who has evere out alive from the Hide and Seek game.¡±


    After a pause, he added: ¡°Those who went into the game with him¡­ none of them survived¡­ oh no, why is heing over here?!¡±


    Shen Mo squinted slightly, watching the boy in the hoodie approaching, his gaze shifted andnded on Bai Youwei next to him.


    Bai Youwei was eating.


    Most of the dishes here were cold, so she didn¡¯t eat much. However, she kept sipping the wine, not knowing where their Supply Group got it from, but they were all vintage good wines.


    Shen Mo said in a low voice: ¡°Drink less.¡±


    Bai Youwei was in the middle of enjoying her wine and ignored him.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    He reached out and held her wine ss.


    She tugged, but it was as if the wine ss was nailed to the table, immovable.<div>


    Bai Youwei:


    ¡°Alright.¡± Bai Youwei gave in. ¡°I won¡¯t drink after finishing this half ss, okay?¡±


    Just then, Du Lai had walked up to them, greeting with a smile:


    ¡°Miss Bai Youwei, what a coincidence~ I didn¡¯t expect to see you here.¡±


    Shen Mo removed his hand from the wine ss and looked at him: ¡°Is there something you need?¡±


    Du Lai was a bit stunned.


    Meanwhile, Bai Youwei was drinking her wine.


    Du Lai nced at Yan Qingwen sitting at the next table, quickly realizing his misunderstanding. The realpanion of Bai Youwei was this person in front of him¡­


    He chuckled, politely replying: ¡°I wanted to ask about the trading of items.¡±


    ¡°We are here for the banquet today, to eat, not to do business.¡± Shen Mo said indifferently.


    The smile on Du Lai¡¯s face faltered, ¡°¡­ I heard quite a few people came to visit today, so I wanted to ask before it¡¯s toote. Afraid that other people might get the Substitute Doll first.¡±<div>


    ¡°Baits for big fishes are not easily given away.¡± Said Shen Mo as he withdrew his gaze, not looking at him anymore, ¡°You can go sit back down, Mr Du.¡±

 Chapter 325: 325: Few Women

    Chapter 325: 325: Few Women<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Bai Youwei finished her ss of wine. While Shen Mo and Du Lai engaged in conversation, she exchanged her ss with Shen Mo¡¯s ¨C


    His ss was full.<div>


    As Shen Mo dismissed Du Lai, she had just finished half of her drink. Seeing Shen Mo looking at her, she took a small sip and said, ¡°I¡¯m not finished drinking yet.¡±


    Shen Mo:


    ¡°I never knew you could drink so much before.¡± He responded helplessly, swapping her wine ss with a ss of water.


    Bai Youwei: ¡°I tend to drink more when it¡¯s good wine.¡±


    Shen Mo chuckled, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t drink so much even if it is good wine.¡±


    Bai Youwei pouted and replied, ¡°Everyone¡¯s drinking like this!¡±


    Shen Mo nced around the surrounding tables and indeed, that was the case. Most people were drinking in session, pouring cup after cup down their throats! Only Yan Qingwen¡¯s table was slightly more restrained.


    Yan Qingwen and he were both teetotalers, a habit formed over the years due to disciplinary requirements, to always keep a clear mind.


    As for Lun Ang and Tan Xiao, they drank wine as if it were water.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Even Shen Fei chimed in, ¡°Bro, you should drink more. These wines are rare collectibles from a wealthy merchant¡¯s collection, all bought at auction, you can¡¯t find them for sale outside, it¡¯s quite rare.¡±


    Bai Youwei spoke with a yful tone, ¡°Doesn¡¯t this scene look like¡­ a martial arts novel, where a certain sect hosts a banquet to honor heroes, serving luxurious food and drinks, but secretly poisoning the wine, plot a scheme silently, and no one can escape it¡­¡±<div>


    Tan Xiao shivered, not knowing whether to spit out the wine in his mouth or swallow it.


    After¡­hesitating for a while, he finally swallowed it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± Shen Fei frowned, ¡°Professor Song invited everyone here in good faith.¡±


    ¡°I was just joking~¡± Bai Youwei replied lightly, she didn¡¯t typically bother engaging much in conversation with unfamiliar people.


    Shen Fei still looked unhappy, but out of consideration for Shen Mo beside him, he held back his words.


    ¡°Indeed, everyone invited here today is of the younger generation.¡± Shen Mo served some food to Bai Youwei, and added, ¡°Apart from those at our table, there are no elderly or children at the other tables.¡±


    Shen Fei¡¯s expression grew worse, ¡°Bro, you too¡­¡±


    Shen Mo said, ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand, I¡¯m not doubting Professor Song¡¯s intentions. I¡¯m just thinking that there must be a reason for gathering us.¡±


    Bai Youwei nced around and murmured, ¡°There are also very few women¡­just Su Man, Zhu Shu and me¡­ Eh? Who¡¯s that woman with Li Li?¡±


    The table next to them had originally four guests: Yan Qingwen, Lun Ang, Zhu Shu, and Su Man.


    At some point, two more chairs were added, and Li Li brought a girl over.<div>


    But now, he looked furious, apparently in a dispute with Su Man again.


    The two of them were like arch-enemy, always arguing whenever they met, and never had a peaceful meeting. Everyone, whether it was Yan Qingwen¡¯s group or Shen Mo¡¯s group, had be numb to their squabbles.


    Given that they were surrounded by guests, Su Man tried to keep her voice down in spite of her anger. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°I will say it onest time! I didn¡¯t bump into her! Believe it or don¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°If you didn¡¯t bump into her, then did Xiaoqian twist her ankle on her own?!¡± Li Li used her angrily, ¡°You always do this! You always target Xiaoqian without evidence! I brought her here to introduce her to Brother Yan, why are you being so jealous! Would you be happy if you hit her?!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± Su Man angrily pped the table!


    Everyone turned to look.


    The girl next to Li Li quickly said, ¡°I¡¯m sure Sister Su didn¡¯t mean it. Her hand is injured, she may have lost her bnce while moving the chair and bumped into me¡­ It¡¯s my fault, if I moved away in time, I wouldn¡¯t have been¡­¡±

 Chapter 326 - 326 Spider

    Chapter 326: Spider


    Trantor: 549690339


    Li Li frowned, saying, ¡°I know she hurt her hand, but she could at least apologize for bumping into someone! She¡¯s always so stubbornly unpleasant! It¡¯s been like this since we were children, I can¡¯t stand it!¡±


    Su Man bit her lower lip, her eyes fixed on him tightly.


    Yet, Li Li didn¡¯t look at her but at the girl beside him, asking after her with a series of sympathetic questions:


    ¡°Is your foot okay? Can you walkter? If you can¡¯t walk, tell me. Don¡¯t try to be tough, okay?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah, it¡¯s a little painful.¡± The girl lowered her head weakly with a gentle sigh, ¡°I can only walk slower now¡­ oh, if only the ce where I live was closer.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you hometer,¡± Li Li offered, ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯ll help you reapply for a housing assignment. The ce you live now is indeed too far, it¡¯s inconvenient for you tomute to HQ.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Li Li, you¡¯re so kind¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just a small matter.¡±


    Su Man watched the back-and-forth between the two, her eyes slowly reddening as she bit her lip and didn¡¯t say a word.


    Suddenly, she rose to her feet and said curtly, ¡°I¡¯m going to the restroom.¡±


    Zhu Shu looked at her, hesitated for a bit, then also stood up.


    ¡°Heading to the restroom too?¡± Lun Ang munched on his food, his words unclear, ¡°You women always have the most drama. You even have to go to the restroom hand in hand¡­¡±


    Zhu Shu gave a bashful smile.


    She followed in the direction Su Man had left.


    In reality, Su Man hadn¡¯t gone to the restroom. She just felt on the brink of tears and wanted to find somewhere without people to gather herself. Unexpectedly, she heard footsteps behind her and turned to see Zhu Shu after quickly wiping her tears.


    ¡°What are you here for?¡± Su Man asked, not in the best of moods.


    Zhu Shu didn¡¯t approach, standing around ten steps away. After a moment of silence, she said, ¡°I saw it. You didn¡¯t bump into her. I didn¡¯t say anything at the time because¡­ Li Li probably wouldn¡¯t believe it.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Su Man bit her lip, her eyes looking back towards the party, ¡°He would probably say, ¡®Zhu Shu, you don¡¯t need to speak on her behalf¡¯, ¡®She loves starting drama, it¡¯s not the first or second time it¡¯s happened¡¯¡­¡±


    Zhu Shu gave a smile, ¡°Su Man, you really know him well. You¡¯ve even got his tone down perfectly!¡±


    ¡°Of course, we grew up together!¡± Su Manughed too, a hint of pride in her smile, ¡°I even know what color his crotchless pants were when he was little!¡±


    While speaking, her smile gradually faded and she murmured, ¡°We used to be so close, I don¡¯t know when it started, but now it¡¯s all just bickering¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Zhu Shu moved closer to her, tentatively grabbing her arm, ¡°Li Li only speaks so rudely to you because you¡¯re so familiar to him. Don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Su Man also felt that she had overreacted by running out. She took a deep breath and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    The two returned to their seats.


    On their way past the girl named Xiaoqian¡¯s seat, Zhu Shu lightly tugged at Su Man.


    Su Man paused, looking at her in confusion.


    She then saw Zhu Shu take a broken long hair from her shoulder and wink at her knowingly. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Su Man was puzzled, only to see Zhu Shu¡¯s face suddenly change!


    Her expression became somber, instantaneously welling up with tears!


    With a slight flick of her finger, the broken hairnded on the girl¡¯s neck. At the same time, Zhu Shu let out a suppressed and trembling scream:


    ¡°Ah! A spider just fell!¡±


    ¡°AAAAH!!!¡±


    The girl screamed, standing up from the table abruptly, stomping on the ground and scratching at her back.


    ¡°Spider! Spider!¡±, she cried, ¡°Get it off me!!!¡±


    Li Li also hurriedly stood up, ¡°Where? Where¡¯s the spider?¡±


    ¡°Ah ¡­ I¡¯m sorry, it seems like I saw wrong ¡­¡± Zhu Shu said in a small voice, with tears in her eyes, ¡°I didn¡¯t scare you, did I? But your foot seems fine? That¡¯s great¡­ I was worried earlier when you kept hopping around that your foot might have gotten worse.¡±

 Chapter 327 - 327 Professor Song

    Chapter 327: Professor Song


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Xiaoqian, your ankle¡¯s okay?¡± Li Li was surprised, helping her up to check, ¡°Does it still hurt?¡±


    The girl stood awkwardly in ce, ¡°Uh¡­ Mhm, I sprained it, but then, just now, I hopped around a bit and¡­ and it seemed to set itself right.¡±


    ¡°So, your ankle healed itself! I¡¯m so lucky!¡± Zhu Shu pped her chest in relief, ¡°If it had gotten worse, Li Li would have had it out with me!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that big of a deal¡­¡± Li Li scratched the back of his head apologetically, ¡°As long as you¡¯re fine, let¡¯s all sit down and eat¡­e on, sit down¡­¡±


    Su Man seemed momentarily dazed but then sat down, poured herself a ss of wine, and downed it in one go!


    Li Li jumped in surprise, blurting out: ¡°What are you doing! You can¡¯t drink like that, what if you get drunk!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business!¡± Su Man mmed her empty ss down and poured herself another one, ¡°Leave me alone!¡±


    Li Li was confused, muttering under his breath, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t bother fussing over you.¡±


    Yan Qingwen watched them with a cool expression before finally settling gaze on Zhu Shu, who was eating, and asked with a smile, ¡°I remember there was a film festival where you were up for best actress or something¡­did you go?¡±


    Zhu Shu looked a little surprised and shook her head, smiling, ¡°No, no, it was the Neer Award, and I didn¡¯t win it. I was just nominated.¡±


    ¡°Even being nominated is quite an achievement,¡± Li Li praised.


    As they were talking, there came a synchronized sound of footsteps from the entrance.


    Everyone eating and drinking paused, turning their heads to look.


    It was Chu Huaijin, bringing Professor Song with him.


    This national treasure-level scientist, for whom the higher-ups had deployed eight special teams, was now seated in a wheelchair, being slowly pushed in by Chu Huaijin.


    A wheelchair doesn¡¯t necessarily mean someone¡¯sme, they could be too aged or weak.


    Bai Youwei felt that Professor Song was both.


    His hair was entirely white, his skin old, he looked to be in his seventies or eighties, sitting weakly in his wheelchair, exuding a sense of age-worn mncholy.


    ¡°What happened to him?¡± Bai Youwei quietly asked Shen Mo.


    Shen Mo exined in a low voice: ¡°Professor Song has a son who was a researcher in SCO. He turned into a puppet on the way to the evacuation¡­¡±


    He paused slightly, lowering his voice even further: ¡°Professor Song wasn¡¯t this old before, but in an attempt to save his son, he used a tool that would draw upon the user¡¯s vitality to heal others. Sadly¡­ despite using the tool, his son never made it out of the game.¡± N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Losing a child can lead to unimaginable changes in a person.


    Bai Youwei nodded in understanding.


    Professor Song and Chu Huaijin arrived at the center of the banquet.


    Chu Huaijin poured him half a ss of wine.


    Professor Song raised his ss, saying, ¡°This is for everyone, thank you all foring.¡±


    His voice sounded significantly younger than he looked.


    Professor Song finished the wine in his ss.


    The guests silently watched him, waiting for what he had to say next.


    ¡°I asked you all here because I need your advice,¡± Professor Song said.


    The room quieted even more.


    Everyone knew that this banquet wasn¡¯t just for eating and drinking.


    ¡°Everyone here has experienced life and death situations in the game, your understanding of the game is much deeper than ordinary people¡¯s and your experiences far richer, among us are experts who have entered the maze.¡±


    Professor Song scanned the room, his tone grave and steady.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure some of you are aware, the organization has been at its wits¡¯ end about the 21st Hide and Seek game, up until now not a single person haspleted it, the solution is virtually nonexistent. Yesterday, the entire team that entered the 21st game was wiped out, and the 24th game experienced a shift! If we don¡¯t take action, I fear it will be the city¡¯s downfall in seven days!¡±

 Chapter 328 - 328 Number 21

    Chapter 328: Number 21


    Trantor: 549690339


    The reason people in the city were willing to rotate into the game was because the review group would provide a guide.


    As long as there was a guide, although the game still carried risks, the chance of clearing the level was high, and uponpletion, yers would receive valuable items. That¡¯s why everyone was willing to cooperate with the rules set out by the organization.


    But who would be willing to enter those games with a high death rate and without a guide? N?v(el)B\\jnn


    If no one yed the game, the game would move to popted areas, disrupting the hard-earned peace in the city! Then everyone would once again lose their homes!


    ¡°Who¡¯s scheduled for the 21st? Let those people y.¡± Someone suggested.


    The twenty-three games around the city all operated on a rotation system, and Game No.21, ¡®Hide and Seek,¡¯ was no exception.


    Everyone fell silent.


    The atmosphere was heavy.


    Professor Song surveyed the room, his face expressionless, and said, ¡°The people who entered Game No.21st week have all turned into dolls. The same thing happened the week before that, and the week before that too¡­ If this continues, sooner orter it will be your turn, yours, or yours¡­ It will be all of our turns! Therefore, I believe, to tackle this game, we must gather the best talents we currently have in the base! Increasing the sess rate is the only way to ensure the survival rate of all of us!¡±


    When he finished speaking, everyone fell silent, looking at one another.


    Everyone understood the logic, but who would be the first to bite the bullet?


    ¡­That¡¯s not right. Many people have already bitten the bullet before, but they all died.


    Someone raised their voice: ¡°We understood what the Professor said, but this ¡®Hide and Seek¡¯ is unusually sinister. You think highly of us and consider us to be the best talents in the base, so let me say something presumptuous: If all of us, these so-called talents, die in this game, do you think there would be any hope left for this base?¡±Y0u can read sh0rt, t0uching, and r0mantic st0ries ab0ut c0uples, as well as children¡¯s st0ries f0r free 0n sitest0rys(.)c0m


    Chu Huaijin stepped forward: ¡°Everyone, there¡¯s no need to deny this rashly. We invited you here today not to force you into the game, but to discuss a solution. After all, every day we dy, there¡¯s one day less. A week¡­ no, in six days, if no one clears ¡®Hide and Seek,¡¯ we will probably have to evacuate.¡±


    But no one knew what sort of game they¡¯d encounter after the evacuation.


    The twenty-odd games near the current base might not seem like many, but the stability they provided was bought at the cost of blood.


    Would they have to abandon this hard-won stability because of just one game?


    Chu Huaijin surveyed the expressions of everyone present and opened his mouth again: ¡°Of course, I hope that someone can volunteer to take on this responsibility. I know that in addition topleting assigned tasks, you usually form teams on your own to enter other games. Now, all the top yers in the base are here. A strong alliance is more reliable than any guide. Besides, difficult games oftene with high-value items¡­ What do you think?¡±


    The room fell silent again.


    After a while, Professor Song broke the silence:


    ¡°Whoever can survive ¡®Hide and Seek,¡¯ I¡¯m willing to offer, in my personal capacity, the eight puzzle pieces I own.¡±


    As soon as his words fell, the room became restless.


    ¡°Although the puzzle pieces have been used, I know someone is offering a safety-ensuring item thatsts 36 hours in exchange for 10 pieces,¡± Professor Song said solemnly. ¡°What do you think? Consider this, you only need to gather 2 more pieces to trade for this high-level item, and I believe that for you, finding those two pieces is not difficult.¡±


    Some nced at Bai Youwei.


    Bai Youwei responded generously: ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m the person who wants to trade puzzle pieces. My Substitute Doll can absorb all damages for the user for 36 hours. Whoever gives me 10 puzzle pieces, I¡¯ll give them the doll. But~ no counterfeits, please¡±

 Chapter 329: Number 24

    Chapter 329: Number 24


    Trantor: 549690339


    The room was buzzing with chatter, the sound of discussions never ceased.


    Some people had seen Bai Youwei¡¯s notice, and knew about this, while others were clueless, whispering inquiries to those around them.


    ¡°Professor Song¡¯s sources are really exceptional.¡± Bai Youwei murmured to Shen Mo, ¡°I just posted the notice yesterday, and he knew about it today.¡±


    Shen Fei, sitting next to Shen Mo, overheard herment and immediately responded with pride, ¡°Every exchange in the exchange area, every piece of trading information, is sorted into documents by specialized personnel, and delivered to Professor Song¡¯s research room before 9 pm.¡±


    Bai Youwei looked at him, puzzled, and grabbed Shen Mo¡¯s hand, frowning, ¡°Why does your cousin love to interrupt when no one is talking to him?¡±


    Shen Fei:


    Shen Mo chuckled, ¡°He just likes to be involved.¡± n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Bai Youwei snorted, ¡°Boys should avoid being too eager to help others, or they might end up appearing nosy.¡±


    Shen Fei:


    At that moment, there was anothermotion at the other tables.


    The bald strong man Shen Fei had introduced earlier began to speak up:


    ¡°Du Lai! You are the only one who hase out of the Hide and Seek game. Come on, tell us what that game is really like!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, indeed.¡± The skinny youth sitting next to the bald man echoed, ¡°You at least have to let us know what¡¯s going on inside to allow us to make decisions.¡±


    They seemed to have developed an interest in the game; there was otherwise no reason for them to be so keen on the details.


    Du Lai lifted his eyelids, clearly disinterested, ¡°Ah¡­ I¡¯ve mentioned it almost a hundred times, aren¡¯t you bored? Hide and Seek is just Hide and Seek, there is a huge ragdoll cat in the game that sleeps during the day and kills at night. The yer¡¯s task is to find a hiding spot! If found by the cat, you will die!¡±


    ¡°How can we clear the game?¡± The skinny guy asked him, ¡°When the Inspector made the rules, he should have told you the conditions to clear the game, right?¡±


    Du Lai chuckled, ¡°The conditions to clear game are¡­ either kill the cat or kill Mary.¡±


    ¡°Mary? Who¡¯s Mary?¡±


    ¡°Mary is the cat¡¯s owner. Only when the cat dies, or the cat¡¯s owner dies, can the Hide and Seek game end.¡±


    As Du Lai spoke, he sighed deeply, ¡°Whether it¡¯s the cat or Mary, we couldn¡¯t handle either. We tried to take advantage of the cat¡¯s nap time to attack Mary, but we identally woke up the cat. Everyone died as a result, and I was also seriously injured. In the end, I had to use the puzzle to leave the game. So, I don¡¯t know how to clear the game.¡±


    After he finished his words, the noise around seemed to get louder.


    Everyone was discussing how to kill the cat or Mary in all different ways.


    Shen Fei, all eager, asked Shen Mo, ¡°Mary clearly seems easier to deal with, but since Mary and the cat are inseparable, brother, what do you think should be done?¡±


    ¡°There are many methods, but not all are applicable.¡± Shen Mo replied indifferently, ¡°Without witnessing the actual situation, it¡¯s not right to judge.¡±


    Someone suggested making arge trap during the daytime to trap the ragdoll cat.


    Someone else proposed a n to separate the cat from Mary, then concentrate their attack on Mary.


    Yet another person pointed out that the cat must have a weakness, perhaps in its whiskers or tail.


    All sorts of crazy ideas were spoken.


    Footsteps approached.


    The originally door-guarding Yu Yaqing walked into the banquet step by step, stopped in front of Chu Huaijin and Professor Song, saluted, and said firmly:


    ¡°Game number 24 is moving towards us, should I arrange for an emergency evacuation?¡±


    Compared with the much feared number 21, game number 24 had virtually no presence.


    Since its existence, no one had triggered it. As a result, the city¡¯s people always unconsciously ignored it, remembering only the other 23 games.

 Chapter 330: Rumblings in the Dark

    Chapter 330: Rumblings in the Dark


    Trantor: 549690339


    If a doll game fails to attract yers for a long time, it will start to hunt for prey on its own, shifting locations every seven days. But for game number 24 to have just shifted yesterday and then shift again today, such a situation has never urred before.


    ¡°Number 24? What is number 24?¡± someone asked in confusion, ¡°Another new game has appeared near the base?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the new game that appearedst week, but no one has triggered it. No matter how many people go, the game remains unresponsive.¡±


    So we should be safe, right?¡±


    ¡°Well, since we can¡¯t trigger it anyway, it doesn¡¯t matter where it moves to¡­ ¡±


    Chu Huaijin pped the table and shouted:


    ¡°Quiet please! Ever since the research team discovered the existence of game number 24, they¡¯ve been monitoring it closely. Although we were unable to determine how many people or what conditions are needed to trigger the game, we can¡¯t take it lightly. The banquet is temporarily cancelled now. Please, everyone, follow the members of the security team and evacuate!¡±


    ¡°Do we really need to evacuate?¡±


    ¡°Just in case, let¡¯s go, there¡¯s gonna be no more drinking¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Hey, let¡¯s stay and continue drinking, even if it does shift over, we can¡¯t trigger it, what¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t say it like that, the game always shifts every seven days, and now it suddenly starts to move, there must be some reason¡­ ¡±


    The surroundings were filled with murmuring voices.


    Yu Yaqing¡¯s subordinates came in to evacuate the guests.


    People were divided into several groups, with five or six people in each group, going in different directions towards the underground parking lot.


    The people gathered at the banquet were gradually scattered to different locations in the underground parking lot.


    Bai Youwei and Shen Mo followed behind Yu Yaqing.


    The path before them became darker and darker¡­ they were almost walking in the darkness, the artificial smell of cement paint filling their nostrils, the echo of their footsteps in the empty space reverberated. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°Why we aren¡¯t going up?¡± Tan Xiao grumbled, ¡°It¡¯s pitch dark here, not a single light, we can¡¯t see anything!¡±


    ¡°We need to distance the guests, once the previous group is far enough away, we can leave.¡± Yu Yaqing exined calmly, with indifference.


    Tan Xiao asked, ¡°How do you know the previous group has left? We can¡¯t see them at all, unless we turn into owls!¡±


    Yu Yaqing irked by his incessantints, coldly retorted, ¡°We use sound as a signal.¡±


    No sooner had her words fallen than a very sharp whistle came from the left front, two short and one long.


    It was the signal.


    ¡°Alright! Heard the signal! Let¡¯s get moving!¡± Tan Xiao, not wanting to stay another second, urged Yu Yaqing.


    ¡°No,¡± she firmly disagreed, ¡°this is the signal for group two. We are group three, we still need to wait a while.¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Tan Xiao squatted down, extremely annoyed.


    Shen Fei was also with them and advised, ¡°Everything is to ensure our safety. We should follow Yu¡¯s instructions.¡±


    No one said a word.


    No one liked the darkness.


    Shen Fei didn¡¯t like it either, darkness always made one feel dangerous, tense, uneasy¡­


    Pan Xiaoxin silently leaned against Tan Xiao. Teacher Cheng took Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s hand and Bai Youwei, holding her rabbit, was muttering to herself in her wheelchair:


    ¡°The game is like a hunter. If there is no prey in this ce, it changes to another ce. If there is no prey in that ce, it swaps again¡­ Now the sudden move towards us, could it be because there is its prey here?¡±


    Tan Xiao called out, ¡°Weiwei! It¡¯s already scary enough in this darkness, stop talking!¡±


    Bai Youwei chuckled, ¡°What, are you afraid?¡±


    Tan Xiao grabbed his hair, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of the game, but when ites out from your mouth¡­ it¡¯s really creepy.¡±


    Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t helpughing, pleasantly said, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m quite curious about a game that is constantly untriggered. It must be very special.¡±


    In the darkness, Yu Yaqing sneered, ¡°You can pray to be the one to trigger the gameter.¡±

 Chapter 331: Waiting for Her

    Chapter 331: Waiting for Her


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Maybe, you know~¡± Bai Youwei replied unbothered,ughing, ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s because none of you ever prayed, so you couldn¡¯t trigger the game. After all, any condition might trigger it.¡±


    Yu Yaqing just huffed and didn¡¯t say a word.


    She found Bai Youwei irrational and did not bother to engage in a verbal spat.


    It was Shen Fei on the side who took up the conversation, saying, ¡°There should be no problem. Most of the people invited to the feast today have entered game zone 24, but none of them have triggered the game! It doesn¡¯t make sense that there would be an incident now, just when they¡¯re having a meal!¡±


    Bai Youwei thought for a moment and asked, ¡°It¡¯s clear that these people are all physically fit young people. Since they can¡¯t trigger the game, is there anything special about the rest of them?¡±


    Shen Fei was taken aback, ¡°¡­ You mean, the rest of the people might trigger the game?¡±


    At that moment, a whistle sound echoed from the distance again.


    Three short and one long this time.


    ¡°It¡¯s our turn.¡± Yu Yaqing stepped forward, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Everyone followed her.


    Remembering what Bai Youwei had just said, Shen Fei groped along in the darkness, asking as he went:


    ¡°The remaining people¡­ that¡¯s you guys¡­ oh! And Yan Qingwen, that bulky guy surnamed Lu, the girl in pink¡­ But what could you all have inmon? Are you all neers here?¡­ No, that doesn¡¯t make sense¡­¡±


    Teacher Chang sighed heavily: ¡°Unless the game is actually triggered, no one could determine what the conditions are. s, it seems that sacrifices are inevitable¡­¡±


    ¡°Ay! You guys are talking nonsense!¡± Tan Xiao said nonchntly, ¡°You¡¯re talking like we¡¯re about to enter the game! Do you think, as we walk, someone might suddenly disappear? That would be too creepy! Right, Brother Mo?¡±


    Shen Mo stopped.


    As soon as he stopped, Tan Xiao bumped right into his back, halting with a yelp. Chang Weicai and Pan Xiaoxin behind him also bumped into each other.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Tan Xiao rubbed his nose, ¡°Why aren¡¯t we moving?¡±


    Shen Mo remained stunned¡­


    His two hands, held in a bent position, were suspended in mid-air, yet his palms¡­ were empty.


    The handles of the wheelchair were gone.


    ¡°Bai Youwei?¡±


    He called out tentatively. His voice was quiet, but each echo in the deste underground car park was clear and audible.


    Tan Xiao was shocked: ¡°Weiwei¡¯s gone?!¡±


    He took out a lighter from his pocket and illuminated the surroundings, but there was nothing.


    ¡°Damn! What kind of way did that bitch take us on!¡± Tan Xiao cursed, ¡°How did she just disappear?!!¡±


    Shen Fei, standing alone at the front, trembled, ¡°Stop cursing¡­ Team Leader Yu is also gone¡­¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s face turned pale as she tightly grasped Teacher Chang¡¯s hand, ¡°Sister Weiwei has entered the game¡­¡±


    ¡°It is women.¡± Shen Mo suddenly said. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Everyone turned to look at him.


    In the dim light from the lighter, his figure was deep and dark, every line of his face tense.


    ¡°Many women were at the feast today.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s voice dropped lower with each word, he said solemnly, ¡°Only women can trigger game 24.¡±


    They were stunned.


    Shen Fei paled, ¡°The wife of the supply team leader was also there today. She hardly ever shows up¡­¡±


    ¡°They need to be contacted immediately.¡± Shen Mo dered definitively, ¡°Tan Xiao, get in touch with Yan Qingwen, there must be trouble on their end as well! Food, water, medical supplies, and tents, have it all brought here! Teacher Chang, you, and Xiaoxin, go back first!¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡± Teacher Chang asked worriedly.


    Shen Mo pursed his lips, and replied: ¡°I will wait for her here.¡±

 Chapter 332: White Wedding Gown

    Chapter 332: White Wedding Gown


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Ding! Wee to the Doll Game! The theme of this game is ¡®The Last Bride¡¯. The rules are as follows:


    First, reject the game and be a doll!


    Second, lose the game and be a doll!


    Third, win the game and get a doll as a reward! ¡­¡±


    Bai Youwei had be quite familiar with this voice.


    Every time a game started, it echoed in her ears while a familiar white light lit up in front of her¡ª


    Subconsciously, she closed her eyes. She knew very well that as soon as she opened them again, everything would change.


    In front of her was a small, enclosed space. The material was solid wood, the seats were made of leather. The ride was bumpy underneath her, as if she were in a horse-drawn carriage.


    There were seven women in the carriage, including her.


    She saw Yu Yaqing, Su Man, Zhu Shu, and that girl whose name included ¡®Xian¡¯, plus an unfamiliar middle-aged woman and a slightly younger woman.


    They were all women.


    And all of them were wearing white wedding dresses.


    This was the first time Bai Youwei had ever worn a wedding dress, and she hadn¡¯t expected it to be under these circumstances.


    First, she reached for the rabbit in her arms, then the golden key around her neck, and finally the canvas bag hanging beside her wheelchair? they were all there.


    Bai Youwei felt a bit more at ease.


    ¡°We¡­ have likely triggered the game.¡±


    The first to speak out was Zhu Shu.


    She nced at the expression on everyone¡¯s face, hesitating as she said: ¡°Since we are here, perhaps we should introduce ourselves first? To better understand each other¡­ ¡±


    Yu Yaqing looked displeased, but she willingly cooperated with Zhu Shu¡¯s suggestion.


    ¡°My name is Yu Yaqing, head of the security team. It appears only women can trigger this game. I hope we can cooperate fully. If you feel like crying or yelling, keep your mouth shut. Don¡¯t cause trouble for the rest.¡±


    The words were not very pleasant, but with everyone feeling very uneasy, no one took her attitude to heart.


    ¡°My name is Su Man, I joined the evaluation team just a few days ago.¡± Su Man introduced herself briefly.


    She wanted to mention her proficiency in fighting, but her hand was still in a splint, so she didn¡¯t say anything more.


    Zhu Shu asked the girl next to her, ¡°What¡¯s your name? I heard Li Li calling you ¡®Xiaoqian¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Cheng Xi. I am in the same research group as Li Li.¡± The girl answered in a quiet voice, nervously ncing around, ¡°What¡­ what kind of game is this?¡±


    ¡°We are not sure yet. We¡¯ll probably find out when the carriage stops.¡± Zhu Shu looked at another woman, ¡°May I ask, what¡¯s your name? You look like you¡¯re from the security team¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Hu Ya.¡± She responded concisely, her gaze shifting to Yu Yaqing, ¡°I report to the team leader. I was arranging the evacuation of the supply unit leader and his wife when I was suddenly drawn into the game.¡± N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°Can you handle this? Have you yed the game before?¡± The middle-aged woman asked anxiously. ¡°What did that voice just say¡­ something about ¡®The Last Bride¡¯? What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°You should introduce yourself first.¡± Zhu Shu kindly reminded her, ¡°Right now, getting flustered won¡¯t help.¡±


    The middle-aged woman was unsettled and spoke in a stammering manner:


    ¡°I¡­I am Zhao Lanfen. You¡­you can also call me Auntie Li, because my husband¡¯sst name is Li.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have your own name? Why do you need to take a man¡¯s surname!¡± Yu Yaqing made a disgustedment.


    Zhao Lanfen, however, only cared about leaving this ce. She couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with Yu Yaqing and urged Bai Youwei, ¡°What about you? What¡¯s your name? Quickly introduce yourself¡±


    Bai Youwei smiled, looking at them: ¡°My name is Bai Youwei. I am a cripple.¡±

 Chapter 333: A Manor

    Chapter 333: A Manor


    Trantor: 549690339


    The carriage swayed as it moved along, neither climbing any incline nor descending any slope. The road underneath was a primitive dirt one, full of bumps and jolts.


    They were trapped within the carriage, unable to see the world outside or hear any sound from out there.


    Yu Yaqing tried knocking on the inner walls of the carriage; each wooden nk was heavy and durable, proving challenging to break from within.


    Unable to escape, they could only calmly wait.


    Fortunately, the wait was not too long ¨C


    About a quarter of an hourter, the carriage came to a stop.


    The heavy carriage doors swung open on either side. The weather outside was excellent, with bright sunlight and lush greenery.


    Through the square-shaped carriage doors, they could see a long trail. The trail had two faint wheel tracks that extended deep into the forest.


    The seven women, each dressed in a wedding gown, disembarked one after the other.


    Their white gowns touched the ground and instantly gathered ayer of dirt, making them appear a bit more disheveled.


    When thest one of them stepped off the carriage, the doors squeaked shut. The carriage continued its journey along the winding trail, disappearing from their sight.


    And now, whaty in front of their eyes was an incredibly grand and luxurious manor!


    Bright and colourful flower bedsbined with golden cobblestones, rows of stunning rose arches stood tall. The red petals swayed gently with the dark green leaves, as if silently weing their arrival.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful¡­¡± Cheng Xi couldn¡¯t help but exim.


    Yu Yaqing nced at her with scorn, ¡°Beautiful? If we were to die here, would you still think it¡¯s beautiful?¡±


    Hu Ya, who was Yu Yaqing¡¯s subordinate, echoed her sentiment: ¡°You¡¯re still in the mood to enjoy the scenery after entering the game; I have no idea what you¡¯re thinking about! I bet she won¡¯t even know how she dies when she does!¡±


    Cheng Xi¡¯s face blushed at their ridicule; she was both embarrassed and aggrieved. Biting her lip, she defended herself, ¡°I was just saying¡­ is there a need for this? We should be supporting each other since we¡¯re all in this game together¡­¡±


    Tears welled up in her eyes while she sought an ally. She grabbed Zhao Lanfen¡¯s arm, ¡°Aunt Li, look at their attitude¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough, you!¡± retorted Hu Ya, annoyed, ¡°How amusing, you relied on men outside and now that there are no men inside the game, you want to rely on us? Do you understand the concept of self-reliance? We have to depend on ourselves! Got it? We can only ever depend on ourselves!¡±


    The words startled Zhao Lanfen, who reacted hastily, ¡°Hold on! Isn¡¯t something wrong? Aren¡¯t you guys from the security team?! Shouldn¡¯t you be ensuring our safety? ¡­Talking about depending on ourselves, you¡¯re just trying to wash your hands off any responsibility! That won¡¯t do! My husband is the leader of the resources team! You must ensure my safe exit!¡± N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Bai Youwei thought that Yu Yaqing, being averse to women, would retort Zhao Lanfen¡¯s words. However, Yu Yaqing only frowned and replied:


    ¡°Rest assured, as far as my capabilities allow, I¡¯ll do my best to ensure everyone¡¯s safety.¡±


    Although Hu Ya, the follower, was still fuming, she didn¡¯t object and instead agreed with Yu Yaqing¡¯s perspective.


    Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but smirk.


    It seemed that power did indeed overrule everything, and even Yu Yaqing couldn¡¯t escape from it¡­


    Sheughed silently as she moved ahead in her wheelchair, not paying any heed to their arguments.


    Zhu Shu came forward and asked, ¡°Do you need me to push it for you?¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± she replied, indifferent.


    She didn¡¯t enjoy being pushed around as it left her with no control over her own direction, except when it was Shen Mo. Perhaps it¡¯s because she gotzy when Shen Mo was around.


    Su Man patted Zhu Shu¡¯s shoulder with a stern expression, ¡°Follow behind me.¡±


    Zhu Shu nodded to her.


    The group followed the rose arches and in the distance, they saw a tall man with unusually out-of-proportion stature¡­

 Chapter 334: Women’s Special

    Chapter 334: Women¡¯s Special


    Trantor: 549690339


    Bai Youwei squinted her eyes slightly.


    As she approached, the man¡¯s figure and features became increasingly clear.


    Like a male character from a shoujo manga stepping into reality, tall and thin, with opulent golden hair, fair skin, curlyshes, and always affectionate blue pupils.


    He was the Inspector from the friend¡¯s gathering.


    ¡°Wee to thedies¡¯ exclusive game,¡± the Inspector greeted with a smile, bending slightly in a gentleman¡¯s bow. ¡°I am the Inspector in this game and look forward to sharing a pleasant time with you.¡±


    Nobody replied.


    Only Bai Youwei responded nomittally with a ¡°huh¡±.


    The Inspector¡¯s gaze fell upon her face, his smile unchanged, ¡°We meet again, miss. I am looking forward to your performance in the game.¡±


    Bai Youwei replied expressionlessly, ¡°Sure, women¡¯s friend.¡±


    The Inspector:


    A hint of stiffness shadowed the smile at the corner of his mouth, only for it to seemingly vanish the next moment as if the previous stiffness was just an illusion.


    ¡°Well¡­ please, follow me,¡± the Inspector turned and walked, maintaining grace and elegance, leading the women into the manor as magnificent as a castle.


    ¡°This game is for women only, as the name suggests, exclusively yable by women.¡±


    The Inspector continued to exin as he walked.


    ¡°Presumably, you have noticed, our game theme is ¡®The Last Bride¡¯, and as you can see, you have all dressed in wedding gowns. From this moment, you are the seven brides who are marrying the Duke.¡±


    ¡°A Duke?¡± Yu Yaqing frowned.


    ¡°Yes, the noblest, richest, and most passionate Duke. When the sun sets, he will return. Prior to that, I, in the role of the butler, will stay here to provide you with necessary assistance for the game,¡± the Inspector bowed, ¡°Now, please, follow me.¡±


    Yu Yaqing cast a suspicious nce at him, paused for a moment, then continued to move forward.


    The others followed suit.


    They walked through the dining room, the front courtyard, and the patio surrounded by roses¡­


    As they delved deeper into the manor, they began to feel the extreme opulence, everything within sight sparkled with gold. Even the handrails of chairs were made of gold, and every wallmp was studded with jewels, dazzling to the extreme.


    ¡°The Duke possesses inexhaustible wealth but also harbors a cruel temperament. Anyone who angers him will pay with their life,¡± the Inspector paused at the entrance of a long corridor, turned to them, and said gently, ¡°Even though you are a group of lovely brides, I must remind you not to anger the Duke.¡±


    ¡°Is this a hint for clearing the game?¡± Bai Youwei asked, keeping her eyes locked on his, ¡°Don¡¯t anger the Duke?¡±


    Zhu Shu was also stirred, ¡°So¡­ if we infuriate him, we have to pay with our lives? Does this mean yers who anger him may die, and whoever survives until the end can clear the game? So, is that why the game is called The Last Bride?¡±


    Looking down at them condescendingly, the Inspector replied with an ambiguous smile: N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°You can interpret it that way, or not.¡±


    Indignant, Su Manined, ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this? Aren¡¯t you going to rify the rules of the game? Your vague exnations aren¡¯t helping. Who can understand?!¡±


    ¡°Beautiful bride, please don¡¯t be angry,¡± the Inspector smiled, ¡°Every game has its rules. But in this game, the winning condition was already stated right from the start ¨C be thest bride.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s faces changed color.


    What did it mean to be thest bride?!


    Did it infer being thest one standing?


    Cheng Xi asked anxiously, ¡°Does this mean¡­only one of us can survive?¡±

 Chapter 335: 335: Bluebeard

    Chapter 335: 335: Bluebeard<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    All seven women turned to look at the Inspector.


    If the answer was ¡°yes,¡± then they would have to start tearing each other apart from this moment on!


    If the answer was ¡°no,¡± then they need to reconsider the implication of ¡°thest bride.¡±<div>


    However, would the Inspector really disclose the answer so easily?


    It calmly observed the varying expressions of the women, and after a long pause, grinned slightly and said, ¡°You brides must be exhausted from your travels. Please return to your rooms and rest. Later, I will prepare a hearty luncheon for you.¡±


    Disappointment swept over the women¡¯s faces one by one.


    Except for Bai Youwei.


    As if she had already anticipated that the Inspector would not tell the truth, she calmly rolled her wheelchair past him and headed straight toward her room.


    Seeing this, the others hesitated for a moment before reluctantly making their way to their rooms.


    The Inspector watched as the women receded into the distance.


    His sense of satisfaction suddenly felt unfulfilled as if someone had scrawled across an immacte wall, or stepped on a pair of pristine white shoes¡­ Or, as though he was just beginning to grasp the subtlety and richness of human emotions when he suddenly encountered a hard cold wall.


    Bai Youwei¡­


    He had encountered yers of all sorts, some as intelligent as her, some as calm, but none¡­ none like her, as if she were a born gamer.


    Out of all of them, she was the one who adapted best to the game.


    If such a yer were to die in the game, he would certainly feel regret. However¡­ what kind of amazing data would she show at the moment of her death? The mere thought of it was tingling with excitement.<div>


    He was¡­quite looking forward to it.


    ¡°There is another hint to the game¡¯s winning condition¡­ ¡± The Inspector lingered at one end of the hallway and spoke again.


    The women ahead came to a halt.


    All they heard was the Inspector saying softly, ¡°You can roam freely in the mansion and use any items youe across. However, please avoid the locked rooms, otherwise the Duke will be very, very¡­ irate.¡±


    After saying this, the Inspector smiled at the women, turned around, and slowly walked away from the hallway.


    The women stood rooted to their spots, gazing at each other in bewilderment and terror.


    Cheng Xi was trembling with fear, even though she knew both Yu Yaqing and Hu Ya didn¡¯t like her, she couldn¡¯t resist moving closer to them and whispering, ¡°Is this the second hint? ¡­What does he mean by that?¡±


    Yu Yaqing frowned, ¡°It sounds like he¡¯s talking in reverse, deliberately making us look for the locked rooms?¡±


    ¡°¡­Could it be Bluebeard?¡± Zhu Shu spoke up.


    ¡°Bluebeard?¡± Cheng Xi froze a moment before hurriedly exining, ¡°I know that fairy tale. There was once an aristocrat with a blue beard that scared everyone away. No one dared to marry their daughter to him. Eventually, he got married. After the wedding, he told his wife she could unlock any room in the house, except one! This¡­this is very simr to the Inspector¡¯s hint!¡±


    ¡°Since you know of Bluebeard, you should also know the original version of the story, right?¡± Bai Youwei gave her a nce, ¡°In fact, Bluebeard was a habitual killer. Every wife he married would be subjected to brutal violence, and their bodies¡­ would be in that locked room.¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± Cheng Xi whimpered, tears welling up in her eyes. ¡°Are we going to be killed? ¡­I don¡¯t want to be the bride¡­.¡±<div>


    Zhao Lanfen also sobbed uncontrobly, ¡°Why did they have to hold this feast! Why did they invite us for a meal! If I had known this was going to happen, I wouldn¡¯t have gone to the banquet with Old Li!¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Although Hu Ya didn¡¯t seem as frightened as the others, she was just as anxious inside, turning to Yu Yaqing to ask, ¡°Sister Yu, what should we do?¡±


    Gritting her teeth, Yu Yaqing proposed after some thought, ¡°The Duke won¡¯t be back until the sunset. Let¡¯s wander around and see if we can find any clues.¡±

 Chapter 336: 336: Two Hints

    Chapter 336: 336: Two Hints<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    The manor wasrge, and gathering clues is not something that could be aplished in a short time, so they first went to their respective rooms.


    There were seven rooms lined up along the long corridor, each with a que on the door bearing their names.


    After Bai Youwei entered her room, she first checked the walls, floor, and ceiling for anypartments. Then she examined the furniture such as tables, chairs, wardrobes, beds, and so on. Lastly, she inspected smaller items like candlesticks, mirrors, and jewelry boxes.<div>


    Finding nothing unusual, she locked the door and carefully took out a golden key from her cor


    As long as you hold the key and turn it clockwise half a circle, you can open the dollhouse in any space.


    Although she did not n to hide immediately, she was curious whether the dollhouse could be normally used in the game?


    Bai Youwei looked around, her gazending on the door of a standing wardrobe carved with a rose pattern.


    She wheeled over, ced one end of the golden key against the wardrobe door, turned it clockwise, slowly twisted it half a circle¡­N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Click.


    The lock was opened.


    Bai Youwei felt a sudden relief.


    The dollhouse could also be used in the game! This was undoubtedly good news!


    Opening the wardrobe door also opened the door to the dollhouse.


    Seeing the hallway and living room, she wanted to go in, but found she couldn¡¯t.


    Bai Youwei reached out again to touch it. It was as if there was a barrier blocking her from outside.<div>


    A cold system alert rang in her mind:


    ¡°yers are in the game, and they cannot leave the instance.¡±


    Bai Youwei:


    She frowned and withdrew her hand in displeasure.


    It seemed that while the dollhouse could be opened, she could not enter it.


    Bai Youwei pouted, her mood not so good.


    At this time, there were light knocks on the door from outside.


    She knitted her brows, slowly wheeling herself around and towards the door. She opened it.


    Zhu Shu and Su Man were standing outside.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Bai Youwei frowned.


    ¡°We wanted to ask¡­¡± Zhu Shu pursed her lips, choosing her words carefully, ¡°ask about the game. What are your thoughts on it?¡±


    Bai Youwei looked at her, then at Su Man, sighed a little annoyedly, and stepped aside, saying, ¡°Come in first.¡±<div>


    Zhu Shu and Su Man immediately entered and closed the door.


    ¡°We mainly want to confirm whether only one of us can survive in this game?¡± Zhu Shu asked, observing Bai Youwei¡¯s face for any signs or hints. ¡°¡­If only one can survive, Su Man and I are willing to give up.¡±


    ¡°Give up?¡± Bai Youwei chuckled, ¡°What do you mean? Are you going to kill yourselves?¡±


    The two of them looked at each other, their eyes firm.


    ¡°No.¡± Su Man said, ¡°We know you have the greatest chance of winning. So, rather than killing each other until we¡¯re unrecognizable, it¡¯s better to cooperate. Zhu Shu and I can help you be the st bride¡¯.¡±


    Bai Youwei was a bit taken aback.


    Or rather, she was surprised.


    She had not expected Su Man and Zhu Shu to stand together, nor did she expect¡­ that these two suddenly had a sacrificing spirit?


    Women, they are truly a mystery.


    Bai Youwei gave a faint smile, lowered her eyelids, saying, ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡±


    Zhu Shu and Su Man were slightly stunned.


    ¡°The inspector¡¯s hints were already very clear.¡± Bai Youwei saidnguidly, ¡°The first hint was to be thest bride; the second hint was Bluebeard ¡ª<div>


    Bluebeard murdered one wife after another, married one bride after another, who would be thest bride? Ah, unless he dies, there will never be ast.¡±


    Zhu Shu¡¯s eyes widened a bit, ¡°You mean¡­ as long as we kill Bluebeard, we can all be thest bride? We don¡¯t need to kill each other until only one remains?¡±


    ¡°Yes, at least that¡¯s what I think.¡± Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°Just like the fairytale, Bluebeard was killed, and the woman inherits all of his possessions, and lived a new life thereafter.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s too easy then!¡± A smile appeared on Su Man¡¯s face, ¡°There are seven of us, can¡¯t we kill one man?!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Bai Youwei sighed quietly, ¡°¡­The games of that inspector, they¡¯re never easy.¡±

 Chapter 337: 337: Searching the Second Floor

    Chapter 337: 337: Searching the Second Floor<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Su Man asked, ¡°Why do you say that? Are you familiar with this Inspector?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯m familiar per se, but I¡¯ve certainly encountered him before.¡± Bai Youwei responded nonchntly, ¡°I once participated in a game where the Inspector was also present. He¡­ he seems to enjoy mboyant things. Things like roses, afternoon tea parties, balls, pretty dresses, and all sorts of other bling-ey stuff¡­¡±


    Pausing briefly, she arched her brows and continued, ¡°But, all that mour is merely on the surface, cruelty is the reality. What he seemingly enjoys most is watching the yers butcher each other.¡±


    Su Man sneered, ¡°He¡¯s seriously underestimating us if he thinks he can get us fighting each other with the ¡®Last Bride¡¯ hint alone. Should we warn the people with Yu Yaqing to ensure they don¡¯t fall into his trap?¡±


    ¡°No rush, there should be something else¡­¡± Bai Youwei mused, ¡°They selected only women to partake, there has to be a reason.¡±<div>


    She pondered momentarily and finding no immediate answers, looked up to find the other two women¡¯s eyes fixed on her. She felt slightly helpless.


    ¡°What are you looking at me for?¡± Bai Youwei sighed, ¡°Let¡¯s get going. Let¡¯s explore while the Duke is absent.¡±


    The three women exited together.


    They came across Yu Yaqing and her group of four in the central room.


    ¡°Should we explore the rooms?¡± Su Man proposed, ¡°This ce is vast. We might cover more ground if we split up.¡±


    Yu Yaqing nced over at her.


    They had a fight just yesterday, but now that they were in the game together, it would be better to put past disputes aside for the time being.


    Yu Yaqing nodded and replied sinctly: ¡°You take the left side, we¡¯ll take the right.¡±


    Su Man, Zhu Shu, and Bai Youwei headed to the left.


    Yu Yaqing, Hu Ya, and Zhao Lanfen went to the right.


    Cheng Xi hesitated in the middle for a moment, eventually following Yu Yaqing¡¯s lead.


    Truth be told, she wasn¡¯t really weed in Yu Yaqing¡¯s group. Hu Ya was always making sarcastic remarks about her, and even though Zhao Lanfen would seemingly defend her, she really only cared about her own safety.<div>


    But looking at the other three women on the left¡­


    A limping woman, a woman with a wounded hand, and a celebrity who could only sing and dance.


    No matter how you looked at it, the group with the security team leader Yu Yaqing was a safer bet.


    The grand room had two spiral staircases on either side, and featured an exquisitely patterned crimson carpet. The baroque-style banisters were made of solid gold. Climbing the staircase, one could see the crystal chandelier shimmering in the center of the room, with itsyers of cake-like crystals hanging upside down, elegantly radiant and breathtakingly beautiful.


    Were it not for the threat of the game, perhaps they would¡¯ve paused to admire the sight.


    However, as the threat of the game visibly hung over them, no matter how beautiful the scenery was, all they saw was the eerie presence of impending death.


    The rooms Bai Youwei¡¯s group searched were all unlocked. A turn of the knob and a gentle push and the doors would swing open.


    Whether it was rooms filled with jewels, hung with extravagant clothes, or disying an array of precious dinnerware, tables, chairs, mirrors, tapestries¡­ it was all an awe-inspiring sight.


    They opened a total of 63 rooms, moving from initial amazement to a state of numbness, and fell into somewhat of an aesthetic fatigue when it came to precious gems and metals.


    Su Man opened the 64th room.


    This time, the room housed an array of exquisite armours.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Not just human armor, but also horse armor, adorning wooden frames. With the knight¡¯s armor mounted on top of the horse¡¯s, it gave off an air of opulence and grandeur, as if a knight and his horse were standing there.<div>


    Zhu Shu took hold of a whip hanging on the waist of one of the armors, and offered it to Su Man: ¡°Find this useful?¡±


    Su Man took it, tested it with her left hand, and found it a bit unwieldy.


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep it for now.¡± She slung the whip around her waist, pulled a sword from the armor¡¯s scabbard, and swung it a bit to test its bnce.


    The sound of voices carried from outside. From the tone, it seemed to be Yu Yaqing and her group.


    The three women emerged from the room to find it was indeed Yu Yaqing and her group. The corridor on both sides formed a circr arc. If they kept walking from where they were, they would eventually end up on the other side.


    Seeing Bai Youwei and the others exit the room, Yu Yaqing asked, ¡°Find anything?¡±

 Chapter 338: 338: Dining on the First Floor

    Chapter 338: 338: Dining on the First Floor<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    ¡°A heap of gold and silver jewels,¡± replied Su Man.


    Yu Yaqing added, ¡°Us too, all gold, silver, and jewels, with clothes, shoes, handbags, and some medieval collectibles. We searched 64 rooms and found none locked.¡±


    ¡°We also searched 64 rooms. So, this means there are 128 rooms on the second floor.¡± Su Man looked up at the ceiling, ¡°Should we go upstairs and have a look?¡±


    Yu Yaqing nodded in agreement.


    Everyone decided to go back to the spiral staircase, ready to ascend to the next level, when suddenly, from downstairs, a bell rang¡ª<div>


    Ding-dong, ding-dong¡­


    Everyone looked at each other in confusion.


    Yu Yaqing said in a deep voice, ¡°Let¡¯s go down and check.¡±


    One by one, they all headed downstairs.


    Bai Youwei was thest one. She took the folding cane off her wheelchair and struggled to stand up, leaning on the cane at the edge of the stairs.


    Staring down at the flight of stairs, she started to get a little dizzy after a while.


    She bit her lip, trying to take another step forward¡­


    ¡°Let me carry you down.¡± Su Man turned back and said with a frown, ¡°You¡¯re too slow like this.¡±


    Zhu Shu wanted to say something but stopped, considering Bai Youwei¡¯s pride. She quietly exined, ¡°The staircase here is quite steep; it¡¯s more strenuous going down than going up.¡±


    Su Man took two steps down the side of Bai Youwei, crouched and turned her back towards her, ¡°Hop on.¡±


    Bai Youwei looked at her back and then at her injured right hand, hesitated for a moment, finally, put down her cane and leaned on Su Man¡¯s back.


    ¡°Can you handle it? Don¡¯t cause us both to trip, I don¡¯t want to be your cushion.¡± Bai Youwei pouted.<div>


    ¡°You always talk so much! Hurry up and get on! My good intentions are wasted on you!¡± Even though Su Man grumbled, she propelled herself and Bai Youwei briskly forward with impressive strength.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Zhu Shu chuckled, picked up the wheelchair, and followed them downstairs quickly.


    The bell sound came from the dining room.


    A long table draped with a clean tablecloth was ced in the middle of the room,den with a sumptuous meal.


    Of course, the word ¡®sumptuous¡¯ here couldn¡¯t really bepared to the banquet the group ate back at base.


    But even by pre-apocalyptic standards, this spread would be considered unimaginably extravagant, beyond the wildest imagination ofmon folk.


    Prime steaks, beautifully roasted suckling pig, aromatic turkey, various vegetables and fruits, and an array of finely decorated cakes and desserts. The feast was a feast for the eyes.


    The Inspector stood politely beside the table and invited them with a smile,


    ¡°Lovely brides, it¡¯s time for lunch. Please, help yourselves.¡±


    Truth be told, none of them were particrly hungry as they had eaten quite a lot before they entered the game. But in the game, time advanced to morning, and after some searching around, it was now noon.


    One by one, everyone took their seats.


    The table was so long that all seven of them were spread out considerably, sitting quite a distance apart from each other.<div>


    Bai Youwei took a sip of her wine. It tasted rather nd, so she set the ss down again.


    She mused: Although the system is capable of perfectly replicating the taste of grape wine, it still can¡¯t replicate the vor whiches with time. The wine here tasted a bit off.


    But it would be really fussy toin about this given the scarcity of supplies.


    With that thought, she looked again at the food on her te.


    As she seemed to be observing the food for quite a while, the Inspector ventured to ask in a friendly manner:


    ¡°Is there something wrong with our white truffle and gold-thin pancake? You don¡¯t seem to have much of an appetite. Although I canprehend the mncholy that brides might feel when they are far away from home, I would still rmend you try eating more. The duke will choose the menu for dinner.¡±


    The duke¡­ What would he prefer?


    If it all were something they couldn¡¯t eat, would that imply they¡¯d have to go hungry for the whole day if they didn¡¯t finish lunch?


    The women exchanged nces and got started on their food, motivated by some worrying assumptions.


    Bai Youwei kept silent for a while then started having her lunch.

 Chapter 339: 339: Tools and Props

    Chapter 339: 339: Tools and Props<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    There was far too much food; it was impossible to finish it all.


    After hurriedly eating until she was about 80-90% full, Yu Yaqing asked the Inspector, ¡°How many floors are there in total here?¡±


    ¡°If you include the basement, four,¡± replied the Inspector.


    ¡°And which room is locked?¡± Yu Yaqing asked again.


    The Inspectorughed at the question, not quite answering her. ¡°Dear bride, please do not open the locked room, otherwise the Duke will be very angry. Trust me, you won¡¯t want to see that.¡±<div>


    Yu Yaqing frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t necessarily need to open it, but I do need to know where it is!¡±


    ¡°The locked room is naturally somewhere in this mansion,¡± said the Inspector.


    It seemed he had no intention of enlightening them any further.


    Yu Yaqing put down her utensils and stood up, turning to Hu Ya, ¡°Are you full? We don¡¯t have much time. If each floor has 128 rooms, we will need to start exploring every room before sunset, and we must hurry up!¡±


    Everyone had already eaten a bit and was not too hungry, so they all stood up, ready to leave.


    Only Bai Youwei didn¡¯t move.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t youing?¡± asked Zhu Shu.


    ¡°Oh, I haven¡¯t had enough to eat yet. You all go on,¡± Bai Youwei casually cut into her pancake, ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not convenient for me to climb stairs. I¡¯ll investigate the rooms on this floor once I have finished eating.¡±


    Everyone found that reasonable and began to leave the dining room.


    Zhu Shu nced at Bai Youwei and followed Su Man out.


    The grand dining hall was left with only Bai Youwei and the Inspector at opposite ends of the table.


    Bai Youwei ate her food and mumbled to herself:<div>


    ¡°The roasted pig is too big, I can¡¯t fit it in. But I could take some of the steaks, roast chicken, meatballs¡­ Never mind, I should put it in the freezer. The fridge is for fruits and vegetables¡­ Can¡¯t reach it? Then you¡¯d better bring a chair and stand on it.¡±


    The Inspector politely smiled, ¡°May I ask, do you need me to assist you with anything?¡±


    Bai Youwei was startled and nced at him, ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking to you.¡±


    The Inspector:


    After swallowing her food, Bai Youwei spoke again, ¡°Could you leave? I don¡¯t like to be watched while I¡¯m eating.¡±


    The corners of the Inspector¡¯s mouth curled into a slightly cold smile, ¡°Of course. Then, please enjoy your meal.¡±


    He gave a slight bow before leaving.


    As he passed by Bai Youwei, he noticed that most of her tes were empty and couldn¡¯t help but mock, ¡°If the Duke could see how much his bride eats, he would be quite¡­¡±


    His sentence hung halfway, unable to be finished.


    Because he saw a fluffy toy rabbit crawl out from under the tablecloth! It jumped onto the table following Bai Youwei¡¯s shoulder, then dragged away an entire te of pan-seared salmon!


    The Inspector¡¯s beautiful blue eyes were wide in surprise!


    The rabbit hopped off the table, quickly disappearing under the tablecloth. After a while, it emerged again. This time, it had taken away a dish of chocte mousse!N?v(el)B\\jnn<div>


    ¡°How could you!¡­¡± Shocked, the Inspector strode over and pulled up the tablecloth covering the table in front of Bai Youwei!


    ¡°Hey!¡± Bai Youwei eximed, irritated, ¡°You stained my dress!¡±


    The Inspector stood still in front of the table.


    Underneath, the fluffy rabbit held a key in its paw, turning it halfway and opening the door of a dollhouse!


    The rabbit held the chocte mousse over its head and rushed into the house!


    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t the system judge you as breaking the rules?!¡±


    The Inspector turned around to question Bai Youwei, his tone was furious and urgent. He tore off his gentlemanly facade, leaving behind only anger and ferocity!


    ¡°Why would I be breaking the rules?¡± Bia Youwei, shaking the oil stains off her dress and frowning, asked, ¡°Doesn¡¯t your game allow for the use of props?¡±


    The Inspector: ¡°Of course, you can use props, but your props!¡­¡±


    ¡°If that is the case, then there are no problems,¡± she replied with a light smile, ¡°I¡¯ve merely used some props.¡±


    ¡°But! There shouldn¡¯t be these types of props!¡± he angrily pointed at the entrance of the dollhouse and then at the rabbit that just came out of the dollhouse, ¡°These props, and this prop, the system shouldn¡¯t allow these types of equilibrium-disturbing props to exist!¡±


    <div>

 Chapter 340: 340: Need to Patch the Loopholes

    Chapter 340: 340: Need to Patch the Loopholes<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Bai Youwei bent down to lift the rabbit, cing it on herp and stroking it.


    Her hand came away oily.


    She scrunched up her face in disgust, tearing off a napkin from the table to wipe her hands.


    ¡°Who knows what the system was thinking¡­ Anyway, these items were all given to me as game rewards.¡± She wiped down her hand as she spoke slowly, ¡°Since they were given to me, I¡¯m surely allowed to use them? It wouldn¡¯t make sense otherwise. As for it affecting bnce¡­¡±


    She lifted her head to smile at it, ¡°Isn¡¯t that the Inspector¡¯s job to worry about?¡±<div>


    Inspector:


    Bai Youwei ignored it, put down the napkin, wheeled herself around in her chair, and gradually exited the dining room.


    The Inspector watched her retreating figure, emotions cresting and falling.


    Other people use items, but she¡­


    She uses items to use items!


    Is it the same?!!


    ¡­However, there was one thing she got right¡ªmaintaining game bnce is the responsibility of every Inspector!


    It took a deep breath, even though it didn¡¯t need to breathe, but with the increase in its data richness, its emotional responses were bing more and more human-like.


    It lightly tapped the air with its fingers a few times.


    A ball fell from the sky


    ¡°Why did you call me here?¡± The ball surveyed its surroundings, ¡°Is this the game instance you are managing? Wow~ You have really put in a lot of effort, it looks very fancy~¡±


    Not in the mood for idle chatter, it asked the ball directly: ¡°I just inspected some data and found a yer with rewards obtained from instance No. 7016! That is your jurisdiction, this reward will clearly severely disrupt game bnce! Why would you give them to the yer?! Don¡¯t you know it could interfere with the normal operation of other games?!¡±<div>


    The ball paused before scoldingly replying: ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t assume that just because you have richer data samples that you can yell at me! You¡¯re just a trainee Inspector! Don¡¯t gloat in front of me!¡±


    The ball mmed the floor in fury!


    A crater appeared on the floor.


    The ball had disappeared.


    The Inspector, frustrated, called for the ball again:


    ¡°Instance No. 7016 is your responsibility! You must return to repair this loophole! That person also has a rabbit in their possession; I can¡¯t track down the instance record!¡±


    The ball didn¡¯t appear, only its voice echoed:


    ¡°Fix it yourself! I¡¯m not helping you!¡±


    The Inspector gritted its teeth: ¡°I am a trainee Inspector! I don¡¯t have enough authority!¡±


    This time, no response came.


    Just as it was about to call out a few more times, it heard the ball tauntingly respond: ¡°You deserve it.¡±


    Inspector:n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om<div>


    Why is it my fault? It¡¯s your mess to begin with!!!


    Bai Youwei was giving the rabbit a bath in the bathroom.


    When it was used to carry dishes, its fluffy paws unavoidably got stained with oil and soup. Cleaning it was a lot of trouble.


    Zhu Shu and Su Man returned from outside, following the sound of running water to find Bai Youwei in the bathroom.


    ¡°Did you guys find anything?¡± Bai Youwei asked, wringing out the rabbit whose round head was twisted into a twisty bun by her.


    Both Zhu Shu and Su Man shook their heads, looking both weary and dejected.


    ¡°The third floor is the same as the second, filled with gold, silver, jewelry and rare collectibles, clocks, nkets, models¡­ but we never found a locked room.¡±


    Bai Youwei asked: ¡°Did you count them? How many rooms are on the third floor?¡±


    They hesitated a moment.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t count them, did you?¡± Bai Youwei ced the rabbit down and looked at them.


    ¡°Over one hundred, I guess¡­¡± Su Man hesitated, ¡°There were too many rooms. We started feeling dizzy looking for them all, so we forgot to keep count.¡±


    Zhu Shu muttered with sudden realization: ¡°Theyouts of the upper and lower floors are exactly the same, so the third floor should also have 128 rooms. If any floor is missing a room, that would mean the locked room is somehow hidden!¡±<div>


    Grabbing on to the understanding, she turned to go and count, ¡°I¡¯m going to go count!¡±


    ¡°Come back.¡± Bai Youwei stopped her, ¡°Have you visited the basement?¡±

 Chapter 341 - 341 Duke is back (Added more for Yurand)

    Chapter 341: Duke is back (Added more for Yurand)


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Yu Yaqing went with people. Zhu Shu was worried about you, so we came back first,¡± Su Man asked, ¡°Shall we go to the basement now?¡±


    Bai Youwei thought for a moment and shook her head: ¡°Forget it. We should save some time and go to the courtyard. If Yu Yaqing finds any clues, she won¡¯t hide them.¡±


    She thought Yu Yaqing was as straightforward as iron. She might be disliked, but she would never engage in plotting and scheming.


    The day gradually darkened and the sun set faster than they had imagined.


    Everyone instinctively quickened their steps. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Apart from the seven rooms for the brides on the first floor, the rest are all empty.


    The rooms on the second and third floors were filled with gold, silver, and jewels.


    The basement was full of odds and ends and dust ¨C there was nothing suspicious to be found.


    Apart from flowers, there was nothing to be found in the courtyard.


    They had spent a whole day searching and had found nothing. The outside was getting darker¡­


    Finally, the seven brides gathered in the hall.


    Zhao Lanfen copsed on the sofa, panting heavily, ¡°You all look for it. I can¡¯t go on anymore. I can¡¯t take another step!¡±


    Her hair was loose, her back was soaked, and her white wedding dress clung to her body like a pale spiderweb.


    Cheng Xi was in the same deste state, soaked through and through.


    Both she and Zhao Lanfen had never been involved in games or mazes before. Their physical condition was the worst among the seven of them. They really couldn¡¯t handle running around inside such arge mansion.


    Bai Youwei looked at the setting sun outside and said softly, ¡°I remember there were some weapons in a room on the second floor. Let¡¯s have a look and pick some out. It¡¯s better to be prepared in case something happenster.¡±


    The game was not allowed to bring in weapons, but yers were allowed to use the items in the game.


    Yu Yaqing and Hu Ya stood up to pick weapons.


    Cheng Xi and Zhao Lanfen, who were too tired to move, also forced themselves to stand up.


    In the end, everyone except Bai Youwei ended up with a knight¡¯s sword.


    When the dinner bell rang, the Inspectorughed when he saw these women, with solemn expressions, dragging heavy iron swords into the dining room.


    ¡°Are you sure you want to do this? Dine with the Duke with your weapons! Like you¡¯re plotting to kill your own husband. Aren¡¯t you afraid the Duke will be angry?¡±


    At his words, their faces changed, and they were at a loss whether to hold or drop their swords.


    Zhu Shu looked at everyone and said softly, ¡°The Duke will not be angry. We are just worried about him going out early anding backte every day, so we want to give him a sword for self-defense. Quickly hide the sword under the table. This is a surprise gift we prepared, and we can¡¯t let the Duke see it in advance.¡±


    Her words were so convincing that even the Inspector took a second look at her.


    Just as they had hidden their swords, a sudden boom rang out from the main entrance!


    Without any warning, a huge figure appeared at the door!


    His appearance was so sudden that everyone was startled and turned to look, their faces changing!


    Included in the group was Bai Youwei, who was given a real fright!


    ¡°Where¡¯s my dinner?! Are you trying to starve me?!!¡±


    The man¡¯s voice was deep and resounding, his roaring echoingly throughout the entire hall!


    As he approached, they gradually saw what he looked like ¨C rather than calling ¡°he¡±, it was more appropriate to use ¡°it¡± because¡­.the Duke had clearly the face of a beast!


    He was dressed like a gentleman, but he was as big as a giant bear, his face covered with ck, purplish thick mane! Under the lighting, it gleamed with a blue tint!


    Bluebeard!


    He was Bluebeard!


    Everyone felt a cold shiver, staring at him in horror.


    Another loud bang!


    A bloody buffalo fell onto the dining table out of nowhere, smashing the tes, shocking these women.


    The Duke grabbed the horns and hooves of the buffalo, and effortlessly ripped off its head! Then, he opened his mouth, took a bite into its leg, tore off the fresh, red meat with a squelch and swallowed it after chewing.


    ¡°My brides, why don¡¯t you eat?¡± The Duke¡¯s cold eyes swept over them, ¡°Could it¡­be that you don¡¯t want to dine with me?¡±

 Chapter 342: Fighting (Extra for Quasimodo)

    Chapter 342: Fighting (Extra for Quasimodo)


    Trantor: 549690339


    He ripped open the belly of a cow, blood and guts spilling out in a gush. He reached in, pulling out a slimy liver and, dripping with blood, tossed it onto the table!


    Thud.


    Blood sttered onto the bride¡¯s white dress.


    ¡°Taste it, this is the tastiest part.¡± He grinned, baring a fearsome smile, non-human fangs still holding chunks of bloody meat.


    Everyone at the table fell silent, none daring to move!


    Bai Youwei slightly frowned and closed her eyes, her face filled with undisguised disgust.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you eating?¡± The Duke¡¯s chilling smile vanished, his beast-like golden eyes narrowed, ¡°Don¡¯t you love me?!! You women! You liars!!!¡±


    He mmed the table in anger, cutlery crashing down in the violent tremor! Even the bloody cow seemed as if it woulde to life at any moment!


    Zhao Lanfen was the first to crack, screaming and running away!


    ¡°Get back!¡± Yu Yaqing yelled.


    Enraged even further, the Duke roared and gave chase!


    Zhao Lanfen was falling apart, crying and screaming as she fled: ¡°Monster! Ahhhh monster!!!¡±


    Fear tends to spread.


    Seeing Zhao Lanfen running, Cheng Xi could sit no longer. Trembling, she approached Yu Yaqing and said with a pale face: ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ let¡¯s get out of here fast¡­¡±


    ¡°Ahhh!!!¡±


    A scream of agony echoed through the entire dining room!


    Zhao Lanfen, tripped by her long wedding dress, was caught by the Duke. With a few quick steps, he grabbed her by the hair!


    Feeling her impending doom, she screamed and struggled even though already captured! The skin on her scalp was pulled and twisted until it bled. She cried out continuously, but to no avail!


    Like a fish entangled in a white fishing, her struggle was hopeless and brutal!


    The Duke dragged Zhao Lanfen by her hair, pulling her out of the dining room ¨C


    Su Man bent down to pick up a sword from under the table and ran after him!


    Seeing this, Yu Yaqing also armed himself with a sword and followed her.


    Hu Ya and Zhu Shu hesitated for a few seconds but eventually picked up weapons and ran after them.


    Cheng Xi, who was left behind, looked at herpanions raising their swords against the Duke. Her face turned deathly pale as she asked in a trembling voice: ¡°Have you¡­ all gone mad? How could you possibly face him¡­¡±


    While saying this, she saw Bai Youwei moving in her wheelchair too. She was stunned and asked: ¡°You¡¯re going too?! Have you all gone insane?! The Duke is provoked, you¡¯ll die if you go there! He will kill you!!!¡±


    Bai Youwei frowned slightly, nced at her, remained indifferent, and continued moving forward.


    Cheng Xi was filled with fear. However, she was more terrified of being alone. In the dining room, only her and a bloody cow remained, its blood was everywhere. The gooey, salty smell of blood filled the room, the cow¡¯s blood-red eyes staring at her¡­


    Tears welled up in her eyes, she bit her lip, supporting her shaking legs, she went to follow Bai Youwei


    The women up ahead had already reached the spiral staircase in the hall.


    Su Man and Yu Yaqing surrounded the Duke from both sides, their cold, gleaming swords piercing into his back! Despite their force, the des could only prate a bit before stopping as if meeting solid stone!


    The Duke roared in anger, turning and grabbing the swords, yanking them out!


    The initial wounds elicited by the swords grew significantly deeper due to his force.


    His densely thick fur was soaked with his own bright red blood. If anything, the loss of blood only made him more ferocious. He roared and flung Yu Yaqing, who was attacking with his sword from the other side, against the wall!


    Yu Yaqing spat out a mouthful of blood.


    Su Man, now swordless, took out a whip from her waist.


    Zhu Shu held her back, took out two beads, and hurled them forcefully at the Duke! N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Boom!


    One of the beads burst open by the Duke¡¯s ear!

 Chapter 343: 343: One Dead

    Chapter 343: 343: One Dead<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    ¡°Water Monster¡¯s unwanted egg ¨C it hurts to be hit by it and there¡¯s a 20% chance of triggering a Thunder st Effect.¡±


    The bead Zhu Shu threw out was like a bolt of lightning, mangling half of the Bluebeard¡¯s face into a bloody pulp!


    ¡°Ahh! My face!!!¡± The humanoid beast roared in a coarse voice, turning around, ¡°Damn woman! How dare you!¡±


    He roared, picking up the broken sword from the ground, and flung it fiercely at Zhu Shu!


    Su Man pulled Zhu Shu¡¯s hand to urgently dodge backwards, in the process of descending the stairs, they tripped, the sharp de grazing Zhu Shu¡¯s upper arm, causing both to fall! The beads in their hands scattering all over!<div>


    Zhu Shu didn¡¯t bother to get up, she knelt on the ground anxiously picking up the beads, and shouted at Su Man, ¡°We can¡¯t let him take Zhao Lanfen! Even if we can¡¯t save her, we still need to kill the Duke! Otherwise, he will continue killing tomorrow night!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s getting away!¡± Yu Yaqing wiped the blood off from the corner of her mouth, picking up the sword she chased upstairs again.


    Bluebeard was faster!


    Despite his massive size, he wasn¡¯t clumsy at all, dragging Zhao Lanfen quickly up the spiral staircase, all the way to the third floor!


    Yu Yaqing, Su Man, and Hu Ya chased him from downstairs relentlessly, but when they reached the third floor, they found that both sides of the corridor were empty, there was no sign of Bluebeard.


    Bang!


    The sound of a door closing echoed through the hallway.


    The three women stood panting, looking left and right, wondering which room Bluebeard had entered. At that moment, a shrill scream rang out again!


    ¡°Ahhhhh!!!¡±


    Unaware of what torture she was enduring, Zhao Lanfen¡¯s scream was heart-wrenching!


    The scream echoed through the entire building, seeming toe from the right, yet also from the left. On careful listening, her voice was everywhere ¨C the high, vast ceiling, the winding staircase, the walls covered in vintage floral wallpaper!


    Chilling!<div>


    ¡°Zhao Lanfen!¡± Yu Yaqing shouted, randomly opening a room and then running to another room, but no matter how she searched, she couldn¡¯t find Zhao Lanfen.


    The screams didn¡¯t stop.


    She screamed until her voice was hoarse, until she was gasping for breath, then it suddenly ended on a high note!


    ¡­It stopped.


    The entire building quieted down.


    Yu Yaqing gritted her teeth, punching the wall fiercely!


    She knew, Zhao Lanfen was dead.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Silence, it¡¯s unknown how much time had passed, perhaps only a few seconds, perhaps several minutes¡­


    Yu Yaqing took a deep breath, moved forward, and began to search every room.


    Su Man and Hu Ya also joined in.


    Since Bai Youwei had questioned about the number of rooms, Su Man started to count the number of rooms while searching.


    However, they had opened a total of 128 doors and found nothing!<div>


    They were the same rooms filled with gold, silver, and jewels, no Bluebeard and no Zhao Lanfen, they had disappeared as if into thin air.


    The three women returned to the spiral staircase, all temporarily out of ideas.


    Hu Ya looked at Yu Yaqing nkly, hesitated, and asked, ¡°Team leader¡­ Should we continue searching?¡±


    Yu Yaqing closed her eyes for a moment, and said in a low voice, ¡°Let¡¯s go downstairs first.¡±


    Zhu Shu was downstairs, frustrated while picking up the beads.


    These items were too round and smooth, once dropped, they roll into unknown corners. Despite searching for a while she only managed to find 6.


    ¨C In the dollhouse, she was given 10 beads, she had used 2 just now, so there should still be 8 left.


    She was short by two beads, she couldn¡¯t find them no matter what.


    She looked up, intending to ask Cheng Xi to move, before she could open her mouth, Cheng Xi, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, yelled in a shrill voice:


    ¡°Why are you looking at me?! I didn¡¯t take your beads!!!¡±


    Zhu Shu replied, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡±


    ¡°Go away!¡± Cheng Xi was mentally unstable, staring fiercely at Zhu Shu, ¡°Get away from me! Don¡¯te near me!¡±<div>


    Zhu Shu frowned, looked at her for a moment, didn¡¯t say anything, silently walked over to Bai Youwei.


    Bai Youwei asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡±


    Zhu Shu nced at Cheng Xi again, ¡°¡­Nothing.¡±

 Chapter 344: 344: Screams

    Chapter 344: 344: Screams<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Only two beads were left, and most likely, they were taken by Cheng Xi.


    But what could she do about it? Robbery, body search?¡­ Either way, it could be the final straw that broke the camel¡¯s back.


    Zhu Shu didn¡¯t want to do that.


    Because a person forced into a dead end can go crazy.


    Su Man, Yu Yaqing, and Hu Ya came down from upstairs, all looking upset.<div>


    Zhu Shu asked them, ¡°Have you seen where Blue Beard went? Wherever he went could be the locked room, and the key to passing this level might be there!¡±


    Hu Ya said, ¡°He moved too fast, by the time we got to the third floor, we couldn¡¯t see him anymore, we only heard the door closing!¡±


    Hu Ya spoke hurriedly, as if eager to vent the suppressed and tense emotions from the third floor, emphatically saying, ¡°He was too fast! He crossed six or seven steps in one stride! Like a monster! ¡­No, that¡¯s wrong, he is a monster!¡±


    Zhu Shu couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Were there no signs of dragging on the ground? Or footprints, scratch marks, anything?¡±


    Hu Ya shook her head, pale-faced.


    Su Man took over and exined, ¡°The carpet on the third floor is very old, there are traces in front of every door, it¡¯s impossible to distinguish.¡±


    After saying this, she paused and looked at Bai Youwei, ¡°I counted the rooms, it¡¯s the same as the second floor ¨C 128. We checked each one and didn¡¯t find the Duke or Zhao Lanfen.¡±


    Bai Youwei furrowed her brows as she sat in her wheelchair, stroking her plush rabbit, deep in thought.


    Her mobility was limited, so she couldn¡¯t dash up and down the stairs like they did. Since Su Man and Hu Ya said as much, checking all over again probably wouldn¡¯t yield any changes.


    Unless they coulde up with a new approach.


    Bai Youwei raised her head, looking towards therge crystal chandelier hanging in the middle of the hall. From this grand light fixture, the spiral staircase leading to the top floor could be seen, connected to the handrail on the third floor.


    ¡°The Inspector said that there are a total of four floors in this mansion, including the basement. Since you all saw the Duke head to the third floor, and the third floor is the highest, the locked room must be on the third floor.¡±<div>


    She mumbled thoughtfully, ¡°¡­Is there a hiddenpartment?¡±


    ¡°If there is a hiddenpartment, we might have to wait until tomorrow to find it.¡± Yu Yaqing, who had been silent all along, spoke in a low voice, ¡°The light on the third floor is too dim, it would be very hard to find any clues.¡±


    This mansion was bathed in brilliant sunlight during the day, but became creepy and eerie at night, with the lights fading from level to level.


    The first-floor hall was brightly lit, the second floor was much dimmer, and by the time you got to the third floor, it was as dim as a dark alleyway, with the antique bulbs emitting a faint light.


    Upon hearing Yu Yaqing¡¯s words, Cheng Xi nearly burst into tears, ¡°We¡­we have to spend the night in this ce? Will we¡­can we survive this night¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry about that,¡± Bai Youwei calmly said, ¡°It seems that the Duke can only kill one person each day. Even when you all attacked him just now, he merely defended himself while keeping one hand on Zhao Lanfen the entire time. He didn¡¯t actively attack you all before leaving, he must be bound by the rules of the game, only able to attack one bride at a time.¡±


    Zhu Shu had scorched half his face, and in his furious state, his most ferocious counterattack was merely throwing a broken sword at her.


    He didn¡¯t doggedly pursue Zhu Shu, nor did he entangle himself with Su Man and Yu Yaqing. He left quickly.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡­Why so quickly?


    Was it his inherent speed, or was there another reason?


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t want his secret to be discovered¡­¡± Bai Youwei muttered thoughtfully, ¡°Could the secret be the same as in the fairy tale?¡±


    ¡°Ahhh!!!¡±<div>


    A sudden scream interrupted her thoughts.


    Everyone was startled.


    Scream after scream, filled with utter terror!


    They all looked around, but couldn¡¯t discern where the voice wasing from.


    ¡°It¡¯s Zhao Lanfen¡­¡± Cheng Xi trembled behind Yu Yaqing, ¡°She¡­she¡¯s not dead¡­¡±

 Chapter 345: 345: It’s Fake

    Chapter 345: 345: It¡¯s Fake<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    ¡°It¡¯s fake.¡± Zhu Shu stated, ¡°This was her scream before she died; I can tell, it¡¯s identical.¡±


    However, this exnation failed to ease Cheng Xi¡¯s panic; on the contrary, her fear escted!


    ¡°Why¡­ why are they making us listen to this sound?¡± Cheng Xi¡¯s voice quivered with tears, ¡°I don¡¯t want to listen¡­ I don¡¯t want to hear this sound¡­¡±


    Unable to stand it any longer, the quiet Yu Yaqing mmed her fist on the wall!


    With a crash, blood began seeping from between her fingers!<div>


    ¡°Damn it!¡± She cursed under her breath, ¡°Damnable game! I won¡¯t lose! I won¡¯t let these monsters triumph!!!¡±


    Full of rage, she stormed towards the staircase, shouting, ¡°Hu Ya! Come! Let¡¯s check the third floor again!¡±


    Even though her fear had not yet fully subsided, upon hearing Yu Yaqing¡¯s voice, Hu Ya bit her lip and followed along.


    After thinking for a moment, Su Man told Bai Youwei and Zhu Shu, ¡°You two go back to your rooms first, I will go check the third floor.¡±


    The stairs were too steep for Bai Youwei, and Zhu Shu was not agile enough; if they were to go, they might not be able to help, but instead could be a burden.


    Both of them nodded, cautioning Su Man to be careful.


    While Cheng Xi was somewhat flustered, she asked them, ¡°What about me? What should I do?¡±


    ¡°You?¡± Su Man frowned, ¡°Go back to your own room then.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Cheng Xi cried, ¡°Don¡¯t leave me alone! Please, let mee with you! I beg you!¡±


    To the point of kneeling down in front of Bai Youwei and Zhu Shu, she began to cry uncontrobly.


    By the looks of it, even if they rejected her, she would definitely insist stubbornly.


    ¡°If you want toe with us, then shut up,¡± Bai Youwei said in annoyance, ¡°If you dare to make any noise, do you believe I¡¯ll throw you outside!¡±<div>


    Cheng Xi nodded repeatedly, covering her mouth with her hands. Only her tears were falling silently.


    The three of them returned to their rooms.


    Zhao Lanfen¡¯s terrifying scream echoed again.


    Startled, Cheng Xi trembled, and dared not utter a word behind Bai Youwei and Zhu Shu.


    Through the entire night, the screams never ceased.


    This mansion, as if harboring malicious intentions, released


    Zhao Lanfen¡¯s dying scream every time they were about to drift off to sleep, terrifying them out of their wits! It kept their nerves on edge! And wore them out!


    Finally, morning arrived, the sun came out, and the screaming stopped atst.


    Each of them had bloodshot eyes.


    The Inspector, who had disappeared all night, also appeared.


    He brought breakfast to each of them.


    Compared to the rich lunch from yesterday, today¡¯s breakfast was much more frugal. Each person received only a cup of milk and a piece of dry bread.<div>


    Bai Youwei had no appetite. She didn¡¯t touch the bread, drank the milk, and then went back to her room to sleep.


    Seeing Bai Youwei¡¯s carefree attitude, Yu Yaqing, with a dark expression asked, ¡°At times like this, are you sure you can sleep?!¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be able to sleep?¡± Bai Youwei responded emotionless, ¡°Lack of sleep will affect my thought processes. I not only must sleep ¨C I suggest that you do the same, unless you feel you have enough energy to fight that monster until tonight ¨C if you¡¯ll excuse my frankness, I think that would be suicidal.¡±


    Yu Yaqing was annoyed, ¡°You¡­!¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°Leader¡­ let¡¯s rest a bit.¡± Hu Ya couldn¡¯t help but advised, ¡°Without any clues, it¡¯s unlikely we will have any breakthrough just by continuing the search¡­¡±


    They had not slept the entire night, and food was scarce; they simply didn¡¯t have enough strength to carry out anotherrge-scale search of the mansion.


    After looking at the two of them, Su Man said, ¡°Rest then, three or four hours should be enough.¡±


    Yu Yaqing bit her lower lip. After a long pause, her expression finally softened.


    She nodded.


    They spent the entire morning resting.


    The mansion was very quiet.


    Then lunch arrived, and the Inspector rang the meal bell<div>


    Ding dong, ding dong¡­

 Chapter 346: 346: Trying One’s Luck

    Chapter 346: 346: Trying One¡¯s Luck<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    ¡°Beautiful brides, did you sleep wellst night?¡±


    The Inspector stood by the dining table with a smile, his graceful manners unchanged from yesterday.


    Bai Youwei wheeled past him, saying lightly, ¡°I didn¡¯t sleep well. The soundproofing is too poor. There was noise all night.¡±


    There was no sarcasm in her words. It was just a simple statement.


    Her mind was constantly thinking about the clues in the game. She really wasn¡¯t in the mood for a verbal sparring with the Inspector.<div>


    However, the Inspector took her every word very seriously.


    ¡°So, do you need me to change your room?¡± a cartoonishly handsome smile crossed his lips. ¡°The third floor is the quietest. Do you want to switch to a room on the third floor?¡±


    The third floor.


    Zhao Lanfen had disappeared on the third floor.


    Cheng Xi, Hu Ya, Yu Yaqing, Zhu Shu, and Su Man, all changed their expressions, staring at the Inspector with vignce.


    Bai Youwei¡¯s wheelchair came to a stop.


    She frowned, turned her head, and said displeasedly, ¡°Are you brainless? Look at my legs. How am I supposed to get to the third floor? By flying?!¡±


    Inspector: ¡°[Silent]¡±


    Ignoring him, Bai Youwei wheeled to the dining table in a bad mood, ate a few bites, but her expression became increasingly annoyed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have an appetite; I¡¯ll take these back to my room to eat.¡±


    She brazenly consolidated several dishes onto one te, put it on herp, held a tropical fruit tter in her hand, and left the room.


    The others followed suit, saying they didn¡¯t have the appetite and needed to eat back in their rooms.<div>


    They knew very well that they couldn¡¯t eat dinner tonight, so they all took double or even triple rations for fear of having nothing to eatter.


    Soon, there was no one left in the dining room.


    Only the Inspector remained.


    He watched as the women left, his polite smile freezing at the corners of his mouth as his expression grew colder¡­


    Suddenly, heughed.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    There was no need to be angry.


    What if she got an unfair tool? As long as she died here, the mistake would be naturally corrected. And his game would continue to create value for the system.


    Other Inspectors were right. He was indeed a bit overinvested. Moderation in the game, moderation¡­


    The Inspector slowly left the dining room¡­


    The women were eating lunch in Bai Youwei¡¯s room.


    Bai Youwei didn¡¯t know how this came about.


    Maybe because Zhu Shu and Su Man wanted to eat with her, Yu Yaqing wanted to find Su Man. Hu Ya and Cheng Xi followed Yu Yaqing, and it ended up that everyone was gathering and eating in her room.<div>


    Yu Yaqing said, ¡°The light was too dimst night, we couldn¡¯t find any clues. After lunch, we should go to the third floor again to see if we can find anything.¡±


    ¡°Going again?¡± Bai Youwei asked casually while eating, ¡°We¡¯ve been there several times already. Shouldn¡¯t we look somewhere else?¡±


    ¡°Where else?¡± Hu Ya chimed in, ¡°The Duke left traces of his disappearance on the third floor. We saw it clearly!¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Bai Youwei said calmly, ¡°What I meant was, shouldn¡¯t we look for clues somewhere else? After all, we¡¯ve been to the third floor many times. Going there a few more times may not yield any results.¡±


    She had always been very calm, so even though Yu Yaqing didn¡¯t particrly like her, she wouldn¡¯t underestimate her, and asked seriously, ¡°Where do you think we should look?¡±


    Bai Youwei said, ¡°I n to go to the basement. I heard there¡¯s a cage down there.¡±


    Yu Yaqing frowned, ¡°There is indeed a cage, but it¡¯s empty and the other parts of the basement are cluttered with various items, empty bottles, rotten wood, broken cans and the like. We¡¯ve already searched it all.¡±


    ¡°I want to look again,¡± Bai Youwei answered calmly, ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about where the locked room is, and then I thought, isn¡¯t the locked room the jail? So, since we haven¡¯t found anything on the third floor, why not take a chance in the basement?¡±

 Chapter 347: 347 Basement (Extra Update/Bonus Chapter with Monthly Tickets!!!)

    Chapter 347: 347 Basement (Extra Update/Bonus Chapter with Monthly Tickets!!!)<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Yu Yaqing contemted for a moment before nodding, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s make another trip to the basement.¡±


    After the six women had finished lunch, they tidied up and headed together to the basement.


    The mansion¡¯s basement had no lights.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Each of them took a candlestick for illumination. Once they reached the basement, they used the candlelight to light up the torches hanging on the walls.


    The basement was cold, damp, and gloomy. On one side, there was a damp and icy stone wall, while the other side had iron-made prison cells.<div>


    It was unclear what had been imprisoned in the cells; it could have been humans or animals. Some dry straw was scattered all over inside the prison cells, but aside from that, there was nothing else.


    Surprisingly, there was quite a lot of stuff leaning against the bars of the prison cells. Like Yu Yaqing mentioned, there were empty wine bottles, rusty iron cans and rotting wooden boxes. As soon as you opened them, a strong smell of mold and dust pounced on you, making people cough.


    They continued walking past a long row of prison cells.


    They walked to the very end.


    Bai Youwei, who stood before the door of thest prison cell, said, ¡°Someonee and see if you can open this.¡±


    Su Man stepped forward and tugged at the lock on the door, then looked up at them and said, ¡°It¡¯s locked.¡±


    Although the previous cells were also closed, they weren¡¯t locked, just loosely fastened with iron chains, and the doors could be pushed open.


    Unexpectedly, thest cell was actually locked.


    Surprisingly, Yu Yaqing¡¯s eyes went wide as she nced unconsciously at Hu Ya and Cheng Xi beside her.


    Hu Ya and Cheng Xi also looked shocked, and muttered, ¡°We had examined it all before¡­¡±


    When Yu Yaqing first brought people down here, indeed, they thoroughly checked each cell. However, by the end, some cells had only been nced over¡ªafter all, even without entering, they could easily look in through the bars.


    Considering the dim lighting and eerie ambiance, along with over a hundred cells, all heightened their psychological exhaustion and anxiety<div>


    For various reasons, they didn¡¯t manage to notice the peculiarity of the final cell.


    Yu Yaqing couldn¡¯t help but ask Bai Youwei, ¡°How did you know there was something wrong with this cell?¡±


    Bai Youwei had been sitting in her wheelchair all this time, not even touching the cells. Why was it that she had detected the cell¡¯s anomaly before they did?


    ¡°Because this is the 129th cell,¡± Bai Youwei casually exined, ¡°Since we came in, I¡¯ve been counting. Any extra cells would definitely have issues, but not necessarily thest one. We found it out now, I guess we¡¯re just lucky.¡±


    Lucky?


    Yu Yaqing never believed in luck; she only believed in strength.


    She narrowed her eyes slightly and studied Bai Youwei, who was sitting in her wheelchair, ¡°You¡¯ve yed a lot of games.¡±


    She asserted confidently.


    Bai Youwei nced at her without denying, ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ve yed a lot, and I understand the little tricks in the games better than you do.¡±


    No boasting, no showing off, just stating facts.


    Everyone was at a loss for words.


    After a moment of silence, Yu Yaqing spoke up, ¡°I hope you¡¯re right.¡±<div>


    She turned around and called, ¡°Hu Ya,e with me to find something to unlock this.¡±


    Hu Ya immediately picked up her candlestick and hurried after Yu Yaqing.


    In one of the rooms upstairs, there was an array of weapon collections, from saddles, armor, swords, bows to crossbows. Almost everything was there.


    Both of them managed to find somerge axes and swords, returning to the basement and unlocking the door.


    The six women walked in.


    Thest cell was just like the other cells.


    Aside from the mess of straw on the ground, there was nothing else.


    ¡°What the hell¡­ she¡¯s so high-and-mighty as if she looks down on us, but she still got it wrong. We¡¯ve done all this for nothing,¡± Hu Ya muttered resentfully.


    She didn¡¯t like Bai Youwei, a cripple who relied on others to survive, yet didn¡¯t know how to read people. She acted full of herself and ignored everyone.


    Cheng Xi suited her better.


    At least Cheng Xi knew that times had changed and was honest in her actions and words.


    <div>

 Chapter 348: 348 The End of the Passage

    Chapter 348: 348 The End of the Passage<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    ¡°Quick, everyone! Come over here!¡± Zhu Shu, who was touching a wall, eximed in surprise, ¡°The temperature over here is different!¡±


    Yu Yaqing walked over, raised her hand to feel it, then touched the wall next to it, her voice resonating in the silence, ¡°The bricks here are warmer and drier, there must be a space behind it.¡±


    Su Man squatted down, swept away the straw at the root of the wall, and dered out loud, ¡°The bricks are loose.¡±


    The women quickly squatted down to pry at the bricks.


    Hu Ya momentarily felt awkward.<div>


    Bai Youwei nced at her disinterestedly, and said, ¡°It¡¯spletely normal for me to look down on you.¡±


    Hu Ya:


    Layer byyer, the loose bricks were removed, revealing a faint glow from within.


    Yu Yaqing then pounded on it fiercely, causing a ring of bricks to copse! A square passage capable of amodating an adult had revealed itself in the dungeon wall.


    The passage was deep and seemed to lead upwards; the inner wall bore scratch marks and splotches of blood, along with strands of hair and broken nails. It looked like a chute for dumping corpses.


    As for why it was blocked, no one knew.


    Maybe it was simply to dupe their eyes.


    Yu Yaqing wrapped the hindering wedding dress skirt around her waist, bent down to crawl into the passage, and said, ¡°Hu Ya, follow me.¡±


    Hu Ya hesitated a little.


    No one knew where the passage led, and anything could happen.


    Perhaps they might see Zhao Lanfen¡¯s brutal death, or find a trace of Bluebeard himself. And if the monster went mad again, wouldn¡¯t they be walking into a trap?N?v(el)B\\jnn


    She was at a loss as to how to persuade Yu Yaqing, who was always firm in her actions¡­<div>


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    Suddenly, Su Man spoke.


    She also tied the wedding dress skirt around her waist, disregarding whether it looked graceful or not, and followed Yu Yaqing into the passage.


    Yu Yaqing inside frowned, ¡°Your hand is injured, you won¡¯t be able to move easily in the passage.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been resting all night, my hand is fine now as long as you don¡¯t twist my wrist likest time,¡± the usually serious Su Man self-mockingly quipped.


    Thinking about what had happened, Su Man still felt slightly bitter. She had never lost a battle among women, but to her surprise, the one to defeat her was Yu Yaqing.


    ¡°You follow behind me, but keep your distance. In case something happens to me, slide down immediately, inform the others at the bottom, and seal off the passage. Then think of another way, ¡± Yu Yaqing instructed.


    Su Man nodded.


    The two of them entered the passage one after the other, leaving the remaining four women waiting below.


    The air in the passage differed from the gloominess of the basement; it was warm.


    The higher Yu Yaqing went, the hotter it felt. Sweating profusely, her crawling elbows and knees began to slip.


    She held her breath, bing more cautious with every move.<div>


    Behind her, Su Man, as if sensing something, also slowed down.


    Finally, they reached the end of the passage.


    Something unknown had blocked it.


    Yu Yaqing cautiously reached out to touch it; it was made of metal and a bit hot, but not enough to cause a burn, it was still within the limits of what she could endure.


    She went closer to listen, but didn¡¯t hear anything.


    She then deliberately knocked on the metal to probe if there was any movement beyond.


    Still, there was no sound.


    Yu Yaqing torn off the skirt wrapped around her waist,yered it over her hand several times, and then pressed against the metallic object at the end of the passage, pushing it forcefully!


    Squeak


    The metal made a cringing, ear-piercing noise as it scraped the floor, and a heavy stench of blood assaulted their noses!


    Atst, the view beyond the passage was revealed to Yu Yaqing, who covered her mouth and nose in shock, staring wide-eyed. It was beyond words!


    A sight drenched in blood, to put it mildly.<div>


    Everywhere she saw, it was bloody red! Gory! Ancient torture racks lined the room, their surfaces covered in dried, solidified blood, bearing witness to countless silent screams of tormented souls!

 Chapter 349: Traces of the Mechanism

    Chapter 349: Traces of the Mechanism


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Yu Yaqing?¡±


    After a moment of silence, Su Man called out to her from below.


    ¡°Yu Yaqing, are you okay?¡±


    Finallying back to her senses, she wanted to speak, but found her throat was dry and hoarse.


    Yu Yaqing closed her eyes to recuperate a moment before replying, ¡°I¡¯m okay¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s up there? Is it safe?¡± Su Man asked again.


    Yu Yaqing exhaled slowly,posed herself, and opened her eyes again


    ¡°Up here¡­ it¡¯s arge room, very dark, lit by a few fire pits, but the fire inside seems to be dying out¡­ There are¡­ seven torture racks spread around, but no sign of Bluebeard.¡±


    She crawled out a bit further, lifting herself up to afford a wider view.


    That¡¯s when she noticed a pale figure lying on the floor in front of her. Her body froze instantly.


    ¡°Don¡¯te up yet.¡± Yu Yaqingmanded with a serious expression, staring at the figure before her. ¡°There¡¯s someone up here, it might be Zhao Lanfen. Let me check it out first, then you cane up if it¡¯s safe.¡±


    Down below, Su Man fell silent for two seconds before replying, ¡°Be careful.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t simply go and help because at the bottom of the passage, there were otherpanions waiting for her to bring back news.


    Yu Yaqing cautiously exited the passage, slowly stood up and began to walk step by step towards the figure.


    As she got closer, she realized it wasn¡¯t Zhao Lanfen, but a man.


    A manying there unconscious.


    He was dressed in a medieval ssic white shirt with broad sleeves shaped likenterns and an borately frilled cor ¡ª grandiose yet beautifully mboyant.


    The man looked frail, his skin was pale, his breathing faint.


    Yu Yaqing finally let out a sigh of relief.


    Despite her bravery, even surpassing that of a typical man, her subconscious still dreaded facing scenes of brutality or bloodshed.


    Yu Yaqing returned to the entrance of the passage and informed those below, ¡°There¡¯s an unconscious man here. He doesn¡¯t seem to be dangerous. You cane up now.¡±


    At her words, Su Man began to climb up.


    The moment she climbed up, she was rooted to the spot by what she saw. Goosebumps erupted all over her body as she eximed disgustingly, ¡°¡­How perverted!¡±


    Looking at the torture devices, even Yu Yaqing was at a loss for words, ¡°Unexpected, isn¡¯t it? Men and women are just people¡­ yet they can make devices like this¡­ as if they derive pleasure out of torturing females. Tell me, why did these men think it? Were they not born to mothers?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t say that¡­¡± Su Man frowned, surveying the torture devices. ¡°These are relics from medieval Europe, a dark period full of pige and ughter, devoid ofw and order. People back then were more barbaric and cruel. Such things wouldn¡¯t exist today!¡±


    Yu Yaqing smiled wryly, uttering in a low voice, ¡°Only because you haven¡¯t encountered them. To free ourselves from the yoke of men, we have to be stronger.¡±


    Su Man didn¡¯t want to discuss gender issues at such a time. She furrowed her brows and looked around, asking, ¡°Is this the third floor? How did we miss such a huge room before?¡±


    ¡°The door is here.¡± Yu Yaqing located the door, grabbed the handle and pulled it open N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Behind the door was a wall.


    She was taken aback. She pushed the wall and found that it was movable, able to rotate a full 180 degrees!


    ¡°So the mechanism is here.¡± Su Man was also amazed.


    The two women shifted the stone wall 90 degrees together, forming two exits. Outside was the corridor of the third floor!


    Then it dawned on Yu Yaqing, ¡°If we can¡¯t open the door from inside, even if we found traces of a mechanism on the third floor, we wouldn¡¯t be able to get in. Only when the door on the inside is opened, is there enough space for the stone wall to rotate.¡±


    Su Man stepped out, took a look at the corridors on both sides, and said, ¡°I will go down and inform them.¡±

 Chapter 350 - 350 Gardener

    Chapter 350: Gardener


    Trantor: 549690339


    When Su Man led Bai Youwei and the others to the third floor, the man in the torture chamber was also regaining consciousness.


    Upon seeing a group of women in front of him, he didn¡¯t seem surprised and introduced himself as the mansion¡¯s gardener.


    The gardener, due to his handsome appearance, was imprisoned by the Duke here. Whenever the Duke wanted to test a new bride, he would let him out, and if the bride had even the slightest contact with the gardener, it would provoke the Duke¡¯s anger.


    After hearing this, everyone understood that this man was likely a NPC from within the game.


    However, it was quite rare for an NPC with its own plot to appear in the game¡­


    Since they were all presumably oppressed by the Duke, and all shared the same tragically unfortunate circumstances, the gardener had a friendly attitude towards them and told them:


    ¡°The Duke only executes brides that make mistakes. As long as you don¡¯t make any, there is no danger.¡±


    ¡°How can we avoid making mistakes?¡± Zhu Shu asked, ¡°He killed one of ourpanions during dinnerst night.¡±


    The gardener replied: ¡°You cannot remove the wedding dresses that symbolize your identities, you cannot refuse to dine with the Duke, you cannot speak to any men other than the Duke¡­ As long as you do not anger the Duke, he will not harm you.¡±


    ¡°But we have already disobeyed his orders¡­¡± Cheng Xi trembled as she spoke, ¡°We entered the locked room¡­ We¡­ We also talked to a man other than the Duke¡­¡±


    As she spoke, she looked at the torture instruments inside the room, her heart chilled. She instinctively stepped back but unexpectedly hit a witch¡¯s chair and pricked her hand back, scaring her into screaming.


    The witch¡¯s chair, an ancient tool of torture, had nails on its back and armrests. Sitting on it, the nails would continuously puncture the body. During the Middle Ages, countless innocent women had been executed as witches on this chair.


    Cheng Xi¡¯s hand was only slightly pricked, but her mind was perilously close to breaking down!


    She covered her hand, shouting in terror, ¡°I don¡¯t want to stay here! I want to go back to my room!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a small prick! It¡¯s not like your hand got chopped off! Can¡¯t you calm down?!¡± Hu Ya berated her, ¡°Keep this up, you¡¯ll rm Bluebeard!¡±


    Cheng Xi¡¯s eyes widened, as though she was terrified. She curled up, ncing left and right fearfully, as if she feared Bluebeard would suddenly pop out from a corner. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Su Man had always disliked this girl who was always unting herself in front of Li Li, but she really didn¡¯t feel good looking at her unraveled state now.


    After examining all the torture instruments in the torture chamber, Bai Youwei asked the gardener, ¡°Do you know how to leave this ce?¡±


    The gardener paused a bit before answering, ¡°To leave this ce, you must find the key.¡±


    ¡°Key?¡± Bai Youwei narrowed her eyes slightly, ¡°The Inspector told us that to leave, we must be thest bride. He did not mention needing to find a key.¡±


    The gardener shook his head upon hearing this, ¡°I don¡¯t what thest bride means. I only know that if you want to leave this ce, you need the door key to the mansion. The Duke has hidden that key somewhere in this mansion.¡±


    Bai Youwei frowned and silently scrutinized him.


    The Inspector wanted them to be thest bride, while the NPC told them to find a key. Was it the Inspector ying a word game, or was an NPC lying?


    Zhu Shu whispered beside her, ¡°The NPC might have limited information, so it¡¯s normal if he doesn¡¯t know the Inspector¡¯s clue. I think we can look for the key.¡±


    After some thought, Bai Youwei tested him, ¡°Isn¡¯t it that we have to kill the Duke to leave this ce?¡±


    ¡°Kill the Duke?¡± The gardener¡¯s voice suddenly got higher, ¡°That¡¯s impossible! No matter how severely injured the Duke is, he heals very quickly. No one can hurt him! You should find the key as soon as possible! If you wait until sunset, it will be toote!¡±

 Chapter 351: I’m Not Him

    Chapter 351: I¡¯m Not Him


    Trantor: 549690339


    The Gardener¡¯s urging sent panic through their hearts.


    He kept mentioning the key.


    The key, the key! With such arge estate, hundreds of rooms upstairs and downstairs, how are they supposed to find the key?


    Bai Youwei felt irritated, she thought there was something fishy about the Gardener.


    But when it came to articting her suspicions, she was at a loss for words.


    If she really had to say¡­


    Perhaps it was the man¡¯s appearance that made her feel ufortable.


    This Gardener, despite possessing a distinctively European look, somehow reminded her of Shen Mo.


    Both had prominent noses and deep-set eyes¡­ Are all handsome men¡¯s features simr when looked at individually?


    The Gardener added, ¡°There are hundreds of rooms here, so you must spread out to search for the key. Otherwise, you won¡¯t be able to find it before the sun sets.¡±


    They were indeed running out of time.


    The women discussed again briefly, deciding to follow the Gardener¡¯s advice and search for the key separately.


    Everyone felt it was unlikely they would find such a small key in such a vast ce, but they had no choice but to try.


    Hu Ya was losing her patience as she rummaged through the room.


    This room was decorated with various clocks, each a masterpiece in its own right. But she had no mood to appreciate them, as she frantically searched for the key to the main door as the Gardener had mentioned.


    ¡°Have you found the key?¡±


    Somewhere along the way, the handsome Gardener walked in, saying to her kindly, ¡°If you¡¯re tired, take a break.¡±


    Hu Ya retorted irritably, ¡°No, this ce is too big. It takes forever just to search one room, let alone all the rooms!¡±


    After grumbling a bit, she realized that she was talking to an NPC and found it absurd that she was arguing with it and stopped talking.


    Unexpectedly, the Gardener continued the conversation with her.


    ¡°As long as you keep looking, you¡¯re bound to find it.¡± Heforted her kindly, speaking softly, ¡°You still have a chance to leave, but I must stay here forever. Doesn¡¯t that make you feel a bit better?¡±


    Hu Ya looked up at him in astonishment.


    He¡¯s an NPC and of course can¡¯t leave the game, but¡­ He¡¯s just an NPC, why does he seem so human-like?


    Maybe she stared at him too long, the Gardener smilingly said, ¡°Please don¡¯t look at me like that. If stared at by such a lovelydy like you, I would blush.¡±


    Hu Ya blushed slightly. No boy had everplimented her this way before, and she felt embarrassed¡­ even though he was an NPC.


    ¡°Lovely¡­ what¡­¡± she murmured back, ¡°Those are just sweet nothings.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re sincere.¡± The Gardener replied gently, ¡°You look cute when you¡¯re serious.¡±


    Hu Ya was taken aback for a moment, then looked at the Gardener again, her expression slowly changing¡­ n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± The Gardener asked softly.


    ¡°No¡­nothing.¡± Hu Ya gave a sheepishugh and averted her gaze, ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve thought since a while ago, you look like someone I know¡­¡±


    The Gardener asked, ¡°Really? Like who?¡±


    As Hu Ya casually continued her search, she was reminded of the past, ¡°You look like my senior. He¡­ was really handsome, very smart, and he also said something simr, that I looked cute when I was serious¡­¡±


    Hu Ya paused, her expression freezing in ce.


    The boys in her ss never liked her. They mocked her, saying she was too robust, too fierce, too loud, her clothes too outdated. They even teased her with various nicknames.


    Only that senior was kind to her.


    She wondered how he was doing now¡­


    ¡°No wonder I felt a sense of familiarity when I saw you.¡± The Gardener said with a smile, ¡°It must be the system projection at work.¡±


    Hu Ya was momentarily stunned, then asked him, ¡°You mean¡­my thoughts of him might have influenced you?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, to some extent.¡± The Gardener moved closer to her, gazing at her gently, ¡°So I felt your longing, and your pain.¡±


    Tears welled up in Hu Ya¡¯s eyes. She whispered, ¡°¡­ Are you him? My senior?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not him, but I can help you like he did.¡±


    The Gardener gently took Hu Ya¡¯s hand.

 Chapter 352: A Key (Extra update for stinky tofu)

    Chapter 352: A Key (Extra update for stinky tofu)


    Trantor: 549690339


    Ding-a-ling-a-ling-a-ling-a-ling!


    A sudden and urgent ringing sound echoed! n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Hu Ya quickly came to her senses.


    She hastily let go of the Gardener¡¯s hand, her heart greatly embarrassed!


    What was she thinking?! How could she be holding hands with an NPC?! NPCs are created for games! They are virtual! They are not real at all!


    Meanwhile, the incessant chiming of the clock was diposing her mind.


    ¡°Why is it suddenly making so much noise, it¡¯s deafening¡­¡± Hu Ya irritably looked around until she spotted an rm clock.


    The clock was of an ancient design and quite solid. It was enclosed by a wooden case with floral patterns and statues of angels.


    Unable to locate any mechanism to stop the ringing rm, she was irritated and upset and she lifted the rm clock to m it on the table!


    ¡°What a piece of junk! Stop ringing!¡±


    Thud!


    The wooden bottom fell off revealing a metal key that dropped to the ground.


    Simultaneously, the ringing also ceased.


    Hu Ya was startled as she stared at the key on the floor, not believing her own eyes.


    She actually found it?


    Is it really the key toplete the level?


    ¡°See, I told you,¡± the Gardener smiled warmly from the side. ¡°As long as you persist in searching, you will certainly find it.¡±


    ¡°Great!¡± Hu Ya picked up the key and immediately headed towards the door, ¡°I have to tell the team leader!¡±


    ¡°Please wait.¡± The Gardener suddenly held her back, ¡°You can¡¯t tell the others.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Hu Ya immediately became vignt, ¡°Why can¡¯t I tell the others?¡±


    Looking suspiciously at the Gardener, she pulled her hand back and said in a chilly voice, ¡°Listen, don¡¯t you try anything tricky with me. I am not easily deceived like those other girls!¡±


    The Gardener sighed softly past her protective wall, ¡°I said I would help you. In fact, there is something that I didn¡¯t tell you all earlier. Only one bride can escape from here. If you give the key to others¡­ Hu Ya, I am genuinely worried about you.¡±


    Hu Ya was stunned, ¡°Why¡­why can only one person leave even when we have found the key?¡±


    ¡°Because the carriage onlyes on Sunday. Without the carriage, anyone who escapes will be caught by the Duke.¡±


    The Gardener took her hand once again, bent over and whispered in her ear.


    ¡°The duke kills a bride every night, Hu Ya. If you want to get out of here, you must persist until Sunday, to be thest bride.¡±


    Hu Ya stared nkly at him, her heart in a turmoil and her mind chaotic. The key in her hand suddenly felt incredibly heavy, even prickly, as if it was piercing her palm.


    ¡°Only¡­only one can escape?¡± She muttered in a daze, ¡°Can¡¯t one more persone along? What about the team leader¡­?¡±


    ¡°Her?¡± The Gardner looked extremely concerned. ¡°If she is left till the end¡­¡±


    ¡°No! What I mean is¡­ is that the two of us¡­¡± Hu Ya hastily started exining, but halted midway.


    She looked more lost than before.


    If she and Yu Yaqing were thest ones left, and there was only a single chance for survival, then¡­ would Yu Yaqing spare her?


    No¡­


    That won¡¯t happen.


    Who doesn¡¯t want to live? Aren¡¯t we all trapped here, looking for a chance to survive?!


    So anyone can be left behind, except for Yu Yaqing!


    Because Yu Yaqing is the only person she definitely cannot ovee! ¨C That crying Cheng Xi! That injured Su Man! That simperingly fragile Zhu Shu! Or that wheel-chair bound Bai Youwei! She can beat all of them!


    Only Yu Yaqing!


    Her fingers slowly clenched into a fist.


    The key in her palm deeply embedded into her skin.


    Hu Ya stood there, stunned.


    Was she¡­ going to turn on Yu Yaqing now?


    Yu Yaqing pulled open a drawer and opened a jewellery box. The sparkling treasure didn¡¯t interest her, she was just frowning and searching, looking for the key.


    The sound of footsteps echoed at the entrance, she swiftly turned around, her gaze stern and demanding:


    ¡°Who is it?!¡±


    The gardener slowly walked into the room, raising his hand, ¡°Don¡¯t be rmed, I just¡­ wanted to help you.¡±

 Chapter 353: Two Keys

    Chapter 353: Two Keys


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°No need,¡± replied Yu Yaqing coldly, continuing her search for the key.


    Without leaving, the Gardener slowly approached her.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Yu Yaqing turned abruptly, pointing an iron sword at the Gardener, ¡°Stay where you are! Speak up! What are you trying to do?!¡±


    ¡°You seem to be very repulsive towards men,¡± the Gardener raised his hands, gesturing he meant no harm, ¡°Please believe me, I won¡¯t harm you. I only want to help you escape¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your help,¡± she retorted coldly, ¡°I can save myself! You¡¯re just a game NPC! How can you save others? It seems to me you¡¯re just trying to manipte the situation to please your Duke master!¡±


    She looked at the Gardener with utter disgust, venting her anger, ¡°I will not trust you! You, the Duke, the Inspector and this damned game are all the same, all loathsome! You all want to enve us!¡±


    The Gardener looked at her.


    After a while, he calmly started, ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to be angry. As you mentioned, I am just an NPC. I am here to give you a clue.¡±


    Yu Yaqing frowned, ¡°What clue?¡±


    ¡°The key,¡± the Gardener said, ¡°There¡¯s more than one. They can be real, or they can be fake.¡±


    Yu Yaqing¡¯s face changed color¡­


    ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡±


    ¡°Everyone will receive clues, and everyone¡¯s clues are different.¡±


    Looking at her, the Gardener said, ¡°Your clue is that only one key is real ¨C you can choose to share this clue, but I must remind you, yourpanions may not share their clues with you.¡±


    Startled, Yu Yaqing nked out, lost in thoughts for a moment.


    Without her noticing, the Gardener slowly moved closer to her.


    He looked frail, only up close could one realize that he was a man after all, taller and stronger than women¡­ He towered over Yu Yaqing, blocking the light before her, then bent down to whisper in her ear:


    ¡°The fewer people whoplete the level, the richer the rewards. The survivors can inherit the rewards of the deceased yers. If there¡¯s only one bride left, she can receive seven times the original reward.


    Of course¡­ I believe that more than any reward, you would like to save yourpanions. But yourpanions¡­


    Do you think they would share the real key with you, if they found it?¡±


    Yu Yaqing pressed her lips together, saying nothing.


    The Gardener sighed sadly, ¡°Are you really going to make the same mistake twice? ¡­ Back then, you were imprisoned in a cer along with a group of girls. In order to escape, you deceived your master into giving you a hairpin, nning to work the lock with the metal from the hairpin. But¡­


    Your n failed.


    Because you were too kind, you wanted to take everyone with you. They betrayed you, just because you were the master¡¯s favorite!


    Living in confinement wore down their will, and petty jealousy added to their stupidity! They were the informants! They were the traitors! They relied too much on men and lost their own personalities, betraying theirrades, depriving you of your chance to escape, and getting you beaten as punishment! ¡­¡± N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°Stop it!!!¡±


    Yu Yaqing roared.


    She grabbed the Gardener by his cor.


    ¡°Why do you know all this?!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± The Gardener looked calmly into her eyes, ¡°The moment I met you, this information just entered my brain. Maybe it¡¯s all part of the game setup, a test for you.¡±


    Yu Yaqing furiously shoved him away.


    Barely visible, a smile yed at the corner of the Gardener¡¯s lips. Thrust backward, he crashed into a disy cab behind him.


    ng!


    A small, intricate box fell from the top of the cab, the lid flung open!


    Releasing the key that was once hidden inside!


    Yu Yaqing was startled into silence.


    After a while, she bent down to pick it up, examining the key in her hand.


    The Gardener¡¯s smile widened, ¡°Congrattions, the key you found is real.¡±

 Chapter 354: The NPC is Strange

    Chapter 354: The NPC is Strange


    Trantor: 549690339


    Congrattions, you¡¯ve found the ¡°True Key¡±.


    So, are you going to share it with yourrades?


    Will yourrades share their ¡°False Keys¡± with you?


    The fewer the people who pass, the more bountiful the reward. Who will be the traitor among them? Who harbors ill intent?


    The Gardener watched quietly at the changing expressions on Yu Yaqing¡¯s face.


    Her internal struggle, doubt, regret, and agony all served to enhance his pleasure!


    Women¡­


    Selfish, greedy, vain, foolish! No matter how independent or strong they be, they are destined to be ythings!


    Women! Either conquer them with power or lose them in tenderness!


    They will eventually obey the words of men!


    So, which bride should he see next?


    He was eager to taste their suffering¡­


    The Gardener left the room and walked leisurely along the corridor.


    As he passed a room, he saw Zhu Shu on tip-toes, struggling to remove a decorative painting on the wall.


    He walked in, intending to kindly ask: ¡°Do you need help¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, Su Man came over from the other side, swiftly taking down the painting, saying: ¡°You¡¯re too short, be careful the frame doesn¡¯t fall and hit your head.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m 163cm, not too short, the painting is hung too high¡­¡± Zhu Shu looked behind the painting and showed disappointment, ¡°There¡¯s no key. I used to hide stuff behind paintings.¡±


    ¡°There are several other paintings over there, you can take them down and look.¡± Su Man turned around, only to see the Gardener at the door, and suspiciously asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    The Gardener gave a gentle smile: ¡°Is there anything I can help with?¡±


    ¡°Strange¡­¡± Su Man furrowed her brows, took a few steps closer to look at him, ¡°Why do I think you look¡­ uh¡­ a bit like Li Li?¡±


    ¡°You think he looks like Li Li?¡± Zhu Shu looked surprised, nced from Su Man to the Gardener, ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like it, which part does?¡± N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The Gardener slightly bowed: ¡°The sun is about to set, I have to get back to the dungeon, or if the Duke finds out, there might be trouble. I hope you find the key soon.¡±


    He turned and left, leaving the two women in mutual consternation.


    ¡°This NPC is so weird¡­¡±


    ¡°Never mind, ignore him. Let¡¯s continue looking for the key! Ah, where would the Duke hide the key? Such a hassle¡­¡±


    The Gardener continued along the corridor, asionally looking over his shoulder with slight annoyance.


    He had told them to split up and look for the key, but those two were still together.


    Which bride is still alone now?


    He squinted his eyes slightly and spotted Bai Youwei ahead.


    She was sitting in a wheelchair, alone, stationed quietly at the entrance of the spiral staircase, gazing downstairs, seemingly lost in thought.


    No family, no friends, no healthy body, and naturally arrogant and sensitive! Which other woman could be a better ¡°target¡± than her?


    The Gardener approached her.


    ¡°Why are you here alone?¡± He asked with a smile, ¡°Everyone else is looking for the key, aren¡¯t you going to join them?¡±


    Bai Youwei furrowed her brows, closing her eyes.


    The Gardener took a few more steps towards her, softly asked: ¡°Do you need my help?¡±


    ¡°I hate it when people talk to me while I¡¯m deep in thought.¡± Bai Youwei opened her eyes with evident displeasure, ¡°Can you get lost?¡±


    The Gardener:


    After a pause of two seconds, he rephrased his words:


    ¡°You might be able to protect yourself from harm with a thorny exterior, but you also often hurt yourself. If you stay here alone and the key is found by others, you¡¯ll be on the defensive. Do you want the situation to be like that?


    Have you not had enough of those passive days? You are clearly very smart, but because of your body, you are forced to passively ept all arrangements. No one asks if you like it, if you¡¯re happy with it, if you¡¯re willing¡­ Now, you¡¯ve finally tasted the vor of initiative. Are you going to give it up?¡±


    Bai Youwei looked at him expressionlessly:


    ¡°I said, get lost.¡±

 Chapter 355: Need Any Help?

    Chapter 355: Need Any Help?


    Trantor: 549690339


    The gardener stood still in front of her.


    After a moment, he averted his gaze, preparing to shift to another target.


    However, before he could take ten steps, Bai Youwei called out to him from behind, saying, ¡°Hey, where do you think you¡¯re going?¡±


    The gardener was taken aback, then a slight smirk yed on his lips.


    Ah, women¡­


    He turned around to face Bai Youwei with an understanding expression and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to see if the other brides need help.¡±


    ¡°Who could need more help than a cripple?¡± Bai Youwei said tly, ¡°Just stay here and help me.¡±


    The gardener smiled, bowing politely, ¡°I am honored to serve you.¡±


    Bai Youwei¡¯s face revealed no emotion and she said lightly: ¡°Since I am the Duke¡¯s bride, thedy of this mansion, and you¡¯re a mere gardener, of course you should serve me.¡±


    The smile on the gardener¡¯s face faltered, ¡°¡­As long as it¡¯s within my means.¡±


    Bai Youwei pointed downwards: ¡°They¡¯re all looking for the key on the third floor. I want to search downstairs. Carry me down.¡±


    After a moment of thought, the gardener said, ¡°Alright.¡±


    He crouched down in front of Bai Youwei, waited for her to climb onto his back, then carried her downstairs.


    Upon reaching the first floor, he set Bai Youwei down on the couch in the hall.


    Bai Youwei said: ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind. I¡¯m a cripple and I can¡¯t possibly look for the key in such a huge ce. I should stay on the third floor to keep an eye on the others so they won¡¯t hide the key while I¡¯m not there.¡±


    The gardener considered her words.


    He picked up Bai Youwei once more, taking her back up to the third floor.


    As soon as Bai Youwei touched her wheelchair, she sighed in frustration: ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s return to the first floor. So much time has already passed, if they wanted to hide the key, they¡¯ve likely done so already. There¡¯s no point in me watching them. I might as well rest in my room.¡±


    The gardener started to feel something was off, hesitating, he asked, ¡°Are you sure you want to go to the first floor?¡±


    ¡°What, you don¡¯t want to?¡± Bai Youwei raised her eyebrows, ¡°You mentioned earlier that you would serve me, didn¡¯t you? As an NPC, I¡¯d appreciate it if you could act ordingly, okay?¡±


    The gardener:


    Left speechless, he once again crouched down in front of her.


    He picked up Bai Youwei and swiftly returned to the first floor, setting her down once more.


    Bai Youwei said: ¡°Let¡¯s go back up to the third floor again.¡±


    The gardener lost his temper atst:¡± What for this time? The sun is about to set. I must return to my quarters before the Dukees back!¡±


    ¡°Why the big reaction?¡± Bai Youwei frowned displeasedly. ¡°My wheelchair is still on the third floor, do you mean you are not going to get it for me?¡±


    The gardener was taken aback, then stared at her with a dark expression, ¡°¡­Alright, I will retrieve it for you.¡±


    Once again, he traversed those lengthy spiral stairs to retrieve Bai Youwei¡¯s wheelchair.


    Bai Youwei said: ¡°Okay, you can go to the third floor now.¡±


    The gardener snapped: ¡°I was genuinely trying to help. You shouldn¡¯t y me like this!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Bai Youwei looked up at him, ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you who just said you need to return to your quarters before the Duke gets back? If you don¡¯t go up to the third floor, are you nning on having dinner with me here on the first floor?¡±


    The gardener:


    Frustration was building within him, his hands clenched into fists, and at the same time, he was perplexed: why would a yer behave in such a way? N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Could it be that she had seen through him?


    But he hadn¡¯t shown any signs of slips at all!


    At that moment, frantic crying echoed down from above.


    Between sobs, Cheng Xi ran around aimlessly in the hallways, murmuring anxiously to herself: ¡°What to do¡­ I can¡¯t find it¡­ I just can¡¯t find it¡­ He¡¯s going toe and kill me¡­ I can¡¯t find the key¡­¡±


    The gardener adjusted his expression, then ascended the staircase with a naturally gentle and concerned expression, ¡°Do you¡­ require any assistance?¡±

 Chapter 356: Chaos

    Chapter 356: Chaos


    Trantor: 549690339


    Bai Youwei lifted her head, looking at the two by the railing.


    The Gardener wasforting Cheng Xi meticulously.


    Severely frightened, Cheng Xi needed such care. She was sobbing non-stop in his embrace, making them appear more intimate.


    Bai Youwei shifted her eyes away, refusing to watch the man and woman, and looked down at her own hands instead.


    There was a button in her palm.


    The one she just ripped from the Gardener¡¯s shirt.


    The Gardener, due to his constanting and going between the floors, lost the gentle carefulness he had at the beginning and was rushing up and down incessantly, totally oblivious to Bai Youwei¡¯s action.


    She stared at it for a moment, put the button away, and wheeled herself towards the dining room.


    At this moment, a quarrel broke out upstairs!


    ¡°Cheng Xi! Are you a dog that cannot change its habit of eating poop?! It¡¯s only been a few minutes since Ist saw you, and now you¡¯re in a man¡¯s arms?!¡± Hu Ya¡¯s voice was loud and piercing, filled with nameless fury.


    Cheng Xi, already frightened like a quail, was now being reprimanded by Hu Ya. Her face turned pale white, tears streaming down her face, unable to utter a word.


    Yu Yaqing also found Cheng Xi¡¯s behavior inappropriate. At such a critical moment, she was still flirting with the NPC, it was simply absurd.


    However, Hu Ya¡¯s words were way too harsh. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    She frowned and said: ¡°What on earth are you arguing with her about at this time?¡±


    Hu Ya yanked Cheng Xi from the Gardener¡¯s embrace and dumped her onto the ground with utter disgust! Cheng Xi staggered and fell, her teary eyes looked pitiful and ever so fragile.


    Seeing her in this vulnerable state, Hu Ya¡¯s anger surged, and she raised her hand, ready to p her!


    ¡°Hu Ya!¡± Unable to bear it, Yu Yaqing blocked Hu Ya, ¡°What are you going crazy for?!¡±


    ¡°I need to teach her a lesson!¡± Hu Ya fumed, ring daggers at Cheng Xi, ¡°I need to cure her disease of not being able to leave men alone for three minutes!¡±


    Yu Yaqing scolded her coldly: ¡°Enough! What she does has nothing to do with you! Handle your own business properly! Did you find the key you¡¯re supposed to look for? Did you?!¡±


    Hu Ya bit her lip, replying: ¡°No!¡±


    Yu Yaqing furrowed her eyebrows and looked at Su Man and Zhu Shu: ¡°What about you two? Did you find the key?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Su Man shook her head, saying exasperatedly, ¡°There are too many rooms, we don¡¯t even know where to start looking.¡±


    Yu Yaqing frowned deeply but said nothing.


    She thought about what the Gardener said about the True Key¡­


    Now, Hu Ya, Zhu Shu, Su Man¡­ all imed not to have found the key, implying that out of the six of them, only she had found a key, and it was the True Key.


    They didn¡¯t find a single fake key, is that even possible?


    Did they hide the information? Just like the Gardener said, were they¡­ all wanting to be the st bride¡±, in order to receive a high reward? Even at the expense of betraying theirrades?


    ¡­Comrades?


    No, they weren¡¯trades in the first ce.


    Some of them even had old scores to settle.


    Yu Yaqing pursed her lips, the scale in her heart tipping from side to side, wavering non-stop.


    The real key was in her hand.


    But should she, tell them?


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, Hu Ya was experiencing a different kind of chaos internally¨C


    I trusted her so much! She actually scolded me in public for that wretched Cheng Xi?!!!


    What does she take me for?!! A servant girl she could order around and scold at will?! Since she looks down on me! Why should I listen to her?!! Why?!!


    I will not hand over the key, I will not tell anyone!


    I must survive till Sunday and be thest bride!


    Bai Youwei gave these women, each with a different expression, a nce, withdrew her gaze, and wheeled herself directly towards the dining room.


    There was still a little while till dinner time, and the Inspector was preparing the meal.


    But the so-called dinner was nothing more than some raw, bloody meat that was absolutely unappetizing.


    Bai Youwei sat down in silence, studying the Inspector.


    He nced over at her, smiling slightly, ¡°Do you have any questions?¡±


    Resting her cheek on her hand, Bai Youwei slowly said: ¡°I met a gardener in the mansion today. His demeanor and aura reminded me of you.¡±


    After a pause, she added: ¡°But not as ugly as you.¡±


    Inspector:

 Chapter 357: 357: Bluebeard’s Return (Additional Chapter for Monthly Ticket!!!)

    Chapter 357: 357: Bluebeard¡¯s Return (Additional Chapter for Monthly Ticket!!!)<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    It waited for a moment before replying in a ¡°calm andposed¡± manner:


    ¡°This is quite normal, the game is designed and controlled by the Inspector. When certain special roles are generated, they naturally incorporate the corresponding attributes of the Inspector.¡±


    Bai Youwei: ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    The Inspector continued, ¡°This is basic game knowledge, telling you this does not count as a vition or cheating. If you are fortunate enough to survive, you will discover simr situations in other games.¡±


    Bai Youwei nodded with sudden realization and then asked it, ¡°How many Inspectors are there in total?¡±<div>


    ¡°This question has nothing to do with the current game, so there is no need to answer it,¡± it replied indifferently.


    Bai Youwei thought for a moment and then rephrased her question, ¡°The Inspector for the female-only game is male, so would there be a female Inspector for a male-only game? I think this isn¡¯t right, you should switch it around.¡±


    The Inspector smirked arrogantly, ¡°We are entities that you humans cannotprehend. We have no age, no gender, no identity or name, we are united, without distinction of one another. Therefore, your concerns arepletely unnecessary.¡±


    Bai Youwei looked thoughtful.


    The Inspector nced at the outside sky, upturned the corners of its mouth, slightly bowed towards the six brides, and said:


    ¡°The Duke will be back soon, enjoy your meal. Excuse me.¡±


    The Inspector left.


    The dining room was deathly silent, no one spoke.


    The light was dazzling, the food was bloody, and the dining utensils in front of them were ice cold.


    Bai Youwei kept petting the rabbit, Su Man anxiously nced outside the restaurant, Zhu Shu mulled over while holding her knife and fork, Hu Ya remained silent with a straight face, and Cheng Xi was quietly sobbing¡­


    And there was Yu Yaqing.


    Yu Yaqing held that so-called ¡°True Key¡±. Her usually resolute personality was wavering for the first time, she didn¡¯t know what to do!<div>


    A loud bang echoed from the outside door!


    Bluebeard had returned!


    He strode into the dining room, his full-bearded face like a lion or a bear, like a beast walking upright, yet his attire was clean and proper! The sparkling gemstones on his royal blue suit shimmered with each movement!


    He sat down and indulged himself in the feast just as he did yesterday!


    Chewing on raw meat!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Tearing apart the innards!


    Bright red blood stained the entire table!


    Then, with that mouth reeking of blood, he queried:


    ¡°My brides, why aren¡¯t you eating? Don¡¯t you want to dine with me?¡±


    This time, no one dared to leave their seat.


    Refusing to partake in the dinner with the Duke would enrage him.


    Bai Youwei picked up her knife and fork, and started to cut the meat on her te.<div>


    Looking at her with aplex expression, Su Man struggled to ask, ¡°¡­You¡¯re really going to eat it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better than dying, isn¡¯t it? We should be thankful it¡¯s beef, not chicken, otherwise we could get salmone poisoning and die of diarrhea before the game ends¡­¡±


    Bai Youwei closed her eyes and put a small piece of meat into her mouth. Suddenly her eyes sprung open, as if surprised, ¡°Mmm¡­ the taste is actually not bad.¡±


    Su Man didn¡¯t believe it and tried a bite herself. Her face twisted almost instantly, ¡°You liar!¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡± Bai Youwei calmly put down her knife and fork, wiping the corner of her mouth with a napkin, ¡°If I didn¡¯t deceive you, how would you be able to swallow it?¡±


    Su Man covered her mouth:


    Zhu Shu also forced herself to eat a small piece of raw beef,forting Su Man, ¡°It will be fine after you eat it.¡±


    Yu Yaqing, Hu Ya, and Cheng Xi also ate the beef.


    Bluebeard was satisfied with this andughed heartily.


    Thatughter seemed to originate directly from his throat, carrying a coarse tremor that sent chills down their spines.


    When theughter ceased, he grinned broadly, showing off his single sharp canine tooth, and asked with a smile:


    ¡°My lovely brides, while I was away today, have you all been obedient like I asked?¡±<div>

 Chapter 358: 358: The Second One

    Chapter 358: 358: The Second One<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    The women stared at each other, nobody dared to pipe up.


    The dining hall was deathly quiet.


    The Duke¡¯s gaze slowly drifted over each of their faces, finally resting on Cheng Xi.


    Cheng Xi¡¯s trembling body shook even more violently. Her eyes widened in terror, her face devoid of colour. She stood rigid, as if about to faint any moment.


    The Duke narrowed his eyes at her, his voice slow and cold. ¡°Have any of you¡­disobeyed my orders and entered a locked room?¡±<div>


    Fearfully, Cheng Xi shook her head.


    She wanted to deny it, but she was voiceless from extreme fear.


    ¡°Why always¡­¡± the Duke sighed, putting down his knife and fork.


    The nging of metal against porcin echoed, making everyone¡¯s heart skip a beat.


    They all tensely eyed the humanoid beast, their hands clenched tightly around their weapons under the table, ready to retaliate.


    ¡°Why?¡­ Why must women always be this way? No matter how many precious jewels I give you, no matter how many beautiful clothes, you¡¯re never satisfied, always wanting more! Why?!¡±


    The Duke suddenly roared.


    He rose from his seat and took long strides towards Cheng Xi.


    Cheng Xi shuddered violently, watching the Duke loom closer with great terror.


    She was motionless, apart from the shaking. She couldn¡¯t run even if she tried.


    ¡°What is this?¡± he grabbed hold of her hand and yanked it upwards.


    ¡°Agh¡­¡±<div>


    Cheng Xi was lifted up into the air. Her silence broke, and she let out a sharp, high-pitched scream.


    ¡°You dared to go to that locked room!¡± the Duke growled, gripping her wrist, ¡°You damned woman, lying right to my face?!!¡±


    Her wrist was squeezed until it was deformed. The red cloth wrapped around her hand came loose, revealing the wound on her hand.


    Cheng Xi screamed in pain. ¡°Ah!!!¡­ I didn¡¯t! It was them¡­¡±


    ¡°Still won¡¯t admit it?!¡± The Duke, face twisted in anger, dragged her towards the dining hall exit. ¡°Disobedient brides must be punished! Only by paying the price in blood can you learn how to be a proper bride!¡±


    Her bones creaked under his grip, blood dripping down her arm, staining her skin and the bridal gown. That arm of hers was almost crushed!


    Cheng Xi was dragged along the floor, like a blood-soaked dead fish.


    Everyone shivered with fear.


    Catching Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze, Su Man knew it was time. She raised Iron Sword and charged without hesitation!


    Zhu Shu immediately followed suit.


    Yu Yaqing was taken aback momentarily before realising they hadn¡¯t lied to her.


    They really hadn¡¯t found the key! Otherwise, Su Man and Zhu Shu could have simply used the key to escape, without taking the risk to attack the Duke!<div>


    Once Yu Yaqing realised this, all the shadows clouding her heart were chased away, her body feeling lighter.


    Even though a fierce battle was imminent, at least her heart was no longer under torment!


    She gripped her sword tightly and chased after them out of the dining hall. Seeing Su Man aiming her sword at the Duke¡¯s chest, she coordinated her strike towards the Duke¡¯s back!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Caught between two attacks, the Duke was livid!


    However, just like the previous time, no matter what kind of attack he was subjected to, he refused to let go of Cheng Xi! He single-handedly fended off Su Man¡¯s and Yu Yaqing¡¯s attacks, showing no signs of weakness!


    He grabbed hold of the iing sword held by Yu Yaqing and flung it to the side!


    Even though Yu Yaqing was prepared and tried to dodge, she was still half a second toote! The overwhelming force flung her high into the air before she mmed onto the staircase!


    As she hit the ground, she protected her chest and forced herself to sit up. She then saw that Su Man had also been injured, her weapon already broken by the infuriated Duke!


    ¡°We can¡¯t keep doing this!¡± Yu Yaqing yelled to Su Man, ¡°We can¡¯t hurt him!¡±

 Chapter 359: 359: Kill Him

    Chapter 359: 359: Kill Him<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Whether it was shing, chopping, or piercing, all were useless!


    The Duke was just like an iron wall! Regardless of where they attacked his body, he seemed to be immune to pain! Even if a small injury was inflicted, it would heal quickly!


    Not to mention hurting him, they couldn¡¯t even stop him now!


    In just two or three seconds after Yu Yaqing and Su Man stopped, the Duke had already dragged Cheng Xi to the third floor¡ª


    Upon reaching the third floor, the barely alive Cheng Xi suddenly let out a cry that sounded like both crying and roaring!<div>


    As if in a final act of resistance, she opened her eyes wide, twisted her body, and used all her strength to throw two beads at the Duke!


    Of the two beads, the Duke dodged one, and the other hit his shoulder.


    The Duke¡¯s body trembled twice due to the pain, and a low growl came from his throat, then he continued to drag her forward!


    ¡°Why¡­¡± Cheng Xi couldn¡¯t ept this oue, ¡°why didn¡¯t it explode¡­why didn¡¯t it explode?! Why aargh!!!¡±


    Zhu Shu, who had rushed over, couldn¡¯t ept it either and threw out three beads at once!


    But the God of Luck no longer favored her.


    The beads without explosive effects only made the Duke feel pain and couldn¡¯t cause substantial damage.


    He dragged Cheng Xi more and more quickly.


    The bride on the ground was screaming, wing, desperately struggling!


    She even wished she could bite off her own bloody arm that was being dragged!


    But she couldn¡¯t escape in the end!


    Cheng Xi was dragged by the Duke to the execution room.N?v(el)B\\jnn<div>


    The stone wall turned quickly, the Duke dragged Cheng Xi in, and then the stone wall closed a second before Su Man and Yu Yaqing could reach¡ª


    Bang!


    Yu Yaqing¡¯s fist pounded on the wall.


    The wall was unmoved.


    Since closing, this wall looked no different from the other walls.


    Yu Yaqing did not want to give up, and tried to push the wall again. Su Man and Zhu Shu also joined her, but it was useless.


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be like this¡­¡± Yu Yaqing again attempted to push the wall, ¡°why can he go in, but we can¡¯t?!¡±


    Su Man, who had been pushing for a while, ran out of strength, stopped to catch her breath.


    Cheng Xi¡¯s painful screams came from inside.


    As eerie and chilling as yesterday¡¯s Zhao Lanfen, echoing throughout the entire mansion, lingering endlessly¡­


    The three women looked at each other in silence.


    Their eyes were filled with helplessness, defeat, indignation, and the pain of shared hardships.<div>


    They couldn¡¯t save Cheng Xi, and they were desperate because they had no solution for that man-shaped beast!


    ¡°The game rules are constraining us, so we can¡¯t enter¡­¡± Zhu Shu looked at the wall and guessed, ¡°maybe, we can only enter this room during the day.¡±


    Yu Yaqing pondered for a moment, nodding, ¡°It¡¯s very likely. The night is the Duke¡¯s time, the day is the yer¡¯s time.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, to find Bai Youwei.¡± Su Man sighed and walked downstairs, ¡°she might have a way.¡±


    She had never been good at thinking, and before she relied on Yan Qingwen, and now she could only rely on Bai Youwei.


    When they went downstairs, they saw Bai Youwei waiting for them at the staircase.


    Su Man shook her head at her: ¡°We couldn¡¯t save her.¡±


    Bai Youwei, as if she had expected the result, asked calmly: ¡°Did you see it clearly?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Su Man nodded, ¡°I tore open his suit, and indeed, one button was missing from the inside shirt cor.¡±


    Yu Yaqing was confused, asking, ¡°What button?¡±


    Bai Youwei took out a button and threw it over gently. Yu Yaqing caught it, and saw that the button in her hand had a gold rim around it, and it looked somewhat familiar.


    ¡°This is the button from the Gardener¡¯s clothes, it seems it is indeed the same person.¡± Bai Youwei said tly, ¡°Since we can¡¯t kill him at night, we¡¯ll try during the day. The game always provides a way out.¡±<div>


    ¡°Kill him?!¡± Hu Ya, who had been silent, suddenly yelled, ¡°Are you so certain that killing the Gardener can bring us through the game? What if it¡¯s wrong?!!¡±

 Chapter 360: 360: Unable to Open

    Chapter 360: 360: Unable to Open<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    ¡°What if we¡¯re wrong?¡±


    Bai Youwei repeated Hu Ya¡¯s question, her tone somewhat perplexed.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°If we¡¯re wrong, we¡¯re wrong, it¡¯s just an NPC. What¡¯s the big deal if we kill the wrong person?¡±


    Su Man chimed in: ¡°Exactly, it¡¯s not a real person, just a game character. No harm done if we kill it.¡±


    ¡°You guys!¡­.¡± Hu Ya was getting frustrated and upset, ¡°What do you mean ¡®no harm done¡¯? The Gardener is an NPC, he might have important clues! If you kill him, we¡¯ll lose those clues!¡±<div>


    Bai Youwei narrowed her eyes and looked at Hu Ya: ¡°What, have you gained any clues from him?¡±


    Hu Ya hesitated and stuttered: ¡°I¡­I of course have not¡­¡±


    Yu Yaqing saw the change in her expression and asked sternly: ¡°Hu Ya, do you or do you not?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Hu Ya denied vehemently, ¡°I just think her way of clearing the game is wed! This game, how could it be justified that you just kill somebody and clear the stage? There must be something we don¡¯t know! We do not need to take the risk to attack the Duke. The people caught by the Duke cannot be saved, it¡¯s a waste of effort!¡±


    ¡°So, you didn¡¯t follow us just now?¡± Yu Yaqing frowned and said, ¡°We attacked the Duke not only to save the people, but also to test the Duke¡¯s strength and weaknesses. Even though he became extremely dangerous in his wrath, if the rule that he kills one person every night holds, then we are actually safe.¡±


    After a pause, she looked at Bai Youwei: ¡°Throughst night and tonight¡¯s attacks, I can confirm our attacks are ineffective. At least the weapons in this manor are useless to him.¡±


    Bai Youwei considered it for a moment and spoke lightly, ¡°Everyone, take some rest. We will examine the execution chamber once the dawn breaks.¡±


    As she prepared to wheel herself away, Yu Yaqing called her back,


    ¡°Wait a minute.¡±


    Bai Youwei stopped and looked at her puzzled.


    Yu Yaqing pursed her lips and said, ¡°Actually, I have the clue provided by the Gardener.¡±


    Su Man and Zhu Shu both looked surprised.<div>


    Hu Ya was also taken aback, her eyes fixated on Yu Yaqing.


    ¡°What clue?¡± Bai Youwei asked.


    ¡°The Gardener once said that to leave this ce, we need to find the key to the manor¡¯s main door, butter¡­he told me there are real and fake keys, and mine, is real.¡±


    As she spoke, Yu Yaqing took out the key, and continued,


    ¡°The Gardener also said the fewer the number of people who pass, the greater the reward. If there¡¯s only one bride left in the end, she will receive seven times the reward.¡±


    ¡­Seven times reward!


    They were all taken aback.


    Some people¡¯s breathing became quicker.


    All eyes were focused on the key in Yu Yaqing¡¯s hand, including Bai Youwei¡¯s.


    She reached out to take the key from Yu Yaqing, her hand hovered in the air, paused for two seconds before retracting it, and said with a calm tone, ¡°Then let¡¯s give it a try.¡±


    Yu Yaqing held the key and said, ¡°Lets give it a try.¡±


    The five women came to the mansion¡¯s front door.<div>


    The door, was tightly closed.


    Complex patterns extended to the corners of the door frame, with a beautiful lock sitting in the middle like a work of art. Surrounded by golden splendor, it made this ce seem even more like a gorgeous cage.


    Yu Yaqing took a deep breath, aligned the key with the keyhole, and inserted it.


    Turned.


    Click¡­


    Yu Yaqing frowned and tried turning it the other way, but the key was stuck in the lock.


    She pulled out the key, looked at the others, looking somewhat confused.


    ¡°This key doesn¡¯t fit.¡± Yu Yaqing said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t work.¡±

 Chapter 361: Defects

    Chapter 361: Defects


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Let me give it a try!¡±


    Impatient, Su Man took the key from her, poking it back and forth into the lock, twisting it left and right¨C


    But it wouldn¡¯t budge.


    ¡°Could this key¡­be a fake?¡± Zhu Shu asked hesitantly.


    Yu Yaqing¡¯s face darkened instantly, ¡°He tricked me!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic, there might be usage restrictions.¡± Bai Youwei said calmly, ¡°Let¡¯s try again when daylightes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a possibility.¡± Zhu Shu nodded in agreement to Bai Youwei¡¯s words, ¡°Just like Bluebeard¡¯s dungeon, it can¡¯t be entered at night, only during the day. We shouldn¡¯t be discouraged; let¡¯s try again tomorrow.¡±


    Yu Yaqing, somewhat appeased by their logic, nodded her head they said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s try again tomorrow.¡±


    Then, Bai Youwei leisurely added, ¡°Besides conditions, there might be another reason.¡±


    Yu Yaqing cast her a doubtful look: ¡°What reason?¡±


    Bai Youwei casually said, ¡°You mentioned earlier¡­the fewer the number of survivors, the more substantial the prize. If only one bride is left, she will receive a sevenfold reward. Regardless of the truth of the gardener¡¯s words, as long as someone believes it, they might hide the true key to prevent us from advancing.¡±


    Yu Yaqing froze, ¡°You mean¡­someone among us¡­has hidden the real key?¡±


    She cast her eyes over everyone present¡­ Su Man, Zhu Shu, Bai Youwei, and ¡­ Hu Ya.


    As Hu Ya met Yu Yaqing¡¯s gaze, she instantly became flustered: ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­I didn¡¯t take the key! Maybe they took it!¡±


    Pointing at Zhu Shu, then at Bai Youwei!


    ¡°They¡¯re both so cunning! They¡¯re the ones who must¡¯ve hidden the key!¡±


    ¡°Enough, stop shouting.¡± Bai Youwei flicked her eyelids, somewhat irritated, ¡°You¡¯re giving me a headache. Regardless, we will know what¡¯s going on by tomorrow.¡±


    Yu Yaqing thought for a moment and said, ¡°You can return to your rooms, I want to go to the basement again.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going alone?¡± Su Man said, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    Zhu Shu hesitated for a while, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go too¡­¡±


    Reluctantly Bai Youwei said, ¡°Alright, alright, since we¡¯re all going, let¡¯s go.¡±


    The women headed for the basement.


    Hu Ya bit her lip and followed them.


    The basement was gloomy and cold.


    They ignited the torches on the walls and reached the end of the cage.


    The passage was still there.


    Warm air was flowing out of the passage.


    Yu Yaqing bent over and crawled in. After a while, Su Man followed her into the passage.


    It was expected to take a while, but unexpectedly, they both crawled back out after a short time, drenched in sweat, their faces flushed.


    ¡°It¡¯s too hot, we can¡¯t go in.¡± Yu Yaqing shook her head at them, ¡°The original exit is blocked by a metal brazier, and now there¡¯s a fire burning there, full of red-hot charcoals.¡±


    ¡°We can only wait until daylight when the firece has cooled before we can enter.¡± Su Man sighed, ¡°Let¡¯s go¡­¡±


    A shrill scream suddenly echoed from the passage.


    Everyone jumped in fright.


    Everyone looked involuntarily at the dark opening, thinking about Cheng Xi¡¯s current predicament, a chill ran up from their feet, causing their hair to stand on end.


    One after another, the fluctuating cries, eerie and terrible, faintly mingled with Zhao Lanfen¡¯s crying¡­


    At the other end of the passage, it seemed like a human hell.


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen anymore.¡± said Su Man with a grim face, ¡°It¡¯s all fake! Cheng Xi and Zhao Lanfen are already dead, it¡¯s the Duke trying to scare us!¡±


    Zhu Shu¡¯s face also turned pale as she slowly said, ¡°This is a women-only challenge, all the difficulties are targeting women¡¯s weaknesses, we can¡¯t fall for it.¡±


    Fragility, timidity, sensitivity, suspicion, and jealousy! N?v(el)B\\jnn


    These insignificant ws, right now, might cost them their lives!

 Chapter 362 - 362 Hu Ya

    Chapter 362: Hu Ya


    Trantor: 549690339


    Zhao Lanfen and Cheng Xi¡¯s screamssted all night.


    Bai Youwei pulled two balls of cotton out of her pillow, plugged her ears, and curled up to sleep with her bunny.


    She slept peacefully, but someone else couldn¡¯t.


    Hu Ya rolled over in bed, opened her eyes, looking at the dimly lit room, she couldn¡¯t calm her heart.


    Earlier, Yu Yaqing¡¯s key hadn¡¯t opened the door. Did that mean the key in her hand was the real one?


    Or¡­ were both keys fake?


    No¡­Impossible!


    Among the two keys, one must be the True Key! Killing the Duke won¡¯t work. If the keys were also fake, how could one advance in the game?!


    Hu Ya couldn¡¯t help sitting up in bed, gripping the key. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    If the key was a fake, it would be useless to surrender it;


    If she held the True Key, she¡¯d have to consider whether the game might only allow one yer to pass. Then, she would have to keep the key.


    Thest bride¡­


    Regardless, she must figure out a way to be thest bride!


    Hu Ya got out of bed, crossed the corridor, entered the hall, and came to the sealed door, pulling out her key¡ª


    Click, click, click¡­


    She turned the key left and right, but no matter how much she tried, it wouldn¡¯t open.


    The more she tried, the more frustrated she became, pulling it out and pushing it back in, trying repeatedly, the lock wouldn¡¯t budge!


    ¡°Why won¡¯t it open¡­ why¡­ could it be just like Bai Youwei said, it only opens during the day¡­¡±


    She bit her lip, turning the key while murmuring to herself, sweat beaded on her forehead.


    ¡°Stop trying.¡±


    A voice suddenly sounded behind her.


    Hu Ya jumped, turned around, and found it was Yu Yaqing!


    ¡°Tea¡­ team leader.¡± Hu Ya was flustered, ¡°You¡­why are you here¡­¡±


    Yu Yaqing did not respond, only looked at her coldly:


    ¡°Don¡¯t you understand? The Gardener is the Duke during the day, his words can¡¯t be trusted, he is deceiving us and wants us all to die here!¡±


    ¡°I know¡­¡± Hu Ya forced a lightugh, ¡°Of course I don¡¯t believe the Gardener, I just wanted to try.¡±


    ¡°Just trying?¡± Yu Yaqing stared into her eyes, ¡°You didn¡¯t want to escape alone? Hu Ya, what did I teach you?! Hand over the key!¡±


    Hu Ya took a step back, tucking the key back into her pocket:


    ¡°Team leader, although we haven¡¯t entered the game before, we¡¯ve heard quite a bit about the game from the exchange area. Most games arepetitive. Now both of us have keys, we should work together to win the game. How can you let them lead you around by the nose?¡±


    ¡°Hu Ya?¡± Yu Yaqing was surprised and angry at her attitude, his voice even harsher!


    ¡°Have you gone mad?! Do you really think that being thest one standing will give you more rewards? To betray your teammates for rewards?! Sacrifice others?! Have you been brainwashed by the game?!!¡±


    Hu Ya continued to back away, speaking slowly, ¡°I¡¯m not brainwashed, I¡¯m simply following your teachings. Didn¡¯t you always teach us to be independent and self-reliant?¡±


    Yu Yaqing retorted angrily: ¡°This isn¡¯t an excuse for you to hoard the key!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you understand?¡± Hu Ya continued to back off, ¡°¡­ with the key in my hand, I don¡¯t need anyone, I can finish the game! Instead you, team leader, I¡¯m disappointed in you¡­ You always say that women don¡¯t need to rely on anyone, what about you? Aren¡¯t you being dependent on them? Team leader, they¡¯re using you! Without you, they can¡¯t kill the Duke!¡±


    Yu Yaqing bellowed sternly: ¡°We can only leave this ce after killing the Duke!¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± Hu Ya bit her lip, her eyes zing with madness, ¡°Only thest bride can leave this ce!¡±

 Chapter 363: Ask Again

    Chapter 363: Ask Again


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Hu Ya!¡± Yu Yaqing didn¡¯t want to fall out with her former teammate. She took a step towards Hu Ya andmanded her again sternly, ¡°Hand over the key!¡±


    Hu Ya continued to retreat and then suddenly turned around to run down the corridor!


    Yu Yaqing lifted her leg to give chase, but she was a step too slow!


    Hu Ya ran into her own room, and with a thud, she closed the door!


    ¡°Hu Ya!¡± Yu Yaqing pounded on the door forcefully, ¡°Come out! Don¡¯t be foolish! The key may be a trap!¡±


    There was no reply from within the room.


    Meanwhile, everyone else was stirred awake. One by one, they left their rooms, looking puzzled, asking Yu Yaqing:


    ¡°What happened? Did something happen to Hu Ya?¡±


    Bai Youwei also rubbed her ears, sleepily asked: ¡°What are you guys fussing about?¡±


    Yu Yaqing felt somewhat embarrassed. Even though what Hu Ya did was out of her own volition, she was still part of Yu Yaqing¡¯s team, and Yu Yaqing felt responsible for her actions.


    ¡°Hu Ya has a key in her hands. She might be nning to do something¡­¡± Yu Yaqing pressed her lips together, softly saying, ¡°I¡¯m worried that something might go awry.¡±


    ¡°Maybe she came out in the middle of the night to open the door, found that she couldn¡¯t open it?¡± Bai Youwei yawned, casually saying, ¡°So what if she did? If Duke does not die, we cannot escape, and it doesn¡¯t make a difference if she¡¯s gone. Everyone should just go back to sleep.¡±


    She wheeled herself back to her room, closed the door and went to sleep.


    Su Man and Zhu Shu nced at each other and also returned to their respective rooms.


    Yu Yaqing took a look at their receding figures, and then at the tightly shut door in front of her¡­ she lifted her hand to knock on the door again.


    Thud! Thud!


    There was no sound from within the room.


    Yu Yaqing thought for a while and then said to the door: ¡°Hu Ya, no matter what, I hope you will reconsider. Do not let the game bewitch you.¡±


    After she finished speaking, there was still no sound.


    Yu Yaqing stood at the door for a while, then turned around and went back to her own room.


    Hu Ya¡¯s back was against the door. She slowly sank to the floor, lowering her head to look at the key in her hands. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°Is there anything else to think about¡­¡± she mumbled absently, looking at the key, ¡°If Duke dies, I can escape with them. If Duke does not die¡­ they will surely not survive. Only I¡­ Only I couldst until the veryst day.¡±


    She closed her eyes, clutching the key tightly.


    ¡°I can¡¯t trust them¡­ The only one I can rely on is myself.¡±


    Next day at daybreak, Bai Youwei got up early.


    By now, it was her third morning in the game, and she thought it was about time it ended.


    She wheeled herself into the dining room.


    The Inspector was arranging breakfast ¨C still simple milk and dry bread. Even though it was simple, he tirelessly adjusted the cement and angle of the dishes, like someone suffering from severe obsessivepulsive disorder.


    The others hadn¡¯t arrived yet.


    Bai Youwei took a bite of the dry bread first. It felt like she was chewing on wood chips.


    She put down the bread and took a sip of milk. Thankfully, the milk was fresh.


    ¡°There¡¯s something that has been bothering me¡­¡± she began, ¡°Considering this game is exclusively for women, isn¡¯t the victory condition of killing Duke a tad violent?¡±


    The Inspector silently looked at her.


    Bai Youwei said, ¡°After all, women aren¡¯t best known for their violence. But if isn¡¯t about killing Duke, then the only other alternative is finding the key.¡±


    At this point, she paused and looked up at the Inspector.


    ¡°But this alternative seems even less dependable¡­ ¡± She looked at his face, handsome as the boys in a manga, and said calmly, ¡°Because I cannot imagine, if an Inspector in a game deliberately gives out false intelligence, how can the game continue?¡±


    ¡°The Inspector is always correct,¡± he finally replied, ¡°It¡¯s the yers who may misunderstand, not the Inspector.¡±


    Bai Youwei asked, ¡°Then let me ask you once again, is the condition to clear the game to find the key?¡±


    The Inspector fell silent.


    After a moment, he answered, ¡°The condition to clear the game is, to be thest bride standing.¡±


    Bai Youwei gave a faint smile. ¡°Thank you.¡±

 Chapter 364: Torture

    Chapter 364: Torture


    Trantor: 549690339


    The Inspector gave a faint smile, ¡°You¡¯re wee, I just answered the questions as I should.¡±


    It bowed slightly, still polite and elegant, ¡°Then, please enjoy.¡±


    The Inspector left the dining room.


    When Su Man, Zhu Shu, and Yu Yaqing came over, they happened to see this scene and asked Bai Youwei, ¡°What were you discussing?¡±


    Bai Youwei shook her head lightly, ¡°Nothing much, we were just confirming things again.¡±


    Just now, the Inspector¡¯s answer didn¡¯t mention the key, which meant that the key had nothing to do with passing the round.


    Even if it did, it certainly wasn¡¯t essential, otherwise the Inspector would have reasons to tell the yers.


    The Inspector could conceal the process of meeting conditions, but it couldn¡¯t hide the conditions themselves!


    It could tell the yers to find the key and set up numerous obstacles in the process, but it couldn¡¯t conceal the task of ¡°finding the key¡±! If even the purpose is concealed, doesn¡¯t the challenge lose its meaning?


    A teacher can test students with questions, but you can¡¯t hide the questions and let students guess blindly!


    That would be unfair.


    ¡°The Duke must die.¡± She finished the remaining milk, wiped her mouth, and continued, ¡°In a game for women only, the Combat Power required shouldn¡¯t be too high, so the Duke must have a weakness. Since he¡¯s invincible at night, let¡¯s try the daytime gardener.¡±


    Su Man nodded in agreement, ¡°Yu Yaqing and I will go up from the basement, you and Zhu Shu wait directly on the third floor, we will open the door when we arrive.¡±


    Yu Yaqing frowned, as if she wanted to say something, but then she kept quiet.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Su Man nudged her in the arm.


    Yu Yaqing said, ¡°Hu Ya hasn¡¯t emerged.¡±


    ¡°Once she gets out of here, she¡¯ll feel better.¡± Su Man was unimpressed, ¡°There were many like her, just entered the game and was too shocked, became mentally abnormal.¡± N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Zhu Shu asked, ¡°Shall we go after breakfast?¡±


    Su Man said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the second floor first to find weapons, the swords from before have all been broken by him.¡±


    After a few discussions, they all got up and prepared to go to the third floor.


    Just as they were about to turn around, they surprisingly saw Hu Ya, who had been hiding in the room, came over.


    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry about what happened yesterday¡­¡± Hu Ya approached them remorsefully, ¡°I¡¯ve thought it over, I want to join you in fighting that monster, no amount of rewards canpare to the importance of everyone working together.¡±


    Her change was so sudden that everyone was at a loss for words.


    Yu Yaqing said, ¡°First,e and get the weapons with Su Man and me, then go to the third floor with Bai Youwei and Zhu Shu. You¡¯re agile and could be a great help.¡±


    Bai Youwei gave Hu Ya a casual nce and did not voice any objections to this arrangement.


    They split into two groups. One headed to the basement while the other made straight for the third floor. Meanwhile, Hu Ya was behaving honestly, causing no trouble.


    Before long, Su Man and Yu Yaqing had opened the stone wall.


    But their faces were extremely grim, standing at the door, not immediately letting Bai Youwei and the others in.


    ¡°Before youe in, you¡¯d better be prepared.¡± Yu Yaqing said gravely, ¡°Cheng Xi¡¯s corpse¡­ is in there.¡±


    Bai Youwei was puzzled, ¡°Only Cheng Xi¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Yu Yaqing furrowed her brows and nced inside, ¡°Anyway¡­ you¡¯ll know once you go in.¡±


    Bai Youwei¡¯s heart sank. She had a vague suspicion.


    She followed Yu Yaqing and Su Man into the torture room, and saw¡­ Cheng Xi was seated in the witch¡¯s chair, her body pierced with dense iron nails! Her once white shroud had long since turned crimson!


    Cheng Xi¡­ had been tortured!

 Chapter 365: Run

    Chapter 365: Run


    Trantor: 549690339 N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The sight before them was too grueling, causing Zhu Shu to cover her mouth, feeling the urge to physically vomit.


    Everyone¡¯s faces were pale with horror.


    Only after witnessing such brutal sacrifices could theyprehend ¨C bing a doll was, in fact, a gentle method of death.


    ¡°Why did Zhao Lanfen¡¯s body disappear, but Cheng Xi¡¯s is still here?¡± Su Man pondered, ¡°Could there be any special reason?¡±


    Bai Youwei looked around, her expression grim. ¡°Perhaps¡­ Zhao Lanfen didn¡¯t disappear. We just didn¡¯t see her.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­ Zhao Lanfen might be in this room too?¡± Su Man panicked.


    Regardless of how brave she was, the mere thought that a corpse was in the same room without them knowing created an immense uneasiness.


    Zhu Shu followed Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze andnded on a form of torture equipment against the wall. Her pale face nched even further.


    ¡°¡­Iron¡­Maiden¡­¡±


    Goosebumps tingled on Su Man¡¯s scalp, ¡°Speak clearly!¡±


    Zhu Shu tried to steady her ragged breath, attempting to maintain a calm demeanor. She slowly exined,


    ¡°It¡¯s a form of ancient torture device made in the shape of a human body, like a giant iron coffin, with a movable door embedded with sharp spikes. Once closed, the spikes pierce the person inside, and they are specifically designed to avoid immediate vital spots. The person wouldn¡¯t die instantly, but rather endure slow death in the darkness amidst unbearable agony¡­ ¡±


    Zhao Lanfen might very well be in that Iron Maiden.


    With a shaky voice, Su Man gritted her teeth, ¡°There are seven torture devices in here¡­¡±


    Seven torture devices.


    Seven brides.


    The room plunged into a dead silence.


    The mere thought of these brutal torture devices potentially being used on them made everyone shiver in terror, their faces pallid and speechless.


    As if¡­ they had reached their psychological breaking point, the fear ready to drive them insane at any time!


    Bai Youwei tried to bring her attention back.


    ¡°The Gardener¡­¡± She closed her eyes and asked, ¡°Has the Gardener awakened yet?¡±


    In the middle of the torture chamber floor, a many.


    Yu Yaqing went over to check, replying, ¡°No, he¡¯s still unconscious like yesterday.¡±


    Bai Youwei looked at herpanions and said, ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡±


    They had to kill him to end everything!


    In the fairytale, Bluebeard¡¯s death meant the end of the story. Let the game end that way too!


    Su Man held up the Iron Sword over the man on the ground, but a sense of pity washed over her as she looked at the Gardener who reminded her of Li Li. Despite her hesitation, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to do it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Yu Yaqing took a deep breath, lifting the sword, ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll pierce his heart. If it still doesn¡¯t work, don¡¯t worry about me. Escape.¡±


    Hu Ya unconsciously retreated a few steps towards the door.


    Bai Youwei and Zhu Shu fixed their gaze on the de pointed downwards.


    Yu Yaqing could hear her heart thumping, thumping¡­in fear and unease.


    She gritted her teeth, thrusting forward suddenly!


    The de plunged deep into the Gardener¡¯s chest!


    The Gardener jolted awake in that very instant!


    His surprised expression earnt to Yu Yaqing, to the sword and then his pierced chest!


    ¡°Aaaaahhhh!!!¡±


    He let out a howl of agony, suddenly struggling to his feet! With an uncanny strength, he flung Yu Yaqing aside! Then he let out a roar like a furious werewolf!


    His handsome features twisted hideously!


    Thick hair sprouted from his neck!


    And his body! His body began an rming transformation, growing taller and stronger! It was like a mountain standing between them, his eyes glowing a blood red!


    Yu Yaqing screamed, ¡°Run!!!¡±

 Chapter 366: Run!

    Chapter 366: Run!


    Trantor: 549690339


    Hu Ya was closest to the exit, when she saw the Gardener transforming into a wild beast, progressively retreating, her face turning entirely pale with fear!


    ¡°I said it before¡­ I said before that we couldn¡¯t kill him!¡± she suddenly screamed hysterically, ¡°I told you before! Only thest bride can escape alive!!!¡±


    After saying this, she ran away without caring about anyone else!


    The others ignored her.


    Su Man was unwilling to give up, ¡°Why is it still alive? If striking the heart is useless¡­ then I will cut off your head!¡±


    The beast was still raging, raising its head and roaring,pletely unaware that Su Man had already raised the Iron Sword high above her head!


    Bang!


    The heavy and sharp iron weapon hit the beast¡¯s neck, making a dull sound! Those thick bristles blocked the beast¡¯s attack, and not a single drop of blood was shed!


    ¡°We have to get out of here!¡± Yu Yaqing pulled Su Man¡¯s arm and dragged her out, ¡°Its wounds will heal quickly! It¡¯s useless to fight!!!¡±


    Zhu Shu was pulling Bai Youwei¡¯s wheelchair, swiftly retreating.


    The Gardener, transformed into a wild beast, roared and charged towards the door, trying to block their escape.


    Suddenly, an enormous bolt of blue-violet electricity hit him!


    The beast fell to the ground with a loud crash!


    This assault was unexpected and abrupt, that not just the beast, even Yu Yaqing and Su Man were stunned.


    Although Yu Yaqing had seen Bai Youwei use an electric weapon before, that time, it had only caused minor shocks, she had no idea that Bai Youwei could release such a powerful jolt of electricity!


    The blue light from earlier was like a bolt of lightning that had appeared out of nowhere!


    There was a faint smell of burnt fur in the air ¡­


    All of them froze.


    They gazed in shock and disbelief at the beastying on the ground.


    The humanoid beast didn¡¯t die right away, itid on the ground, its broad and sturdy back moving slightly, its fur bristling, emitting a coarse breathing sound from its throat.


    Bai Youwei frowned, and once again released a bolt of lightning!


    Boom!


    The blue-violet light exploded!


    This time, the sh of lightning was bigger! Brighter! Louder!


    All the clothes on the beast were reduced to ashes, revealing burnt ck fur. The skin around its mouth, nose, and eyes, the areas where the skin is weak, was all burned away, revealing strands of blood, looking absolutely terrifying.


    It fell silent and motionless on the ground.


    Before long, that low breathing noise resounded again


    The massive body was breathing, quivering, its ws scratching the floor, making creaking noises ¡­


    Looking at this, Bai Youwei¡¯s face darkened, ¡°It has an immortal body now, no matter how it¡¯s killed, it wille back to life! I can only release this kind of electrical shock two more times. You all should take advantage of this time to find a ce to hide!¡±


    ¡°What about you?!¡± Su Man asked anxiously.


    Bai Youwei bit her lip, looked back at Zhu Shu, and said, ¡°Zhu Shu stays, you and Yu Yaqing should go quickly!¡±


    Now was not the time to exercise modesty, the beast on the ground would soon recover! Su Man and Yu Yaqing exchanged a look, decisively ran out of the torture chamber, their footsteps gradually distancing away.


    With hundreds of rooms upstairs and downstairs, as long as they hid, even if the beast searched room by room, it may not be able to find them.


    With grinding teeth, the beast rose from the ground, creaking and gnashing. The burnt skin around the eyes had peeled away, leaving only two bloodshot eyes, ringly at Bai Youwei!


    Bai Youwei¡¯s expression was icy cold; another bolt of electricity wasunched!


    The beast fell to the ground once more!


    Zhu Shu pulled the wheelchair hurriedly outwards, her heart pounding, with hands all sweaty!


    The beast was on its feet not long after theynded in the corridor, scorched all over, entirely ck, and was walking toward them step by step


    The air was filled with the smell of burning and the stench of blood. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Bai Youwei released another bolt of electricity, in an attempt to push him back!


    The blue-violet light, like a broadsword, fell on the beast again! Only this time, the dazzling halo seemed a little smaller than thest time.


    Bai Youwei had stated earlier that she could only repeat this kind of attack twice, and this was already the second time!

 Chapter 367: 367: Run!

    Chapter 367: 367: Run!<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Zhu Shu¡¯s heart was in her throat as she saw the beast seemingly showing signs of revival. Her limbs were almost numb with panic as she pushed the wheelchair and sprinted in the opposite direction!


    Once her pace quickened, the sound of her footsteps could hardly be concealed. Sooner orter, the beast would track the noise and catch up!N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°Head towards the stairs!¡± Bai Youwei ordered.


    ¡°But! ¡­ ¡± Zhu Shu gasped, her face full of sweat, ¡°I can¡¯t run fast while carrying you downstairs!¡±


    Zhu Shu had been through thisbyrinth. With her physical ability, she could carry Bai Youwei. Although not as fast as Su Man, she could run quite fast. But<div>


    This ¡°fast¡± was far fromparable to the speed of the beast!


    ¡°Do as I say, head towards the stairs!¡± Bai Youweimanded again.


    Zhu Shu gritted her teeth and, increasing her speed, ran towards the spiral staircase ¡ª


    Heavy footsteps echoed from behind once more, the humanoid beast was catching up!


    After ¡°The Gardener¡± transformed into ¡°The Duke,¡± his speed and strength were greatly enhanced. Coupled with his body¡¯s continuous self-healing ability, he was virtually an indestructible killing machine.


    He slowly closed the distance towards Su Man and Bai Youwei.


    His charred body was quickly healing, although the scorched skin and fresh blood did not disappear, which made him look terrifying!


    He seemed like a demon crawled out from some corpse burning site!


    ¡°My lovely bride¡­¡±


    A hoarse voice arose from his throat, filled with a cacklingughter that seemed to ridicule their futile attempts to escape his clutches and showed excitement at finally cornering his prey down.


    He stared at Bai Youwei, his mouth covered in burnt skin and exposed a horrid smile: ¡°Since you are so eager, then¡­ let¡¯s start tonight¡¯s dinner a bit early.¡±


    Zhu Shu gripped the wheelchair¡¯s armrest and backed away.<div>


    Bai Youwei bit her lip and said nothing.


    He slowed his pace, relishing the moment, steadily moving closer and closer to them¡­


    ¡°What happened¡­¡± he sneered, ¡°My bride, your tool, can¡¯t it be used?¡±


    Bai Youwei quietly touched the fluffy rabbit¡¯s head and replied softly, ¡°It still works.¡±


    The Duke froze in his tracks.


    ¡°When I said it can be used twice more, you really thought that was all it had?¡± Bai Youwei lifted her head, her lips curling up in a smile that was as radiant as it was cruel. ¡°What a fool!¡±


    The Duke was taken aback, and without realizing, he stepped back just into the stairwell opening.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Before he could say any more, a massive bolt of lightning smashed down on his head! As terrifying as a monstrous crocodile trying to tear him to pieces!


    ¡°Zhu Shu!¡± Bai Youwei shouted.


    Zhu Shu hastily threw out thest three beads she had!


    All the while praying in her mind: They must explode! They must!<div>


    Boom!


    Fate finally smiled upon her again! One of the three beads caused a Thunderstorm Effect. Inbination with Bai Youwei¡¯s lighting, they sted the Duke down the staircase!


    The enormous being let out a wail of agony. His body fell, breaking the railing of the second floor and mmed heavily onto the first floor lobby!


    Thud!


    ¡­ Hey motionless.


    Zhu Shu nervously looked down at the scene and muttered, ¡°Is he dead¡­¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t die, but with such a severe injury, it will take him some time to recover.¡±


    Bai Youwei swiftly used the golden key to open the dollhouse,pletely ignoring Zhu Shu¡¯s shocked expression. She efficiently tossed the rabbit and her bag inside, then opened her foldable cane and got up.


    ¡°Hurry, throw my wheelchair down.¡± she instructed.


    The act of throwing down the wheelchair was to deceive the adversary. After all, hiding while using a wheelchair was not ideal. As long as they threw the wheelchair down, the Duke would have no way to determine where Bai Youwei was hiding.


    Leaning on the cane, Bai Youwei walked into the nearest room to the staircase on the third floor.


    Zhu Shu threw the wheelchair down and hastily entered the room too, quietly closing the door behind her<div>

 Chapter 368: 368: Hide Away

    Chapter 368: 368: Hide Away<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    This was a room filled with luxurious clothes.


    Except for the wall with the door, the other three walls were all filled with wardrobes!


    In the center of the room, there were more than ten lifelike models dressed in gorgeous fashion, their high wigs, puffed sleeves, and vast dragging skirts, as if hosting a court feast from the Elizabethan Era.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Zhu Shu opened the door of the wardrobe, guided Bai Youwei into it, then shut the door, and quickly hid herself under the model¡¯s dress.


    The court dresses of this time were very extravagant, within which was a waist pad made from velvet, therger the pad, the richer it signified the wearer was. Underneath it, there was a stillrger skirt pad, and only outside that was the actual dress.<div>


    Just a short moment after Zhu Shu was hidden, vibrating footsteps sounded from downstairs.


    The Duke was back.


    His footsteps were both hurried and heavy, filled with anger, almost like he had rushed straight to the third floor once he was recovered! Then started looking for them one by one!


    Just like Bai Youwei had suspected, he skipped the first two rooms and started his search from the third one.


    The rooms at the end of the corridor were more likely to be the subjects of his suspicion.


    Bai Youwei stayed quietly in the wardrobe, but her heart was far from settled, as if she were on a roasting fire.


    She rxed momentarily when the Duke walked further away but was worried again for Su Man and Yu Yaqing getting found, three of her worries due to theirradeship, and seven attributed to the game¡¯spetitiveness!


    She couldn¡¯t figure out, where did she go wrong!


    ording to her past gaming experience, killing the Duke would certainly have allowed them to pass the level, and since the Duke was invincible at night, then the daytime gardener was their opportunity!


    But why did it not work?


    The gardener did not die!


    Not only did he not die, he transformed into the Duke, causing the night to prematurely fall! Now, they were all his prey!<div>


    Regret or remorse are insufficient to describe her current feelings, there was more, a deep skepticism and confusion.


    The Duke¡¯s teeth-gritting calls echoed throughout the corridor.


    ¡°My lovely brides, where are you¡­ don¡¯t you know that refusing to dine with me shall enrage me!¡±


    ¡°Come out¡­ my brides, I can already smell you, like wild cats in a garbage dump, both fishy and unpleasant! Disgusting!¡±


    ¡°Where are you?! Come out!!!¡±


    ¡°Liars! Liars!!! Greedy, foolish women! I will tear you apart!!!¡±


    Roaring and pounding footsteps filled the manor, the floor trembling slightly with the master¡¯s fury.


    The Duke, having found nothing on the third floor, furiously went down to the second floor, and after another futile effort, went down to the first!


    As he went further away, the forceful sound of his voice also dwindled and softened.


    Zhu Shu slightly let her guard down.


    She huddled under the model¡¯s dress, her feet both sore and numb, yet dared not to move.


    Just when she was considering whether to stretch her legs, the footsteps suddenly got closer!<div>


    After searching the lower floor, it seemed the Duke suspected they had not left the third floor and came back again!


    The nerves she had just let go of promptly tightened again! Zhu Shu held her breath.


    Thud, bang.


    The sound of something falling to the floor.


    Zhu Shu¡¯s heart almost leaped out of her throat!


    Why on earth would something fall all of a sudden?! Could it be that something happened on Bai Youwei¡¯s end? Damn, this noise would definitely alert the Duke!


    As expected, the footsteps quickened its pace!


    Zhu Shu was filled with anxiety but had no solutions. She slightly raised the flowerce of the dress at the bottom ¨C


    There was no unusual movement near the wardrobe, instead, a piece of cloth swiftly retracted from the doorway.


    Zhu Shu froze.


    She recognized that piece of cloth.


    It was Hu Ya¡­<div>


    A chill arose in Zhu Shu¡¯s heart; she hadn¡¯t expected that in the unclear situation like this, Hu Ya wanted to harm them.

 Chapter 369: 369: Breaking Out

    Chapter 369: 369: Breaking Out<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    Such clear and distinct sound, naturally the Duke couldn¡¯t ignore it.


    He rushed in immediately, his gruff voice full of extreme pleasure:


    ¡°Oh¡­ I heard you, my bride, stop hiding, I know you¡¯re right here.¡±


    This time, he was not impatient. Instead, he was very meticulous, opening the rows of closet doors one by one


    If there were too many clothes inside, he would ¡°patiently¡± reach in and grab a handful!<div>


    Zhu Shu is hiding behind the dresses, unable to see what¡¯s happening outside. She could only hear the constant sound of doors being opened: bang, bang, bang!


    Her mind racing, ready to explode!


    What should she do?!


    What should she do?!


    Even though she couldn¡¯t see anything, she knew the Duke was drawing near to the closet where Bai Youwei was hiding!


    She has no time to pay attention to Hu Ya¡¯s actions now, she only wants to save Bai Youwei!


    Tears streamed down her cheeks. Zhu Shu felt the dampness and only then realized she was crying out of sheer desperation. Aside from acting, it has been a long time since she has cried real tears.


    With this in thought, her mind surprisingly calms down.


    ¡­Yes, think calmly.


    If Bai Youwei is taken by the Duke, how would things pan out?


    Su Man is impulsive and often acts on her emotions, unable to think rationally.


    Yu Yaqing is capable, but has never yed the game, and is basically inexperienced.<div>


    Hu Ya is lurking in the dark, always scheming, wishing nothing more than for them to die.


    And then there¡¯s herself¡­


    All that remains is her¡­What can she do? She doesn¡¯t have the confidence to clear the level! She can¡¯t do it!


    If it were Bai Youwei! Perhaps several lives could be saved!


    She can¡¯t quite put a finger on why, but her tears fall faster.


    In life, she had no control over herself; controlled by herpany, pursued by fans, stalked by paparazzi¡­ she could never truly be herself, to the point where she sometimes lost herself¡ª she didn¡¯t know who she was anymore.


    Now, faced with death, at least, she can choose her own way of dying.


    Zhu Shu closes her eyes briefly, telling herself silently, ¡°haven¡¯t you decided long ago to die like a human being? Despite the gruesomeness of the torture instruments, as long as you seize the right opportunity, you can escape from the torment.¡±


    The sound of the closet doors opening is getting closer.


    She takes a deep breath and finally makes her decision.


    Not just to save Bai Youwei, but also to save herself. Rather than facing despairter, why not charge out now, filled with hope!


    Zhu Shu suddenly stands up, fiercely smashing the stic mannequin towards the beast, then she runs out of the room!<div>


    The item may not cause pain when it hits, but its suddenness stuns the Duke into a momentary pause. He roars and immediately gives chase!


    Bai Youwei, inside the closet, felt a sudden dread.


    She pushed open the closet door, falling onto the floor, disregarding the pain. She looked towards the door only to see the Duke¡¯s retreating figure!N?v(el)B\\jnn


    She is filled with a mix of shock and rage, sorrow and anger welling up together, she shouted out loud, ¡°Zhu Shu!!!¡±


    Damn it!


    Damn it!


    She doesn¡¯t need to be saved!


    She doesn¡¯t need anyone to save her!!!


    Bai Youwei gritted her teeth, picked up her cane to stand up, step by step, she left the room.


    The room¡¯s door was beside the spiral staircase.


    She saw Zhu Shu trying to jump over the railing, seeking to end her life to avoid being tortured, but at thest moment, the Duke grabbed her back.


    The Duke was dragging Zhu Shu by her hair, just like he dragged Zhao Lanfen, just like he dragged Cheng Xi, disregarding her struggles and screams, dragging her towards the torture chamber on the third floor.<div>


    When he saw Bai Youwei, the Duke¡¯s eyes shed with menace, seemingly hesitating, thinking to let Zhu Shu go and capture Bai Youwei instead.


    But he was afraid of Bai Youwei¡¯s lightning, so he just coldly nced at her, and walked past her with his ¡°prize¡±


    Bai Youwei threw four beads at him!

 Chapter 370: 370: Can’t Escape (Monthly ticket extra update!!!)

    Chapter 370: 370: Can¡¯t Escape (Monthly ticket extra update!!!)<div>


    Trantor:549690339


    She can¡¯t use the rabbit!


    The rabbit¡¯s battery power is low, making it hard for it to harm the Duke, let alone its current grasp on Zhu Shu. If the electrical current were to run into Zhu Shu, she will die even before the Duke is harmed!


    So, she tossed out four beads.


    In the dollhouse, she obtained twelve beads, eight of which she¡¯d used, leaving her with four. These were thest beads she had!


    And the only offensive tool that could be immediately effective!<div>


    The beads hit the Duke. With wide eyes, she finally saw the explosive st she had been hoping for!


    Boom!


    But the Duke¡¯s body merely swayed, without letting go of Zhu Shu.


    The charred skin on his back had a ring red wound caused by the explosion of the beads. The Duke briefly looked back at Bai Youwei, his eyes were extremely venomous.


    Bai Youwei bit her lip tightly and pushed herself forward with her cane.


    The Duke nced at her leg, sneered, then turned his gaze away, continuing to drag the struggling Zhu Shu towards the torture chamber.


    Bai Youwei¡¯s face turned pale and her steps were more frantic. She couldn¡¯t keep up with him!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Suddenly, two figures charged out from behind her, heading straight for the Duke and Zhu Shu!


    It was Su Man and Yu Yaqing!


    They charged at the Duke, swords in hand, shing at him ferociously! They were well aware that their weapons couldn¡¯t harm him and that he was Immortal; but even if they could make him loosen his grip just a bit and save Zhu Shu, their efforts would not be in vain!


    They stabbed at his back and his ankles.


    They chopped at his wrist and his head.<div>


    No matter how they attacked, the Duke seemed fully aware of their intentions, his grip on Zhu Shu never loosened.


    With one hand, he sent Yu Yaqing crashing into the wall, then brought his hand down to p away the ever pestering Su Man. With this force, Su Man was knocked back, falling and twisting the hand she had previously injured. A soft grunt of pain escaping her.


    Finally, the Duke arrived outside the torture chamber!


    The parallel walls of the chamber flipped open, revealing a passageway. Just as the Duke was about to drag Zhu Shu inside, the struggling Zhu Shu suddenly threw out an object!


    A snowke!


    [Snowke: Only a snowke can invite guests from winter. Guests will leave when the snowke melts.]


    No one clearly understood the tool¡¯s capabilities, so no one had ever used it after leaving the dollhouse. But now, Zhu Shu was hanging by a thread and was unwilling to risk herst life-saving tool!


    The Duke paused, stopping in his tracks.


    Within a second, a snowstorm suddenly broke out within the room and the temperature plummeted!


    From the gathered snow emerged a giant snowman almost three meters tall. White all over with sharp ws and red eyes. When it roared, it echoed like the chilling howl of the northerly wind.


    The snowman roared and charged straight at the Duke, throwing him forcefully into the torture chamber!


    Yu Yaqing and Su Man hurriedly pulled Zhu Shu out of there!<div>


    One of them carried Zhu Shu and the other carried Bai Youwei, running for their lives.


    But unexpectedly, as they passed by a room at the stairs, Hu Ya rushed out frantically, knocking into them!


    This time, it wasn¡¯t Hu Ya¡¯s intention to do so. Originally, she intended to hide until everyone was dead before trying the keys, but when the temperature suddenly dropped and she heard the snowman¡¯s roar, she got anxious and decided to leave the third floor for a safer hiding ce.


    Zhu Shu and Bai Youwei were well-aware of what Hu Ya had done, but this wasn¡¯t time for personal revenge. The beast behind them could catch up at any moment!


    Everyone hurriedly ran downstairs.


    Seeing the chaos at the end of the hallway, Hu Ya, overwhelmed with panic, also ran downstairs.


    Gasping for breath, Su Man asked, ¡°How long can the snowman hold on?¡±


    ¡°Not long,¡± Zhu Shu replied in despair. ¡°The snowke melts when guests leave. If it were winter now, the effect of this tool couldst for a while. But in the torture chamber¡­ there¡¯s a fire basin¡­¡±


    The snowman would melt soon.


    And they had no ce to hide¡­

 Chapter 371: The Third One

    Chapter 371: The Third One


    The seemingly endless spiral staircase stretched on.


    Whether it was due to their fraught nerves, the extreme fatigue of their bodies, or the dizzying rotation of the staircase¡­ it was a never-ending climb, a never-ending climb.


    Hu Ya wanted to overtake them, but the staircase wasn¡¯t wide enough to amodate three people walking side by side. In the end, all five of them fell together in the shuffle.


    Zhu Shu fell down and hit the metal railing, mping down on her lip with a mute groan, her whole body breaking out in cold sweat.


    When she had been seized and dragged on the ground by the Duke, her bones in her hand were crushed and her knees were scraped raw.


    Su Man and Yu Yaqing also bore injuries of varying severity.


    They struggled to their feet, helping each other down the stairs, with Hu Ya recklessly at the lead, scared of ending up at the back.


    The Snowke creatures were melting faster than they expected.


    Angry roars echoed from the third floor, swirling overhead like the shadow of death.


    Hu Ya panicked and ran even faster.


    The roar was closing in, the handrail was shaking!


    The Duke chased them to the staircase entrance while struggling!


    A Snowke creature the size of an arm bit tightly onto his head, its sharp icy teeth piercing deep into his skull. It was the hardest ice crystal, capable of piercing bone and freezing flesh and blood! n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Half of the Duke¡¯s face was frostbitten!


    But as he struggled and as time went on, the frost on his face was fading and the Snowke clinging stubbornly on his head was getting smaller¨C


    Until it finally melted into a puddle of slush.


    The Duke simply shook his head forcefully, and the snow scattered into tiny kes, turning into crystal droplets,pletely disappearing in the air.


    Every one of them felt the utter desperation of death drawing near!


    The Duke¡¯s bloodshot eyes fixed on them, filled with resentment and hatred! His chest heaved violently, his whole body riddled with wounds, bloodied, after the brutal fight with the Snowke! If not for his powerful Self-Healing Ability, he would have never made it this far!


    He tilted his head back and let out a howl like a wolf, then abruptly leaped over the railing and jumped straight down from the third floor!


    Thump!!!


    There was a loud crash as he impacted the ground! The floor beneath him shattered!


    He happened to block the exit of the first-floor staircase, cutting off their only escape route!


    Unable to go down, they were forced to turn and flee upstairs.


    Hu Ya, who had been leading the way earlier, was now at the end, and the Duke caught her by the leg, holding her upside down!


    ¡°Aaaaaahh!!!¡± She screamed shrilly.


    The Duke, clutching the woman who was struggling for dear life, turned his gaze to the remaining four on the staircase above. A low growl came from his throat as his hand continued to tighten around Hu Ya, causing her screams to be even more terrifying, almost splitting her voice.


    Bai Youwei, Zhu Shu, Su Man and Yu Yaqing, were almost at the third floor.


    The Duke gritted his teeth with a grating sound.


    In his rule, he could only kill one bride each night, but now he wanted to kill more. He wanted to kill the women upstairs¡­ Those women who dared to defy him!


    The Duke let out an angry roar, suddenly swung Hu Ya in his hand and threw her away, before rushing up the stairs at a breathtaking speed!


    Hu Ya¡¯s body mmed into arge hanging crystal chandelier with a loud crash!


    The dangling crystal hexagonal prisms turned into a row of sharp des instantly, slicing her hands and feet, piercing her skin!


    She tried to grab onto something, but was unable to hold on to anything, and with the sound of clinking and ttering, she finally fell hard onto the floor! Blood was all over her!


    Despite the terrible state she was in, she still managed to prop up her upper body andugh hysterically:


    ¡°He didn¡¯t kill me! He didn¡¯t kill me! Ha ha ha ha ha!!! I¡¯m thest bride, I found the True Key, so he won¡¯t kill me! I¡¯m thest bride! Thest bride!!!¡±


    Ding, dong dong


    Two crystal hexagonal prisms fell to the ground.


    Hu Ya was startled and looked up.


    The crystal chandelier that was heaped onto the ceiling of the hall was swaying precariously. Her pupils shrunk as she saw the entire chandeliering down!


    ¡°Aaaaaaaaah!!!¡­¡±

 Chapter 372: The Fourth One

    Chapter 372: The Fourth One


    In this life and death situation, Hu Ya¡¯s tragic death did not attract anyone¡¯s attention.


    They could only worry about themselves, longing to break away from the chase behind.


    However, the Duke was too fast, and he quickly caught up with them. His strong ws targeted Bai Youwei¡¯s back andunched a grab!


    Yu Yaqing quickly knocked Bai Youwei down, blocking the strike. But her back was shed off ayer of flesh!


    Su Man turned around and threw the beads at the Duke¡¯s face!


    She got 10 beads in the Dollhouse. At this moment, she threw out 5, with amazingly good luck; two burst upon contact with the Duke¡¯s body, sting his flesh into a mess!


    The Duke let out a painful howl, leaning backward and barely managed to keep from falling by grabbing the staircase handrail!


    The four women upfront had already rushed up to the third floor and ran deeper into the corridor.


    The Duke roared furiously!


    He charged up the stairs again, faster than before, stronger than before! Without leaving the women any time to recover, he pounced on them, roaring!


    The next second, Su Man hurled the remaining five beads at him!


    This time, none of the beads exploded, the Duke only paused slightly before closing in on her and Zhu Shu¡ª


    If there were two people he hated the most, it would be Bai Youwei and Zhu Shu!


    One unleashed lightning that left him badly scorched!


    One summoned a snow monster that bit him until he was covered in wounds!


    Bai Youwei¡¯s lightning had been released again and again. He had to stay cautious, but a prop like the snow monster should not reappear, so he did not hesitate to grab Zhu Shu!


    Smack!


    The riding crop whipped through the air, making a sound and tightly coiling around his wrist!


    ¡°Run!¡± Su Man held the other end of the whip and yelled.


    Zhu Shu instantly rolled to the side, got up, and ran onwards!


    The Duke roared with rage, forcefully lifted his wrist, and following the whip, he caught Su Man in his grip!


    ¡°Su Man!¡±


    Bai Youwei lunged at the Duke!


    As did Yu Yaqing!


    The two of them, one held Su Man¡¯s hand, the other grasped Su Man¡¯s leg.


    Zhu Shu¡¯s eyes were rimmed red. The Zhu Shu who had run away came back, fell to the ground, and firmly held Su Man¡¯s waist!


    The three women tried their best, but they still couldn¡¯t stop the Duke from dragging Su Man toward the torture room.


    All the usable props were gone, leaving them with no way out!


    They had no solution!


    As the distance to the torture room grew nearer¡ª


    Yu Yaqing freed one hand, picked up half a broken sword from the ground, and drove it hard into the floor. As she was dragged along, blood flowed from her palm, and the sword de traced a streak of blood on the ground.


    Bai Youwei¡¯s arm was being rubbed raw against the ground, she looked pale, clutching Su Man¡¯s hand tightly, and kept repeating, ¡°Su Man, hold on¡­ You must hold on¡­¡±


    Zhu Shu gripped Su Man¡¯s waist, crying uncontrobly. She kept applying force, the tips of her shoes digging hard into the ground, trying to create resistance against the Duke. However, everything seemed in vain.


    ¡°Catch me!-¡± She cried out, ¡°I¡¯ll be your bride tonight! Catch me, you bastard!!!¡±


    The wall outside the torture room swung open.


    Zhu Shu screamed hysterically: ¡°No!!!¡±


    ¡°Let go.¡± Su Man¡¯s lips curled into a bleak smile, ¡°And stop wasting the props. Hu Ya is dead, with only four of us left, someone has to go to the torture room tonight¡­¡±


    The Duke kills a bride every night; this is an unwavering rule.


    If he didn¡¯t grab her, he would grab another bride!


    Half of Su Man¡¯s body had already been pulled into the torture room.


    Yu Yaqing could no longer hold herself up. She released the bloody broken sword from her hand. Bai Youwei, too, was blocked by the stone wall outside.


    The stone wall swung shut, Zhu Shu exerted all her strength to push and beat the wall, but all was for naught. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    In thest moment before the wall closed, she heard Su Man say from inside:


    ¡°Zhu Shu, about before¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

 Chapter 373: 373: The Fourth Day

    Chapter 373: The Fourth Day


    The stone walls sealed shut<div>


    From within the torture chamber echoed a stifled cry of agony from Su Man before descending into a haunting silence.


    No one knew what had happened to her.


    The witch¡¯s chair, Iron Maiden, bronze bull torture, pear torture, the dustman¡¯s daughter, Catherine wheel, two-man saw¡­ Seven torture tools, each one a nightmare for women.


    The corridor was deserted, silent as a tomb.


    All sounds choked in their throats¡­


    Zhu Shu covered her face with both hands, her body violently trembling, tears falling inaudibly.<div>


    Bai Youwei leaned against the wall, sitting on the floor, head drooping as she gasped for breath, speechless.


    Yu Yaqing also sat on the floor, clutching her injured hand, silently staring down the end of the corridor.


    She thought about Hu Ya¡¯s death, their current predicament, the future of this world¡­ Her heart was filled with bewilderment.


    This night seemed unbearably long.


    They stayed outside the torture chamber. Su Man¡¯s voice was no more.


    Silently, Yu Yaqing prayed that Su Man found the strength to end her suffering. It was better than being tormented by torture tools.


    She got up to help Bai Youwei stand, telling Bai Youwei and Zhu Shu:


    ¡°Su Man bought us another day. We cannot let it go to waste. Let¡¯s return to our rooms to rest, then reconsider our options.¡±


    She thought they would continue to be despondent, or even copse emotionally, but they didn¡¯t.


    Even though tears still flowed, Zhu Shu stood up quietly and started walking towards the stairs one step at a time.


    They returned to the first floor.


    The hall was strewn with shattered crystals.<div>


    Hu Ya was silently crushed beneath the massive crystal chandelier, her form unseen.


    They walked past the hall to return to the bride¡¯s room, though sleep eluded them, despite knowing they needed rest.


    Zhu Shu sat at the edge of the bed, her tears unceasing. Yu Yaqing didn¡¯t try to console her. Perhaps, expressing the grief was better¡­


    The door creaked open.


    Yu Yaqing looked up to see Bai Youwei leaning on her crutch by the doorway, ready to leave.


    ¡°Bai Youwei¡­¡± Yu Yaqing stood up.


    Before Yu Yaqing could say anything, Bai Youwei quietly said:


    ¡°I want to be alone for a while.¡±


    Her hair was disheveled, hiding half of her face. Her bangs cast shadows over her eyes that obscured her expression.


    Yu Yaqing gazed at Bai Youwei.


    She understood that Bai Youwei was suffering. She wanted tofort her ¡ª it¡¯s okay, there¡¯s no need for guilt, don¡¯t be sad, we all agreed to your n, and if it¡¯s wrong, it¡¯s not your fault alone¡­ Su Man wouldn¡¯t me us¡­ We all did our best¡­


    Sigh¡­<div>


    How powerless words seemed.


    Yu Yaqing couldn¡¯t bring herself to speak. Every sentence she formted felt so superficial, so weak.


    Finally, she sat back down in silence.


    Bai Youwei opened the door and, leaning on her crutch, walked out.


    For the entire night, no one slept.


    In the morning, they gathered in the dining room, nibbling on tasteless dry bread, all of them silent and lifeless.


    The Inspector watched them with a smile.


    ¡°Only three brides left, I see. It seems we¡¯ll need to reduce the breakfast portions tomorrow.¡±


    No one responded.


    Bai Youwei sat quietly, eating. Whether she was daydreaming or pondering, she seemed not to hear him at all.


    The Inspector found it unamusing. He wished to revel in their misfortune, but without any response, his mocking seemed pointless.


    After finishing their simple breakfast, Bai Youwei rose, leaning on her crutch for support.<div>


    Zhu Shu and Yu Yaqing followed her lead.


    The Inspector looked slightly surprised, blurting out, ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    Bai Youwei stopped, slowly turned around, and looked at him.


    The Inspector couldn¡¯t help feeling curious, he scrutinized her eyes¡­ Dark, tranquil, like an unfathomable well, devoid of light, wind, or any emotional upheaval.


    Just as he was about to ask, Bai Youwei suddenly spoke:


    She said, ¡°If the reward of this game doesn¡¯t satisfy me, then you are nothing but¡­trash.¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

 Chapter 374: 374: An Eye for an Eye

    Chapter 374: An Eye for an Eye


    The Inspector stood rooted to the spot.<div>


    He didn¡¯t understand¡­


    What did Bai Youwei mean by what she said? Had she found the solution to passing the level? If not, why would she mention a reward when they were evidently severely injured? How could it be possible¡­


    Perhaps she was just trying to test him.


    Like before, trying to trick him into revealing information!


    But if she really could pass through the level, he would dly ept. After all, collecting precious data from her death would be great, but losing such a unique sample too soon would be a waste.


    In the end, there are still so many¡­ so many games that are expecting her arrival¡­<div>


    The Inspectorughed and left the dining room.


    Bai Youwei, Zhu Shu, and Yu Yaqing headed towards the torture chamber.


    In the chamber, it was considerably warm with braziers set all around, each one with a branding iron in it. One of them stood extinguished, effectively blocking the exit of the underground cells.


    The Gardener was lying quietly on the ground wearing a white shirt.


    The chamber was reset to its original state.


    Except for the woman on the torture instrument¡­


    There was no sign of Su Man, and they didn¡¯t dare to wonder about her current whereabouts.


    After surveying the room, Bai Youwei pointed to the saw, instructing Zhu Shu and Yu Yaqing to unhitch it.


    ¡°Where should we saw?¡± Yu Yaqing asked her, ¡°The neck?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯d be too quick,¡± replied Bai Youwei with a cold, calm voice. ¡°I want to see him suffer.¡±


    Zhu Shu looked at the both of them, hesitatingly asked, ¡°Will it work this time?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Bai Youwei responded with an unfazed expression, nodding her head. ¡°Cheng Xi only got a small cut, and she was bleeding so much that the white cloth used for bandaging turned entirely red. There were blood stains all over her room¡­ This tells us her wound wasn¡¯t healing.¡±<div>


    She paused for a moment, then looked at her twopanions, ¡°What happens when a torture instrument that prevents wounds from healing meets a body that has self-healing abilities?¡±


    Zhu Shu, holding one end of the saw, locked her eyes on the man lying on the floor and asked, ¡°Was it purposely designed this way? Making us fear these torture instruments, too terrified to think about using them on him¡­ If we had realized this sooner¡­¡±


    She thought of Su Man, tears welling in her eyes as she looked away.


    Yu Yaqing, clutching the other end of the saw, stepped up beside the Gardener and slowly spoke:


    ¡°Instruments of torture symbolize oppressive violence, a violence that seeks to subjugate females as much as males. Perhaps this is what the game wants us to learn: only by oveing our innermost fears, resisting it, and defeating it, can we truly call it escape! I refuse to believe that the only way to pass this test requires us to be thest one standing! Even if that is the real way to survive, I¡¯ll neverpromise!¡±


    Bai Youwei observed Yu Yaqing, then Zhu Shu.


    They both nodded back at her, determination in their eyes.


    Bai Youwei lowered her gaze, finally looking at the man on the floor, muttering under her breath, ¡°Then¡­ let¡¯s begin. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.¡±


    Women are not naturally soft, they can aplish anything once they ovee their innermost fears.


    The sawde descended


    The Gardener woke up in shock.


    Like thest time, he screamed in pain, struggling violently! In a short time, he had transformed into a massive beast!<div>


    And blood was gushing out of his stomach!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Aaargh!!!¡±


    He howled,unching himself at Bai Youwei!


    Boom!


    The familiarvender glow emerged once again! His limbs twitched spasmodically while his entire body felt as if his blood was boiling. He copsed to the floor with a thud!


    And the sawde fell yet again, relentless!


    Unable to ept this oue, he looked at Bai Youwei in agony, ¡°Why¡­you¡­¡±


    On Bai Youwei¡¯s cool face, a faint smirk finally emerged, ¡°Because I had a good night¡¯s sleep and am all charged up again¡±


    Blood sttered around her, blooming like a flower.

 Chapter 375: 375: No Need for Trash

    Chapter 375: No Need for Trash


    The man bled unceasingly, his blood eventually congealing into a puddle, blending with his stinky hair and blood-soaked clothes. Hey lifelessly on the ground, utterly silent.<div>


    Zhu Shu and Yu Yaqing held onto the long saw, watching in stillness. Once they realized he would note back to life, they finally let go of the saw.


    ng


    The heavy steel saw fell to the ground.


    It was over.


    ¡°Congrattions, you¡¯vepleted this game.¡±


    The blonde, blue-eyed Inspector stood politely at the door, a suitable smile ying at the corners of his mouth.<div>


    ¡°This game is designed specifically for females, assessing primarily their¡ª


    First, their suspicion;


    Second, their weakness;


    Third, their dependence.


    The yers who win this game will receive the ¡®Duke¡¯s Secret Key¡¯ as a reward.¡±


    As the Inspector¡¯s words fell, a key appeared in the air before the three women.


    It was a blood-red key as if it had been drenched in blood.


    Bai Youwei reached out and held it, information about the tool instantly appearing in her mind¡ªn/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    [Duke¡¯s Secret Key: Can summon a random instrument of torture during the game to forcefully eliminate a yer.]


    The Inspector continued, ¡°Meanwhile, to reward the precious friendships you¡¯ve formed in the game, from this moment on, the system will bind you all together. From now on, you can be summoned as external support by one another. This hairpin is proof of that.¡±


    A hairpin appeared in front of each woman. It was pink, embellished with a lifeless flower, resembling the cheap kind sold at a primary school gate for fifty cents.


    Bai Youwei held the hairpin in her hand and slightly furrowed her brow.<div>


    [stic Flower Hairpin: The holder of this tool can be summoned into the game as external support by a yer with the same tool. There will be no punishment upon losing, and no reward upon winning.]


    ¡°If someone else also clears the game and gets this tool, would I be summoned by a stranger?¡± Bai Youwei asked unhappily.


    ¡°No,¡± The Inspector exined gently, ¡°If other yers clear the game, their hairpins would not be of the same design. Only the three of you own this design.¡±


    With those words, the Inspector paused and looked at Zhu Shu and Yu Yaqing with a slight smile:


    ¡°Of course, a summoning is not mandatory. You can refuse, just smash the hairpin. After all¡­it¡¯s stic and fragile.¡±


    Zhu Shu and Yu Yaqing gave the Inspector a chilly nce, silently epted their hairpins.


    Bai Youwei also epted her hairpin.


    She tossed the blood-red key at the Inspector¡¯s feet without a hint of expression on her face, ¡°I don¡¯t want this reward.¡±


    The Inspector was taken aback.


    Zhu Shu and Yu Yaqing tossed their keys too.


    Three blood-red keys fell onto the floor, sending out a harsh, crisp sound.


    ¡°You willingly give up the reward?¡± The Inspector was astounded, his beautiful blue eyes widening slightly in confusion. ¡°Why?¡±<div>


    They had gone through great pain and hardship to finally clear the game. Why would they discard their hard-earned items?!


    Bai Youwei threw a disgusted look at him, ¡°Because it¡¯s trash.¡±


    The Inspector:


    ¡°It truly is trash.¡± Yu Yaqing frowned in agreement.


    Zhu Shu added, ¡°And disgusting.¡±


    Bai Youwei continued, ¡°Trashy game, trashy prizes, just trash.¡±


    The Inspector:


    ¡°Since we¡¯ve already cleared the game, send us out.¡± Yu Yaqing urged coldly.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ve made up your mind?¡± The Inspector managed to pull a smile, ¡°You¡¯re really giving up the reward? After all the trouble you¡¯ve gone through, and the sacrifices you¡¯ve made, to get this reward¡­¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t need it!¡± Yu Yaqing roared in disgust, ¡°Even if we encounter a yer whom we must eliminate in the future! I would rather stab them to death than use such an inhumane instrument of torture!¡±


    Bai Youwei calmly added, ¡°I don¡¯t need trash.¡±


    The Inspector:<div>

 Chapter 376: 376: The Importance of Balance

    Chapter 376: The Importance of Bnce


    The three women exited the game, gradually disappearing before the Inspector¡¯s eyes.<div>


    They didn¡¯t know, that as they were leaving the game, a system prompt sound rang in the Inspector¡¯s ear ¡ª


    ¡°Error! Game settlement error! Data anomalies detected, please have the responsible inspector urgently manually resolve¡­¡±


    The Inspector frowned.


    When yers turned down the rewards, it impacted the overall data bnce of the entire game, as the ratio of input to payback was not proportional. If this issue was not resolved, the game would have to temporarily shut down.


    The solution was simple, actually ¨C just set up another reward system for when the yer rejects the initial rewards and use the backup n instead.


    But if we¡¯re talking about being troublesome, indeed it was troublesome.<div>


    Because bnce is a very subtle thing.


    The bnce within this game might be a bug in the next game


    Take Dollhouse, for example, it¡¯s a game-changing item. To avoid throwing off the bnce, a restriction has been ced stating ¡°cannot be entered during the game¡±.


    But they didn¡¯t anticipate Bai Youwei having Rabbits.


    The Rabbits are remarkable game-changing items. To maintain bnce, Rabbit Heads had a restrictive feature that they could only be used after charging. Especially in a global power outage situation, finding a charging station is almost impossible!


    But they didn¡¯t consider Bai Youwei having a Dollhouse.


    So, never underestimate the rewards in the game, for each one is the result of thorough thought and calction by the inspectors.


    The handsome cartoon guy left the dungeon, ncing at each room while deliberating slowly.


    The backup rewards needed to maintain a bnce in the game while align with the game¡¯s theme¡­


    Suddenly, he stopped.


    He looked into a room with a sense of disbelief.


    When he opened the door, it was actually empty! A room full of gorgeous court dresses was gone!!!<div>


    How could this be?!


    The Inspector walked out with quick steps, with his long legs that could cover two meters in one pace, he quickly reached the door of another room, and opened it!


    Empty again!


    This room was supposed to disy a variety of medieval weapons, all gone!


    When did this happen?! Why is this happening?!


    He couldn¡¯t believe it. He continued to investigate the exceptional data in several rooms. All beautiful clothing was gone! The gold, silver, and jewels were gone! The knives, swords, and armor were all gone! Even those expertly crafted and luxurious carpets and rugs were also all gone!


    At least a third of his meticulously arranged mansion was empty!


    Although those were just insignificant decorations, but¡­ but!!!


    ¡°Bai¡­ You¡­ Wei¡­¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    He clenched his teeth in anger.


    ¡°Bai! You! Wei!!!¡±


    Bai Youwei returned to the underground parking lot.<div>


    Leaving the noble and magnificent mansion anding to the dark and dismal underground parking lot, there was a strange sense of homeliness, her nervespletely became at ease.


    She saw Shen Mo and Tan Xiao sitting not far ahead of her.


    In the pitch-dark underground, a single emergency battery-powered light provided all the illumination. The smoke from his cigarette enveloped his face, making his handsome profile daringly attractive under such hazy illumination.


    Bai Youwei didn¡¯t know why she felt this way.


    Maybe because she had been seeing the Duke in the game for the past few days, her eyes had be used to his unattractive appearance, so now any pose he took, she found appealing.


    The sound of her footsteps startled Shen Mo and Tan Xiao. The two looked over together and both were stunned to see the three women emerging from the darkness.


    Tan Xiao was the first to react, he jumped up and yelled, ¡°Holy crap!¡±


    Then he ran towards the parking lot exit while shouting, ¡°They¡¯re out! They¡¯ve beaten the game ande out!!!¡±

 Chapter 377: 377: Are You Alright?

    Chapter 377: Are You Alright?


    Shen Mo stared intently at Bai Youwei.<div>


    It seemed as if time hade to a halt.


    Two to three secondster, bewilderment appeared in his eyes, as if suddenly roused from a dream. He then quickly got up and strode towards her!


    Upon reaching her, his body stiffened a bit. He withdrew the arm he was about to extend, lightly coughed to suppress his emotions, and asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Bai Youwei opened her mouth, suddenly feeling at a loss for words.


    Okay?


    Yes, having finally escaped, they were okay now. But seeing Zhu Shu¡¯s teary eyes and Yu Yaqing¡¯s body covered in scars, and thinking about those who had died¡­<div>


    How could she possibly say the words, ¡°I¡¯m okay¡±?


    During the silence, she was suddenly embraced.


    Startled for a moment, her cheek was already resting on his chest. She heard him whisper, ¡°As long as you¡¯re okay.¡±


    The hoarse voice echoed in his chest and reached her ears, warm.


    She couldn¡¯t help blushing a bit, muttering, ¡°What do you mean, okay¡­ Don¡¯t you see we¡¯re all hurt?¡±


    Shen Mo loosened his hold on her slightly and nced at Zhu Shu and Yu Yaqing.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you all get out. After you triggered game 24, this area was locked down. All the organization¡¯s electrical equipment was moved elsewhere. Yan Qingwen, Shen Fei and I have been taking turns guarding here, so you wouldn¡¯t be left alone when you got out.¡±


    Without any light, it would have been incredibly difficult to find the exit in the pitch-ck fifth underground floor.


    Shen Mo bent down to carry Bai Youwei, leading them out of the underground parking lot.


    The journey was long. All the while, Shen Mo asked them about the game.


    Most of the recounting was done by Bai Youwei.


    ¡°¡­Thest night, I couldn¡¯t sleep, my wheelchair was broken and I couldn¡¯t use it, so I could only hobble around leaning on my crutch. I became quite annoyed after seeing how glittering and extravagant those rooms were.<div>


    I threw all the jewelry and essories into the Dollhouse.


    I also threw the clothes in.


    Actually, a lot of the furniture was pretty nice, but I wasn¡¯t strong enough and as I had a limp, moving things around was really difficult.


    But I didn¡¯t leave any weapons behind. Those weapons came in handy ¨C we couldn¡¯t bring in external weapons into the game, but these weapons were part of the game itself, and could be used within the game!


    ¡­Later on, the reward was a torture device. We passed on it. That prop was a piece of crap that made us ufortable, whether we used it or not.¡±


    At this point, she let out a long sigh and said, ¡°I kinda miss Snowke.¡±


    Although Snowke was a wildcard, the rewards he gave were undeniably useful.


    ¨CThe mud from the frog had saved them countless times. The Dollhouse and Snowke were priceless lifelines. They were much stronger than the mboyantic book handsome man!


    Shen Mo listened quietly, letting out a silent chuckle.


    These Inspectors were all products of the Doll game. He didn¡¯t like any of them, but if he had to choose, he felt the rabbit-headed gentleman from the first game was okay.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    That Inspector gave Bai Youwei the ¡°tenth of me¡± prop. Without it, she probably wouldn¡¯t have survived the women-only game.


    As Zhu Shu and Yu Yaqing were both injured, their pace was slow. After some time, they finally reached the surface.<div>


    Many people had arrived.


    The research group members, the security group members, the organization¡¯s head, Chu Huaijin, and Li Li were all there.


    They had all rushed over after hearing from Tan Xiao that they had emerged. Of course, they were all men, avoiding any female contact.


    Zhu Shu walked up to Li Li, supporting her injured hand, head bowed, with so much to say but unsure of how to express it.


    ¡°Li Li¡­¡±


    As she began to speak, her eyes became moist. She bit her lip tightly, took a moment to calm her emotions, then continued: ¡°Su Man¡­ she¡­ in order to save me, she¡­¡±


    Li Li stared at her nkly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡­¡± Zhu Shu broke into tears, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Li Li! I¡¯m the one who caused Su Man¡¯s death!¡±

 Chapter 378: 378: How Could Nothing Be Wrong

    Chapter 378: How Could Nothing Be Wrong


    Li Li¡¯s expression was very rigid, marked with an inexplicable sense of bewilderment.<div>


    Staring at the woman in front of him who couldn¡¯t stop shrugging her shoulders, his mind was nk, and subconsciously tried tofort her, ¡°This¡­ You can¡¯t be med for this. After all, life is unpredictable once the game begins, you didn¡¯t do it on purpose¡­¡±


    Zhu Shu¡¯s crying stopped.


    Stopped abruptly.


    Starring nkly at Li Li, after a brief pause, the sadness in her eyes deepened, fermenting into resentment. She cried out at Li Li:


    ¡°How can you not me me?! How can you?! Don¡¯t you understand? I caused Su Man¡¯s death!


    She died because of me!<div>


    She¡¯s dead!!!


    Do you understand?!!


    Just because it wasn¡¯t intentional, can you forgive a person easily? Even if that person who died had been with you for over a decade! Don¡¯t you care?! Don¡¯t you feel angry?! Don¡¯t you want to take revenge for her?!!


    Li Li! Su Man was killed because of me!¡±


    Zhu Shu gripped his cor tightly, her eyes filled with unstoppable tears.


    ¡°Hit me! Why won¡¯t you hit me? Why won¡¯t you even swear at me? You bastard! Bastard!!!¡±


    ¡°Zhu Shu¡­¡± Li Li looked at her, unable to express his feelings, his eyes also turning red.


    Zhu Shu was crying uncontrobly.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    She despised Li Li¡¯s indifference, yet she knew she had no grounds to me him. However, her emotions were uncontroble. Every time she thought of the scene where Su Man was dragged into the execution room, her heart ached as if she was going to die of grief.


    Chu Huaijin separated the two to avoid Zhu Shu doing something irrational out of her loss of control.


    Li Li¡¯s neck had been scratched red.


    He stared at Zhu Shu, who was crying uncontrobly, vaguely feeling that he might have made a mistake, but he was unsure¡­ exactly where he¡¯d gone wrong.<div>


    Shattered footsteps sounded from behind, followed by a familiar female voice¨C


    ¡°Zhu Shu.¡±


    Li Li turned his head in surprise, only to see Yan Qingwen and Lun Ang bringing Su Man over.


    ¡°Su Man?¡± Li Li was even more confused, ¡°But haven¡¯t you already¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, a figure rushed over!


    Zhu Shu hugged Su Man tightly, her face filled with joy and relief: ¡°You¡¯re okay?!¡±


    ¡°Howe you¡¯re all right? We all thought you had already¡­¡± Yu Yaqing was both shocked and delighted. She couldn¡¯t help but go over and p Su Man on the shoulder. ¡°Never mind! Anyway, it¡¯s great that you made it out safely!¡±


    Su Man rubbed her slugged shoulder, a little embarrassed, and exined:


    ¡°I can¡¯t exactly say I¡¯m unscathed¡­ I have quite a few injuries. I fainted as soon as I got out of the game. Fortunately, brother Yan and Lun Ang were there. They spent the whole night looking for medicine for me.¡±


    Hearing this, Li Li couldn¡¯t help but turn his head to ask Yan Qingwen: ¡°Did Su Man get out earlier? Why didn¡¯t you notify us?¡±


    Before Yan Qingwen could exin, Lun Ang loudly exined: ¡°Where were we supposed to tell you? Neither Old Yan nor I knew the new address after the headquarters was moved. Not to mention when Su Man came out, it waste at night. The city was like a ghost town! Not a soul in sight! We almost broke a leg just trying to find medicine for her. We¡¯d justid down to rest for barely two hours when Tan Xiao came knocking and woke us up!¡±


    Yu Yaqing was incredulous, asking Su Man: ¡°What exactly happened? How did you make it out?¡±<div>


    Su Man looked at Bai Youwei and said, ¡°¡­She gave me a piece of the puzzle.¡±


    Zhu Shu and Yu Yaqing were both taken aback.


    Zhu Shu asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°When did she give it to you? Howe we didn¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°It was when I was dragged into the execution room¡­¡± Su Man took a gray puzzle piece out of her pocket and lightly rubbed it with her fingers, ¡°At that time, I thought I was done for, and I didn¡¯t want to waste any more tools. I thought if someone had to die from the four of us, it might as well be me. But then Bai Youwei said¡­¡±


    Su Man looked at Bai Youwei. Her usually sharp and arrogant gaze softened. She walked over to Bai Youwei and gently ced the puzzle piece in her hand.


    ¡°She said, ¡®Su Man, you must hold on.¡¯¡±

 Chapter 379: A Nightmare Oh

    Chapter 379: A Nightmare Oh n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°The Last Bride¡±, along with Su Man, four people altogether escaped from the game.


    All four of them were injured to varying degrees, and Chu Huaijin immediately arranged for their treatment.


    Bai Youwei¡¯s injuries were the lightest, only some minor abrasions. Considering her constitution, even without medical treatment, she could recover quickly.


    She and Shen Mo returned to the three-bedroom apartment provided by the organization.


    There were some unfamiliar faces in themunity. Seeing her and Shen Mo, they came over in small groups to greet them. They seemed polite in their conversation, but were actually probing for clues about the 24th game¡¯s content and rewards.


    Curiosity is amon trait among humans.


    Not to mention that the game is a matter of life and death. If the rewards are substantial and paired with the knowledge of the game¡¯s content, one can totally call up a group of people to y and ¡°farm¡± the rewards in the game.


    But Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t in the mood to deal with these people.


    She followed Shen Mo home, then closed the doors and windows, andy down in bed to rest.


    She had walked so much in the game, even with a crutch, her feet and hands were inevitably sore, and her underarms ached with burning pain.


    She was used to getting in and out with a wheelchair, how would she have ever experienced such hardship?


    Bai Youwei let out anguid sigh.


    With the curtains drawn, the room felt like dusk, dark and quiet. She rxed her body and closed her eyes.


    Considering that the organization members might visit at any time to inquire about the game, it was inconvenient to enter the dollhouse now, so she could only rest this way temporarily.


    Teacher Chang brought over a bowl of egg custard, muttering, ¡°Weiwei,e quickly and eat this. Shen Fei sent the eggs; I added slices of ham and chives. It¡¯s very nutritious¡­¡±


    Just as he got to the bedroom door, he was stopped by Shen Mo.


    Shen Mo made a shushing gesture at Teacher Chang and silently nced back at Bai Youwei.


    Following his gaze, Teacher Chang saw that Bai Youwei on the bed was already asleep.


    ¡°She must be exhausted.¡± Teacher Chang sighed and whispered to Shen Mo, ¡°I¡¯ll set it aside for now, and reheat it for her when she wakes up.¡±


    After taking a couple steps, he turned back and handed the bowl to Shen Mo: ¡°You eat it. You¡¯ve been on watch these days and must be exhausted too. I¡¯ll make another bowl for Weiweiter.¡±


    Shen Mo shook his head gently, saying, ¡°Give it to Xiaoxin to eat. I¡¯ll stay here with her for a while.¡±


    Tan Xiao, who was in the living room, overheard and immediately said, ¡°Xiaoxin is so young, he can¡¯t finish it! Give it to me, give it to me! I¡¯ll eat half of it for him!¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin said quietly, ¡°I can finish it¡­¡±


    Shen Moughed, then said to Chang Weicai, ¡°You¡¯ve had a hard time, please make another bowl.¡±


    The voices from outside didn¡¯t wake Bai Youwei up, she was fast asleep, almost falling asleep the moment her head touched the pillow.


    In her sleep, she had a nightmare.


    In the dream, she was being chased by a duke transformed into a beast. She ran hard, ran hard¡­ In reality, her legs couldn¡¯t run at all, but she was running in her dream.


    Just as she was about to be caught, her legs suddenly reverted to their handicapped state, and she fell to the ground!


    In panic, she searched for her crutch and wheelchair, but it was pitch ck all around, and she couldn¡¯t see anything.


    That¡¯s when the duke caught up!


    In the nick of time, she reached for her puzzle with herst hope!


    But there was nothing¡­


    Her hand was empty.


    Her puzzle had been given to Su Man; she didn¡¯t have it anymore.


    The yawning maw of the duke loomed before her, she shot up in her bed, awaking from her dream!


    ¡°Huff¡­¡±


    Bai Youwei gasped heavily, only realizing she had been dreaming when she saw Shen Mo by her bedside.


    Shen Mo reached out to gently pat her back, feeling the cold sweat on her back.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go fetch a towel,¡± he said as he got up.


    ¡°No need.¡± Bai Youwei took his hand, her forehead leaning against his arm, ¡°Stay with me a while.¡±


    Shen Mo fell silent, and sat back down.


    Bai Youwei closed her eyes and leaned against him. After a moment, she said in a low voice: ¡°Shen Mo, I gave my puzzle to Su Man.¡±

 Chapter 380: 380: Scared

    Chapter 380: Scared


    Shen Mo hummed in acknowledgment before asking her after a while, ¡°Do you regret it?¡±<div>


    Bai Youwei¡¯s forehead rested on his shoulder, her head shaking slightly.


    She didn¡¯t regret it, but ¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m scared,¡± she murmured with closed eyes.


    Shen Mo used his puzzle piece in the third round of ¡°Friends¡¯ Gathering¡±, and now her piece had been used up in ¡°The Last Bride¡±.


    That meant that whenever they would encounter a dead-end in the game in the future, they would no longer have any means to save their lives, only death awaiting them.


    Indeed, Bai Youwei still had quite a few items.<div>


    But she had learned her lesson! Almost all of the items were meant to be used against yers! To enhance their advantage by eliminating other yers. If they truly encounter a life-and-death situation in the game, the items would be of no use!


    Take, for instance, the snowman summoned by the Snowke.


    Bai Youwei believed that if used correctly, the snowman could be very invincible. However, in ¡°The Last Bride¡±, the rule was that the Duke had to kill a bride every night! No matter how powerful the snowman was, it couldn¡¯t change the rules! It could only afford the user a temporary escape, but the other gamers would be


    the Duke¡¯s target.


    That was also the reason why Su Man gave up on using the Snowke at the time.


    Bai Youwei was scared.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    She was frightened of being confronted with such a scenario again, feared watching the people by her side die one by one, while being powerless to do anything about it.


    The most terrifying thing was never death.


    It was when you finally establish a bond with this world, you have to witness the process where that bond was cut off, torn, and destroyed!


    And in the end ¡­ you be alone again.


    Bai Youwei took a deep breath, tightly holding Shen Mo¡¯s arm, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the maze.¡±<div>


    ¡°Go to the maze?¡± Shen Mo was taken aback.


    The maze in Shanghai had disappeared due to three consecutive clears, and there were no other mazes nearby.


    ¡°Until I get a puzzle piece, I don¡¯t want to enter the game for now.¡± Her voice was low and sad, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m scared.¡±


    This was the second time she mentioned the word ¡°scared¡± aftering out of the game.


    Shen Mo remained silent.


    Wasn¡¯t he scared too?


    When he was waiting in the dark and saw Zhao Lanfen and Cheng Xi¡¯s dolls appearing one after another, but with no news from Bai Youwei, wasn¡¯t he worried too?


    Thinking of her inability to walk, her personality that easily offends others, no matter what he couldn¡¯t ease his worry. This time she sessfully escaped the danger, but what about next time? What about the time after that?


    The game world¡¯s rules were ever-changing, wanting to keep her safe was undoubtedly an empty promise.


    Without a puzzle piece, he couldn¡¯t protect the person he wanted to protect.


    As Shen Mo thought about these things, he slowly said, ¡°If we¡¯re going to the maze, we can either go south or north, but considering rumors say that the north is safer, I think, people should be gathering to the north in the future.¡±


    ¡°Mazes will appear in densely popted areas.¡± Bai Youwei understood his meaning,¡± We¡¯ll head north.¡±<div>


    After a pause, she couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°How did these rumors about the north being safer start?¡±


    ¡°It actually has something to do with Professor Song¡¯s SCO Organization,¡± Shen Mo exined to her, ¡°Before the widespread power outage, there was an online interview report about SCO, in which the interviewed researcher made some conjectures, iming that the abnormal changes in Earth¡¯s maic field were probably due to a kind of high-dimensional space force that uses the sun as a medium and disassembles and irradiates the earth.¡±


    ¡°Using the sun¡­as a medium?¡± Bai Youwei had a slight realization, ¡°That¡¯s quite an interesting guess.¡±


    Though high-dimensional space seems superior to low-dimensional space, high-dimensional ¡°beings¡± can¡¯t enter low-dimensional space, just as humans can¡¯t get


    into aic strip.


    But if both worlds have the sun, perhaps it could be used as a medium.

 Chapter 381: Conjecture

    Chapter 381: Conjecture


    ¡°Suppose there really is such an advanced civilization that radiates its power to the entire earth through the sun. Then, perhaps only the ces where the sun does not shine, could humans be spared. So, the conclusion of this hypothesis is that the two poles, North and South, will be safe havens. We are in the northern hemisphere, hence the rumor that it¡¯s safer to head north.¡±


    With that, he shook his head gently, ¡°But these are just hypotheses. Nobody knows if they¡¯re true, and furthermore, not everyone can manage to flee to the Arctic and live there.¡±


    He paused briefly, suddenly thinking of Bai Youwei¡¯s mother, Wang Jingxian.


    Wang Jingxian had gone north with the ship, and most probably, her destination was the Arctic.


    It seems unbelievable to go to the Arctic, but actually, many people have visited the Arctic for tourism. As long as you¡¯re well prepared, visiting the Arctic isn¡¯t as difficult as imagined.


    Even if you can¡¯t get an icebreaker, you can still go there bynd. Start with St. Petersburg in Russia, then follow the railway line of the Arctic tourist train, passing Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and Kaim, to reach Murmansk in the Arctic part of Russia. Cross the national border to Norway, where there¡¯s a small Arctic coastal town, Kirkenes¡­.


    Of course, they will encounter many difficulties along the way. Low temperatures and food shortages could be fatal.


    But perhaps¡­ perhaps the Arctic region hasn¡¯t been affected by the doll game and is still the same as before?


    Such considerations seemed distant.


    Bai Youwei suddenly asked him, ¡°When does the pr night in the Arctic start?¡±


    Shen Mo slightly raised an eyebrow, ¡°September, should be around the 20th of September, until March of the following year. During this half a year, the sun is not visible.¡±


    Bai Youwei calcted the timing in her heart.


    It is now August. If they leave for the Arctic from here, it will take over a month. They can just make it in time for the pr night and then safely spend six months in the ce where the sun can¡¯t shine.


    Her mother had quite a dreamy n.


    Seeing her asking in such detail, Shen Mo thought she was considering it and asked: ¡°Do you believe in the Arctic hypothesis?¡±


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s not true, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Bai Youweiughed, ¡°There aren¡¯t many people there, even making up a Mahjong game would be difficult. Even if the game area covers the entire Arctic Circle, it¡¯s unlikely to be activated. I was just thinking, could the blind spots in the Arctic be left intentionally by the game, to attract survivors to gather there? Otherwise, how could all the puzzle pieces be collected.¡±


    Hearing this, Shen Mo frowned, and pondered, ¡°If the survivors are always dispersed, the puzzles that can be collected would be very limited. We don¡¯t have any means of transportation to get to the mazes in other areas, like Australia¡­ The doll game shouldn¡¯t set a goal that we can¡¯t achieve at all.¡±


    Even if blind zones are set to attract people, there will definitely be people who cannot reach the Arctic for various reasons. So, how would the puzzle pieces from those parts be collected?


    Both fell silent, as if they had both realized it was a dead end, or rather, a cul-de-sac.


    After a long while, Shen Mo said: ¡°Collecting all the puzzles can clear all the games. This is a clue Zhang Tianyang got from the Brocade Bag prop, so it shouldn¡¯t be wrong. Maybe when we have more puzzle pieces, there will be more clues.¡± n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Bai Youwei thought for a moment, took out all the puzzle pieces, and started trying to put them together on the bed.


    Shen Mo also wanted to know what these puzzles can form.


    Unfortunately, with their only eight puzzle pieces, each piece¡¯s shape didn¡¯t match any other. After trying numerousbinations with nothing forming, they were totally clueless.


    Shen Mo sighed lightly, ¡°It seems we need more puzzle pieces¡­¡±


    Suddenly, Shen Fei¡¯s voice came from the outside:


    ¡°Professor Cheng! Is my brother here?¡±

 Chapter 382: Another Meeting

    Chapter 382: Another Meeting


    ¡°She¡¯s in there.¡± The teacher pointed towards the bedroom, ¡°She¡¯s sleeping with Weiwei.¡±


    Shen Fei¡¯s steps faltered, doubting if he had heard correctly, he stared nkly at the teacher, ¡°What?¡±


    As if he hadn¡¯t noticed Shen Fei¡¯s stunned expression, Chang Weicai kept himself busy sweeping and mopping the floor while suggesting, ¡°You shoulde backter, they just fell asleep, they need their rest¡­ Weiwei just finished the game and your brother has been exhausted from standing guard at the parking lot for days¡­¡±


    Shen Fei: ¡°My brother and Bai Youwei are in the same room?!¡±


    His voice suddenly rose an octave, causing the teacher, atst, to look up at him, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    His tone indicated confusion as if he could not understand why it was strange that Shen Mo and Bai Youwei were sleeping in the same room.


    The teacher said, ¡°They have always been sleeping together¡­¡±


    ¡°They have always been sleeping together?!!¡±


    Shen Fei¡¯s face twisted even further. His voice seemed stretched tight, shrill, and sharp!


    Chang Weicai was taken aback by his reaction, fearful that he may be thinking too much, promptly exined, ¡°No¡­ Xiaoshen, don¡¯t misunderstand. Your brother stays in the same room to take care of Weiwei. After all, it¡¯s not convenient for her because of her leg¡­¡±


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s not convenient, there¡¯s no need to share a room!¡± Shen Fei couldn¡¯t bear it any longer. He walked to the door in a few strides and started banging on it!


    The door opened quickly.


    Shen Mo was standing at the doorway, his face expressionless.


    Shen Fei had always held his cousin in great respect. Seeing him, his voice immediately softened, ¡°Bro¡­ Why, why are you sharing a room with a woman¡­¡±


    As he was speaking, he couldn¡¯t resist peeking inside the room.


    Seeing that there was only one bed in the room, his eyes immediately bulged, forgetting to disguise his voice, ¡°You two share one bed?!¡±


    Inside the room, Bai Youwei calmly looked at the bed and nodded, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a double bed.¡±


    Shen Fei was agitated, ¡°That¡¯s not the issue! It¡¯s¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, Shen Mo pushed him a couple of steps back and closed the door.


    ¡°What did you want to see me about?¡± Shen Mo asked him.


    ¡°Mo! Mo!¡± Shen Fei was stuck amidst the shock of his brother cohabiting with a woman, ¡°How could you sleep with that woman? How long have you two been together? When did this ur? How did this happen? Who initiated this?!! Does our uncle know about this?!!¡±


    One question after another bombarded Shen Mo making his head ache, he frowned, ¡°What¡¯s your actual concern?¡±


    ¡°Bro¡­¡± Shen Fei gritted his teeth, grabbing Shen Mo¡¯s shirt and pulling him to a corner, lowering his voice to say, ¡°You cannot follow in our uncle¡¯s footsteps.¡±


    Shen Mo frowned, ¡°Weiwei is different.¡±


    Upon hearing his reply, Shen Fei got even more anxious and clutched his chest, ¡°Bro, what do you mean by this? Are you really with her now? Do you two¡­have you two¡­? ¡±


    As he spoke, Shen Fei seemed to have realized something and started nodding as if he understood, ¡°I get it! You acted impulsively, right? I understand! A man and a woman alone together¡­it¡¯s unavoidable sometimes! But you don¡¯t have to take responsibility for her lifetime! Bro, times have changed. Your old-fashioned ideas need a rethink¡­¡±


    Shen Mo found him annoying and turned around to go inside, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯m going back in.¡±


    ¡°Hey?! Hey, wait!¡± Shen Fei hastily spoke, ¡°I have something! I have something! Professor Song asked me to invite her to a meeting at the headquarters! It¡¯s about discussing the game on the 24th!¡± n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Shen Mo stopped, turned around to look at him, and asked, ¡°Now?¡±


    Shen Fei shook his head, ¡°No need. Professor Song knows they are injured, so the meeting has been scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, letting them rest for a day first.¡±


    Shen Mo nodded slightly, ¡°I will take her there tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s also another thing¡­¡± Shen Fei hesitated, ¡°You haven¡¯t visited our uncle for a few days. You didn¡¯t have time before because you had to stay in the underground parking lot. Now that she has emerged from the game, don¡¯t you think¡­ you should¡­ go see our uncle?¡±


    Shen Mo was silent for a while and then nodded, ¡°Hmm, I got it.¡±

 Chapter 383: 383: Arrange, Arrange

    Chapter 383: Arrange, Arrange


    The next day, Bai Youwei slept until the sun was high in the sky, finally waking uppletely rested and full.<div>


    Teacher Chang was preparing lunch.


    Without a gas stove, it was inconvenient to cook, so Teacher Chang always started preparing way ahead of time.


    Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin were helping out on the side.


    Though sometimes their help created more work.


    The morning was quiet and rxed. Bai Youwei brushed her teeth while watching them busily prepare food. She felt like she was forgetting something.<div>


    Had she forgotten about Shen Mo? ¡­Probably not, he had told her he was going to visit his father before he left.


    What else could it be then?


    Bai Youwei continued to ponder.


    ¡°Ah!¡± she remembered, ¡°Let¡¯s have steak for lunch!¡±


    Tan Xiao, Chang Weicai, and Pan Xiaoxin all looked at her,pletely baffled.


    Bai Youwei took out a golden key, opened the door of the dollhouse, and said excitedly, ¡°Since you are all here, after having the steak, you can help me tidy up the house.¡±


    As the dollhouse door swung open, a dazzling brilliance of gold zed from within!


    All three of them were stupefied.


    Tan Xiao was amazed and cried out, ¡°Oh my god! Weiwei, did you get another set of houses?! Is this a reward from a new game?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Bai Youwei walked in with her crutch, waving at them from amidst heaps of gold and silver jewelry, ¡°Come in quick, let¡¯s talk inside.¡±


    Exchanging nces, the three of them ¡°squeezed¡± into the dollhouse


    It was indeed crammed. The entire first floor could barely amodate any people, the floor being covered with gold, silver, jewelry, and fancy clothes. There were at least seventy or eighty hats alone! Studded with gems, covered in fur, adorned with silk flowers, all sorts of hats!<div>


    Some exquisite and expensive tableware were haphazardly ced underneath everything, they were in danger of stepping on them and breaking them. Teacher Chang was quite distressed over it.


    ¡°If it doesn¡¯t fit in the house, just throw it outside.¡± Bai Youwei seemed indifferent, she muscled her way through to the fridge, pushed aside the hefty golden bars nearby, and finally managed to open the fridge door¡ª¡ª


    She took out a few pieces of steak.


    The steaks were already cooked, perfectly medium-rare. Although they had lost some of their fresh taste after being frozen, having steak now was a luxury in itself.


    ¡°Teacher Chang¡± Bai Youwei called to Chang Weicai, ¡°Can you take a look at the fridge? If there¡¯s any expired food, throw it out! Keep whatever we can eat! We¡¯re having steak for lunch!¡±


    ¡°Xiaoxin You¡¯re in charge of putting all clothes on the second floor in the wardrobe. If the wardrobe gets full, just stuff them in the study! It¡¯s not like we¡¯re using it much right now!¡±


    ¡°Tan Xiao~~ Your job is to put all the weapons in the storage room. Pile the gold and silver jewelry in the yard! It¡¯s too much in the way piled up here!¡±


    After a round of instructions, everyone was clear on what to do.


    Tan Xiao¡¯s task was the heaviest and required the most strength. After hauling several loads of gold, he couldn¡¯t help but ask:


    ¡°Weiwei, if you aren¡¯t going to use these things, why did you move them into the dollhouse?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to look at, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s pleasing to the eye to see a mountain of gold and silver when you open the window?¡± Bai Youwei said indifferently, ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not bad to use it to hit someone when you don¡¯t have a weapon on hand.¡±


    Tan Xiao weighed the gold bar in his hand and nodded, ¡°You¡¯re right!¡±<div>


    Then he continued moving the gold.


    ¡­Only Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t busy.


    Once the house had been cleaned up and Teacher Chang heated up the steaks, Bai Youwei opened the door to check outside, but Shen Mo was still gone.


    It wasn¡¯t surprising; a father and son meeting would definitely include a meal together.


    At the lunch table, Teacher Chang gently cleared his throat and hesitantly said, ¡°Weiwei¡­¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Bai Youwei was eating her steak.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Teacher Chang said, ¡°On this journey, Xiaoshen has helped us a lot. I heard his father isn¡¯t feeling well recently. Should we¡­ pay him a visit?¡±

 Chapter 384: 384: Mentioning the Female Lead’s Mother

    Chapter 384: Mentioning the Female Lead¡¯s Mother


    ¡°Visit Shen uncle?¡± Bai Youwei swallowed the food in her mouth, and thought, ¡°Is that necessary?¡±<div>


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not a matter of necessity¡­ it¡¯s a matter of courtesy.¡± Teacher Cheng took the time to instruct, ¡°We are all in Shanghai, not far away from each other, both emotionally and reasonably, we should go and visit.¡±


    With this, teacher Cheng sighed deeply and went on: ¡°Times are not the same as before. If we don¡¯t take advantage of the opportunity to meet and talk, it will be challenging to meet again when everyone is miles apart.¡±


    With that said, the atmosphere inevitably became tinged with mncholy.


    Tan Xiao didn¡¯t want to listen to his nagging, so he was merely nodding while eating, ¡°Let¡¯s go! We¡¯ll go together!¡±


    Bai Youwei shrugged, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    She was just afraid that the other party would feel awkward when she saw her.<div>


    Bai Youwei knew a little bit about her mother. Although she was over forty, she looked no more than thirty since she had taken great care of her appearance. Combined with her refined and elegant demeanor, it attracted many suitors.


    However, her mother didn¡¯t have any ns of remarrying, focusing her entire attention on thepany instead. She kept normal friendships with all suitors, unintentionally umting many ¡°backup options,¡± and Shen Mo¡¯s father was one of them.


    Some women may think this behavior is offensive, but in reality, this is just a typical business person¡¯s interpersonal rtionship model.


    Business people will not easily quarrel with anyone, maintaining a harmonious rtionship with everyone.


    Thinking of this, Bai Youwei could not help but pause.


    Actually¡­


    She was not harmonious with everyone, um¡­ except with her own daughter.


    ¡°Weiwei?¡± Teacher Cheng noticed her in a daze and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Bai Youwei came back to herself and chuckled lightly, ¡°Nothing, I was just thinking about what to bring as a gift if I were to visit Shen uncle.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s ask Shen Mo when hees back,¡± Teacher Cheng suggested, ¡°See if there¡¯s anything his father needs or if there¡¯s anything he particrly likes to eat or use¡­¡±


    Bai Youwei absent-mindedly responded.


    The conversation came to an end.<div>


    And Shen Mo never dide back.


    In the afternoon, Chu Huaijin personally came to pick up Bai Youwei, Su Man, and Zhu Shu.


    Although Chu Huaijin was officially the head of the organization, Bai Youwei realized that he was just a doer. The real spiritual leader of the organization was Professor Song Mingchuan.


    They met Yu Yaqing outside the meeting room.


    With a jest, Su Man said, ¡°We¡¯re not going to be barred from entering this time, are we?¡±


    Yu Yaqingughed when he heard that, he patted Siman on the shoulder, ¡°Holding a grudge?¡±


    Zhu Shu smiled at Su Man, ¡°Women, of course, hold a grudge.¡±


    ¡°And love dredging up old scores,¡± Bai Youwei added.


    The four women looked at each other, unable to hold back a chuckle.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Seeing them in this state, Chu Huaijin couldn¡¯t help but smile too. He said, ¡°Let¡¯s all go in. Professor Song has a lot of questions about the game that he wants to ask you all.¡±


    Mentioning the game, their smiles suddenly paused.<div>


    That wasn¡¯t a beautiful memory at all.


    Yu Yaqing, serious, walked ahead and was the first to push open the door to the meeting room¡ª


    Inside was a long corridor with rooms on both sides, moving in further, they saw one room with a light on.


    ¡°Professor Song,¡± Chu Huaijin stood at the door with a respectful attitude, ¡°They¡¯re here.¡±


    Bai Youwei curiously looked at the person inside, leaning her head.


    With a few days gone by, she felt Professor Song had aged even more.


    He was bending over the desk to work, buried in piles of draft papers. Becauseputers were not to be used casually, all the calctions had to be performed manually by him or other researchers. They had to be checked repeatedly to ensure uracy.


    He already seemed quite old yet took on such a heavy task. Honestly speaking, Bai Youwei wondered if he might suddenly pass away from the stress.

 Chapter 385: 385: Got a Name

    Chapter 385: Got a Name


    Professor Song straightened up from a pile of documents, removing his sses. He pointed to the chairs across the desk and said, ¡°Have a seat.¡±<div>


    Bai Youwei, Zhu Shu, Su Man, and Yu Yaqing sat down one after another.


    The old professor handed out a prepared form to each of them. His voice was rough and solemn:


    ¡°In order to facilitate ourmunication and avoid possible omissions, I have prepared these forms. The questions I need answers to are basically covered here I hope that you can fill them out asprehensively and urately as possible.¡±


    Each of them got a form, thick as a textbook, which caught them by surprise.


    It¡¯s so thick¡­


    Even if they filled it out all day, it might not be enough?<div>


    Then, they heard Professor Song say, ¡°Here are the forms for other games. You can refer to them, consider it as a token of appreciation from the research group.¡±


    Bai Youwei turned to the back, and found that what they actually had to fill out was only on the first two pages, the rest was information on other games.


    ¡ªApart from game number 21, other games numbered from 1 to 23, systematically arranged. These pieces of information were collected by the members of the organization, some games had only one page of information, some had five to six pages.


    Bai Youwei briefly flipped through them and thought that this professor was quite efficient.


    ¡°You can start filling out the forms now,¡± Song Mingchuan said hoarsely, ¡°If you are unclear about anything, feel free to ask me at any time.¡±


    They each picked up a pen from the table and began to fill out the forms.


    The first question was ¡°Theme of the game¡±.


    This was easy. Bai Youwei wrote, ¡°The Last Bride¡±.


    The second question was ¡°Characteristics of the Inspector¡±.


    Bai Youwei frowned and started writing, ¡°Adult male appearance, blond hair, blue eyes,nky body resembling noodles, and exquisitely dressed¡­¡±


    As she wrote, she suddenly paused, turned over to the back of the form.


    As expected, she found a simr description, and at the front of the description, there was a note: Cartoon Man.<div>


    Bai Youwei was slightly surprised, ¡°Is this the Inspector¡¯s name?¡±


    Professor Song raised his head and said expressionlessly, ¡°Inspectors have no names, no gender, no age. The notes are the mostmon terms that yers refer to them by, as a means of differentiation. We internally adopted the same terminology.¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    He spoke, then nced at the form Bai Youwei was holding, and added, ¡°Sometimes, one Inspector may have more than one name. For example, the Cartoon Man is also called Noodle Man or Long-legged Mannequin. When recording, we choose the mostmonly used name.¡±


    Bai Youwei flipped through the pages, finding records of basically every Inspector she had encountered.


    The Ball had the most consistent name, called either ¡°Ball¡± or ¡°Round Ball¡± or ¡°Gravity Ball,¡± always including the word ¡®ball¡¯;


    The Rabbit-headed Man had the names ¡°Gentleman with a Rabbit Head¡± or ¡°Magician¡±;


    The Grey-robed Old Man had the most names ¨C ¡°Hurricane Monster,¡± ¡°Faceless Monster,¡± ¡°Wind-robed Old Man,¡± ¡°Cloak Man,¡± ¡°Mushroom Cloak¡±¡­


    When Bai Youwei saw ¡°Mushroom Cloak,¡± the corners of her mouth twitched.


    Recalling the sight of that old man, standing still in his cloak, he did resemble a mushroom.


    Beyond the four Inspectors she recognized, she also saw unfamiliar names like ¡°Puppet Master,¡± ¡°Ghost Fire,¡± and so on.


    It seemed there were more than four Inspectors. She just wondered how they divided their work, whether there was a hierarchy among them, and whether they would cooperate orpete with each other?


    The professor was waiting for them to fill out the forms, so her questions had to be pushed aside for now.<div>


    Bai Youwei picked up her pen and began to write. Knowing that piles of game information were waiting for them, she wrote in great detail. There was a subconscious give-and-take at y, from which she was not exempt.


    She wrote a lot, then nced at Su Man¡¯s form and couldn¡¯t help but stare.

 Chapter 386: 386: Su Man’s Hand

    Chapter 386: Su Man¡¯s Hand


    Su Man¡¯s form was sparsely filled out.<div>


    In stark contrast to Bai Youwei¡¯s form, under each question, she had only written a few words.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    For instance, on the question about the game setting, Bai Youwei provided a detailed description of the manor¡¯s interior and exterior structure. Zhu Shu and Yu Yaqing also mentioned, to varying degrees, about the revolving stone wall on the third floor and the hidden passage in the basement.


    But Su Man just wrote four words: ¡°Manor, very big¡±.


    Su Man was straightforward, she probably wouldn¡¯t deliberately withhold information.


    After some thought, Bai Youwei understood the reason.


    Su Man¡¯s right hand, seemed to have a hard time writing.<div>


    Her right hand was bitten off by a guest in the doll house. Although she immediately used mud at that time, after the wound healed, fine movements had significantly weakened. She had difficulties not only with writing, but also in daily life activities like picking up food or threading a needle, actions that required delicate finger movements.


    However,pared to losing one¡¯s life in the game, losing a hand wasn¡¯t much.


    Besides, there¡¯s still the left hand.


    Bai Youwei casually asked, ¡°Is the injury on your left hand okay?¡±


    In ¡°The Last Bride¡±, whenever the Duke dragged a woman into the punishment room, he would either grab her hair or twist her wrist. Both Zhu Shu and Su Man¡¯s wrists were injured, with Su Man¡¯s seemingly more severe.


    Su Man, who was struggling to hold her pen and whose handwriting was crooked, looked pained. Hearing Bai Youwei¡¯s query, she was momentarily stunned before sheughed and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    She slightly lifted her left arm, wrapped in bandages on the front of her chest, and said, ¡°I should be fully recovered in a few days. After all, I have experienced the maze twice.¡±


    Bai Youwei nodded lightly, and turned to ask Yu Yaqing and Zhu Shu on the other side, ¡°How about your injuries? All healed?¡±


    Yu Yaqing: ¡°It¡¯s better. Although it hasn¡¯tpletely healed, it doesn¡¯t hinder my movement.¡±


    Zhu Shu: ¡°Yes, don¡¯t worry, we have all been through the maze. Our bodies¡¯ self-healing abilities are stronger than average people.¡±


    Listening to their conversation, Su Man dropped her arm, her right hand slowly gripping her left forearm. She remained silent without uttering a word.


    <div>


    Afterpleting the form, Professor Song asked for some details about the game.


    He was very concerned about the game that first introduced gender restrictions and believed that future games would gradually evolve in this direction.


    If this time was women-exclusive, would the next one be men-exclusive? Child-exclusive? Or even career-oriented, such as a group of chefs participating in a culinarypetition?


    Just like arge-scalepetition, initially, the selection is rough, but as it progresses, the design of thepetition stages bes more refined.


    However, what kind of person is this selection process actually looking for?


    What is the ultimate goal of the game?


    It¡¯s still unknown.


    Bai Youwei recalled the games she had been through ¨C ¡®The Tortoise and the Hare¡¯, ¡®The Frog¡¯s Golden Ball¡¯, as well as ¡®Lucky Quiz¡¯, all of them had high elimination rates. Groups of participants would die almost as soon as they entered.


    She mused, ¡°The earlier games¡­ required at least 30 or 20 people to trigger, but theter ones required fewer participants to trigger. 10 people¡­ 7 people¡­¡±


    Professor Song, whose face was expressionless, nonchntly responded, ¡°Yes, as the poption decreases, the conditions for triggering the games changes ordingly. In the future, fewer and fewer people would be required to trigger the games. We specte that games which can be triggered by a single person may even appear.¡±


    As he said it, he lifted his eyelid and looked at the four young women in front of him. Then he said,


    ¡°The fact that you guys made it out of the gender-specific game means you¡¯ve gained some experience. Future games may not have overlyplex rules and formats, but they will definitely be more difficult andpetitive.¡±<div>


    Yu Yaqing suddenly stood up, her expression serious, and said to the professor, ¡°Professor Song, I believe that the games are a challenge that everyone must face. All members of the security group should regrly participate in these games to improve our abilities and gain experience. I hope you can approve my proposal!¡±

 Chapter 387: A Suggestion

    Chapter 387: A Suggestion


    Song Mingchuan remained silent, his aged face deep with wrinkles, his eyelids drooped, and even without uttering a word, he emanated an unexined seriousness. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Chu Huaijin, who was next to him, spoke, ¡°Team Leader Yu, I understand your concerns, but there is a testing team responsible for the gaming part. The members of the security team should focus on their primary roles first.¡±


    Yu Yaqing frowned, ¡°I understand that ensuring theplete safety of the scientific research team is the main role of the security team. But if we don¡¯t arrange for everyone to go into the game, their gaming experience will amount to nil. If they have to go into the game in the future, it would be really disadvantageous¡­¡±


    ¡°If they were willing to enter the game, why didn¡¯t they join the testing team in the first ce?¡± Professor Song suddenly asked her.


    Yu Yaqing was struck dumb.


    ¡°Your suggestion is merely wishful thinking on your part,¡± Song Mingchuan bluntly said. ¡°The main reason your team members joined the security team is that they don¡¯t wish to enter the game.¡±


    Yu Yaqing looked slightly annoyed but due to Professor Song¡¯s revered status, she curbed her anger, ¡°Professor Song, neither my team members nor I are cowards who fear death!¡±


    ¡°Is it wrong to value life and fear death?¡± Song Mingchuan let his eyelids drop, his voice remained indifferent, ¡°I wonder, how many people in this world do not cherish their lives and are not scared of death?¡±


    Chu Huaijin stood up, trying to calm the tense atmosphere, he addressed Yu Yaqing, ¡°Team Leader Yu, you can discuss it with your team members before making a decision. The testing team is indeed in need of new members since many have left. If you insist, I¡¯ll consider transferring someone from your team.¡±


    Yu Yaqing solemnly nodded her head, ¡°I will go back and ry this information to my team.¡±


    Someone knocked on the door from outside.


    The assistant pushed open the door and asked, ¡°Professor, the candidates for Game No. 21 have arrived, should we meet them now or ask them to wait?¡±


    ¡°Let theme.¡± Song Mingchuan answered, then he addressed the four women in the room, ¡°You all can leave now. I appreciate the information you have provided for the scientific research team.¡±


    They all said their goodbyes to Professor Song and left the temporary research room.


    During her walk, Yu Yaqing couldn¡¯t let go of the anger she felt due to the way Professor Song had spoken earlier.


    She believed in her team members; they only needed an opportunity to prove themselves. If they were given a chance to enter the game, their performance wouldn¡¯t necessarily be inferior to that of the testing team¡¯s!


    However¡­ recalling Hu Ya¡¯s actions in the game, Yu Yaqing couldn¡¯t help but hesitate.


    Just then, a group of men approached them head-on.


    Men of all sorts.


    Tall, short, slim, plump, an agile gymnast, a sharp-minded bank manager, intimidatingly burly men, and quick-witted slim young men¡­


    As they passed by, one of them whistled at Zhu Shu.


    Yu Yaqing frowned wanting to warn them off, but was held back by Zhu Shu who shook her head silently.


    Better to avoid trouble when possible.


    Besides, she hadn¡¯t suffered anything; she might as well pretend a fly had buzzed past her.


    Yu Yaqing shot a nce at the men, swallowed her anger, and left with her colleagues.


    Surprisingly, Bai Youwei turned around and took another look.


    She stared at the back of one of the men, her gaze cast downward, falling onto his hand¡ª


    She saw a pair of white gloves.


    In the scorching heat of August, he was not bothered by the heat and wore a pair of gloves, which made people curious about his profession or identity.


    From a nce, he appeared slim, a bit on the thin side, with a calm demeanor. He seemed a bit cold and kept his distance from everyone else.


    ¡°Weiwei, let¡¯s go.¡± Su Man, who was in front, called out to her.


    Bai Youwei responded, and with her crutch, slowly followed them.


    Little did she know, after Su Man had called out to her, those men were also talking about them.


    ¡°Not bad benefits at this base, they even have a cripple, how strange.¡±


    ¡°¡­She¡¯s surprisingly good-looking though.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t provoke that cripple. You guys are new here, you don¡¯t know. The one who needed props to exchange for puzzle pieces was her! She has a lot of props in her hand!¡±


    ¡°Really? I couldn¡¯t tell¡­¡±


    The man wearing the white gloves looked at Bai Youwei¡¯s retreating figure, a thoughtful expression on his face¡­

 Chapter 388: The Situation on Shen Mo’s Side

    Chapter 388: The Situation on Shen Mo¡¯s Side


    Along the roadside, a row of beautiful garden vis stood.


    Shen Mo walked into one of them, opened the wrought iron gate and under a grape tree in the courtyard, a middle-aged man was sitting at a short square table, ying Chinese chess alone.


    The chess set was an original item in the vi, made of wood. Thecquer had already faded and the edges were worn smooth and rounded.


    Shen Mo sat down at the other end of the table, observing the situation on the chessboard.


    It seemed like a game of life and death.


    He nced at his father across the table.


    In his memories, his father had never yed Chinese chess. His usual pastimes were quite fixed: reading, writing, mountain climbing and golf.


    Of course, some of those pastimes are now impossible to enjoy.


    Looking at the chessboard, the middle-aged man spoke calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t take Shen Fei¡¯s words to heart. I¡¯m not some old man in his sixties or seventies who can¡¯t move. I can look after myself and certainly don¡¯t need constant care from my children. You don¡¯t need toe here to check on me all the time.¡±


    Speaking, he looked up at Shen Mo,ughing lightly, ¡°Even if I were in my sixties or seventies, I wouldn¡¯t necessarily need care. I heard there¡¯s an old man in your team, is that true?¡±


    Sitting across the table, Shen Mo replied, ¡°Yes, his name is Chang Weicai, a teacher in a middle school in Nanjing.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Shen¡¯s father nodded, bowing his head again to focus on the chessboard.


    Silence reigned, as if father and son had nothing to say to each other.


    After a while, Shen Mo said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could y Chinese chess.¡±


    ¡°When I was young, I yed with your grandfather.¡± Shen¡¯s father picked up a chess piece, hesitated, and put it back down, sighing, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I touched this, I¡¯ve be rusty.¡±


    Shen Mo looked, picked up the rook, and moved it five squares straight ahead of the general, ¡°Check.¡±


    Shen¡¯s father chuckled, ¡°That won¡¯t work, my horse is guarding here.¡±


    He jumped the horse and captured Shen Mo¡¯s rook.


    Shen Mo moved his pawn forward, ¡°Check.¡±


    ¡°This is a dead end, it won¡¯t work.¡± Shen¡¯s father shook his head, advancing a soldier and capturing the pawn.


    Shen Mo moved his cannon,nding it on the general, ¡°Check.¡±


    Shen¡¯s father was taken aback.


    Shen Mo said calmly, ¡°Move two steps if there¡¯s dead end in one, three if there¡¯s a dead end in two. My grandfather used to say, the way out is to keep moving.¡±


    Shen¡¯s father stared at the chessboard for a good half a minute, then moved the piece he had yed back to its original position, ¡°I made a mistake just now, I won¡¯t use the horse.¡± N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Shen Mo said, ¡°Dad, you can¡¯t take moves back.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only a game, not a real battlefield. Just a game between father and son, it can¡¯t be considered taking moves back.¡± Shen¡¯s father reset the chessboard, moving the general behind the minister, ¡°Now, I should be safe.¡±


    Shen Mo looked helpless.


    But seeing his father¡¯s white hair at his temples, his mood was a bit harsh.


    His father was a typical rich man¡¯s son, raised in luxury and grandeur. Because of strict parenting, he had not picked up any bad habits and thanks to his grandfather¡¯s fairness, there had been no scandals over inheritance among the brothers. One could say his life had been worry-free.


    For him to remain so calm in this situation was quite impressive.


    After a while in silence, Shen Mo turned to his father and said, ¡°I n to head north in a few days.¡±


    ¡°Head north?¡± Shen¡¯s father looked up at him in mild surprise, ¡°¡­Are you trying to help Weiwei find her mother?¡±


    Wang Jingxian had also gone north.


    Shen Mo shook his head, ¡°The area is too big, it¡¯s very difficult to find one person. We¡¯re heading north to collect puzzle pieces.¡±


    ¡°Collecting puzzle pieces¡­¡± Shen¡¯s father understood, ¡°I heard from your second uncle that there arebyrinths in Wuhan and Zhengzhou, but I don¡¯t know if they still exist after all this time¡­¡±


    He said, sighing lightly, ¡°Even though Shanghai doesn¡¯t have abyrinth, it has attracted the game instead. If we can¡¯t conquer the 21st game, I fear the base will have to relocate elsewhere.¡±

 Chapter 389: 389: It’s Still Shen Mo’s Side

    Chapter 389: It¡¯s Still Shen Mo¡¯s Side


    Shen Fei and his father both served the organization, so they were always well-informed.<div>


    Shen Mo had also heard about the base relocation from Shen Fei.


    ¡°Has it been confirmed about the relocation?¡± Shen Mo asked, ¡°Where are we moving to?¡±


    ¡°The professor suggests moving south along the coastline.¡± Father Shen replied, ¡°It¡¯s August now, autumn is just around the corner. Without electricity and heating systems, moving north would pose too many challenges, especially with the shortage of food.¡±


    Moving south would mean warmer climate, continuous nt growth, and people wouldn¡¯t starve to death.


    Head north? Or move south?


    Twopletely opposite directions.<div>


    Shen Mo furrowed his brows. If the base were to move, his departure would mean cutting ties with his family.


    In a world like this, losing contact was a terrifying thing, because it was like¡­a final farewell.


    Father Shen understood his concern and said: ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much, the professor has already recruited a team that will enter the game tomorrow. They¡¯re all top yers, so there¡¯s a high chance they¡¯ll clear the game. If Area 21 is sessfully conquered, there will be no need to relocate.¡±


    Shen Mo pondered, nodding in agreement.


    ¡°By the way.¡± Father Shen remembered something and asked Shen Mo, ¡°Since we¡¯re leaving, when will you bring Weiwei over for me to meet?¡±


    Shen Mo was taken aback, looking at him.


    ¡°Shen Fei told me you two are living together.¡± Father Shen paused, then added, ¡°Sleeping together, too.¡±


    Shen Mo:


    ¡°Even though the world is in chaos, certain rules must be observed. If you¡¯re sure about being together, bring her over for me to meet.¡± Father Shen reminded.


    Shen Mo gave a barely perceptible frown, remaining silent for a moment.


    Father Shen eyed his reaction, somewhat puzzled, and asked: ¡°Was it a misunderstanding by Shen Fei?¡±


    After two seconds of silence, Shen Mo replied, ¡°I¡¯ll bring her over tomorrow.¡±<div>


    It was now Father Shen¡¯s turn to be silent: ¡°¡­¡±


    He was slightly taken aback. His son had always been reticent, never sharing personal matters. Was this answer a veiled admission that he and the girl were together?


    He patted Shen Mo heavily on the shoulder, ¡°Come around tonight, and don¡¯t let your second uncle and cousin find out. They already have a lot to say about Auntie Wang, if they found out about Weiweiing, they would definitely bug me about it.¡±


    Hearing this, Shen Mo found it somewhat amusing. ¡°Dad, haven¡¯t you given up on Auntie Wang yet?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Why should I give up? Don¡¯t repeat your second uncle¡¯s words.¡± Father Shen just smiled, ¡°They don¡¯t understand the beauty of love.¡±


    Shen Mo:


    The father and son chatted for a while, then Uncle Shen arrived, and it was time for the uncle and nephew to catch up.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    When he learned that Shen Mo was nning to collect jigsaw puzzles, Uncle Shen immediately praised him, saying: ¡°You are truly a man of the Shen Family! A man should be adventurous, don¡¯t worry, your father will be looked after by me and Xiaofei!¡±


    He then pulled Shen Fei over, called a few Shen Family rtives, and held a farewell party for Shen Mo.


    Some of them had been distant rtives, but now that the Shen family only had a few of them left, they became closer than before.


    After eating, it was inevitable for them to drink.<div>


    After drinking, it was inevitable for emotions to run high.


    From the afternoon to the evening, the whole table was unbridled withughter, shedding tears, drowning their sorrows in alcohol.


    Some were crying over death, some wereughing their heads off, some were cursing the fickle nature of the world¡­


    Shen Mo watched this spectacle, holding his ss. Behind a ss wall, he observed this spectrum of human life clearly and in silence.


    He has always been this way since he was a child. Adults praised him for his maturity, but in reality, he was just indifferent.


    Father Shen gently patted his shoulder, saying: ¡°Remember tonight well. Even if we don¡¯t get to see each other in the future, when you reminisce, you can still recall how we were all drinking together.¡±


    Upon hearing this, waves rippled in Shen Mo¡¯s calmke of a heart.


    When he looked again at the rtives and friends at the table, he seemed to share in their joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness¡­ he could feel some of it too.

 Chapter 390: 390: The Situation on Bai Youwei’s Side

    Chapter 390: The Situation on Bai Youwei¡¯s Side


    He returned home quitete.<div>


    Shen Mo opened the door, the light was on in the living room.


    A candle was ced on the coffee table. It was burnt to the end, and the me was like a small monster tethered by the wick, jumping incessantly but unable to escape.


    Bai Youwei was sitting on the sofa, dressed in a white nightgown with her ck hair loose. She coldly stared at Shen Mo, then she hummed lightly and said, ¡°Well, you remembered to return home?¡±


    The corner of Shen Mo¡¯s mouth curled into a smile.


    Bai Youwei was indignant, ¡°What are you smiling for!¡±


    As Shen Mo approached, a wave of alcohol entered her nostrils, making her even more angry: ¡°You¡¯ve been drinking!¡±<div>


    Shen Mo sat down, casually lifted her onto hisp, hugged her, and smiled lightly, ¡°Hmm, had a little.¡±


    Bai Youwei:


    The sudden intimacy made her ufortable. She couldn¡¯t help but stare at Shen Mo¡¯s eyes, doubting whether he was¡­ drunk?


    Some people tend to cross the line when they¡¯re drunk.


    She couldn¡¯t help but feel an odd anticipation¡­


    Her hand stealthily moved to his abs, cautiously asking, ¡°Are you drunk?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± Shen Mo leaned back into the sofa, his single arm looping around her waist, gently exining, ¡°My father was here, and so were many uncles. We don¡¯t get together often, so I drank a few extra cups.¡±


    Bai Youwei was quietly touching his abs.


    It was a rare opportunity; usually, he was so serious and didn¡¯t let her touch him.


    She had hardly tentatively felt his abs when Shen Mo caught her hand, preventing her from moving it.


    Bai Youwei felt slightly disappointed, she had not expected him to be so alert even when drunk¡­


    Shen Mo raised a corner of his lips and said, ¡°Just now, you looked exactly like a wife in a TV drama who gets furious when her husbandes homete after drinking.¡±<div>


    An image of a curly-haired, slightly chubby middle-aged woman in slippers suddenly popped into Bai Youwei¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Nonsense! Am I that fierce?!¡±


    Shen Mo chuckled softly, couldn¡¯t stop himself fromughing for a moment.


    He was usually reserved, rarelyughing like this. Bai Youwei stared at him, feeling tonight¡¯s Shen Mo was a bit strange.


    After a moment, Shen Mo hugged her and cooed, ¡°You¡¯re not fierce, I was just praising your authority.¡±


    The authority of the mistress of the house.


    Bai Youwei pondered a bit, her face turning slightly red. Fortunately, the living room was dimly lit, so it wasn¡¯t noticeable.


    Shen Mo adjusted his position slightly, still hugging her, and asked, ¡°What did you do today?¡±


    ¡°Cleaning the house. I got tons of trash from that new bride game. It¡¯s useless to keep it, but it¡¯s wasteful to throw it away. Then Tan Xiao and Xiaoxin went to the river to dig some dirt, saying Professor Cheng wants to nt vegetables in the backyard of the dollhouse¡­¡±


    Bai Youwei stopped talking, remembered something, turned around on the sofa, picked up a stack of documents, and handed them to Shen Mo.


    ¡°I met with Professor Song this afternoon, this is what he gave me, all gaming data from nearby areas.¡±


    Shen Mo took it and briefly skimmed through it.<div>


    He originally thought he was just slightly tipsy, but looking at the closely packed words on the paper, he suddenly felt a bit dizzy.


    He put the paper down and asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Want to go?¡±


    Bai Youwei made a face: ¡°These games, one can¡¯t go simply because they want to. Each game requires at least one death, otherwise a full-team clearance will trigger an anti-brushing system, and once a game disappears, a new unknown game will appear. So, the organization has stipted, until a new game¡¯s strategy has been figured out, the old game cannot be fully cleared. If someone clears it, they must take responsibility to figure out the strategies for the new game that appears thereafter.¡±


    She picked up the documents, continuing: ¡°Although we can¡¯t go, this information is very important, it can be processed to let Professor Cheng and others have a look and gain some game experience.¡±


    Shen Mo said, ¡°Let¡¯s take it slow. I¡¯ve already mentioned to my father about heading north, Tomorrow youe with me to his ce.¡±


    Recalling Professor Cheng¡¯s advice, Bai Youwei nodded in agreement, ¡°Sure.¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Since everyone thinks it¡¯s not a problem, she should visit her elders.

 Chapter 391: 391: Going Out Together

    Chapter 391: Going Out Together


    The next day, Shen Mo found that Teacher Cheng, Tan Xiao, and Pan Xiaoxin were all dressed up, ready to go out and visit someone.<div>


    This surprised him, so he asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Boss, are you serious?¡± Tan Xiao widened his eyes, ¡°Weiwei said we¡¯re visiting Uncle Shen today!¡±


    Teacher Cheng said: ¡°We should have thanked him in person a long time ago, but there hasn¡¯t been an opportunity.¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin was carefully smoothing the folds of his clothing, ¡°Sister Weiwei said we need to behave well today and not embarrass her.¡±


    Shen Mo:


    It was a little different from what he imagined¡­n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om<div>


    Bai Youwei came out of the house to see that everyone was dressed neatly and was also surprised. ¡°Wow¡­ you guys are exaggerating too much. I just didn¡¯t want you to dress too casually, but you¡¯ve dressed up as if you¡¯re going to a wedding!¡±


    Tan Xiao didn¡¯t notice the mockery and touched his hair proudly, ¡°Of course we must be grand on matters concerning the boss!¡±


    Meanwhile, Teacher Cheng started mulling over, ¡°Or¡­should I go back and change into something old? Visiting someone¡¯s home looking too shy can be intimidating. That wouldn¡¯t be appropriate¡­¡±


    Tan Xiao, still excited about his fresh look and unwilling to change, frowned and said, ¡°I just finished applying this hair oil! If I change my clothes they won¡¯t match!¡±


    ¡°Brother Xiao, you applied too much oil.¡± Pan Xiaoxin said, pointing to the back of his cor, ¡°There¡¯s a lot of oil on your neck.¡±


    Bai Youweiughed, holding her crutch and cackling.


    Shen Mo watched their antics; some were old, some were young, some silly, and some noisy¡­


    He was feeling rather helpless.


    Boom, boom.


    Someone was knocking on the door outside.


    He sighed silently, got up to open the door, and found that it was Yan Qingwen and her crew, apanied by Yu Yaqing.


    ¡°What brings you here?¡± Shen Mo looked at them in surprise.<div>


    Seeing them dressed smartly, Yan Qingwen was also taken aback, ¡°Have wee at a bad time? You all seem to be heading out?¡±


    Looking at the people in the room, Shen Mo nodded, ¡°We¡¯re about to make a trip to my dad¡¯s ce.¡±


    Tan Xiao hurriedly exined, ¡°We¡¯re about to leave! After Mo bro and his dad live miles apart, they wouldn¡¯t see each other much. We¡¯re going there so his father can recognize our faces and have some peace of mind!¡±


    Teacher Cheng also added: ¡°Xiaoshen has helped us a lot along the way. So we all wanted to pay a visit to express our gratitude.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Yan Qingwenughed, ¡°In that case, let¡¯s join you.¡±


    Shen Mo:


    This unexpectedlyrge group left him speechless.


    ¡°What brings you guys here?¡± Bai Youwei curiously asked, looking at Yu Yaqing, ¡°Why are you all here together?¡±


    ¡°The assessment team is recruiting new members. After telling Zhu Shu about it, we all got interested and wanted to try it out.¡± Yu Yaqing replied with a smile, before ncing at the others, ¡°We came to see if you guys want to join us?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Aren¡¯t you from the security team?¡±


    Yu Yaqing¡¯s smile stiffened, ¡°I¡¯ve quit.¡±


    Bai Youwei was wide-eyed.<div>


    Even a rank-and-file position held some power, and she just quit like that.


    Zhu Shu nced at Yu Yaqing and turned to Bai Youwei to help exin, ¡°Sister Yaqing wants to enter the game to challenge herself. As a member of the security team, it¡¯s not easy for her to participate in the game, so she decided to switch to the evaluation team.¡±


    The im that she couldn¡¯t participate in the game was probably because all team members objected, right?


    Bai Youwei thought for a moment and understood everything.


    Actually, under the premise of a game guide, entering the game for practice isn¡¯t too big of a deal. But it was clear that Yu Yaqing intended not just one game experience, but regr, continuous, and multiple-game experiences!


    This increased the risks, and members of the security team obviously disagreed.


    Professor Song was right, the majority of people in this world fear death. Why bother risking their lives in the assessment team when they could live safely in the security team?

 Chapter 392: 392: Another Death

    Chapter 392: Another Death


    Shen Mo asked Yan Qingwen, ¡°Are you joining the review team with the intention of staying here for the long term?¡±<div>


    Yan Qingwen shook his head lightly, ¡°The review team is mainly recruiting temporary members this time. As long as you can return from the game and provide new clues, you will get a map. The map will mark the nearby game areas and the suspected range of the maze.¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­¡± Bai Youwei murmured, ¡°The professor is so cunning. Most temporary members want to leave here. For them, nothing is more tempting than a map.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a clear deal, so it¡¯s fair,¡± Yan Qingwen said casually with a smile. ¡°If I were Professor Song, I might not be more generous than him.¡±


    Bai Youwei thought for a moment, then turned to Shen Mo, ¡°Should we go too?¡±


    Shen Mo was taken aback.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Yan Qingwen was also surprised, ¡°There will be many opportunities for cooperation in the future. If we get the map, we can share resources. Not everyone has to go to get it.¡±<div>


    His implication was that Shen Mo and Bai Youwei didn¡¯t need to risk bringing more people into their team just for a map.


    Yu Yaqing also agreed, ¡°If I get the map, I can give it to you. I don¡¯t n to leave here for now, so the map is of no use to me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in the map,¡± Bai Youwei chuckled softly. ¡°I want to see who wants to join the review team. If we meet them in the game, we should be more cautious.¡±


    The greatest opponent in the game was never the game itself.


    But the other yers inside the game.


    They went to the exchange area.


    This ce was rtively crowded with yers who also wanted to join the review team and had to sign up here.


    Many people arrived earlier than they did, but few signed up. It seemed everyone was watching and hesitating.


    When Bai Youwei entered, many eyes fell on her. Her crutch was hard to ignore. Anyone who had been to the exchange area and seen her exchange notice knew ¨C there was a cripple in the base who wanted to exchange props for puzzle pieces.


    Bai Youwei looked around and noticed something. She quietly tugged at Shen Mo¡¯s hand.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Shen Mo asked quietly.<div>


    ¡°Look,¡± Bai Youwei slightly tilted her chin, ¡°Over there, aren¡¯t those two people in white gloves discussing us?¡±


    Shen Mo frowned and followed her gaze.


    Those two appeared reluctant to attract attention. As soon as they realized Shen Mo was looking at them, they turned around and headed for the corner.


    ¡°They¡¯re wearing gloves in this kind of weather¡­¡± Bai Youwei stared at the two individuals, ¡°I saw someone else wearing white gloves at Professor Song¡¯s yesterday. Those gloves were so white¡­¡±


    Shen Mo looked at them, frowning, as he too found it strange.


    Just like Tan Xiao¡¯s shiny hair. In this ce where everyone is rushing around, overly clean and tidy things give people a sense of incongruity.


    Wearing a pair of white gloves was indeed unnatural, especially since their clothing and shoes weren¡¯t particrly clean but their gloves were immacte.


    They were as white as if they were brand new.


    Suddenly, there was a stir outside.


    Everyone in the exchange area turned towards the door. Some ran out and shouted, ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡±


    ¡°The people from Game No. 21 are back!¡±


    ¡°So soon? Didn¡¯t they just leave this morning?¡±<div>


    ¡°How many came back?¡±


    ¡°They came back so soon, they must not have cleared the game!¡±


    Everyone hastily went outside to find out what was going on.


    Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen shared a look and followed the crowd outside.


    They saw a man in his thirties, thin and schrly in appearance, wearing a light blue Oxford shirt and white gloves, surrounded by a crowd outside.


    He spoke to the crowd with a haggard expression: ¡°Everyone is dead¡­ I was lucky to have the puzzle pieces to escape¡­¡±


    The crowd seemed about to explode.


    Everyone was extremely shocked!


    They couldn¡¯t believe it and find it impossible to ept that so many top yers went into the game together, and still couldn¡¯t clear it?!


    Just how difficult is Game No. 21?!

 Chapter 393: 393: Seeing the White Glove Again

    Chapter 393: Seeing the White Glove Again


    The crowd was buzzing with excitement.<div>


    There were doubts, questions, and persistent confusions that couldn¡¯t be sorted out.


    ¡°How did they die?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t they use any props?¡±


    ¡°Aqiang brought so many props with him. How could he have died?!¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Exactly! Even if he died, it shouldn¡¯t have happened so quickly!¡±


    Regarding these questions, the man could only weakly shake his head, responding, ¡°The cat was too powerful¡­ too fast, no one could react in time¡­¡±<div>


    He started coughing quietly as if he was really weak.


    A few staff members came forward to maintain order and took the man away for questioning. Finally, themotion and chaos at the scene gradually subsided.


    Bai Youwei watched as the man retreated, a sneer curling her lips. ¡°He¡¯s lying.¡±


    Yu Yaqing was taken aback upon hearing this. ¡°Why do you say that?¡±


    ¡°The 21st game is hide-and-seek, I¡¯ve read about it. The game requires at least ten participants, and once inside, yers need to find a ce to hide, to avoid getting caught.¡± Bai Youwei turned to her and asked, ¡°Do you think the yers would all hide in the same spot?¡±


    Yu Yaqing frowned, ¡°Of course they would spread out and hide.¡±


    Bai Youwei, ¡°Since they would disperse, how could he possibly know that all the others are dead?¡±


    Yu Yaqing was struck dumb.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± Yan Qingwen nodded thoughtfully, ¡°Leaving the game using the puzzle piece would only happen when faced with extreme danger with no other means of survival. There¡¯s no way in such circumstances someone could keep an eye on what¡¯s happening to the other yers unless all those ten people stayed together the whole time.¡±


    Unable to hold it back, Lun Angmented: ¡°Maybe when he came out, he saw the others¡¯ dolls, so he assumed they all were killed in the game.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, there is still a contradiction.¡± Shen Mo reminded Lun Ang calmly,¡±He said earlier that it was due to the cat¡¯s ¡®fast speed¡¯, while all ten yers were scattered, how would he know their cause of death? Also, when so many people came up to question him earlier, he didn¡¯t panic at all. A normal reaction would be to deny and say he didn¡¯t know anything.¡±


    A scornful smile tugged on Bai Youwei¡¯s lips: ¡°That man is definitely implicated in the deaths of those nine people. Either he killed them directly, or he indirectly set a trap for them.¡±<div>


    ¡°Why would he do that?!¡±


    Yu Yaqing, already believing in Bai Youwei¡¯s deductions, couldn¡¯t help but ask:


    ¡°What was the purpose of killing nine people and wasting an opportunity with the puzzle piece?!¡±


    Zhu Shu was also confused, wondering aloud, ¡°If it was just for murder, there was no need to do it in the game¡­¡±


    ¡°Who knows~¡± Bai Youwei shrugged nonchntly, ¡°I do have a piece of advice for you. After joining the review team, if youe across the man who was wearing white gloves earlier, keep your distance. Don¡¯t join the same team as him.¡±


    Yan Qingwen gazed at the retreating figure, squinting minutely. ¡°¡­it¡¯s certainly strange. It¡¯s never wrong to be cautious.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, his white gloves were very odd,¡± Zhu Shu added.


    Almost everyone had taken note of the white gloves.


    The incongruity was ring.


    Yu Yaqing had another concern, ¡°If even such arge group of experts couldn¡¯t clear game number 21, in 7 days time the city area will be a danger zone. Then, the base will have to be relocated to another ce.¡±


    She pursed her lips and turned to the others, ¡°I need to go to headquarters, I¡¯ll be leaving first!¡±


    Yu Yaqing left in a hurry.<div>


    Watching her leave from the entrance gate, everyone¡¯s thoughts varied.


    Lun Ang asked Yan Qingwen, ¡°Should we still apply for the assessment team?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait for some news.¡± Yan Qingwen pulled out a cigarette and lit it with a nonchnt tone, ¡°If we have to relocate the base, there¡¯s no point joining the review team now.¡±

 Chapter 394: 394: Switch

    Chapter 394: Switch


    Yan Qingwen never made a losing deal.<div>


    Now joining the evaluation group, with familiar games around, an organized strategy guide in hand, a small amount of risk could lead to substantial returns. Plus, she could get the map from Professor Song.


    But once the base moved somewhere else and all the games in the vicinity were unfamiliar andcked strategy guides, draggingpanions into such games would be akin to courting death. The loss would outweigh the gain.


    Bai Youwei thought for a while and turned to Shen Mo, ¡°Should we go to your dad¡¯s first?¡±


    Shen Mo pondered for a moment, then said, ¡°We should head back first.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± She was puzzled, ¡°Aren¡¯t we going to see Uncle Shen?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll go another day.¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°I¡¯ll let him know in advance next time so he¡¯ll be prepared for the crowd.¡±<div>


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Bai Youwei replied.


    Deep down, she was somehow concerned. She felt that Shen Mo was holding something back.


    During the scorching afternoon, two men were leisurely smoking under the tree, asionally ncing at the tall building behind them.


    Their clothes were not exactly clean, and their bodies were covered in dust. However, they were both wearing a pair of white gloves, so white it was dazzling.


    When they finished their cigarettes, they were finally greeted by the arrival of the person inside.


    They quickly stepped forward and asked, ¡°What took so long? Did those guys give you a hard time?¡±


    The man who came out of the headquarters curled his lips, ¡°With so many people dead, they had to question thoroughly. But rest assured, even if they suspect me, they have no evidence.¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°Those idiots, they probably couldn¡¯t even figure out how they died!¡± His partnerughed triumphantly and impatiently asked, ¡°How¡¯s the loot this time? I heard that the team was full of base elites. They must have had plenty of items and puzzles, right?¡±


    Anotherpanion was equally excited, ¡°Since they dared to enter the game, they must have brought some life-saving goods!¡±


    The man frowned, unhappy.


    He pulled out two items from his pocket, a piece of chalk and a colored string. Both were props.<div>


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± His partner couldn¡¯t believe it, picked up the props in his hand and said angrily, ¡°These two props are practically useless! You wasted our puzzle piece just to bring back this garbage?!¡±


    The man instantly turned cold at his words, his expression bing grim.


    Seeing the man react negatively, the other partner quickly motioned to theirpanion, reminding him, ¡°He didn¡¯t know it would turn out this way, and you agreed to go to Game 21! Saying this now is useless!¡±


    It seemed like both were nervous and cautious around the man. Even though they were dissatisfied, they dare not express their displeasure easily.


    ¡°I¡¯m just anxious¡­ I don¡¯t mean to me anyone¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get going. This time we were just unlucky¡­ How stupid were they? They dared to enter the game with so few props. How absurd?!¡±


    The man slightly raised the corners of his lips and whispered, ¡°Stupid? I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    He opened his other hand, revealing three puzzle pieces.


    ¡°Is that a puzzle piece?!¡± Hispanion eximed, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you take it out earlier! We thought you failed this time!¡±


    ¡°Look carefully.¡± The man picked up one piece, and with a slight force, the metal puzzle piece broke in half.


    ¡°These puzzles are fake.¡± He discarded the broken pieces and gently patted his hand. His white gloves were still pristine.


    His twopanions exchanged confused nces.<div>


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? ¡­ Why would they bring fake puzzles into the game?¡±


    ¡°Deception, Fraud, Deception.¡± The man briefly nced at them, ¡°Before we made our move, the real puzzles were already swapped with fake ones.¡±

 Chapter 395: 395: Arguing

    Chapter 395: Arguing


    After Shen Mo returned, he picked up the game data that Bai Youwei had brought back and reread it.N?v(el)B\\jnn<div>


    He had only skimmed through it with a bit of a buzz when he saw it yesterday. Now, he found the information for game B21¡ª


    The title ¡°Hide and Seek¡± was written on it.


    This was a game that had never been cleared before. Little was known about the game because everyone who yed it died, except for Du Lai.


    The information was also given by Du Lai to the organization.


    The data mentioned the gamey method and features, and also described how the puppet cat in the game is incredibly strong and agile. All the details only took up one page, but Shen Mo reads it for a long time.


    Ever since he returned, Bai Youwei had been observing him. Now seeing him reading the data for game number 21, she started to guess what he was up to.<div>


    Without realizing it, she furrowed her brows and asked Shen Mo, ¡°Are you thinking about entering Hide and Seek, number 21?¡±


    Shen Mo didn¡¯t respond right away. After looking at the game information for a while, he finally said, ¡°If we can beat game number 21, Shanghai Base can maintain its current state.¡±


    Bai Youwei frowned at this, ¡°Even if we don¡¯t have the 21st, there will be the 31st, 41st, 51st, 101st! Are you nning to stick around forever? You promised to apany me to collect puzzle pieces!¡±


    ¡°The base had always been stable before game number 21 appeared.¡± Shen Mo calmly stated, ¡°No matter how difficult the other games could be, someone will always beat them. Not every game is as difficult as number 21.¡±


    ¡°So, you actually acknowledge the difficulty?¡± Bai Youwei rolled her eyes and criticized, ¡°The organization put a bunch of elites into the game, and all of them died. Do you think you¡¯re more capable than all those elitesbined?¡±


    Shen Mo¡¯s face darkened slightly.


    Bai Youwei continued to scorn, ¡°Others have puzzle pieces and props. What do you have? All you have is a block of mud! You have nothing! What makes you think you can go into the game?!¡±


    The situation seemed ready to erupt into an argument.


    Teacher Chang, Tan Xiao, and Pan Xiaoxin exchanged nces and quietly entered the house¡­


    In the living room, Bai Youwei¡¯s harsh words echoed one after another, ¡°Even if you enter the game, what makes you think you can clear it? Relying on that fruit knife? Ah! I almost forgot, that fruit knife was already broken into two pieces in the Dollhouse game! Unfortunately, you have to save the world bare-handedly! Ha! Do you think you¡¯re a superhero?¡±


    Despite being tucked away in the house, the three of them felt the heat of Bai Youwei¡¯s rebuke, even though it wasn¡¯t directed at them.


    Listening at the door, Tan Xiao spoke in a low voice, ¡°Poor Mo. He hasn¡¯t said a word till now.¡±<div>


    ¡°Weiwei is only excessively harsh because she¡¯s worried about him.¡± Teacher Chang shared his concern, ¡°But Xiaoshen can¡¯t keep quiet forever either. He needs to reason with Weiwei. As long as he exins it, Weiwei will understand. We need to convince her with logic¡­¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin pursed his lips and whispered, ¡°When my grandmother scolds people, my grandfather never says anything.¡±


    ¡°What a coincidence?!¡± Tan Xiao eximed. ¡°Same goes with my grandparents!¡±


    Suddenly, Bai Youwei became furious outside and she shouted, ¡°If you love being a hero so much, then go! Go ahead! Leave!!!¡±


    Teacher Chang became anxious, ¡°No! We must go out and intervene!¡±


    Tan Xiao quickly opened the door


    He opened a crack, then clumsily closed it again!


    ¡°Hey, why did you close the door!¡± Teacher Chang said urgently, ¡°Go out and mediate before they start arguing even more!¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t go!¡± Tan Xiao looked nervous, ¡°They¡¯re hugging each other! If we barge in now, Weiwei will tear me apart!¡±


    Chang Weicai:


    Pan Xiaoxin:


    <div>

 Chapter 396: 396: Dare to Move or Not

    Chapter 396: Dare to Move or Not


    The situation outside was in fact far from their imagined warmth.<div>


    All of it urred because Bai Youwei, overtaken by her emotions, threw her walking stick at Shen Mo, demanding him to leave. But she didn¡¯t hit him and instead, she almost lost her bnce and fell. Shen Mo swiftly caught her just in time¡ª


    And that was what Tan Xiao saw.


    When Shen Mo helped Bai Youwei sit on the sofa, he noticed her flushed face and the tears welling up in her eyes. He felt infuriated, but also found it humorous.


    ¡°Why are you crying?¡± he asked, ¡°You cursed me out, and I didn¡¯t say a word. What do you have to cry about?¡±


    Bai Youwei turned her face away: ¡°Hmph!¡±<div>


    Shen Mo grabbed a few tissues from the coffee table to wipe her tears.


    Bai Youwei immediately pped his hand away!


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡±


    Shen Mo took the hit, there was no blood, but a red mark appeared on his arm.


    He slightly frowned and looked at Bai Youwei again, his voice bing stricter: ¡°If you dare move again, do you believe that I will cut them all off?¡±


    Bai Youwei:


    She bit her lip.


    Then, she raised her hand, looking both determined and hesitant¡­


    And scratched Shen Mo a bit.


    Shen Mo:


    He didn¡¯t want to indulge her in this habit.


    A minuteter, Bai Youwei¡¯s ¡®weapons¡¯ were forcibly confiscated.<div>


    Both of her hands were tied up tightly, Shen Mo took a nail clipper, and started to trim her nails one by one.


    The three people in the room, hearing the silence outside, tiptoed out,pletely confused at the sight.


    Tan Xiao was particrly puzzled: ¡°What kind of kinky fetish is this?¡±


    However, looking at their faces, it seemed like a temporary ceasefire had been called.


    Teacher Cheng affectionately asked Shen Mo: ¡°I thought I heard you say you were heading to the 21st game? Is that true?¡±


    Shen Mo, while handling Bai Youwei¡¯s ¡®paws¡¯, and trimming her nails, exined: ¡°¡­The 21st game not only threatens the base¡¯s safety, but also endangers my family. I want to solve this problem before leaving.¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Bai Youwei red at him, frantically speaking: ¡°If you can¡¯t handle the 21st game, just move somewhere else! The base should have an evacuation n, right? There¡¯s absolutely no need to fight so hard with a game! So many people have died, it¡¯s clear that the game is too difficult. Why are you so keen on throwing your life away?!¡±


    As she spoke, her eyes started to redden once again, ¡°I won¡¯t allow it! I said it before, no entering the game until we collect the new puzzle pieces! Do I not have any dignity?!¡±


    ¡°The game may not actually be that hard.¡± Shen Mo remained calm, ¡°The reason we suffered a total defeat this time might be due to sabotage, which may not necessarily be linked to the actual difficulty level of the game.¡±


    Teacher Cheng thought for a moment, looking worried, ¡°Little Shen, Weiwei is right. We understand your concerns for your family, but if something happens to you in the game, it¡¯s going to cause even more pain for your family¡­ maybe you should reconsider?¡±


    Shen Mo slowly shook his head: ¡°Shanghai exists as a ¡®vacuum¡¯ safe zone because of the maze that was here. The locations of all the nearby games have been confirmed, and we understand their moving patterns. There won¡¯t be anyce safer than here. Even if there is, it will be separated by a vast distance.¡±


    He nced at Bai Youwei and added: ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Chu Huaijin, and we¡¯ll recruit another team.¡±<div>


    Bai Youwei retorted bitterly: ¡°So many people have died, even the elite team was annihted! Who would be foolish enough to join you in the game?! You will surely fail to recruit anyone!¡±


    Shen Mo looked at her: ¡°If I can¡¯t gather enough people, I¡¯ll give up on the 21st game; I¡¯ll move to a new stronghold with the base, then head north with you all.¡±


    Bai Youwei clenched her jaw in frustration.


    His words made her look unreasonable, but¡­ considering their current situation, they really weren¡¯t suited for entering the game!

 Chapter 397 - 397 Du Lai has arrived

    Chapter 397: Du Lai has arrived


    Bang, bang, bang


    The standoff was interrupted by the knocking on the door.


    Teacher Cheng turned to open the door.


    Outside stood a young boy in a grey hoodie. He pulled down the wide hood connected to his cor, revealing a face with a smile, his two prominent front canines making a strong impression. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°I am Du Lai, is Bai Youwei here?¡±


    Teacher Cheng was taken aback, turning his head towards the room, ¡°Weiwei¡­ someone is looking for you.¡±


    Bai Youwei had already heard, without needing Teacher Cheng to say it. She lifted her tied hands, and forcefully hammered Shen Mo!


    ¡°Quickly untie me!¡±


    A passing stranger seeing this would misconstrue it!


    It was a loose knot. Shen Mo pinched one end, pulling lightly, and it fell apart instantly.


    Bai Youwei¡¯s hands were finally free. She didn¡¯t have nails scratch him with, so she angrily pinched the flesh on his arm!


    Shen Mo stopped her hand and whispered a warning: ¡°Is there no end to this?! If you continue, I will bind your entire body tonight!¡±


    Bai Youwei¡¯s face reddened, she angrily pinched him again, ¡°Pervert!¡±


    Shen Mo paused, in what way was he a pervert?


    At the door, Du Lai had already walked in, an innocent smile on his face.


    ¡°Long time no see, Miss Bai~¡± He walked up to Bai Youwei and Shen Mo, looking them over. ¡°I heard you escaped from the 24th game, I have yet to congratte you on acquiring another tool.¡±


    Bai Youwei looked at him disdainfully: ¡°Others congratte me on getting my life back, you congratte me on getting another tool. Is my life not worth your congrattions? Can¡¯t you be a bit more humane?¡±


    Du Lai:


    He was silenced, his smile faltered, ¡°¡­Seems like you are not in a good mood today.¡±


    ¡°Yes, so you better not haggle with me.¡± Bai Youwei bluntly stated, ¡°Want to trade tools, bring out ten puzzle pieces! One piece less and it is no deal~¡±


    For a long time Du Lai has been coveting her Substitute Doll. Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t think of a second reason he woulde to find her.


    ¡°Of course, fair and square, I like this kind of transaction.¡± Du Lai chuckled, staring into Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes. ¡°But how can I be sure that the Substitute Doll is still with you? Maybe¡­you already used it in the game?¡±


    Bai Youwei furrowed her brows slightly, was silent for two seconds, then called out, ¡°Xiaoxin, bring my bag over!¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin was startled, he ran into the bedroom and soon came out holding a bulging canvas bag, passing it to Bai Youwei¨C


    Du Lai¡¯s gaze heated up a few degrees, watching the bag closely.


    Meanwhile, Bai Youwei¡¯s action was quite rough. She unzipped the canvas bag, directly turned it 90 degrees upside down, and the contents inside ttered onto the couch!


    The Substitute Doll was among them.


    She picked up the doll and ced it on the coffee table. Her actions were swift and decisive, showing no sign of reluctance to part with the tool.


    ¡°Here, you can check the merchandise.¡± Bai Youwei stated.


    Her attitude was fearless and nonchnt, not worried at all about the chance of Du Lai taking the item and running off.


    Du Lai inevitably grew more cautious.


    He surveyed the people in the room once again, Tan Xiao, Teacher Cheng, Pan Xiaoxin, and¡­ Shen Mo, who was sitting next to Bai Youwei.


    Then he reached out his hand, cautiously touching the doll on the coffee table.


    [Substitute Doll: Can act as a second body for the user, withstand all damage within 36 hours untilpletely destroyed.]


    That¡¯s right!


    Exactly the same as what Bai Youwei had written on the notice!


    This was what he wanted!


    Du Lai¡¯s heart was pounding, he couldn¡¯t help but want to take the doll into his arms right away, his fingertips trembling slightly.


    However, another hand was ced on the Substitute Doll.


    Shen Mo reminded him: ¡°We haven¡¯t seen your stuff yet.¡±

 Chapter 398: Not Enough

    Chapter 398: Not Enough


    Du Lai snapped back to reality, slowly retracting his hand¡­


    But his eyes remained focused on the doll lying on the coffee table.


    Bai Youwei slightly raised an eyebrow, feeling puzzled. Many people wanted the Substitute Doll, but Du Lai¡¯s demeanor¡­ seemed to show more determination than anyone else, as if he could settle for nothing less.


    This was quite strange.


    However, she generally couldn¡¯t care less about others¡¯ business, as long as Du Lai could offer the puzzle pieces, she wouldplete the trade.


    Du Lai¡¯s hoodie had arge pocket in the middle, essible from either end.


    He took out a handful of puzzle pieces from the pocket, one by one,ying them out on the coffee table.


    One piece, two pieces, three pieces¡­ six pieces, seven pieces.


    That was all.


    Bai Youwei looked at him coolly, ¡°Hey, we agreed on ten puzzle pieces.¡±


    ¡°I know, ten puzzle pieces,¡± Du Lai answered calmly, ¡°Ten¡­ used puzzle pieces. But what I¡¯ve given you are six used pieces, and one¡­ unused piece.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Bai Youwei¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    Others in the room looked surprised as well.


    Tan Xiao blurted out: ¡°Are you crazy? Why don¡¯t you keep the unused puzzle piece for yourself? Why are you exchanging it for an essory?¡±


    While Substitute Dolls only protect against injuries, puzzle pieces can directly enable yers to leave the game. Comparatively, it¡¯s evident that the puzzle pieces hold more value!


    Let¡¯s take a simple example¡ª¡ª


    In ¡°The Last Bride¡±, what would happen if a yer captured by the Duke used a Substitute Doll? For a time, they would indeed be immune to damage, but what about after that time passed? The yer attached to the torture device would still die! Unless during that window, other yers managed toplete the game!


    Given this, Du Lai¡¯s behavior was highly unusual.


    Bai Youwei reached out and ran her fingers over the puzzle pieces on the coffee table one by one. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    She hesitated when she got to the seventh piece.


    It indeed was an unused puzzle piece, as information would sh in her mind when she touched it.


    She looked at Du Lai, her eyes squinting slightly. Her silent gaze was both an examination and a questioning.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to doubt my intentions.¡± Du Lai replied with a smirk, a blend of naughtiness and coolness, ¡°Puzzle pieces can let yers leave the game, but they can¡¯t make them win the game. And what I want¡­ is to win.¡±


    Bai Youwei¡¯s index finger lightly tapped twice on the coffee table.


    She looked at Shen Mo.


    After reflecting for a moment, Shen Mo told her, ¡°Trade should be based on trust.¡±


    Bai Youwei contemted this, ¡°Hmm¡­ trust should indeed be valued.¡±


    She picked up the doll from the coffee table, putting it away, said, ¡°I won¡¯t trade.¡±


    Almost losing hisposure, Du Lai¡¯s expression twitched!


    ¡°No trade?¡± he asked incredulously, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say trust is important?!¡±


    ¡°Exactly, that¡¯s why I won¡¯t trade,¡± Bai Youwei replied nonchntly, ¡°We agreed on ten puzzle pieces for the doll, and you only have seven pieces.¡±


    ¡°Among these seven puzzle pieces, there¡¯s one which gives exemption rights!¡± Du Lai spitefully stressed. ¡°This one piece of puzzle alone can equate to ten used puzzle pieces!¡±


    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t.¡± Bai Youwei shook her head slightly,¡±You just said your goal is to win, I have my goals too. My goal is to collect puzzle pieces, the more the better. What others may regard as precious, I regard as just another piece. Because of this piece, I missed out on three others which I find uneptable.¡±


    Du Lai looked at Bai Youwei and then at Shen Mo, pointed at them, and shouted, ¡°Are you guys ying me?!¡±


    Is this what they call trading?


    This was clearly finding fault on purpose!


    ¡°Not at all~¡± Bai Youwei sat on the couch, speaking in an unconcerned manner,¡±You can use this piece to exchange for four used ones, when you have ten in total, you cane find me anytime~ I¡¯m always open.¡±

 Chapter 399: 399: Another Piece

    Chapter 399: Another Piece


    Du Lai sneered, ¡°I think you just don¡¯t want to swap props! Once I gather ten pieces, you¡¯lle up with another excuse!¡±<div>


    Bai Youwei shrugged, ¡°If you really think that way, that¡¯s just boring. You know, I always keep my promises.¡±


    Du Lai snorted coldly, bent down to pick up the jigsaw puzzle pieces on the coffee table, and put them back in his pocket.


    ¡°Bai Youwei, there¡¯s a saying ¨C ¡®The heart of man is insatiable as a snake¡¯, I advise you not to be too greedy. At the base right now, I dare say I am the only one who can bring out ten pieces.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Bai Youwei curled her lips into a sweet smile, ¡°Du Lai, it¡¯s a wise man who knows the times. I¡¯d advise you to read the room. Among all the people at the base right now, I dare say I¡¯m the only one who can present these kinds of props.¡±


    Du Lai:


    He was filled with frustration. As he walked to the door, he stopped unwillingly as if he had a fierce internal struggle, then suddenly turned around and walked back!<div>


    ¡°Would one more piece be enough?¡±


    Du Lai took out the puzzles from his pocket, and from another pocket, another piece, aggressively cing it on the coffee table!


    Snap!


    ¡°Eight pieces! I can¡¯t give more!¡± Du Lai uttered indignantly, ¡°Six have been used, two haven¡¯t. These are all the pieces I have!¡±


    ¡°Deal¡±


    Bai Youwei quickly grabbed the canvas bag and swept all the puzzle pieces on the coffee table into the bag.


    Du Lai:


    Why did he get the feeling that she had been waiting for him to raise the price?


    Shen Mo picked up the Substitute Doll and gently tossed it to Du Lai, ¡°Take it, the prop you wanted.¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Eight puzzle pieces, and two of them haven¡¯t been used, tsk tsk. Let me guess, you¡¯ve gathered so many puzzle pieces, how did you do it? ¡­The death of those yers in the 21st game, is it your doing? Didn¡¯t see thating, you¡¯ve got a malicious heart~¡± Bai Youwei stored the puzzle pieces away jokingly.


    Du Lai¡¯s expression darkened, with a hint of gloom in his eyes.


    Perhaps considering there would be no testimony from the dead, he didn¡¯t deny the usation immediately. Instead, he mockingly smiled and gave a nomittal reply:<div>


    ¡°What could it have to do with me? Their deaths were due to their stupidity, regardless of whether they had puzzle pieces or not, the oue would not have changed.¡±


    ¡°You seem to know something.¡± Shen Mo furrowed his eyebrows and examined him.


    Du Lai gave a forced smirk, ¡°I don¡¯t know anything. The more you know, the faster you die. Even I understand such logic~¡±


    He put away the Substitute Doll, waved casually at everyone inside the room, and said, ¡°It¡¯s been a pleasure doing business with you, goodbye~¡±


    Du Lai left breezily and disappeared from sight quickly.


    As soon as he was gone, Tan Xiao couldn¡¯t help but blurt out, ¡°Has this guy gone mad?! One puzzle piece wasn¡¯t enough for him, he actually gave us two unused puzzle pieces! Two! Unused puzzle pieces! He just handed them over to us!¡±


    Bai Youwei gave him a sidelong nce andughed carelessly:


    ¡°He¡¯s not crazy, nor is he stupid. He¡¯s confident that he can retrieve his puzzle pieces. That¡¯s why he dare to hand the puzzles to me.¡±


    Tan Xiao was clueless, ¡°What?¡±


    Shen Mo spoke to everyone, ¡°Lock the doors and windows tonight and rest in the puppet room. No one stays outside.¡±


    ¡°Leaving nothing outside?¡± Bai Youwei drawled, ¡°Why don¡¯t we leave something for this master thief to steal? It¡¯s a rare opportunity for such a visit. He¡¯ll be disappointed if we don¡¯t prepare anything.¡±


    Shen Mo felt a bit helpless, but not surprised. He would probably find it strange if she ever stopped causing mischief.<div>


    ¡°What do you propose?¡± Shen Mo calmly asked.


    Bai Youwei thought for a moment, ¡°Hmm¡­ a simple¡­ wee ceremony?¡±

 Chapter 400: 400: Master Thief

    Chapter 400: Master Thief


    The pitch-ck night<div>


    It¡¯s three in the morning, a time when most people are in deep sleep, and also the favorite time of activity for thieves.


    A small iron wire, slowly pushed into the keyhole, doesn¡¯t take much force, just skill to open it easily.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Du Lai slowly pushed the door open, his sense of touch immediately noting something was not right.


    Looking up, he noticed a bulging garbage bag hanging over the door, teetering on the edge of falling. If he had pushed the door any harder, that bag would have fallen, hitting him on the head.


    He gently touched the bag, and inside, it was filled with a liquid, oily substance like leftover food or soup.


    Du Lai¡¯s eye twitched twice.<div>


    But this minor obstacle would not stop him.


    His nimble hands removed the garbage bag and gently ced it on the ground, his movements were extremely light.


    However, as he was about to move forward, he saw the stic bag rapidly dete, the soup inside seeping out and emitting a strong smell of seaweed and shrimp, wetting the soles of his shoes.


    With a frown, he looked more closely and found thumbtacks scattered all over the floor!


    Not just near the entrance, but thumbtacks were everywhere on the living room floor!


    Du Lai:


    Damn, this woman is ruthless!


    It seems she was well prepared for someone trying to steal her stuff.


    It¡¯s normal to be prepared, after all, her props are too alluring to people.


    But she thinks she can stop him with these thumbtacks, that¡¯s naive.


    Du Lai gently stepped over the thumbtacks, recalling Bai Youwei¡¯s mockery during their first meeting.


    She was right, he is indeed a thief.<div>


    But at the same time, he is also a magician.


    For these two identities, sometimes he alternates between them, sometimes he possesses both, so he himself actually isn¡¯t sure, is he more of a thief or a magician?


    ¡­It doesn¡¯t matter anymore.


    He continued to walk into the room, his movements quick but light, not making a sound.


    Opening the bedroom door, the sheet on the bed covering two protruding figures, the canvas bag just hung on a clothes rack a little first away.


    Du Lai¡¯s heart tightened as he held his breath, his movements became even slower and lighter¡­..


    He gently lifted the canvas bag¡¯s two handles, took it, and carefully retraced his steps back along the path he had just taken ¡ª


    Using a puzzle to exchange for a prop seemed rather foolish, but he thought it was worth it.


    But if he could acquire this prop without using a puzzle, he¡¯d find it even more worth it.


    Du Lai retreated all the way to the door, silently weighing the canvas bag in the corridor ¨C it was quite full and heavy.


    Was she too arrogant?<div>


    How could she just casually leave such an important prop next to the bed? Or was she certain that her trap would definitely work?


    Du Lai smirked, picking up the bag and quickly left.


    He didn¡¯t head toward his own ce, but instead chose to head out of town.


    Trying to avoid attention, he parked his car in a secluded ce, the night sky sparse and dim, he traveled under the glimmering stars and waning moon.


    At the intersection, a figure suddenly appeared.


    At three in the morning, a person standing in the middle of the intersection.


    This was rather shocking.


    Du Lai slowed his steps, remaining cautious.


    The sky was overcast that night, thick clouds obscuring the moonlight, casting heavy shadows, and he couldn¡¯t make out the stranger¡¯s face.


    He could only make out that it was a tall thin man, standing silently not far from him, with unclear intentions.


    Most likely, they were hostile.


    Du Lai stopped without a change in his expression, rapidly constructing escape routes and strategies in his mind.<div>


    Then, the man spoke.


    His voice was like a serene river, calm, gentle, but also cold.


    ¡°The puzzle, is it on you?¡±

 Chapter 401: 401: The Bellingr

    Chapter 401: The Bellingr


    ¡°What puzzle pieces?¡± Du Lai cautiously retreated, ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean.¡±<div>


    The man approached him and asked, ¡°How wouldn¡¯t you understand? If my spection is correct, you should have at least three¡­no, at least four puzzle piecess. Am I right?¡±


    He drew closer, and under the night sky, his skin was so pale that he didn¡¯t look alive; instead, he resembled a nocturnal vampire. His hands, clothed in dazzlingly white gloves, starkly white and eerie, only amplified the effect.


    It suddenly urred to Du Lai what he had heard earlier.


    ¡°You¡¯re a survivor from Game 21, aren¡¯t you? Du Lai smirked, ¡°Looks like you killed off all those people.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­That¡¯s not a very polite thing to say.¡± The man smiled, ¡°I only¡­sent them on their way.¡±


    Du Lai provocatively raised an eyebrow, ¡°After all that effort, you ended up with nothing, right? That why you came out in the middle of the night, bothered?¡±<div>


    The man¡¯s eyes were cold as he looked at Du Lai, ¡°Yes¡­thanks to you.¡±


    Whoosh!


    A sh of silver light emerged!


    He attacked all of a sudden!


    A metal tube materialized between his hands and was mercilessly swung at Du Lai!


    Du Lai skillfully sidestepped. The metal tube hit the cement floor with a loud bang!


    The man kept attacking! Du Lai rolled on the ground and then made a mad dash towards the alleyway. His speed was incredible!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The man was relentless, his speed matching Du Lai¡¯s!


    ¡°Why are you running? Haven¡¯t you got plenty of tools from them? Don¡¯t you n on using any? Let me see¡­ How can you survive without using any tools?¡±


    His tone was gentle, his voice eerily sing-song, but the metal tube in his hand was relentless! Like the scythe of death, he wildly swung it, leaving destruction in his wake!


    Du Lai made good use of his surroundings and fled swiftly!


    One moment he was darting through a street, then twisting into an alleyway, then hopping onto an awning with the help of an outside air conditioning unit! He then sprung high and in one swift move, climbed up the sixth floor to the rooftop via the security grill window!<div>


    It was dark in the street below.


    Just when he thought he had lost the man, he heard a shattering sound under his feet!


    A hand with a white glove smashed the sixth-floor window and grabbed the edge of the roof!


    Du Lai clenched his teeth.


    This bastard was a persistent one!


    Du Lai reached into Bai Youwei¡¯s canvas bag to fetch any useful tool he could find. But, to his surprise, he pulled out a wooden clock box, and out popped a cuckoo bird. It gave him a proper scare!


    ¡°Cuckoo Cuckoo ¡±


    The hourly chime in the silent night was particrly loud!


    Du Lai was pissed!


    ¡°Damn it, both of them are so annoying!¡±


    He raised the canvas bag and mmed it down on the white glove. He then turned and ran!


    When he reached a corner of the roof, he stepped back a few paces, took a deep breath, and ran towards the edge. Like a nimble leopard, he leaped onto the rooftop of the building next door!<div>


    Du Lai smirked triumphantly.


    He easily got up, dusted off his hands, and walked away.


    Shatter!


    A chain hit his ankle!


    Du Lai¡¯s face turned ghastly. He fell forward, instinctively steadying himself with his hands, but the chain snugly wrapped around his ankle pulled him back!


    He turned to see, the man in white gloves had somehow climbed to the rooftop, and in his ce of the iron rod was this stubborn chain!


    The chain was tightly knotted on his ankle! With each tug, the man gradually reduced the distance between them!

 Chapter 402: 402 Mr. Magician

    Chapter 402: Mr. Magician


    Du Lai grabbed the rusty railing on the rooftop.<div>


    He curled the corners of his mouth into a sneer, ncing coldly at the man, his smirk with a touch of wickedness.


    ¡°If you¡¯re looking for the puzzle pieces, you¡¯ve indeede to the wrong person.¡±


    The man¡¯s gaze remained unchanging, cold as ice. Holding onto the chain, he said, ¡°You have something I want.¡±


    ¡°Oh, why won¡¯t you believe me?¡± Du Lai released one hand from the railing, taking something out of his pocket with it.


    A verdant leaf.


    The lively color stood out in the dusky night.<div>


    The man¡¯s movements paused, his gaze fixed on the leaf in Du Lai¡¯s hand as if wondering what kind of artifact it might be.


    With a smirk on his face, Du Lai continued to smile, ¡°Due to the fear of getting caught with the stolen puzzle pieces on me, do you really think I would keep those on hand? ¡­Of course not, I¡¯ve sold the puzzle pieces to someone else, if you want them¡­ go get them from Bai Youwei.¡±


    The man slowly furrowed his brows, ¡°¡­ Bai Youwei?¡±


    Du Lai ced the leaf atop his head, snapping his fingers and grinning, ¡°Goodbye, Mr. Magician.¡±


    Boom!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Arge plume of smoke burst forth, engulfing the surrounding area in a matter of seconds!


    When the smoke cleared, Du Lai had vanished without a trace.


    At the end of the chain, only a withered leaf remained.


    The man frowned, looking around without noticing anything suspicious.


    He stood there, waiting a while before slowly pulling the chain back into his palm.


    An endless space seemed to exist within his palm, as the long chain waspletely drawn inside without leaving a trace.


    Du Lai watched this scene from the shadows, holding his breath, not daring to make a sound.<div>


    He had heard rumors that three strange men had recently arrived at the base, all wearing a pair of white gloves.


    After overheard their conversation about the Magician that became their nickname, as for the true purpose of the white gloves, no one knew.


    Now, Du Lai had seen it firsthand.


    The gloves seemed to be able to create things at will.


    ¡­All the game artifacts had limitations, even the Magician¡¯s powers likely could not be truly ¡°unlimited¡±. But to determine their actual limitations from his brief interaction was impossible.


    The man had already walked far and disappeared around the street corner.


    Du Lai slowly let out a breath, his tense nerves rxing.


    The artifact, ¡®Catnip¡¯s Leaf¡¯, could only transport someone within a 50-meter range, serving as a smokescreen rather than a true escape tool.


    Luckily, the man didn¡¯t thoroughly search the area.


    Du Lai closed his eyes, ready to get up and leave when he smelled gasoline.


    He froze, his rxed nerves suddenly going on high alert again. Carefully peeking through the window, he spotted the man who had returned, carrying two buckets of gasoline and sshing it around as he walked!


    The old building where Du Lai was hiding was on fire!<div>


    He gritted his teeth, muttering a curse under his breath, quickly ran to the bathroom topletely soak himself with water! Afterward, he returned to the window to see the man had set two more buildings on fire!


    The mes roared, aiming to cut off all his escape routes!


    ¡°Damn!¡± Du Lai cursed silently, ¡°Such a ruthless bastard!¡±


    The fire had spread to the second floor, if Du Lai were slower to react, he might have been trapped on the sixth floor, turning into a roast chicken.


    He wrapped himself up in the wet clothes, covering his mouth and nose as he ran down to the third floor, then jumped amidst the billowing smoke


    His vision was blurred by the thick smoke.


    His abdomen hit the crossbar of an air conditioning unit, leaving a bloody gash.


    Du Lai didn¡¯t dare to dy. As soon as he hit the ground, he rolled into a sprint, then clutching the wound, he ran in the opposite direction of the man!


    All the while cursing his luck, not only had he failed to retrieve the puzzle pieces but also ran into this lunatic.


    Luckily, he was just about to leave Shanghai. The lunatic could go on causing mayhem for someone else!

 Chapter 403: 403: Can’t Gather Enough People

    Chapter 403: Can¡¯t Gather Enough People


    News of the failure of Game 21 quickly spread throughout the entire base, causing quite a stir.<div>


    Afterwards, Chu Huaijin once again posted a recruitment notice, recruiting 10 people to challenge Game 21 again, but no one showed interest.


    Just like what Bai Youwei predicted, after so many elite yers lost their lives in the ¡°hide and seek¡± game, people wanted to keep their distance from Game 21.


    Even when Professor Song put out eight puzzle pieces as a reward, and even when Bai Youwei¡¯s announcement still had two items waiting to be traded, nobody was willing to go.


    Chu Huaijin had given up hope on this and began preparing for the migration of the base.


    Through his own set of calctions, Professor Song had determined the location for the new base. It was a long way off. Who knows how many days it would take to get there, or how many casualties there would be along the way.


    Bai Youwei had initially taken delight in Shen Mo¡¯s inability to rally the troops, but as time went by and he still couldn¡¯t find enough people, she started to get angry.<div>


    She thought: How could the people in this base be so shortsighted?


    She was in a foul mood, and in her house, she cursed everyone in the base, as if those not willing to join the game with Shen Mo were all cowardly and ipetent!


    Teacher Chang, Tan Xiao, and Pan Xiaoxin listened in silence, not daring to chime in.


    ¡°A bunch of imbeciles! Do they think that following the organization to a new ce will keep them safe?!


    The more they fear death, the sooner they¡¯ll die! When the timees for the organization to establish a new order, people will be shuffled around again, and they won¡¯t have the ability to protect others! It¡¯ll be good enough if they can keep that old man named Song safe!


    This pile of junk has the nerve to call itself a ¡®base¡¯? I think we should stop calling it a ¡®base¡¯! ¡®Refugee Gathering Squad¡¯ is more fitting! Or even ¡®Home for Losers¡¯! It sums up the character of these cowards!¡±


    Bai Youwei turned to Chang Weicai, Tan Xiao, and Pan Xiaoxin, and asked, ¡°Am I right or not?!¡±


    The three of them all nodded in agreement: ¡°Right, right, right¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so infuriating!¡± She pped the sofa cushion angrily, ¡°We stooped so low to help them through the game, and they don¡¯t appreciate the opportunity! They¡¯ll regret it in the future!¡±


    Tan Xiao also chimed in: ¡°Yeah, even our Boss personally stepped in, and they¡¯re all too blind to recognize it!¡±


    Bai Youwei red at him, ¡°Shen Mo is not ¡®it¡¯!¡±


    Tan Xiao hesitated: ¡°Then¡­they don¡¯t recognize people?¡±<div>


    ¡°Who¡¯s no longer a person?!¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s annoyance intensified, ¡°Shut up! You¡¯re making no sense!¡±


    Tan Xiao silently rubbed his nose.


    Teacher Chang attempted to soothe the situation: ¡°There are still two days left. After all, this is a matter of life and death, so people are bound to hesitate. Maybe by tomorrow, we will have the people we need.¡±


    Bai Youwei scowled.


    Teacher Chang¡¯s words did make a certain amount of sense. People always agonized a bit more when it came to life-and-death decisions.


    But what if¡­


    What if by the seventh day, no one still wants to go? What then?


    They surely couldn¡¯t bring along all of Shen Mo¡¯s rtives, could they? They were heading northward to collect jigsaw pieces, not to go on a vacation!N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The more people they brought along, the heavier the responsibility on their shoulders. Because their lives weren¡¯t only their own, they also had to protect the safety of so many others!


    ¡­Of course, they could be a bit tougher and not care about what happens to the others.


    But if they didn¡¯t care about the others, then why bother bringing them along?


    As Bai Youwei thought about these things, she got a terrible headache and rubbed her temples with her eyes closed.<div>


    Footsteps echoed from outside the door. She heard Shen Mo talking and looked up to see him leading a few people into the house


    He introduced them, saying: ¡°Since everyone has decided to go into the game together, I think it¡¯s necessary to get to know each other and make preparations in advance.¡±

 Chapter 404: 404: Gathering People

    Chapter 404: Gathering People


    Among the neers, Bai Youwei recognized three and didn¡¯t know two.<div>


    The three she recognized were Yu Yaqing, Yan Qingwen, and Lun Ang.


    Of the two she didn¡¯t know, one was dark and strong like charcoal, while the other was pale, fat, and bald.


    Since she knew the first three, there was no need for introductions. Shen Mo introduced to them thetter two:


    ¡°This one is Robin, a student from the sports academy, proficient in weightlifting, discus throwing, and sprinting.


    This one is Zhao Mingdeng, a salesperson and also a webmaster of a gaming site, specializing in designing game guides.


    If we can gather enough people by tomorrow, we will enter the game the day after. If we cannot gather enough people, we will withdraw tomorrow evening.¡±<div>


    Tan Xiao asked in confusion: ¡°Haven¡¯t we gathered enough people already? Five people here, plus the five of us makes exactly ten. We can enter the game.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re still two short.¡± Shen Mo said calmly, ¡°ording to the information on the 21st game, the biggest challenge in the game is a puppet cat that is exceptionally fast. That¡¯s why I am bringing people with agile physical responses. Teacher Chang and Xiaoxin will stay behind.¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin blinked and then uttered an ¡°oh¡±, calmly epting this arrangement.


    It was perfectly normal for Shen Mo not to let him go as he was young and would be at a disadvantage in the game. The 21st game was also quite perilous.


    However, Teacher Chang¡¯s expression was somewhat gloomy, and he silently sighed.


    Yan Qingwen lightly joked: ¡°Zhu Shu also wanted to go, but unfortunately, Shen Mo didn¡¯t want her.¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Yu Yaqing followed with a chuckle: ¡°Actually, Zhu Shu has gone through two mazes. Her physical ability is quite impressive, she justcks experience because she hasn¡¯t practiced before.¡±


    ¡°This is just ack of game operation awareness. It¡¯s natural. Most people are like this.¡± The chubby man said matter-of-factly. ¡°Some people will just blindly attack when they see monsters. But some people will time the cooldown, and consciously n the order andbination of each ultimate move. This is awareness, awareness~¡±


    Tan Xiao frowned at the fat man, then looked back at Shen Mo, unable to resist asking: ¡°Hey, Mo, didn¡¯t you say¡­ you¡¯re only bringing nimble people?¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t underestimate people!¡± The fat man felt his own belly and performed a h hoop move. ¡°I may be fat, but I¡¯m quite agile.¡±


    The flesh on his belly moved up and down, shaking rapidly.


    The athlete next to him nced at him in annoyance, then turned to Bai Youwei, and said: ¡°I¡¯ll say this in advance, I didn¡¯t know you guys were bringing disabled people. If anything happens to her in the game, I won¡¯t rescue her. Inside the game, it¡¯s life or death, and I will only take care of myself. Don¡¯t me me afterwards for not giving face.¡±<div>


    ¡°No worries about that.¡± Yan Qingwen lightly tapped the young man¡¯s shoulder and teased, ¡°Even if you wanted to save her, you probably couldn¡¯t get there in time. So, rx.¡±


    Yu Yaqing couldn¡¯t help but want tough. Seeing a fuming Bai Youwei, and feeling that hisughter was inappropriate, he awkwardly hid it with his hand.


    Shen Mo said: ¡°Since we all are going into the game together, we only have one goal: to clear the stage. As for other things, you can do what you wish, and there is no need for any burden.¡±


    Bai Youwei frowned at him: ¡°We¡¯re still short by two. How are you nning to solve this?¡±


    The game requires at least ten participants to start, and even one less is not eptable.


    Chang Weicai hesitantly spoke up: ¡°Actually¡­ I can¡­¡±


    Shen Mo cut him off: ¡°Teacher Chang, game 21 demands not only physical ability but also the familiarity with aplex game environment. It would be better if you stayed here and wait for the news with Xiaoxin.¡±


    Teacher Chang: ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Bai Youwei thought for a bit, then looked at Yan Qingwen: ¡°How is Su Man¡¯s injury?¡±


    Yan Qingwen slowly shook his head, ¡°You should know what kind of personality she has. If she coulde, she would have been here by now.¡±


    ¡°No rush.¡± Shen Mo said quietly, ¡°There¡¯s still a day left tomorrow; we¡¯ll wait some more.¡±


    <div>

 Chapter 405: Insomnia

    Chapter 405: Insomnia


    Shen Mo said there was no hurry, but Bai Youwei was agonizing for him.


    She didn¡¯t know what was happening to her, her feelings were indescribable.


    At first, she felt a bit of schadenfreude when he couldn¡¯t find teammates, but then she worried that he wouldn¡¯t be able to gather enough people. Now¡­ now that they were just two short of a full team, she started to panic.


    On one hand, she hoped that he would seed, but on the other, she didn¡¯t want him to risk himself.


    These conflicting feelings were like a seesaw, making her incredibly anxious.


    Thankfully, she had exchanged two pieces of the puzzle with Du Lai; otherwise, she would have been even more anxious.


    Bai Youwei was tossing and turning in bed.


    She probably woke Shen Mo up. He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her into his embrace.


    ¡°Why are you moving around so much?¡± Shen Mo asked in her ear.


    His voice was low, his breath brushing against her neck, warm and slightly tickling.


    Bai Youwei froze for a moment, then stopped moving¡­


    Shen Mo then asked again, ¡°Need to go to the bathroom?¡±


    Bai Youwei:


    Any remnants of a romantic atmosphere were instantly diffused. Disappointed, she pinched his arm irritably, ¡°Can¡¯t I have something else on my mind besides going to the bathroom?!¡±


    Shen Mo chuckled quietly, asking, ¡°¡­Thirsty? Want some water?¡±


    Bai Youwei didn¡¯t just want to pinch him now, she wanted to bite him!


    Did he think that all she did was drink and go to the bathroom?! Couldn¡¯t she have a little, just a little bit of a girl¡¯s troubles?


    Bai Youwei was too irritable.


    She wriggled restlessly in his arms.


    Shen Mo chuckled and sighed, wrapping one arm around her waist and using his other hand to brush away the hair caught under her. He coaxed her, ¡°Just go to sleep. Stop overthinking.¡± n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°But I can¡¯t sleep.¡± She rolled over to face him, ¡°You think, why would Yan Qingwen and Lun Ang want to join Game 21? Do they also want to y the role of saviors, like you?¡±


    ¡°Are you finished?¡± Shen Mo pinched her chin gently, ¡°When did I say I wanted to be a savior?¡±


    Bai Youwei pouted, ¡°Not a single person from the assessment team hase out, yet you¡¯re rallying people to join the game. Isn¡¯t this ying the role of a savior?¡±


    ¡°This is not being a savior; this is doing my best.¡± Shen Mo let go of her, running a hand through her hair, ¡°Only by doing our best can we avoid regret in the future.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Bai Youwei grumbled in dissatisfaction. Clearly unhappy, she didn¡¯t say anything more.


    After a moment of silence, she asked again, ¡°You didn¡¯t answer me yet. Why do Yan Qingwen and the others want to join Game 21?¡±


    Shen Mo thought for a moment, ¡°¡­ When I ran into them, Chu Huaijin was also there. Perhaps they reached some agreement with the organization. For example, if they get through Game 21, they might receive a certain item or something like that.¡±


    Bai Youwei pondered on this.


    If there was some form of deal or condition involved, then it would make sense.


    After all, this was consistent with Yan Qingwen¡¯s style.


    Although he had been selfless and fearless in the past, managing a securitypany after retirement seemed to have had a greater impact on him. Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but suspect that he had almost gone bankrupt a few times, hence developing such a business-like mentality ¨C willing to ept anything except a loss.


    Shen Mo coaxed her quietly, ¡°Sleep now¡­¡±


    ¡°Should we also negotiate terms with Chu Huaijin?¡± Excited by the idea, Bai Youwei perked up, ¡°Can¡¯t let Yan Qingwen take all the benefits.¡±


    Shen Mo gave a resigned smile, ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree before, Professor Song had given his 8 puzzle pieces to him willingly. What more benefits do you want? Moreover¡­ we might not enter since we are still short of numbers.¡±


    Bai Youwei thought about it, closed her eyes in his embrace, ¡°Anyway¡­ we¡¯ll know tomorrow.¡±

 Chapter 406: Su Man’s Situation

    Chapter 406: Su Man¡¯s Situation


    On the same night, another person was suffering from sleeplessness.


    Su Man sat at her vanity, unbandaging her left hand, round and round.


    As she was injured on her right hand already, unwrapping the small bandages round by round was proving difficult and she fumbled clumsily.


    She gritted her teeth, finally released thest knot, and exposed her entire left arm to the air, then took a long, exhausted breath¡­


    To prevent others from seeing the abnormality of her left hand, she had wrapped a multitude of bandages around it, as thick as if she were bundling her arm in a quilt.


    Having finally removed them, the sweat and burden were also lifted, and she felt much lighter.


    But her mood was anything but light.


    Her mother¡¯s voice came from outside the door: ¡°Manman, are you asleep yet? You haven¡¯t had dinner. I made noodles for you ¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep!¡± Su Man bit her lip, and quickly turned off themp, ¡°You and Dad eat. I¡¯m about to sleep!¡±


    The voice outside the door stopped.


    After a few seconds of silence, it spoke again: ¡°Manman¡­ You¡¯ve been staying in these past few days, even when Li Li came, you didn¡¯t meet him¡­ Did you two argue again?¡±


    Su Man frowned and bit her lip, remaining silent.


    ¡°Li Li is simple and easily led by others, you don¡¯t need to grudge over this, it¡¯s not worth it.¡± N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°It has nothing to do with him!¡± She replied irritably, ¡°It¡¯s because my wounds hurt that I don¡¯t want to see anyone! It¡¯s not just about him!¡±


    Did the medicine your father brought backst time work?¡±


    Su Man looked at her hand. Even in the dark, she could see its ghastly state.


    She closed her eyes, feeling a sour sting, and replied, ¡°It was alright¡­¡±


    ¡°Next time, let him bring some more. He¡¯s in medical, if hees across this kind of medicine, he¡¯ll know before others.¡±


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m really tired¡­ Can we talk about this tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright¡­ you get some rest. Don¡¯t let your injury burden you, even if your left hand has after-effects, you still have your right hand.¡±


    Su Man uttered a low acknowledgment.


    The footsteps outside the door gradually receded.


    Only when she could no longer hear the footsteps did Su Man turn themp back on.


    She picked up the medicine bottle, bit off the lid, and began to apply the oil to her left arm bit by bit.


    It was a twisted arm. From forearm to fingertips, all were twisted. Her fingers were even more severely twisted, torn and broken, but due to her body¡¯s self-healing ability, they had healed in the wrong positions.


    Or to be precise, the whole arm was in the wrong position!


    It was twisted! Her fingers were dislocated!


    Even if the wound healed, all the nerves were misced, and the fingers could not be controlled! This left hand was utterly useless!


    Su Man closed her eyes in agony, repressed her emotions, and reopened them. She took out new gauze and bandages from the cab and grimacing, wrapped them around the twisted arm round by round.


    If it was just one hand, she might not be so desperate.


    But the truth was, her right hand was also injured.


    She didn¡¯t dare tell her family, nor her friends, only telling them that she was almost healed.


    While in reality¡­ she would never heal again!


    Su Man bit her lip hard, her eyes welling up with tears.


    She refused to ept that she had be a cripple!


    Had Bai Youwei used her most precious puzzle pieces to save a cripple?!


    What could she do?!


    She looked out the window into the sky, shrouded in darkness. It was as if the darkness had also enshrouded her, offering no light and making it hard to breathe.


    Actually¡­


    Actually, there was a solution.


    There was another solution. The only one¡­ that could save her.


    Su Man stood by the window, gazing at the boundless darkness in the distance.


    As long as she entered thebyrinth one more time, she could definitely heal ¡­

 Chapter 407: 407: Still One Short

    Chapter 407: Still One Short


    Enter the maze.<div>


    It¡¯s easier said than done.


    She¡¯s not as smart as Bai Youwei, nor as meticulous as Zhu Shu, and she doesn¡¯t possess her former agility. Can she do it?


    Can she survive in the maze?


    ¡­she must survive, she doesn¡¯t want to be a cripple! Her hands should wield a knife! A sword! A whip! She should be able to lend a hand when a friend is in trouble! And fend for herself when she is in peril!


    She doesn¡¯t want to be a cripple!


    Not like she is now! So pitiful¡­ she can¡¯t even fasten her own buttons!<div>


    Tears began to fall.


    Su Man raised her arm to ruthlessly wipe them away. She took a deep breath and gazed at the dark clouded sky outside her window.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Suddenly she made a decision, standing up to pack her baggage.


    In this world, everyone has their own path to tread.


    Since the morning, the sounds from the vehicles outside the residential area hadn¡¯t ceased.


    One vehicle after another assembled near the square. Delivering goods, gathering personnel, arranging routes, everything was carried out calmly.


    The bustling registration area, the supplies area, and the exchange area, all temporarily ceased operation.


    Everybody knew, the organization was evacuating.


    They had to, because in one day, game 21 would move into the city area, making it impossible to maintain the base.


    Facing the uncertain journey, many people are perplexed. Used to a regted and ordered system for the games, they suddenly feel terrified of the future.


    What if they encounter a game on the way?<div>


    What if the new base also hosts games like 21?


    No¡­


    There are no ifs.


    The answer is certain! They will encounter games en-route! And entirely unfamiliar ones!


    Everybody is frantic!


    Only 10 more people! 10 more people and they can maintain the current base¡¯s stability to support the lives of the thousands there! Why isn¡¯t anybody stepping forward?! Why?!!


    Chu Huaijin posted a notice in the square.


    It read, game 21 stillcks ¡ª¡ª1 person!


    The stormy clouds roiled, the afternoon was stifling and heavy. asionally, a gust of wind brought a hint of coolness amid the heat, making everyone wish for the rain to arrive soon to disperse the unbearable heat.


    Shen Mo brought back a new wheelchair.


    ¡°We leave earlier. The first batch will be the supplies team, we¡¯ll leave at three in the afternoon, together with the research team.¡±<div>


    ¡°But the weather doesn¡¯t look too good.¡± Bai Youwei nced at the dark clouds outside, ¡°It¡¯s going to rain heavily.¡±


    ¡°We have no choice, even if it rains. We must evacuate. If everyone stays together, it will be even more dangerous.¡± He pushed the wheelchair over, ¡°Try it.¡±


    Bai Youwei got up with the help of her crutches and tried sitting in the wheelchair.


    It was passable, usable.


    Shen Mo asked, ¡°Is itfortable?¡±


    She shifted a bit, ¡°It¡¯s okay, but a bit hard.¡±


    Shen Mo lifted her onto the sofa, took a cushion from the sofa, put it on the new wheelchair, and readjusted the height.


    He carried Bai Youwei over and asked her, ¡°Is it still hard?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ no, it¡¯s not.¡± She adjusted her sitting position ufortably, frowning and saying, ¡°But the cushion doesn¡¯t match the color of the wheelchair, it looks a bit ugly.¡±


    Shen Mo:


    As always, she¡¯s hard to please.


    He stood up and said, ¡°You can¡¯t see the bottom so it doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s okay if it¡¯s ugly.¡±<div>


    ¡°No, take it away.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s face showed displeasure, ¡°This thing will lessen my aura.¡±


    Shen Mo asked helplessly, ¡°Then what do you want?¡±


    Bai Youwei seriously pondered this question, ¡°¡­I took a batch of nkets from Duke¡¯s mansion and piled them all in the small study in the Dollhouse. Could you get me one? It must be hand-knitted, without any prints, and preferably in navy blue.¡±


    She took out the gold key hanging around her neck, opened the door to the Dollhouse and asked him, ¡°Do you know what color navy blue is? Don¡¯t bring the wrong one, it¡¯s a very deep blue, like the night sky, not the kind of stifling ck, but with a touch of mystery. If there are tassels, it would be even better¡­ hey, do you know what tassels are? They¡¯re the thin strands at the bottom of the nket¡­¡±


    Shen Mo frowned his brows as he listened.

 Chapter 408: 408: Gathered Enough

    Chapter 408: Gathered Enough


    In the end, they couldn¡¯t find the navy blue one, but they found a deep grey nket with fringes that barely met Bai Youwei¡¯s description.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om<div>


    Shen Moid it on her new wheelchair, covering the backrest as well.


    The wheelchair suddenly carried somewhat of an aristocratic aura. If they embedded some gold, silver, and jewels, it could probably match the throne of a European medieval lord.


    ¡°How is it now?¡± Shen Mo asked her.


    Bai Youwei sat silently in her new wheelchair for a moment before looking up at Shen Mo:


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s a bit warm.¡±


    Shen Mo silently looked at her.<div>


    At this time, someone was knocking on the door from outside.


    ¡°Bro! Open the door. I brought some people. We have enough members now!¡±


    Gathered enough?


    Shen Mo and Bai Youwei in the room nced at each other, both somewhat surprised.


    Shen Mo went to open the door.


    Only to see Shen Fei standing at the door, prompting the people behind him to enter one by one¡ª


    Yu Yaqing, Yan Qingwen, Lun Ang, the athlete Robin who had visitedst time, the gaming fanatic Zhao Mingdeng, and a young man with thin eyebrows and small eyes.


    Bai Youwei lightly furrowed her brows.


    She saw the man at the end wearing white gloves.


    ¡°This is Jiang Hao, he recently came to Shanghai, a survivor from the 21st game. He is their teammate, they all came from Guangzhou, having gaming experience, they even entered the maze before, quite strong yers!¡±


    Shen Fei very enthusiastically brought the other party to Shen Mo and introduced:


    ¡°This is my brother! He used to work at the National Security Bureau. He is very awesome! He does not need props, he can stillplete the game on his own!¡±<div>


    ¡°Nice to meet you¡­ Nice to meet you¡­¡± the man called Jiang Hao smiled, and extended his hand, ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about you, I hope our cooperation will be pleasant.¡±


    Shen Mo nced at his white-gloved hand, hesitated for two seconds, shook it, and asked tly, ¡°The gloves seem very special. Are they props?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ Yes, they are,¡± Jiang Hao answered with a smile. ¡°Too conspicuous, right? They frequently attract people¡¯s attention, these are props that my brothers and I obtained in the game. As for the specific function¡­ I guess we¡¯d better not discuss it?¡±


    The function of the prop is everyone¡¯s trump card and privacy. They cannot possibly tell others easily.


    However, Shen Mo was somewhat curious. If it was truly a prop, why didn¡¯t any rted information appear in his mind when he touched it?


    Then he thought, the gloves were in pairs.


    So, will touching both gloves at the same time give him the answer?


    ¡°But with Jiang Hao, that¡¯s only 9 people?¡± Bai Youwei asked looking at them, ¡°Who¡¯s the tenth?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Shen Fei replied, ¡°Me!¡±


    Decisive!


    Full of momentum!


    Shen Mo frowned, ¡°Did your parents agree?¡±<div>


    Shen Fei immediately deted by half, ¡°Bro¡­ I¡¯m not a child anymore. They agreed.¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡°Tell the truth.¡±


    Shen Fei closed his eyes, ¡°My dad agreed.¡±


    My mom was crying at home.


    After pondering for a bit, Shen Mo looked at Bai Youwei.


    Bai Youwei shook her head at him.


    Seeing this, Shen Fei thought Bai Youwei was not allowing him to go, and he immediately became anxious, ¡°My dad agreed! Brother! Please let me go!¡±


    Bai Youwei smiled gently and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go inside and discuss it.¡±


    She held the armrests on either side of the wheelchair, turned around and headed towards the bedroom.


    Shen Mo nced at the people in the room, and said calmly: ¡°Yan Qingwen, Yu Yaqing, let¡¯s discuss my brother¡¯s matter in the room. We won¡¯t dy everyone¡¯s time too much. Please wait outside for five minutes.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Shen Fei protested discontentedly, ¡°Why do we have to discuss my matter with them? My dad agreed already!!!¡±


    Shen Mo replied: ¡°To ensure that others don¡¯t find you annoying.¡±<div>


    Shen Fei:


    He kept staring as his cousin led them into the room and then, closed the door.


    In the room, Shen Mo calmly looked at Yan Qingwen and Yu Yaqing:


    ¡°I think, you all have noticed, right? The white gloves.¡±

 Chapter 409: 409: Let the Game Begin

    Chapter 409: 409: Let the Game Begin<div>


    ¡°Last week, ten people entered game number 21 and only one came out alive, the one wearing white gloves. Even though this time the person wearing white gloves is not the same as thest time, we can¡¯t let our guard down because of this.¡±


    Shen Mo looked at them and continued to ask:


    ¡°Should we ept them and enter the game together, or reject them and evacuate from here?¡±


    Yu Yaqing deeply furrowed her eyebrows.


    Yan Qingwen leaned against the table, silently contemting.


    Bai Youwei observed the changes on their faces and said, ¡°Let me share my thoughts first.<div>


    My suggestion is to reject. In the game, dealing with the Inspector¡¯s tricks and the rules¡¯ whimsy is already mentally draining. If we add a teammate whose allegiances are uncertain, the risk is too high and idents are likely.¡±


    Shen Mo nced at her, ¡°Let me share my thoughts too.


    My suggestion is to ept. Now, everyone in the base knows that we are one person short of the required number of yers for the game. Since we have finally gathered enough people, there¡¯s no reason to give up when the timees. If we retreat, those who don¡¯t know the reasons might think we are chickening out, which would negatively affect the morale of the whole base.


    Furthermore, we will always encounter all kinds of people with ulterior motives in the game. Their tools are hidden in the dark, making them unpredictable. But this white-gloved person is visible to us, which can serve as a reminder.¡±


    Yan Qingwen burst intoughter, looking at the two of them, ¡°So, how should we choose? Both of you hold opposing views. No matter which side we choose, we will offend the other.¡±


    Yu Yaqing also chuckled, and calmly answered, ¡°I choose to ept. I think Shen Mo made a good point. We will always meet people with hidden intentions, and there will always be white-gloved people; we can¡¯t retreat every time we encounter one.


    Among the 24 games around the base, this is the only game we haven¡¯t cracked. Whether it¡¯s white gloves or ck gloves, I want to give it a try.¡±


    Bai Youwei curled her lips, red at Shen Mo, and said nothing.


    After pondering for a long time, Yan Qingwen finally said, ¡°I also choose to ept. I will warn Lun Ang to be cautious of him.¡±


    He looked up at Shen Mo, ¡°But I can only rely on you for Shen Fei, that kid seems to trust him a lot.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I will handle it,¡± Shen Mo nodded lightly.


    Bai Youwei asked resentfully, ¡°If we fall into the water together after entering the game, whom will you save?¡±<div>


    Yan Qingwen:


    Yu Yaqing:


    Shen Mo patted her head and said, ¡°Stop messing around.¡±


    Bai Youwei continued resentfully, ¡°Is Fei indispensable? I don¡¯t think he¡¯s reliable at all. It would be better to bring Xiaoxin instead.¡±


    Shen Mo helplessly smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be prejudiced against him. Shen Fei has participated in two games, he¡¯s good, and not as unreliable as you think.¡±


    Bai Youwei closed her eyes and sighed, ¡°Okay, let it be.¡±


    Shen Mo looked at her and then turned to Yan Qingwen and Yu Yaqing.


    Both of them nodded at him, indicating their decision was final. Shen Mo walked to the door, reached out, and opened it.


    The people outside were still waiting for their decision, some already showing impatience.


    Shen Fei anxiously asked, ¡°Have you made a decision? Can I go? Bro! My dad has given his approval, there¡¯s no reason for you to stop me!¡±


    Shen Mo didn¡¯t answer him. His gaze drifted over Shen Fei¡¯s face eventuallynding on the crowd.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°If none of you have objections, you can all go prepare now. We will meet at the entrance of game number 21 at nine o¡¯clock tomorrow. I hope all of you will be there.¡±<div>


    Let the game, begin

 Chapter 410: 410: Chicken Soup before Departure

    Chapter 410: 410: Chicken Soup before Departure<div>


    That day, all of the base¡¯s relocation activities were suspended.


    After the torrential rain that morning, everyone gathered at the entrance of Game 21, waiting for the ten yers to enter.


    Or rather, ten warriors.


    The puddles on the ground were reflecting the azure sky, like countless mirrors, clear and bright. The wheelchair rolled through them, creating ripples and infusing them with new colours.


    ck was the colour of her hair, white was her long skirt, and dark grey was the nket draped over her. Her light ink-colored pupils were dyed a hint of sky blue, exuding a piercing coldness despite their rity.


    She was clearly anguid and coquettish girl, yet somehow, she gave off a cold and gloomy aura.<div>


    Shen Mo slowly pushed Bai Youwei forward.


    Countless eyesnded on her.


    There was surprise, confusion, admiration, alertness, and probing, but no disdain whatsoever.


    No one dared to underestimate her.


    At this time, being able to enter Game 21 was, in itself, a representation of one¡¯s strength.


    The entrance to Game 21 was at the door of an amusement park in the Pudong New Area.


    Everyone had already gathered. Shen Fei was thest to arrive.


    His parents had bothe.


    Shen Mo¡¯s father had alsoe, not only to see off his nephew but also his son.


    If these ten people fail this time, their current meeting would be theirst.


    The atmosphere became a little oppressive and emotional due to the farewell of their family members.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Shen Fei¡¯s mother held back her sobs, her tears fell incessantly while the men, who were unustomed to showing emotions outwardly, showed redness around their eyes. Shen Fei¡¯s father only patted Shen Fei¡¯s shoulder and whispered, ¡°We will wait for you and your brother toe out.¡±<div>


    Shen Mo consoled his uncle, ¡°I will look after him.¡±


    Bai Youwei was idly observing from the side. She thought she would have to keep a close eye on Shen Fei. If anything happened to him, Shen Mo might give up his own life to save this silly cousin.


    Sigh, it would have been better if Xiaoxin were here, but Shen Mo didn¡¯t agree¡­


    ¡°Weiwei, do you still recognize me?¡±


    A mild male voice rang by her side. She turned to see Shen Mo¡¯s father.


    ¡°I do.¡± Bai Youwei considered her response.


    Given his identity, she adjusted her expression, curling up her lips into a sweet smile, tenderly saying, ¡°You¡¯re Uncle Shen. Once I went to the hospital for a check-up, and my mother¡¯s car broke down. You came to the hospital to pick us up and even bought me ice cream on the road.¡±


    Shen Mo¡¯s fatherughed, ¡°That¡¯s right, and I had to buy it twice. The first time I bought chocte ice cream but you insisted on matcha vor, which made your mother throw a tantrum in the car.¡±


    This was not a good impression. Bai Youwei¡¯s voice turned even more sweet and obedient, ¡°I was young and didn¡¯t understand things, sorry to have troubled you.¡±


    Tan Xiao next to her gave her a strange look. ¡°Weiwei, why are you talking like that?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± She pretended to ask innocently, ¡°This is how I always talk~¡±


    Tan Xiao silently rubbed his arm.<div>


    Shen Mo¡¯s father bent down, his smile growing warmer, ¡°You¡¯re just as cute as you were when you were little. I hope you¡¯re still as determined as you were, not changing your mind easily.¡±


    He looked at Shen Mo, who was pushing the wheelchair, ¡°Whether you can clear the game or not, persisting in itself is a power. You both have that power.¡±


    As always, Shen Mo was indifferent to his father¡¯s pep talk, expressing emotionlessly, ¡°Dad, you should go back. We are about to enter the game.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will take good care of Shen Mo.¡± Bai Youwei waved her little hand warmly towards Shen Mo¡¯s father, ¡°Goodbye, Uncle Shen¡±


    ¡°Alright, goodbye, Weiwei~¡± Shen Mo¡¯s father also waved back to her.


    ¡°Wave your hand.¡± Bai Youwei tugged at Shen Mo¡¯s sleeve.


    Shen Mo raised his hand and waved it twice.


    Everyone else had already entered the amusement park.


    Shen Mo pushed Bai Youwei in, followed by Shen Fei. The figures of the ten yers disappeared into the air

 Chapter 410: Chicken Soup before Departure

    Chapter 410: Chicken Soup before Departure


    That day, all of the base¡¯s relocation activities were suspended.


    After the torrential rain that morning, everyone gathered at the entrance of Game 21, waiting for the ten yers to enter.


    Or rather, ten warriors. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The puddles on the ground were reflecting the azure sky, like countless mirrors, clear and bright. The wheelchair rolled through them, creating ripples and infusing them with new colours.


    ck was the colour of her hair, white was her long skirt, and dark grey was the nket draped over her. Her light ink-colored pupils were dyed a hint of sky blue, exuding a piercing coldness despite their rity.


    She was clearly anguid and coquettish girl, yet somehow, she gave off a cold and gloomy aura.


    Shen Mo slowly pushed Bai Youwei forward.


    Countless eyesnded on her.


    There was surprise, confusion, admiration, alertness, and probing, but no disdain whatsoever.


    No one dared to underestimate her.


    At this time, being able to enter Game 21 was, in itself, a representation of one¡¯s strength.


    The entrance to Game 21 was at the door of an amusement park in the Pudong New Area.


    Everyone had already gathered. Shen Fei was thest to arrive.


    His parents had bothe.


    Shen Mo¡¯s father had alsoe, not only to see off his nephew but also his son.


    If these ten people fail this time, their current meeting would be theirst.


    The atmosphere became a little oppressive and emotional due to the farewell of their family members.


    Shen Fei¡¯s mother held back her sobs, her tears fell incessantly while the men, who were unustomed to showing emotions outwardly, showed redness around their eyes. Shen Fei¡¯s father only patted Shen Fei¡¯s shoulder and whispered, ¡°We will wait for you and your brother toe out.¡±


    Shen Mo consoled his uncle, ¡°I will look after him.¡±


    Bai Youwei was idly observing from the side. She thought she would have to keep a close eye on Shen Fei. If anything happened to him, Shen Mo might give up his own life to save this silly cousin.


    Sigh, it would have been better if Xiaoxin were here, but Shen Mo didn¡¯t agree¡­


    ¡°Weiwei, do you still recognize me?¡±


    A mild male voice rang by her side. She turned to see Shen Mo¡¯s father.


    ¡°I do.¡± Bai Youwei considered her response.


    Given his identity, she adjusted her expression, curling up her lips into a sweet smile, tenderly saying, ¡°You¡¯re Uncle Shen. Once I went to the hospital for a check-up, and my mother¡¯s car broke down. You came to the hospital to pick us up and even bought me ice cream on the road.¡±


    Shen Mo¡¯s fatherughed, ¡°That¡¯s right, and I had to buy it twice. The first time I bought chocte ice cream but you insisted on matcha vor, which made your mother throw a tantrum in the car.¡±


    This was not a good impression. Bai Youwei¡¯s voice turned even more sweet and obedient, ¡°I was young and didn¡¯t understand things, sorry to have troubled you.¡±


    Tan Xiao next to her gave her a strange look. ¡°Weiwei, why are you talking like that?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± She pretended to ask innocently, ¡°This is how I always talk~¡±


    Tan Xiao silently rubbed his arm.


    Shen Mo¡¯s father bent down, his smile growing warmer, ¡°You¡¯re just as cute as you were when you were little. I hope you¡¯re still as determined as you were, not changing your mind easily.¡±


    He looked at Shen Mo, who was pushing the wheelchair, ¡°Whether you can clear the game or not, persisting in itself is a power. You both have that power.¡±


    As always, Shen Mo was indifferent to his father¡¯s pep talk, expressing emotionlessly, ¡°Dad, you should go back. We are about to enter the game.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will take good care of Shen Mo.¡± Bai Youwei waved her little hand warmly towards Shen Mo¡¯s father, ¡°Goodbye, Uncle Shen¡±


    ¡°Alright, goodbye, Weiwei~¡± Shen Mo¡¯s father also waved back to her.


    ¡°Wave your hand.¡± Bai Youwei tugged at Shen Mo¡¯s sleeve.


    Shen Mo raised his hand and waved it twice.


    Everyone else had already entered the amusement park.


    Shen Mo pushed Bai Youwei in, followed by Shen Fei. The figures of the ten yers disappeared into the air

 Chapter 411: 411: The Cat Playing Hide and Seek

    ¡°Ding! Wee to the Doll Game! The theme for this game is ¡®Hide and Seek¡¯, and the rules are as follows:


    One, reject the game and turn into a doll!


    Two, lose the game and turn into a doll!


    Three, seed in the game and win a doll!¡±


    The familiar voice echoed in their ears, but the surrounding scene remained unchanged.


    They were still in the amusement park.


    ording to the information provided by Game 21, the scene of the Hide and Seek game was an exact copy of this amusement park, with all elements exactly the same as the actual one.


    Shen Mo nced back at the entrance of the amusement park. The street and crowd outside the gate were gone, leaving only an empty white space behind.


    ¡°Wee to the Doll Game. I am the overseer of this game, and I look forward to your performances,¡± came a voice.


    Everyone¡¯s eyes followed the direction of the sound.


    Not far away, a figure dressed in a white bow tie shirt and ck tailcoat approached. Holding a top hat in its hand, it presented itself as a gentleman, yet it had the head of a rabbit, and its voice was as gentle and intelligent as a woman¡¯s.<div>


    The drasticbination of characteristics was surprisingly harmonious and natural.


    Everyone instinctively gathered together, warily watching the steadily approaching overseer.


    It stopped about ten steps away from the group, its gaze resting lightly on their varied expressions.


    When it saw Bai Youwei, its gaze lingered slightly before shifting downward and spotting the fluffy rabbit in her arms.


    Bai Youwei frowned, turning her rabbit around so that the back of its head was facing the overseer.


    The rabbit-headed man silently smirked.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s get started with the rule exnation. Please follow me¡ª¡±


    It turned and began walking down a ck and white checkerboard-patterned path. On both sides, there were brightly colored flower beds, cartoon statues, and the festive gs and balloonsmonly seen throughout the amusement park.


    Everyone stood still, hesitating for a moment before following the overseer.


    The amusement park wasrge and very quiet. Apart from their footsteps, there was no other sound¡ªnot even the wind. It was markedly eerie and cemetery-like.


    The overseer was at the forefront, walking and exining the rules:


    ¡°Hide and Seek is Mary¡¯s favorite game. She and her cat y every night and they¡¯re very good at it¡ªno one has ever found them. What you need to do is hide when night falls and avoid being found by Mary and her cat¡­¡±


    ¡°What happens if we are found?¡± Yu Yaqing asked.


    ¡°If you¡¯re found¡­¡± The rabbit-headed man slowed his pace and turned to look at her, ¡°being found means you¡¯ve lost. You will stay here forever and keep ying Hide and Seek with Mary and her cat.¡±


    Shen Mo then asked, ¡°What¡¯s the win condition?¡±


    The overseer answered, ¡°Kill Mary, or Mary¡¯s cat. The death of either will make the game impossible to continue, and the yers will naturally win.¡±


    It¡¯s the same as stated in the game information.


    The sess condition is very clear¡ªat least it doesn¡¯t sound ambiguous or filled with wordy.<div>


    Either kill Mary;


    Or kill Mary¡¯s cat.


    It¡¯s that straightforward and brutal.


    The rabbit-headed man stopped in front of a massive carousel, raised a hand pointing to the top of the carousel, and introduced:<div>


    ¡°Here are Mary, and her cat.¡±


    Following the overseer¡¯s pointing, they saw a red and white striped canopy on the carousel. The edge was painted with gold powder and adorned with colorful lights, making it exceedingly gorgeous.


    Above the canopy, an enormous stuffed cat lied, and on top of the cat, there was a little girl in a puffy princess dress!


    It¡¯s the cat!


    And Mary!N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The overseer exined, ¡°After many adjustments during the beta testing of the game, we¡¯ve decided to implement a 6-hour system: 6 hours of daytime, 6 hours of nighttime. I hope you all can utilize your time fully to achieve the winning condition.¡±


    After finishing, it turned to face them, gently asked, ¡°Now, is there anything about the rules that is not clear?¡±

 Chapter 412: 412: About The Internal Testing Part

    Everyone nced at each other.


    As for the game rules, they had thoroughly studied the game materials before they ever entered the game.


    The difficulty of the game lies not in the rules, but in the yers who enter the game. So far, not a single one has managed to ¡°kill Mary¡± or ¡°kill Mary¡¯s cat¡±.


    Shen Mo looked at the Inspector and asked, ¡°I want to ask, what you mentioned earlier about the game¡¯s internal testing, what was that all about?¡±


    The rabbit-headed man chuckled, ¡°That¡¯s a question unrted to the game at hand.¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily unrted, right?¡± Bai Youwei interjected, ¡°Every word the Inspector has said in the game could potentially serve as a hint or a clue. Since you mentioned the game¡¯s internal testing, you should rify it for us. As for whether the content is irrelevant to the game, we should be the ones to judge ¨C that would be fair.¡±


    Shen Fei looked at her in surprise.


    He too had yed the game, but he had never seen anyone so brazenly question the Inspector ¨C what an eye-opener¡­


    The rabbit-headed man¡¯s voice was mild andposed, ¡°Your words sound like a clever excuse, but I¡¯m willing to answer this question for you all. Under the premise of not viting the rules, I am very happy to see yers actively participating in the game.¡±


    He reached into hisrge top hat, grabbed something and strewn it into the air¨D


    As if sprinkling a handful of gold dust, the air was instantly aglow, and a momentter, the dazzling light-spots formed numerous images!<div>


    Just like countless holographic projections ying right before their eyes!


    In the scenes were yers in various situations throughout the amusement park! Bitten to death by a cat! Falling off a roller coaster to their deaths! Hiding in a building only to be crushed by a copsing structure!


    ¡°Every game we create goes through internal testing until the data stabilizes, that¡¯s when it can be truly implemented.¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The Inspector pointed to these scenes, selecting a few to exin.


    ¡°Initially, the cat was toorge, making it hard for yers to get close to the cat, or Mary. So we adjusted the size of the cat in theter stages. The cat you see now has been halved in sizepared to the initial model.¡±


    ¡°Here, the yer is hiding in a dwarf¡¯s mine hut, which should have been a secure hiding ce. However, due to the cat¡¯s unintentional actions, the mine copsed along with the internal structures, burying the yer. In theter stages, we reinforced all building models and adjusted the cat¡¯s stats to prevent this situation.¡±


    ¡°And here¡­ a yer exploited the cat¡¯srge size, which prevented it from entering pipes, and hid in the sewer for up to two weeks, until they starved to death. This significantly hampered the game experience, so we rectified this Bugter on. Now, all sewers are sealed off and inessible.¡±


    He gave a brief exnation, and then told everyone:


    ¡°In conclusion, internal testing for games is a process of constantly fixing bugs and perfecting details. Every game youe across has been modified and adjusted multiple times. You could also say, it¡¯s the culmination of the Inspectors¡¯ meticulous work.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the deal with the number of people?¡± Shen Mo asked frowning, ¡°Some of the scenes seem to have more than 10 yers?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± The rabbit-headed man gave a slight nod, calmly exining, ¡°During the internal testing stages, we randomly select yers to be put into the game. After repeated testing, we finally determine the optimal number of yers for the game.¡±


    After hearing this, everyone¡¯s faces changed.


    Shen Mo¡¯s expression was icy, while Yu Yaqing was angrily trembling all over.


    Random selection¡­


    This meant even if you weren¡¯t in the gaming region, you could still be dragged into the game! Just for an internal test! Or maybe¡­ a cold-blooded experiment!

 Chapter 412: About The Internal Testing Part

    Chapter 412: About The Internal Testing Part


    Everyone nced at each other.


    As for the game rules, they had thoroughly studied the game materials before they ever entered the game.


    The difficulty of the game lies not in the rules, but in the yers who enter the game. So far, not a single one has managed to ¡°kill Mary¡± or ¡°kill Mary¡¯s cat¡±.


    Shen Mo looked at the Inspector and asked, ¡°I want to ask, what you mentioned earlier about the game¡¯s internal testing, what was that all about?¡±


    The rabbit-headed man chuckled, ¡°That¡¯s a question unrted to the game at hand.¡± n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Not necessarily unrted, right?¡± Bai Youwei interjected, ¡°Every word the Inspector has said in the game could potentially serve as a hint or a clue. Since you mentioned the game¡¯s internal testing, you should rify it for us. As for whether the content is irrelevant to the game, we should be the ones to judge ¨C that would be fair.¡±


    Shen Fei looked at her in surprise.


    He too had yed the game, but he had never seen anyone so brazenly question the Inspector ¨C what an eye-opener¡­


    The rabbit-headed man¡¯s voice was mild andposed, ¡°Your words sound like a clever excuse, but I¡¯m willing to answer this question for you all. Under the premise of not viting the rules, I am very happy to see yers actively participating in the game.¡±


    He reached into hisrge top hat, grabbed something and strewn it into the air¨D


    As if sprinkling a handful of gold dust, the air was instantly aglow, and a momentter, the dazzling light-spots formed numerous images!


    Just like countless holographic projections ying right before their eyes!


    In the scenes were yers in various situations throughout the amusement park! Bitten to death by a cat! Falling off a roller coaster to their deaths! Hiding in a building only to be crushed by a copsing structure!


    ¡°Every game we create goes through internal testing until the data stabilizes, that¡¯s when it can be truly implemented.¡±


    The Inspector pointed to these scenes, selecting a few to exin.


    ¡°Initially, the cat was toorge, making it hard for yers to get close to the cat, or Mary. So we adjusted the size of the cat in theter stages. The cat you see now has been halved in sizepared to the initial model.¡±


    ¡°Here, the yer is hiding in a dwarf¡¯s mine hut, which should have been a secure hiding ce. However, due to the cat¡¯s unintentional actions, the mine copsed along with the internal structures, burying the yer. In theter stages, we reinforced all building models and adjusted the cat¡¯s stats to prevent this situation.¡±


    ¡°And here¡­ a yer exploited the cat¡¯srge size, which prevented it from entering pipes, and hid in the sewer for up to two weeks, until they starved to death. This significantly hampered the game experience, so we rectified this Bugter on. Now, all sewers are sealed off and inessible.¡±


    He gave a brief exnation, and then told everyone:


    ¡°In conclusion, internal testing for games is a process of constantly fixing bugs and perfecting details. Every game youe across has been modified and adjusted multiple times. You could also say, it¡¯s the culmination of the Inspectors¡¯ meticulous work.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the deal with the number of people?¡± Shen Mo asked frowning, ¡°Some of the scenes seem to have more than 10 yers?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± The rabbit-headed man gave a slight nod, calmly exining, ¡°During the internal testing stages, we randomly select yers to be put into the game. After repeated testing, we finally determine the optimal number of yers for the game.¡±


    After hearing this, everyone¡¯s faces changed.


    Shen Mo¡¯s expression was icy, while Yu Yaqing was angrily trembling all over.


    Random selection¡­


    This meant even if you weren¡¯t in the gaming region, you could still be dragged into the game! Just for an internal test! Or maybe¡­ a cold-blooded experiment!

 Chapter 413: 413 – Wishing you guys have fun

    Bai Youwei finally understood, the people who initially turned into dolls, they were fine while eating, walking, chatting, shopping, cooking, sleeping¡­ How did they turn into dolls?


    So that¡¯s how it was¡­


    So, that¡¯s what had happened.


    ¡°What if we pass the internal test?¡± she asked, ¡°Can we survive?¡±


    The bunny-headed man gently turned his head to look at her.


    ¡°The game in the internal testing stage is unstable in all aspects, the chances of clearing it are slim to none, and even if you luck out and clear it¡­ you will be part of the game.¡±


    Bai Youwei¡¯s brows knitted together, ¡°What do you mean?¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Inspector: ¡°The existence in the objective world disappears, but the will remains and integrates into the game, endowing the game with more diverse vitality.¡±


    A sinking feeling settled in Bai Youwei¡¯s heart.


    ording to this, those people¡¯s will integrated into the game, could it be¡­ the NPCs in the game?


    The Duke in the mansion, Mary in the theme park, they¡­ are they actually human beings?<div>


    Yu Yaqing voiced out her inner shock for her:


    ¡°Are you saying, the NPCs in the game are actually humans?!¡±


    ¡°Are they? Or aren¡¯t they?¡± The bunny-headed man said with a smile, ¡°What is the human definition of existence? I also want to know the answer to this question.


    As inspectors, we would imbue our designed game characters with certain basic attributes. After the design ispleted, the characters gradually beplete and rich in the process of operation, and the internal test yers provide excellent nourishment for them.


    So, you can regard them as evidence of a part of human existence, or you can regard them as¡­ functional tools that have absorbed human consciousness.¡±


    ¡°¡­Tools?¡± Yu Yaqing couldn¡¯t believe it, murmuring in a stunned expression, ¡°A living human life, in your eyes, is just a¡­ functional tool? That¡¯s too cruel¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I upset you,¡± The rabbit-headed man¡¯s tone was still calm and gentle, ¡°I hope it won¡¯t affect your performance in the game.¡±


    It slightly bowed, showing a gentleman¡¯s courtesy.


    ¡°Seems like I¡¯ve sidetracked too much. Anyway, I wish you all to have fun.¡±


    As his voice fell, he put on his top hat, and suddenly disappeared as if he had gone into the hat!


    And the remaining ck top hat, after spinning a few rounds in mid-air, also vanished ¡ª


    People stood in ce, waiting for a while, but the surroundings remained silent.


    The inspector didn¡¯t appear again.


    The plump Zhao Mingdeng stepped forward and said, ¡°Looking at it this way, the game should have officially started, did you all notice the clock over there?¡±


    He pointed in a not-too-distant direction.


    This amusement park was very, veryrge, and a tall clock tower was built right in the middle, and the clock could be seen in all four directions of east, south, west, and north.


    At this moment, the hour hand was pointing to the 12 o¡¯clock position.


    Zhao Mingdeng spoke as if he was experienced, ¡°Just now, the inspector said that there are 6 hours of daytime and 6 hours of night. That means, when the hour hand points to 6 o¡¯clock, it will be dark.<div>


    We now have 6 hours to familiarize ourselves with the venue, find hiding ces, and discuss how to kill Mary and the cat.


    I suggest we take 2 hours to quickly walk around the park to get a preliminary understanding of the environment, then return here after 2 hours to discuss how to clear the game, and use thest one hour to hide.¡±


    After he finished speaking, his gaze swept around, and he said with a slightly smug look, ¡°If you have any better suggestions, you can put them forward.¡±


    Bai Youwei said, ¡°The park is too big, 2 hours is only enough for a rough look, how about we explore in divided areas? We split into 3 groups, each group responsible for 2 themed park areas, this way we can explore more carefully, and find hiding ces on the way.¡±<div>

 Chapter 414: 414: Where to Hide

    Zhao Mingdeng was a bit upset: ¡°This is too localized. If we have a head-on conflict with Mary¡¯s cat, and during the chase we run to other parts of the park that we aren¡¯t familiar with, won¡¯t that put us at a disadvantage?!¡±


    Bai Youwei casually remarked, ¡°If you have explored your assigned area and still have spare time, you can roam about in other ces. No one is stopping you.¡±


    Zhao Mingdeng thought for a while and realized that he was right, so he stayed silent.


    On the carousel, Mary and her cat were still sound asleep.


    Due to their position, they couldn¡¯t clearly see the canopy. Looking from below, both the cat and Mary were motionless, appearing more like decorations on the carousel.


    Not far from them was arge map of the amusement park.


    Shen Mo went over and took a nce, stating, ¡°Our current location is the central point of the amusement park. If we break into three groups, the first group will explore Fantasy Street and Dreaming Garden, the second group will take responsibility for Adventure Ind and Treasure Bay, and the third group will take care of Future World and Fairy Tale Kingdom. The third group will deal with thergest area, so we can assign four people there.¡±


    No one raised objections.


    The teams were naturally divided.


    First group ¨C Zhao Mingdeng, Robin, Jiang Hao.


    Second group ¨C Yan Qingwen, Lun Ang, Yu Yaqing.<div>


    Third group ¨C Shen Mo, Bai Youwei, Tan Xiao, Shen Fei.


    Ten people in total.


    ¡°I hope everyone avoids splitting up and stays with their team as much as possible,¡± Shen Mo nced at everyone and calmly stated, ¡°We will gather back here in two hours. If there are no issues, you are dismissed now.¡±


    All of them had participated in the game before, so they were quite rxed, not showing the usual panic and fear people have when they first y.


    After a brief chat, they parted ways and each went to their assigned areas.


    Following the priority of distance, Shen Mo and Bai Youwei headed for the Fairy Tale Kingdom first.


    The Fairy Tale Kingdom, as the name suggests, is a y area built around fairy tales. It features a grand and magnificent fantasy castle, a fun and amusing Fairy Tale Vige, a Secret Forest filled with adventure vibes, and a wide array of dazzling amusement facilities.


    Of course, these attractions and facilities were all currently closed.


    The path was unbelievably quiet.


    Tan Xiao strolled around, looking here and there, and said, ¡°Finding a hiding ce is too easy! With just one nce, I can spot dozens of ces where a person could hide!¡±


    Shen Fei also looked around and thoughtfully said, ¡°The park isrge and there are indeed numerous ces to hide, but since no one has ever cleared the game before, that means ordinary spots won¡¯t do. We must find somewhere more concealed¡­¡±


    ¡°Why are we still searching? This ce seems pretty good!¡± Tan Xiao pointed to a penguin-shaped trash can by the roadside, ¡°Hide in here, I don¡¯t believe that cat could possibly find us!¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°¡­You want to hide by the road?¡± Shen Fei was apprehensive, ¡°Isn¡¯t that too conspicuous? What if the cat knocks the trash can over as it passes by, won¡¯t we be exposed?¡±


    ¡°Look! That hot dog cart seems pretty good too!¡± Tan Xiao jogged forward and leaned over the cart to nce underneath, shouting, ¡°Perfect! It can just amodate one person!¡±


    Shen Fei frowned, ¡°What if the cat passes by and knocks over the hot dog cart¡­¡±


    ¡°Argh! You¡¯re such a worrywart! Then where do you suggest we hide?¡± Tan Xiao asked him irritably.


    Shen Fei looked around, and finally pointed towards a mine in the distance and said, ¡°We can go there to take a look. There¡¯s a tunnel inside the mine which is very dark and has many forks. Hiding there should be sufficiently concealed.¡±


    <div>

 Chapter 415: 415: No nutrients

    ¡°Hide in the mine? No, no, no¡­¡± Tan Xiao shook his head repeatedly, ¡°You obviously have no experience! If you hide in there and the catse after you, you¡¯ll have nowhere to run! It¡¯s better to listen to me and hide on the side of the road, especially at intersections. Even if you¡¯re discovered, you can just take off running! That¡¯s how we used to hide when we were caught alone in fights!¡±


    Shen Fei¡¯s eye twitched, his feelings extremelyplex.


    He could not understand why his wise and brave cousin would¡­ associate with this kind of street thug?


    After all, Shen Mo had always been revered like an idol among their siblings in the Shen family!


    When they were ying in the mud and jumping rubber bands, Shen Mo passed by them coldly, and the adults would say, ¡°Look at Shen Mo, he was admitted to an elite school!¡±


    When they were studying hard for exams, Shen Mo passed by them coldly, and the adults would say, ¡°Look at Shen Mo, he¡¯s skipped a grade!¡±


    When they had finally graduated and were striving hard in their careers, Shen Mo appeared on television, cool as ever, and the adults would say, ¡°Look at Shen Mo, he¡¯s serving the nation!¡±


    So! Shen Fei had always regarded his cousin as the beacon of his life, guiding him through the fog in the dark and pointing him the direction in which to proceed!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    But now!


    Actually getting involved with a street thug?!


    Is this still the cousin he held in high esteem?!<div>


    ¡°XiaoFei, you go with Tan Xiao to the mine.¡± Shen Mo said.


    Shen Fei was dumbfounded, ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    Shen Mo said, ¡°The paths near the mine are not suitable for wheelchairs, I¡¯ll take Weiwei to the castle.¡±


    Shen Fei was stunned, he didn¡¯t have time to respond before he saw Shen Mo pushing Bai Youwei towards the direction of the castle!


    ¡°Hey¡­ No, I¡­ You¡­ How¡­¡± Shen Fei was a bit confused.


    Tan Xiao slung an arm around his neck, ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let Brother Xiao show you, how to scout out the terrain before a fight!¡±


    Shen Mo and Bai Youwei were getting further and further away, and Shen Mo briefly paused after Bai Youwei said something, bending down to pick her up! And then-


    He carried her away!


    ¡°Why did he even carry her?!¡± Shen Fei¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°How, how, how could he carry her¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, what¡¯s so surprising about him carrying her~¡± Tan Xiao dragged him towards the mine, ¡°Would it be better if he carried you instead? Come on,e on~¡±


    Shen Fei was reluctantly dragged away.


    Shen Mo carried Bai Youwei towards the castle, avoiding the zing sun, and only put her down when they reached the rainbow-colored bench under the shade of the trees.


    ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± He asked, ¡°Are you still hot?¡±


    Bai Youwei grudgingly nodded her head, ¡°My back is all sweaty.¡±


    ¡°Should have thought twice before using a nket in this heat.¡± Shen Mo was reluctant toment on her, and said ndly, ¡°I¡¯ll go remove it.¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t.¡± Bai Youwei knitted her brows, ¡°Even if you take off the nket, the seat will still be hot! The basic issue here is that the weather is too hot.¡±


    Shen Mo was at a loss, ¡°What do you want to do then?¡±


    ¡°You carry me over there.¡± Bai Youwei stretched out her hand towards him, self-assured, ¡°Once we¡¯re in the castle, we¡¯ll need to climb stairs anyway. The wheelchair is useless.¡±<div>


    Shen Mo couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°So carrying you would make you less hot?¡±


    Bai Youwei retorted, ¡°Are you hot?¡±


    Shen Mo replied, ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡±


    ¡°See, that¡¯s it¡± she said as though it was exactly her point, ¡°Heat transfers. If you¡¯re not hot, my heat will transfer to you, and I won¡¯t be hot anymore.¡±<div>


    ¡°What if I get hot?¡± Shen Mo asked with amusement.


    Bai Youwei looked him up and down, her eyes examining him from head to toe, ¡°If you get hot, you can take off your shirt.¡±


    Shen Mo:


    After a moment of silence, he picked her up and walked towards the castle.


    He really shouldn¡¯t have engaged her in this pointless conversation.

 Chapter 416: 416 Cold Weapons

    The midday sun was intense, but thankfully it was cool inside the castle, with the air feeling cool and slightly gloomy.


    The interior was beautifully decorated with colorful cartoonish toys disyed around, creating a yful atmosphere.


    In the center of the ballroom, there was a sculpture of Beauty dancing with the Beast, perfectly replicating the fairy tale scene and allowing visiting guests to immerse themselves in a world full of fantastical colors.


    But at this moment, there were no lights, and the dim environment made the originally romantic and splendid sculpture appear eerie and gloomy.


    The beauty¡¯s smile was so rigid, and the beast¡¯s face was so ferocious.


    Bai Youwei had seen this fairy tale as a child and found it quite romantic¡ªthe power of true love transforming the beast back into a prince. It did hit the soft spot for little girls.


    But now, upon seeing this thing, she couldn¡¯t help but be reminded of the Duke, resulting in a conditioned dislike.


    Thinking back to the female protagonist falling in love with a beast, she thought those were indeed some strange tastes.


    ¡°There are quite a few corners in the castle where one could hide.¡± Shen Mo looked around, inspecting at a leisurely pace.


    Bai Youwei said, ¡°Yes¡­ Inside the cupboards, under the bed, behind the sculpture, inside the wine barrels, and in these treasure chests filled with treasures. All could be hiding spots.¡±


    She let Shen Mo put her down, and picked out a Gold Coin from the chest, with a cartoon design and a stic texture.<div>


    Quite normal.


    The props in the amusement park, of course, would not be real gold coins.


    Otherwise, she would have had another looting spree in the toy house.


    Bai Youwei overturned one of the treasure chests filled with ¡®gold and silver treasures¡¯.


    Shen Mo raised his eyebrows, ¡°Are you nning to hide in the chest?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± She took out the golden key and casually opened a toy house somewhere.


    Pan Xiaoxin was eating yogurt inside the house. He was taken aback when he suddenly saw the door open.


    Bai Youwei was also startled, and then raised her eyebrows, ¡°Xiaoxin! What tasty thing are you hiding and eating?!¡±


    ¡°Yogurt¡­¡± Pan Xiaoxin paused for two seconds, and then quickly exined, ¡°Teacher Chang made it from milk that was close to its expiration date, he didn¡¯t want to waste it.¡±


    He emphasized ¡°close to expiration¡± to avoid any misunderstandings that might interfere with unity and camaraderie!


    Bai Youwei said, ¡°I want some too, go get me a bowl!¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin quickly left to find Teacher Chang with his bowl.


    Chang Weicai filled a bowl full of yogurt for Bai Youwei, put it into a lunch box, and handed it to her. He nced outside and asked with concern, ¡°Has your game started? Why is it so dark out there? Is it dangerous¡­?¡±


    Bai Youwei tasted the sour yogurt, and her face wrinkled up, ¡°This is too sour!¡±


    Teacher Chang paused for a moment, then hurriedly said, ¡°Did I forget to add sugar? Come, hand me that bowl¡­¡±


    Just as his finger appeared outside the door, Shen Mo frowned and said: ¡°Don¡¯te out!¡±


    rmed, Teacher Chang stood frozen, not daring to move.


    Bai Youwei handed the bowl back to Teacher Chang, ¡°Add sugar, add raisins, dried cranberries, and if there are oat kes and cheese nuggets, add those too. I almost died from sourness¡­¡±<div>


    Shen Mo warned Teacher Chang, ¡°We are in a game instance. If youe out, you won¡¯t be able to return and the yer count will change. This may indirectly influence the game, so it¡¯s better to be careful.¡±


    Teacher Chang nodded repeatedly holding the bowl, ¡°Xiaoshen is right, I wasn¡¯t paying attention¡­¡±


    Bai Youwei told Pan Xiaoxin: ¡°Go get some weapons from the storage room.¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin quickly left to do as instructed.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om<div>


    Teacher Chang added sugar and dried fruits to the yogurt till it was quite full, then he helped Pan Xiaoxin get the weapons. Broad sword, short sword, spear, battleaxe, il, throwing axe¡­ He fetched arge assortment of them and put them all in Bai Youwei¡¯s emptied ¡®treasure chest¡¯.


    Bai Youwei threw in some stic gold coins and pearls into the chest as well, and after the decoration, it seemed as if this chest was originally filled with cold weapons.


    Shen Mo looked down at her and asked, ¡°You n to have everyone fight the cat with these things?¡±

 Chapter 417: 417: Misunderstandings

    Bai Youwei looked up, smiling at him, ¡°It¡¯s better than nothing, right? The biggest problem in hide and seek is that you can¡¯t find a decent weapon in the garden. So, when a yer faces the cat, they can only run in a pathetic manner, without any power to counterattack.¡±


    Shen Mo picked up a broadsword and gripped it, nodding, ¡°It¡¯s not bad.¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not bad, these are part of the Duke¡¯s collection~ If they were in ancient times, they would be renowned swords!¡± She scooped in spoonful of yoghurt into her mouth, her eyes curved into crescents, ¡°Eating cool yoghurt is so refreshing in hot weather~¡±


    After scooping up another spoonful, she offered it to Shen Mo, ¡°Want some?¡±


    Shen Mo shook his head, picked up a treasure chest, and reminded her, ¡°Remember to wipe your mouth.¡±


    He moved the chest outside the castle, rolled the wheelchair back in, and found that the door of the dollhouse was closed, and a bunch of snacks and drinks were scattered on the ground.


    Shen Mo:


    ¡°What kind of look is that on your face?¡± Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t pleased, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a glutton? Do you think I don¡¯t know that the amusement park doesn¡¯t allow you to bring in food from outside? It was Teacher Cheng who worried about our physical strength, so he insisted I bring them along!¡±


    Shen Mo sighed silently, ¡°You¡¯d better think about how to exin it to the others.¡±


    He brought a backpack containing food and water when he came in. Now that there were so many additional snacks, it would definitely attract the attention of the others.


    ¡°Bag them up.¡± She pointed at a new canvas bag. The new bag was the same style as the old one. She had dozens of such bags from past material-collecting, so she easily swapped them out when they got dirty or old.<div>


    Shen Mo bent down to help her pack the snacks.


    The two continued to stroll around the castle for a while. Soon, they heard the voices of Shen Fei and Tan Xiao from below.


    ¡°Bro! Bro! Where are you?!¡±


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s the rush, nothing can go wrong if Mo is with Weiwei¡­.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve finished exploring on our side! Why aren¡¯t they out yet?!¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? Weiwei has difficulty moving, so it¡¯s natural for them to be slower. What¡¯s the rush¡­.¡±


    The conversation stopped, Tan Xiao noticed the two who had just arrived and nudged Shen Fei, ¡°See, aren¡¯t they here now?¡±


    Shen Fei ran up to Shen Mo, stating seriously, ¡°Bro, I think it would be better for us to explore together, because¡­.¡±


    Noticing the yoghurt stain on Bai Youwei¡¯s mouth, he paused, ¡°What were you guys up to?¡±


    Shen Mo was slightly taken aback, following his brother¡¯s gaze, he couldn¡¯t help but frown.


    ¡°Weiwei, wipe the yoghurt off your mouth.¡± he said.


    ¡°Yogur t¡­? !!! You guys think I¡¯m a fool?!!¡± Excited and flustered all at the same time, Shen Fei asked, ¡°How on earth could there be yoghurt here?!!! What on earth were you guys doing?¡±


    ¡°Is your brother alright?¡± Bai Youwei frowned at Shen Mo, ¡°Has he been acting strange since the game started, is he having a mental breakdown?¡±


    ¡°You¡­..!¡± Shen Fei was aggrieved.


    Shen Mo said nonchntly, ¡°Maybe because he hasn¡¯t yed the game much, he¡¯s a bit nervous.¡±


    Shen Fei¡¯s irritation intensified, ¡°Bro! How could you¡­.¡±


    Shen Mo took out two lunch boxes from Bai Youwei¡¯s bag, handed one to Tan Xiao, and one to Shen Fei


    ¡°This is Teacher Cheng¡¯s homemade yoghurt, eat it, it¡¯ll help you cool down.¡±<div>


    ¡°Wow! My bro is the best!~ He¡¯s reliable!¡± Tan Xiao, who was always carefree, opened it to eat. He didn¡¯t even use a spoon, he just tilted his head back and gulped.


    Shen Fei silently took the lunch box.


    The familiar translucent sealed lunch box seemed like it had been chilled, giving a cool sensation in his hand.


    Recalling the misunderstanding just now, Shen Fei felt a sudden sh of heat on his face, stuttering, ¡°This¡­Where did thise from? Why is it so cold?¡±<div>

 Chapter 418: 418: Choosing Weapons

    ¡°What are you, a three-year-old?¡± Bai Youwei, who had long found him annoying, couldn¡¯t hold back anymore and blurted out, ¡°You whine whenever you see others eating, and when you get fed, you still have endless inquiries. Shall I buy you a copy of ¡°One Hundred Thousand Whys¡± for you to read?¡±


    Tan Xiao took a few gulps of yogurt, belched on the side, and frowned, ¡°Yeah, be mature, isn¡¯t it just a game? With Brother Xiao covering your back, what¡¯s there to worry about?¡±


    Shen Fei felt wronged and sulkingly looked at his cousin.


    Shen Mo didn¡¯t look at him, pushed Bai Youwei to leave. As they passed by, he lightly patted his cousin¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to be that anxious.¡±


    Shen Fei felt another hit to his chest, even more aggrieved.


    After leaving the castle, they continued their search in Fairy Tale Kingdom. They went to the Seven Dwarfs¡¯ house, Pinhio¡¯s carpenter¡¯s hut, Alice¡¯s Wondend Maze, and the joyous stage filled with an array of fairy tale characters.


    The numerous facilities in the amusement park were dazzling. They spent over an hour just investigating this one theme area, leaving less than an hour. They rushed to ¡°Future World¡±.


    Unable to explore thoroughly, they could only roughly understand theyout, memorize each fork in the road to avoid getting lost if they had to escape here.


    Two hourster, everyone regrouped at the carousel.


    Zhao Mingdeng, Robin, Jiang Hao, all came back empty-handed.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Yan Qingwen and Yu Yaqing had taken some ropes from the shipwreck building on Adventure Ind and used them as weapons.<div>


    Lun Ang was carrying a giant iron anchor with a chain all by himself! He surprisingly didn¡¯t find it heavy!


    Shen Mo asked Tan Xiao to ce the box full of weapons on the ground.


    The box opened, and the magnificent cold weapons embedded with gold and gems caught everyone¡¯s eyes. They all took a sharp breath.


    ¡°You guys are really lucky to have found weapons!¡± Zhao Mingdeng was the first to speak, ¡°All we found on Fantasy Street were some clothes racks, not even a pair of scissors!¡±


    Yan Qingwen picked up a broadsword, weighed it, looked at Shen Mo and Bai Youwei, his tone held a sinister edge: ¡°The props in the amusement park are nicely made.¡±


    Yu Yaqing chose a battle axe. Her fingertips swept lightly over the de. Her eyebrows slightly raised, her adamantine face reflecting in the silvery axe body.


    ¡°These weapons are very sharp,¡± she said, ¡°With these weapons, our chances of winning will increase significantly.¡±


    ¡°But why wasn¡¯t this mentioned in the game information?¡± Zhao Mingdeng couldn¡¯t help muttering, ¡°Could it be that the previous yers didn¡¯t pass the game because they didn¡¯t find the weapons?¡±


    Jiang Hao, with his white gloves, selected a pair of battle axes from the box andughed, ¡°It¡¯s possible. After all, the game requires us to kill the cat, but the amusement park didn¡¯t provide any weapons, which is illogical.¡±


    The sportsman Robin rummaged through the box but didn¡¯t find any weapon that suited him, so he simply put it down, frowned, and coolly said, ¡°You guys pick. I¡¯m used to using my fists.¡±


    ¡°Obviously, you gotta use a butcher¡¯s knife in a fight.¡± Tan Xiao reluctantly picked a broadsword after stating hisin, ¡°Ahh, these swords are too thin¡­


    Shen Fei struggled for a long time before choosing an axe.


    He wasn¡¯t good at fighting. Even though he used to train due to his admiration for his cousin, his work nature leaned more towards the technical side.


    He suspected that axes would be less skill-dependentpared to swords. He¡¯d just test it out for now.


    The designs of these swords were extremely vintage. Even though the materials felt too realistic, they didn¡¯t arouse any suspicion.


    Everyone picked their weapons.


    Jiang Hao turned to Bai Youwei, asking her with curiosity, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to choose a weapon?¡±


    ¡°No need.¡± Bai Youwei patted the canvas bag hanging on the side of her wheelchair, ¡°My weapons are all in here.¡±<div>

 Chapter 419: Holding a Small Meeting

    Chapter 419: Holding a Small Meeting


    The impression Bai Youwei usually gives people often includes a few characteristics:


    1. She¡¯s in a wheelchair;


    2. She holds a plush rabbit;


    3. She has a canvas bag hanging on her wheelchair.


    The canvas bag contains her personal items and props. Everyone takes this for granted, assuming she ns to use her props as weapons.


    But a bag that big, sure does arouse one¡¯s curiosity.


    Jiang Hao¡¯s nce lingered on the canvas bag a few seconds longer.


    ¡°Alright, now that we have weapons, let¡¯s discuss how to kill Mary and the cat!¡±


    Zhao Mingdeng is always the most enthusiastic one. His enthusiasm for the game is palpable¡ªhis tone is like discussing game strategies on a forum.


    ¡°I believe! The primary strategy of the game should focus on Mary, not the cat!


    The cat is as big as a bus. An average human is no match for it, let alone killing it! But Mary, you¡¯ve seen her, haven¡¯t you? Mary is about the height of a human girl, even more frail than an average one! Clearly much easier to deal with!¡±


    ¡°What you¡¯re saying, previous yers must have thought of.¡± Lun Ang frowned in disagreement, ¡°I actually think Mary is a trap. The game might be taking advantage of our mentality, making us think Mary is easy to deal with, as a result, everyone ends up dead.¡±


    Zhao Mingdeng widened his eyes: ¡°Are you suggesting we deal directly with the cat? Such a big animal, even if ten of us attack it together, we might not be able to kill it!¡±


    These knives and swords would probably amount to nothing more than toothpicks when used against the cat!


    ¡°I do have another approach,¡± Yan Qingwen interjected from the side.


    Everyone turned towards him.


    ¡°Whether we are dealing with the cat or Mary, as long as we target one, we¡¯ll inevitably encounter the other,¡± said Yan Qingwen calmly. ¡°What if we separate them, might the oue be different?¡±


    Zhao Mingdeng¡¯s eyes lit up instantly, ¡°That¡¯s a great idea! ording to the game data, Mary and the cat are always together. Particrly the cat, it¡¯s almost invincible, if we separate them, there might be openings on both sides?!¡±


    ¡°But how can we separate Mary from the cat?¡± Yu Yaqing asked.


    Yan Qingwen thought for a moment, looked at everyone and said, ¡°We could set up a trap to separate Mary from the cat. But this methodes with its own risk, moreover, we must n our escape route in advance. After all, none of us can be sure what will happen once the two are separated.¡±


    ¡°How long will it take to set up a trap?¡± Shen Mo asked.


    Yan Qingwen nced around and quickly came up with a few ns in his mind. He answered, ¡°About 40 minutes.¡±


    ¡°And nning the escape route?¡± Shen Mo asked again.


    Yan Qingwen replied with a slight smile, ¡°At least two hours.¡±


    Tan Xiao couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°Really? It takes that long?!¡±


    ¡°Two hours is actually a shorter estimate.¡± Shen Feimented seriously, ¡°nning an escape is not about running around aimlessly. It involves intricate calctions to utilize terrain and environmental features, artificially designing about three to five blind spots to aid safe escape. Moreover, the direction of escape cannot be the same for everyone. So, the number of required escape routes equals the number of participants. This requires a high level ofputational proficiency!¡±


    Upon finishing his statement, Shen Fei gave Yan Qingwen a look of admiration.


    Rational, wise, and calm, that¡¯s the type of friend his cousin should be making!


    As opposed to hanging out with Wang Jingxian¡¯s daughter and knowing all sorts of riffraff! It¡¯s as if a top student has been led astray by bad kids, beyond redemption! n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Yan Qingwen, with a teasing smile, said to Shen Mo, ¡°If you get Weiwei to help me, perhaps we can save some time.¡±


    Shen Fei:

 Chapter 420: Not Allowed

    Chapter 420: Not Allowed


    ¡°Yeah, split up would be a good idea.¡± Yu Yaqing said earnestly, ¡°We¡¯ll help Yan Qingwen set the trap, while Weiwei can n the retreat route. Since it¡¯s not convenient for Weiwei to move around, perhaps Shen Mo could apany her. This way, won¡¯t it be faster?¡±


    Shen Fei moved his lips, unsure of what to say. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    At a time like this, shouldn¡¯t his cousin be leading the charge like a hero arriving on scene? Why was his assigned task to ¡°apany¡± Bai Youwei?!


    Isn¡¯t that a waste of resources?!


    He turned to look Shen Mo.


    Shen Mo nodded impassively, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Not alright!


    What do you mean by Alright, brother ?!!!


    Turbulent waves set off in Shen Fei¡¯s heart.


    Meanwhile, Lun Ang let out augh and said, ¡°Since we¡¯re all in this game together, Weiwei, stop keeping secrets. Let¡¯s give our poor Qingwen a break.¡±


    Tan Xiao, with hands on his hips, stood in front and said, ¡°Wow, of course my boss should make the grand finale! To have you guys boss her around now¡­ wouldn¡¯t that be too disgraceful!¡±


    Shen Fei stared at them, his expression stiff.


    He didn¡¯t understand. Why¡­why did they all seem to trust Bai Youwei so much? What on earth made Bai Youwei sopetent?!


    Entrusting the retreat route to Bai Youwei was akin to entrusting their lives to her!


    Even the slightest w in the escape route could result in death!


    Lun Angughed heartily and teased Tan Xiao, ¡°Which one is your boss? The tall one, or¡­ the short one?¡±


    Considering Bai Youwei was in a wheelchair, she was naturally shorter than everyone present.


    Her face turned sour as she red at Tan Xiao, as if ready to blow up if his response didn¡¯t meet her satisfaction.


    Tan Xiao, struck by a sudden inspiration, loudly dered, ¡°My boss is riding on the shoulders of the Giant! She¡¯s taller!!!¡±


    Bai Youwei usually leaned on Shen Mo¡¯s shoulder, so it was kind of like riding on him.


    With that remark, he¡¯d managed topliment both of them. Tan Xiao puffed out his chest in triumph. He was over the moon!


    He felt like he¡¯d just reached a new high in his life!


    Bai Youwei coldly withdrew her gaze.


    Shen Mo had a faint smile on his lips.


    Shen Fei¡­


    Shen Fei was deeply puzzled.


    Zhao Mingdeng urged, ¡°We have less than three hours until it gets dark. We should make the most of the daylight for a preliminary scout.¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡± Bai Youwei said emotionlessly, ¡°With the current information, we can¡¯t guarantee a 100% safe retreat. The Cat¡¯s height and speed directly affect its and Mary¡¯s view. A meter higher or lower would greatly affect the effectiveness of the retreat route. I¡¯m not interested in pointless effort.¡±


    Zhao Mingdeng frowned, ¡°So what do we do now?¡±


    ¡°Familiarise yourself with the area you¡¯re in charge of, find a hiding ce and then¡­¡± Bai Youwei shrugged, ¡°Wait for nightfall~¡±


    ¡°But wouldn¡¯t that be wasting daylight?!¡± Zhao Mingdeng¡¯s eyebrows furrowed even deeper, feeling that it wasn¡¯t right, ¡°And we¡¯ve already found hiding ces just now!¡±


    Shen Fei scorned in his heart


    She¡¯s refusing because she doesn¡¯t want to n the retreat route, trying to shirk responsibility!


    Bai Youwei kept her nonchnt tone, ¡°I suggest you abandon the first hiding spot. It would be best to give up on the second backup as well. Hide in the third or fourth spot you find, because the first two locations are likely ces previous yers hid, and Mary and the Cat will prioritize searching these ces unless they¡¯re stupid.¡±


    Shen Mo stated, ¡°Right now, we are not yet familiar with the entire amusement park. We alsock understanding of the strengths of Mary and the Cat. Even with a trap in ce, it would be hard to make it effective.¡±


    Zhao Mingdeng pondered, then let out a deep sigh, ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll wait till tonight and assess the situation then!¡±

 Chapter 421: 421: Watching Her

    Chapter 421: Watching Her


    ¡°Won¡¯t this be too passive?¡± The always silent Robin couldn¡¯t help but speak, ¡°There are six full hours at night, can we just wait till then? Why not test their strength now!¡±


    Robin was a sports student, he looked just like a hot-blooded man, clenching his fists, eager to immediately charge at the carousel and take on the giant puppet cat!


    Yu Yaqing frowned and looked at Bai Youwei, ¡°Weiwei, will we do nothing tonight?¡±


    Passive waiting was also against Yu Yaqing¡¯s style.


    Bai Youwei helplessly shrugged and said, ¡°If you guys want to probe them now, I have no objections. But I must remind you, ording to the game rules, the person who wakes the cat during the day bes the cat¡¯s attack target and the attacksts until the cat falls asleep again.


    So provoking them before we understand the situation, I don¡¯t agree with.¡±


    ¡°Then we don¡¯t give it a chance to wake up!¡± Robin said coldly, ¡°While it sleeps, we take its life!¡±


    Yan Qingwen gave him a nce, ¡°The game instructions say the same thing. Those yers wanted to attack Mary while the cat sleeps, but somehow, even though they were careful enough, they woke the cat as soon as they got close.¡±


    Zhao Mingdeng hesitantly asked, ¡°Could it be that they were careless¡­¡±


    Bai Youwei said indifferently, ¡°The only survivor among those yers is Du Lai, and he is the best at approaching targets silently and without a trace. I dare say none of us here is as agile and light-footed as he is.¡±


    Upon her saying that, everyone fell silent.<div>


    There must be reasons for the cat being awakened.


    Either the cat is alert beyond their imagination, or there¡¯s a key point hidden here that no one has noticed.


    Either way, it isn¡¯t conducive to themunching an attack against Mary and the cat now.


    After some contemtion, Yan Qingwen said, ¡°Let¡¯s do this. We will set up some traps near the carousel first. Once Mary and the cat wake up tonight, the people nearby can observe their reaction when they encounter the traps and maybe find the cat¡¯s or Mary¡¯s weakness.¡±


    ¡°Could the traps separate Mary and the cat?¡± Yu Yaqing couldn¡¯t help asking.


    The topic hase full circle.


    Yan Qingwenughed and shook her head, ¡°To separate them, the traps must be more refined, just like what Weiwei said. We need to know the height, length, shape, and even the weight and speed of the targets.


    If we don¡¯t have this information, we need manual operation, coordination of multiple people, and adjustment of the trap mechanisms ording to the situation.¡±


    Yu Yaqing understood.


    A manually operated trap would reveal our position, and the night is when Mary and the cate out to y hide and seek, everyone should hide well.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Revealing positions is no different from suicide. Who would want to do it?


    She let out a sigh, apologizing to Yan Qingwen, ¡°It was presumptuous of me, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Yan Qingwen just smiled faintly.


    After discussing for a while, everyone starts to act.


    Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t be of help in making the traps. She pushed her wheelchair away, towards the Clock Tower to observe the entire amusement park from above.


    Shen Mo was worried about her. When he saw her wheelchair moving farther and farther away, he waved at Shen Fei and instructed, ¡°You go watch over her, if anythinges up,e back for me.¡±


    Shen Fei seemed reluctant, ¡°Don¡¯t we need hands for setting up traps?¡±


    ¡°Go on, we won¡¯t miss one person here.¡± Lun Ang chuckled, ¡°But your brother should stay, there are some ces only he can reach.¡±<div>


    Yu Yaqing nced at Shen Fei, ¡°Or, I¡¯ll go instead?¡±


    Shen Fei felt a little irritated.


    Why can¡¯t that woman just sit still?! Making everyone worry over her!


    ¡°I¡¯ll go, I¡¯ll go!¡± Shen Fei grumbled, ¡°You guys proceed, I¡¯ll go keep an eye on her.¡±<div>


    Zhao Mingdeng looked up and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t one person enough? We¡¯re short of hands for setting up traps here! Hey? Where did Jiang Hao go?¡±


    Shen Mo scanned around, his eyes slightly darkened.

 Chapter 422: 422: Stay Away from Me

    Chapter 422: Stay Away from Me


    She had just been here helping to set up the trap, but now there was no sign of her.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Yan Qingwen knew of Shen Mo¡¯s apprehension. Seeing his expression darken, she leaned in and quietly asked, ¡°Should we check on her?¡±


    Shen Mo nced towards the Clock Tower, ¡°No need, she can handle it.¡±


    The Clock Tower wasn¡¯t too far from the carousel.


    Following the little path paved with red bricks, there was a flower garden in sight, with four arch bridges reaching out to each side of the Clock Tower.


    It was a tad strenuous pushing uphill with the wheelchair on the arch bridge. Bai Youwei decided to stand and walked forward using her cane for support.


    Noticing an extra shadow on the ground, she halted, turned her head, and realized the man behind her was now less than ten meters away.


    Bai Youwei furrowed her brows, ¡°Keep your distance.¡±


    Jiang Hao grinned, ¡°I saw you heading here alone¡­So I thought I¡¯d check in on you. Do you need help?¡±


    His seemingly friendly demeanor was marked by dominance. His encroaching steps toward her did not falter.<div>


    A mocking, coldugh curled up at the corners of Bai Youwei¡¯s lips.


    She was well aware of his intentions.


    No doubt, he must have been growing impatient waiting for this opportunity.


    Once night falls, everyone will scatter. Mary and the cat will wake up, making the act of ¡°killing for treasure¡± much more difficult.


    If he isn¡¯t aiming to clear the game, there¡¯s no need to wait for nightfall to take a risk. It¡¯s best to acquire what he wants during the day, then find an opportune moment to exit the game using the puzzle piece.


    Of course, it would be best to eliminate all other yers before leaving, so there¡¯s no need to worry about his disguise being exposed. For example, the man with the white gloves who emerged from the gamest time.


    Jiang Hao continued to approach her.


    Bai Youwei looked at him with a cold gaze.


    She was slightly curious, what kind of tool was the white glove? Why was it so powerful? Of the ten people who entered the gamest time, apart from the man with the white gloves, everyone else died¡­


    ¡°Weiwei! It¡¯s really high up there! There¡¯s even a telescope!¡±


    Tan Xiao suddenly rushed out from the Clock Tower, caught sight of Jiang Hao, and was taken aback.


    He asked bluntly, ¡°Hey! Why are you following us? What, trying to ck off from work?!¡±


    Jiang Hao paused then replied with a smile, ¡°I couldn¡¯t really do anything to help over there, so I came over.¡±


    He continued walking towards Bai Youwei, slightly raising his hands d in white gloves¡­


    Bai Youweiughed again.


    How interesting.


    ¡ªHe didn¡¯t even abandon his target despite seeing Tan Xiaoe down from the Clock Tower. It seemed like Tan Xiao posed no threat to him, at least not in the eyes of this man named Jiang Hao.


    Her curiosity deepened.


    Just how powerful were the white gloves? Were they enough to give him the confidence to take on two yers?<div>


    As the distance closed, the plush rabbit perched on Bai Youwei¡¯s shoulder raised its head. Its beady little eyes stared silently at the man.


    Jiang Hao paused.


    The rabbit spent arge portion of the time on Bai Youwei¡¯s shoulder ¡°acting cute¡±, so Jiang Hao was unclear about its true function.


    He hesitated slightly.<div>


    Although he was confident in dealing with two people at once, the emergence of an unexpected proppelled him to be cautious.


    ¡°Jiang Hao? What are you doing here?¡±


    Shen Fei walked over in surprise, then noticed Tan Xiao and couldn¡¯t help but frown, ¡°Why are you all here? They¡¯re swamped over by the carousel, aren¡¯t you going to help?¡±


    Tan Xiao pleaded his case, ¡°I was going to help! But they said I¡¯d just be in the way and told me not to, so since I had nothing to do, I came to help Weiwei survey the area!¡±


    Shen Fei:


    Jiang Hao gave them a smile, ¡°I think I¡¯ll head back then. I was worried Miss Bai would be unattended, but since you¡¯re all here, I¡¯ll go back and help.¡±


    With that, he walked away at a leisurely pace, both hands in his pockets.


    Bai Youwei found it a pity.


    She was so close to seeing his true colours. But she was sure¡­ he would make his move again soon.

 Chapter 423: 423: Unexpected

    Chapter 423: Unexpected


    Not long after Jiang Hao left, Shen Fei also left.


    He had no fondness for Bai Youwei to begin with, and seeing that Tan Xiao was now in herpany, he had no desire to impose himself, preferring instead to return to his brother.


    Using her crutches, Bai Youwei exerted effort to climb the Clock Tower.


    The view from the top of the Clock Tower was extremely open, overlooking the entire amusement park. Each direction was equipped with a telescope, convenient for sightseeing.


    Bai Youwei adjusted the telescope towards the direction of the carousel and studied it closely.


    Atop the carousel, the mannequin, Mary, and the cat were quietly sleeping.


    The cat was much more noticeable than Mary.


    It was indeed a rag doll ¨C not a Ragdoll breed as Bai Youwei initially thought, but a feline figure created from floral fabric and cotton ¨C


    Colourful and pieced together from various fabrics, it had buttons for eyes, springs for whiskers. It had no teeth, no sharp ws, it was hard to imagine that this cat had killed so many people.


    As for Mary, she was modeled after a twelve or thirteen-year-old girl, lying sound asleep on the cat.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    She had beautiful curly golden hair, bound into two braids, it looked like she had two pieces of gold cotton candy on top of her head.<div>


    Her dress was pink with whitece trimmings, a puffy skirt adorned with fancy satin bow ties, paired with checkered pink and white stockings, and she wore a pair of red shoes. She was also carrying a doll bag ¨C


    The overall appearance was innocent and childlike, very lifelike.


    Having finished observing Mary and the cat, Bai Youwei adjusted the telescope to look at the other side.


    Yan Qingwen¡¯s trap was gradually taking shape.


    To increase the sess rate, he set traps on several paths near the carousel.


    Due to limited time and materials, these traps weren¡¯t very borate, but they should be able to inflict some damage or slow down the cat.


    Shen Mo, Yu Yaqing, and others were all helping.


    Jiang Hao had returned and was also in the crowd.


    Perhaps he felt that the current situation was not the optimal time to kill and steal treasures, he had temporarily hidden his fangs and did not show any abnormality.


    The sky was getting darker, and the hour hand of the clock tower was slowly moving towards six.


    Bai Youwei had looked over the area around the carousel, and had a general idea of the situation. She slowly went downstairs with the support of her crutches.


    Tan Xiao offered to carry her, but she declined, descending at her own pace. After making her way a third of the way down, Shen Mo came over to assist her.


    ¡°Is everything ready?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yes, everything is ready,¡± he replied.


    She put away her crutches, he picked her up, and before nightfall, they entered a gift shop on Fantasy Street. Through the window, they quietly observed the carousel in the distance.


    When the hour hand pointed to 6, the clock tower let out a ¡°ng¡±! It was crisp and loud!


    Night fell, and the entire sky turned pitch ck!


    Immediately after, it was as if the amusement park came to life!


    Brilliant colored lights lit up, and music yed like a wave. Every building was brightly lit!<div>


    This included the gift shop where Bai Youwei and Shen Mo were hiding!


    They looked at each other in surprise.


    They didn¡¯t expect this turn of events!


    Now that lights were on, dark corners were exposed, much to their dismay, many of their hiding ces were no longer concealed!<div>


    Shen Mo frowned, grabbing Bai Youwei and ducking under the cash register as he hid himself behind the curtains ¨C


    Through the ss window, he saw the entire amusement park bustling with activity!


    The roller coaster emitted the noise of the wind as it rushed by, the carousel swayed to the music, the Ferris wheel¡¯s colorful lights were stunning, all the motionless dolls seemed to havee to life as they stumbled in line, following the parade of flower-decked carnival floats in a procession!

 Chapter 424: 424: Shining Lights

    Chapter 424: Shining Lights


    The lights shed, and the carousel spun round.


    The puppet cat on the canopy stood up, arched its body, yawned, and let out a long, ¡°meow~~~¡±


    The voice was sharp and high pitched, clearly audible to Shen Mo and Bai Youwei in the room, even with the surrounding din of music!


    Mary, on the cat¡¯s back, also yawned.


    She rubbed her eyes, stretched out her slender white arms, grabbed the cat by the tip of an ear, andined like a short-tempered little girl:


    ¡°Alright, stop sleeping! Youzy feline! It¡¯s hide and seek time, get up!¡±


    Mary, riding on the cat¡¯s neck, tugged at the cat forcefully.


    Roused by this, the puppet cat let out a ¡°meow¡±, and leaped off the carousel with Mary on its back¡ª


    ¡°Where is everyone?¡± the little girl sitting on the puppet cat¡¯s back said, her bright face bearing a malicious grin, ¡°Aha~ I just love hide and seek! I love the expressions on your faces when you are found. They are such a joy!¡±


    Her slow gaze swept over the ce, her smile full of pleasure, ¡°I see you guys~~ You really don¡¯t know how to hide!¡±


    Shen Mo by the window squinted his eyes, watching the outside unblinkingly.<div>


    The puppet cat had already stepped on a trap.


    Theting, taken as a decoration from the pirate ship on Adventure Ind, was suspended five or six centimeters off the ground, and was now entangling one of the cat¡¯s feet. The cat raised its foot irritably, and ripped free from the!


    The long mast rigged at both ends of the were pulled in, converging on the middle!


    Mary let out a yelp, and the cat dodged swiftly!


    Escaping the plight of the mast, yet triggering the second trap set by Yan Qingwen!¡ª


    The big red chairs initially set on the flying chairs wereunched like red bullets, one after another!


    The puppet cat dodged the first one, but was hit in session by the second and third ones! It let out a wail and fell on the side of the road! Mary also failed to escape! She got hit by the fourth red chair hard on her shoulder!


    ¡°Ah!!!¡± She got up, yelling in anger, ¡°You yers are too bad! Too bad!!! I¡¯m going to let my cat catch all of you! Tear you guys into pieces!!!¡±


    ¡°Meow!¡± The cat also cried as if to echo her.


    The next second, the puppet cat adjusted its direction and headed straight for Fantasy Street!


    Shen Mo was taken aback.


    At first, he thought it was a coincidence, but when he discovered that Mary and the cat were unmistakably heading in his direction, his heart skipped a beat! He quickly moved to the cashier counter, picked up Bai Youwei in an instant!


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?!¡± Bai Youwei asked in surprise.


    From her hiding ce below, she could not see what was happening outside, and had no idea that Mary and the cat were alreadying their way!


    Shen Mo, holding her, jumped out of the window from the other side and took a few hurried steps, sprinted into the candy store next door, and replied, ¡°Mary knows where we are!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Bai Youwei was taken aback, ¡°Did she find us so soon?¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°No, she didn¡¯t look!¡± Shen Mo looked around. This time, instead of choosing the cashier counter, he ced her behind the door and dragged over an indoor nt to cover her. Then, he turned around and jumped out of the window again!


    At the same time, as the cat¡¯s roar came through and the roof thundered with the sound of something heavy running over it, as if a monster ran across the roof!


    Through the gaps in the leaves, Bai Youwei saw a giant puppet cat leaping down from the roof andnding with a thud!<div>


    The angry little girl atop the cat yelled, ¡°Catch him quick! You stupid cat! Catch him and don¡¯t let him escape!!!¡±


    Shen Mo dashed into the toy store.


    Mary and the cat also rushed after him!


    Therge figure rammed the store door, shattering the ss with a crash! Inside, sometimes came the sound of the shelves copsing and sometimes Mary¡¯s shrill roars!<div>


    Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t see what was going on inside!

 Chapter 425: 425 Found You

    Chapter 425: Found You


    Her mind was racing, her attention fully focused on the chaotic toy house!


    Shen Mo¡¯s goal was to distract Mary and the cat, so he would definitely hide further away, the further the better! But this would separate her and him!


    What should she do? She couldn¡¯t see his position, couldn¡¯t judge what she should do next! She couldn¡¯t help him either!


    And what did Shen Mo mean by what he said just now?


    ¡°Mary knows where we are!¡±


    ¡°No, she didn¡¯t look!¡±


    Didn¡¯t look?


    If she didn¡¯t look, how did Mary find out they were hiding here?


    Even if Mary¡¯s eyes had super vision, she would at least have to look around first before¡­ unless she knew their location all along! So she didn¡¯t even need to look, she just aimed directly at Fantasy Street and rushed over!


    Bai Youwei¡¯s face was visibly pale.<div>


    If this was true, everything made sense now¡­


    The amusement park was so vast and had so many buildings, not to mention hiding 10 people, even hiding 100 people wouldn¡¯t be easy! Why did none of the people who entered the game survive?!


    Because no matter where they hid, Mary and the cat would find them!


    ¡­Wait.


    This still didn¡¯t make sense.


    If the cat would find us no matter where we hid, then what¡¯s the point of ying hide and seek?


    Boom!!!


    A loud noise interrupted Bai Youwei¡¯s thoughts!


    All the house¡¯s ss shattered!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    A huge cat head poked in from outside the window, its stic button eyes silently stared at the green nt in front of Bai Youwei.


    Mary sat on the cat, giggling slyly. Her voice was like a midnight bell, clear yet eerie:


    ¡°Ah I found you¡±


    Bai Youwei¡¯s chest tightened, holding her breath!


    As if to savor the fear of the prey, the cat didn¡¯t attack Bai Youwei immediately. Instead, it started to step on the lush green potted nt very slowly¨C


    Crushing it!


    Creaking¡­ creaking¡­ creaking¡­


    The sound of ceramic shards and nutrient soil scraping and crushing, that sound made people¡¯s scalp tingle!


    ¡°I found you¡­¡±


    Mary crawled down the cat¡¯s body, from the cat¡¯s neck, to the top of its head, then slid down to the cat¡¯s nose. She grinned, her eyes glowing with a green light in the darkness.<div>


    But in the next moment, shock, even terror, shed in her eyes!


    Without time to evade, a plush rabbit jumped out, pounced on her face, and released a sh of electricity!


    ¡°Aaaaaah!!!¡±


    Mary¡¯s scream echoed in the room!<div>


    One hand clutching the cat, the other vigorously pulling off the bunny from her face!


    The stuffed cat was also struggling in pain!


    The cat¡¯s head was stuck in the window and couldn¡¯t get out, it shaking its head and body desperately, violently thrashing!


    In the struggle, all the ss cabs shattered, colorful candies fell like rain on Bai Youwei.


    She dared not to be careless, kept staring at Mary, didn¡¯t miss any reactions, and waited until the moment that the cat was about to pull its head out of the window, she yelled, ¡°Attack the stuffed cat!!!¡±


    The rabbit let go of Mary, and as itnded, its fur stood on end! It unleashed blinding purple-blue electricity!


    The electricity was like a giant de, shing straight at the cat¡¯s head!


    ¡°Meow!!!¡ª¡±


    The plush cat screamed in pain, its head gave a violent shake, and Mary finally couldn¡¯t hold on, she was thrown off the cat!


    She fell heavily to the ground!


    Her beautiful golden curls were scorched from the electric shock, and her tender white face was smeared with ayer of ck ash.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Mary staggered up and red at Bai Youwei in anger, ¡°you ¡­¡±


    A sh of cold light!<div>


    Shen Mo appeared behind her out of nowhere, raising his broadsword high and ying it towards Mary¡¯s head!

 Chapter 426: 426: One Step Late

    Chapter 426: One Step Late


    ¡°Ah!¡± Mary eximed in terror, twisting her body to avoid the attack!


    But it was still toote!


    The sharp de sliced off her arm!


    With two thuds, the slender white arm fell to the ground. Shen Mo frowned, lifting his sword again to strike at Mary¡¯s head.


    Mary let out a horrified scream!


    The cat from outside rushed in, and she leapt onto it. Immediately afterwards, the ragdoll cat charged out of the candy store with Mary, jumping onto the roof!


    Shen Mo was about to give chase when he heard Bai Youwei shouting loudly at him from behind:


    ¡°Shen Mo!!!¡±


    Shen Mo paused in his steps, turned and saw the severed arm on the ground tightly gripping Bai Youwei¡¯s ankle!


    The five fingers were clenched tightly into the flesh of her ankle, as if wanting to break Bai Youwei¡¯s foot off!<div>


    Shen Mo¡¯s heart lurched, and he swiftly stabbed his sword into that severed arm!


    The grip on the ankle finally loosened, and Bai Youwei immediately withdrew her foot. A clear mark of five fingers emerged on her fair skin, slowly turning into a bruise.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Shen Mo asked, holding her up.


    Bai Youwei shook her head, catching her breath, ¡°Mary might be going to find the others. There might be something wrong with the way we were hiding, otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have found us so quickly, unless she has X-ray vision!¡±


    Shen Mo¡¯s face was stern: ¡°If Mary knows everyone¡¯s location, this is not a game of hide and seek, but a hunt.¡±


    He was thinking the same as her.


    But the situation was urgent, and they couldn¡¯t figure out what the problem was in the short term!


    A scream came from outside!


    The scream punctuated the chaotic music, suddenly rising and then quickly fading away. It was unclear who was being attacked and who was scrambling to escape.


    Bai Youwei looked out the window and said with knitted eyebrows, ¡°You¡¯d better go and help.¡±


    Shen Mo looked at the severed hand on the ground, ¡°And you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, just go,¡± she pushed him gently, ¡°I can handle this.¡±


    Shen Mo gave her a lingering look.


    With an inexplicable courage, Bai Youwei suddenly held his face and bit his lip forcefully!


    She quickly let go after two seconds, took a deep breath and said, ¡°Don¡¯t die. If you can¡¯t handle it, use puzzle, understood?¡±


    Shen Mo¡¯s eyes flickered with countless emotions, dark and deep.


    He put her down, held her jaw, and said in a low voice, ¡°There¡¯s not enough time now, I¡¯ll pay you back when we¡¯re out.¡±


    After saying this, he turned around and ran towards the screams.


    Bai Youwei stared nkly at his retreating figure until it disappeared from sight, and her racing heart gradually calmed down¡­<div>


    She let out a sigh of relief, turned her head to look at the arm pierced by the sword on the floor. It was still twitching.


    But Shen Mo¡¯s sword had pierced too deeply and ruthlessly, it couldn¡¯t break free! The fingers scratched at the floor unyieldingly, like a fish on a chopping board, devoid of blood.


    Nothing strange about that, the cat was a ragdoll, and Mary was certainly not human.


    Bai Youwei used a golden key to open the dollhouse.<div>


    Chang Weicai and Pan Xiaoxin inside the dollhouse were taken aback by her dishevelled appearance.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Wei¡­Weiwei?! You¡¯re okay, aren¡¯t you?¡± Chang Weicai asked anxiously, ¡°Where¡¯s your wheelchair? Your cane? Isn¡¯t Shen Mo with you?¡±


    ¡°We can talk about itter.¡± Bai Youwei hurriedly instructed them. ¡°Go pick up some burning firewood from the firece and throw it here. Dry firewood as well, the more, the better.¡±


    ¡°All right, all right! We¡¯ll get it for you right away!¡±


    Balls of fire were thrown out from the dollhouse, igniting the wallpaper, igniting the cabs, igniting the dolls.


    The candies in the candy store melted under the high temperature, forming puddles of sticky liquid and setting aze. The air was filled with a mix of burnt and sweet smell.


    The mes raged on¡­

 Chapter 427: 427: Is it an Illusion?

    Chapter 427: Is it an Illusion?


    ¡°The fire was getting bigger.


    Leaning against the wall, Bai Youwei slowly moved forward.


    Her knee throbbed with pain.


    It was like walking on the tip of a knife.


    Despite regaining sensation, she still could not walk properly. She walked out of the Candy House, only a dozen steps away, covered in cold sweat, her legs trembled.


    The bunny followed behind, matching her pace.


    Once she got to the door, she saw her wheelchair and breathed a sigh of relief. She told the bunny, ¡°Go, bring my wheelchair over here.¡±


    The bunny flicked its ears and hopped towards the wheelchair.


    Although it was a bit small, the pavement was smooth. The wheelchair was pushed forward intermittently and sometimes spun around, before finally reaching Bai Youwei.


    At this moment, the fire in the Candy House started spreading outside.<div>


    Bai Youwei sat in her wheelchair, clutching the bunny, and left Fantasy Street.


    Behind her, the toy store, dessert shop, gift shop, ice cream parlor¡­ all the shops on Fantasy Street were being devoured by the widespread fire.


    Fantasy Street was next to the Dreaming Garden, an area filled with vibrant flowers and beautifulndscapes, made up of countless individual gardens.


    Bai Youwei traveled through the garden, trying to find a high-vantage point to see where Shen Mo and the others were.


    As she passed the cartoon statues in the garden, she felt something eerie. The statues¡¯ eyes were painted ck, like deep dark holes, seeming to stare at her¡­


    Bai Youwei furrowed her eyebrows and sped up her pace.


    A familiar unease started to surface.


    She suddenly halted and turned around to look at the cartoon statues again.


    They were motionless.


    Could it have been her imagination?


    Bai Youwei pondered for a moment but she was more concerned about Shen Mo. She put her doubts aside for now and continued forward.


    She emerged from the garden onto the main park path.


    The sounds of various theme park music entered her ears; the w machine music, bumper car music, and hovercraft music¡­ It was too noisy for her to determine where Shen Mo was, and she couldn¡¯t see Mary and the cat.


    The park was just too big.


    Another wave of music approached.


    Bai Youwei frowned and looked down the road. Coming from the other end was a parade float, the music wasing from there.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Snow White stood high on the float, holding a red apple, followed by the seven dwarfs and a variety of other cartoon characters. They formed a long line and were happily parading the grounds.


    During the day, they were silent inanimate objects, but they all came to life after dark, singing along with the music:


    Everywhere that Mary went,<div>


    She would bring along her little doll,


    People met them everywhere,


    Mary and her merry doll¡­


    The parade passed right in front of her and then moved away.<div>


    The music also dissipated.


    Suddenly, loud bangs echoed! The chaotic fighting noises became clearer with the retreat of the music, as though something had been knocked over, or perhaps something had been hit.


    Bai Youwei¡¯s heart leapt, and she swiftly rolled her wheelchair in the direction of the noise!


    A shadow suddenly lunged at her!


    ¡°What are you doing here?!¡± Sweaty and frantic, Shen Fei demanded, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be here! Get away!!!¡±


    Without waiting for a response, he began to push her wheelchair and ran forward!


    ¡°Stop!¡± Bai Youwei coldly ordered.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make trouble! My brother can¡¯t deal with you right now!¡±


    Shen Fei was running so fast that Bai Youwei had no chance to argue! He looked back from time to time, and when he saw that the cat was not following, he made a sharp turn with the wheelchair¡ª


    And rushed into the Old Vine Monster Tree House on the side of the road!


    Bai Youwei was about to speak when Shen Fei covered her mouth!


    ¡°Stay quiet!¡± his voice was anxious and low, ¡°They¡¯reing!¡±


    <div>

 Chapter 428: 428: Harmonious Handling

    Chapter 428: Harmonious Handling


    Bang!


    The sound of something heavy hitting the ground.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Bai Youwei was startled, her eyes darted to the outside, forgetting her argument with Shen Fei.


    Zhao Mingdeng fell to the ground, his face as white as a sheet. He couldn¡¯t make a sound, nor could he stand up. He was trembling as he crawled forward, leaving a trail of bright red behind him.


    But it wasn¡¯t blood!


    Rather, it was a red, jelly-like substance continuously seeping out of his body and also his mouth!


    Boom!


    Another loud noise.


    A puppet cat as big as a bus pounced,nding not far behind Zhao Mingdeng.


    Mary on the cat¡¯s back wasughing and singing a nursery rhyme:<div>


    ¡°Crawl and crawl,


    Blood turns to jelly,


    Innards turn to cotton,


    In the end, oh, in the end, feed it to the kitty¡¯s mouth~¡±


    The cat paw came down and stepped on Zhao Mingdeng.


    Like toying with a mouse, it held him down but didn¡¯t kill him immediately, just watched him struggling.


    Shen Fei couldn¡¯t bear to look. He quietly said to Bai Youwei, ¡°Mary says that blood is filthy. This is a yground for children, all bloody scenes must be sanitized. She¡­ she doesn¡¯t consider us humans! She treats us like toys!¡±


    Mary wasughing outside, enjoying this moment immensely, repeatedly singing the nursery rhyme:


    ¡°Crawl and crawl,


    Blood turns to jelly,


    Innards turn to cotton¡­¡±


    Suddenly, several figures shot out!


    Mary¡¯s voice halted abruptly!


    Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen rushed over with their weapons and hacked at the cat¡¯s paw that was pinning Zhao Mingdeng down!


    However, the cat¡¯s paw was soft, and the de hitting it was like punching cotton! Pointless!


    Yu Yaqing and Lun Ang worked together, simultaneously shing at the cat¡¯s belly¡ª¡ª


    Balls of cotton spilled out from the ripped fabric, the cat wailed, but its paw stiffly held on!


    Robin leaped from above, taking the opportunity to attack Mary on the cat¡¯s back.


    Just then, a cat tail swung mid-air! It sent him flying into the wall!<div>


    Bai Youwei noticed the sweat soaking Shen Mo¡¯s forehead hair.


    Everyone else looked exhausted.


    Yes, exhausted.


    In the ten-odd minutes they had been fighting the giant puppet cat, they had exerted tremendous physical effort. If they failed toe up with a solution soon, all of them, not just Zhao Mingdeng, would struggle to even defend themselves!<div>


    Zhao Mingdeng¡¯s chubby body continued to be pinned down by the cat¡¯s paw¡­


    His body had been squeezed to the point of deformation, he was in too much pain to make a sound, his eyes bulging, his head and arms iling frantically. The sight of him was ratherical, but no one found it funny.


    Bai Youwei thought it looked like a hamster she once had when it tried to squeeze through a crack in the door¡­


    His body was squeezed to the max, ¡°jelly¡± oozed out inrge clumps from his mouth and nostrils, and finally the deted remnants of his body yielded something resembling cotton stuffing. Zhao Mingdeng¡¯s body, like a squeezed doll, finally,pletely, stopped moving.


    True to Mary¡¯s demand, Zhao Mingdeng¡¯s death scene was sanitized; there was no trace of gore.


    But Bai Youwei thought¡­ Zhao Mingdeng would have preferred to die bloodied and mangled. It was, after all, more dignified.


    Shen Mo didn¡¯t let up attacking.


    He was constantly aiming to exploit Mary¡¯s and the cat¡¯s weak spots!


    While Yu Yaqing and Lun Ang were attacking the cat¡¯s belly, he jabbed his de into the cat¡¯s paw and, in the process, pulled himself upward!


    The other cat paw swung forward!


    Shen Mo leaped, grabbing on to the cat¡¯s springy whiskers! Springing to mid-air using the force, he raised his broadsword


    And lunged at Mary!


    Mary seethed with hatred towards Shen Mo!<div>


    Her stump of an arm was his doing. Now, seeing him lunge at her again, she immediately tugged at the cat¡¯s neck to make it raise its head!


    ¡°Meow!

 Chapter 429: 429: Button Eyes

    Chapter 429: Button Eyes


    The big mouth of the plush cat opened, blocking Shen Mo¡¯s escape route!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Shen Mo quickly changed his direction, shing at the cat¡¯s eyes with his sword!


    Thump, thump, thump!


    A huge stic button fell to the ground, bounced twice, rolled to the side of the road, and fell over.


    Only a piece of ck thread remains where the cat¡¯s left eye was.


    Mary shouted angrily, ¡°You horrible people! I will kill you all! Kill you all!!!¡±


    The doll cat meowed, almost standing straight up, and then pounced on Shen Mo ferociously!


    ¡°Brother!¡± Shen Fei, with his eyes red in anxiety, raised his axe and charged!


    Bai Youwei was horrified, thinking that he was going to his death, but Shen Fei¡¯s nimble movements surprised her. With Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen¡¯s help, he managed to sh the doll cat several times!


    However, regardless of whether its limbs were cut off, its belly was shed open, or its eyes were gouged out, the doll cat remained a doll cat, its relentless attacks overwhelming everyone.<div>


    Robin fell injured against a wall.


    Shen Mo, Yan Qingwen, Lun Ang, Yu Yaqing, and Shen Fei gradually shifted from aggressively attacking to passively defending.


    If it were not for their experience in the maze, they might have copsed from exhaustion long ago.


    As for Tan Xiao and Jiang Hao, they had been missing all this time.


    Bai Youwei was very worried.


    She was worried about the situation at hand, but also about Tan Xiao. He was like an open book, transparent in all his actions. If Jiang Hao had malicious intentions, Tan Xiao was likely to fall into his trap.


    It was as if her brain wanted to split in several directions, worried on one side and anxious on the other.


    Bai Youwei bit her lip tightly, finding herself engulfed in anxiety.


    The nightsted a full six hours, and not even an hour had passed. They could not afford to continue grappling with Mary and the cat here!


    Should she let the rabbit out now? ¡­No, she couldn¡¯t!


    The rabbit could be used for surprise attacks, but it wouldn¡¯tst in a protracted fight! If it frequently released lightning, its electrical energy would quickly run out!


    The most pressing matter was to get everyone to retreat entirely!


    ¡­But where to retreat?


    No matter where they might hide, they would be found by Mary and the cat. What would be the point of such a retreat?!


    The others gradually retreated from view while still fighting, leaving Bai Youwei¡¯s line of sight. She noticed the button eyes the doll cat had left on the road.


    The Button eyes¡­


    Eyes?


    Bai Youwei¡¯s mind went nk as she vaguely felt that she had overlooked something. On closer thought, didn¡¯t this situation seem familiar?


    Back at the dollhouse, the Nail Tooth Monster seemed to have X-ray vision, heading straight for her as soon as she entered the house!<div>


    It was the same now!


    What was themonality between the dollhouse and this game of hide and seek?


    She desperately scanned her surroundings.


    What was themonality¡­<div>


    Where was themonality?


    Both were full of childlike fun?


    Why were both full of childlike fun?


    Because¡­


    Because¡­


    ¡­Dolls?


    Bai Youwei paused.


    As her thoughts connected, she suddenly became incredibly lucid and looked around again¡ª


    Indeed¡­there were so many, countless dolls!


    Whether it was at the previous gift shop or the subsequent candy house, there were countless dolls on disy, fluffy ones, rubber ones, ceramic ones, wooden ones, y ones, fabric ones, felt ones¡­


    All sorts of dolls.


    Mary was watching them through the eyes of these dolls!


    ¡°It¡¯s the dolls!¡± An idea sparked in Bai Youwei¡¯s mind. She rushed out of the treehouse and threw the rabbit at Mary, shouting at the same time, ¡°Scatter!!!¡±<div>


    Everyone fighting with the doll cat retreated instantly. Shen Fei was a beat slow, but Shen Mo pulled him away!


    Before he could figure out the situation, the cat in front of him suddenly copsed to the ground! Electricity snaked across its body!


    Bai Youwei shouted from the doorway of the treehouse, ¡°All the dolls here are observers! Find a ce without dolls to hide! Don¡¯t let the dolls see you!!!¡±

 Chapter 430: 430 The Day Breaks

    Chapter 430: The Day Breaks


    ¡°What?¡± Shen Fei eximed in surprise.


    Shen Mo pushed him aside,¡±Go!¡±


    ¡°Brother!¡± Shen Fei was extremely anxious.


    His eyes widened as he watched Shen Mo run to the treehouse, pick up Bai Youwei and jump behind it, disappearing from sight.


    The others also scattered and ran.


    Electricity danced around Mary and the toy cat, sparking fearfully, and no one dared to approach.


    In a few seconds, the rabbit had stopped sparking and also bounded off!


    Shen Fei gritted his teeth and turned to run!


    But the whole route was full of dolls!


    Disy windows were filled with different types of dolls, street signs held dolls, even the trash cans were shaped like cartoon animals! Dolls were everywhere in the amusement park, but where was a ce without dolls?!<div>


    A sign for a unisex bathroom appeared ahead. Shen Fei took a quick nce behind him, and seeing no sign of the toy cat, he sped up and turned into the bathroom!


    Shen Mo, holding Bai Youwei, hid in the equipment room of the water ride.


    The room was filled with orange life jackets.


    Shen Mo looked around, saw no dolls, put down Bai Youwei, and then got up to close the door.


    Once the door was shut, the room became quiet, separating them from the raucous music. It seemed as if both danger and chaos had instantly moved away from them.


    Bai Youwei closed her eyes, and her erratic heart finally calmed down.


    Bang!


    Something hit the newly closed door.


    Bai Youwei¡¯s heart, which had just settled, lurched up again. It startled her!


    Shen Mo furrowed his eyebrows and moved closer to the door to listen. He heard nothing.


    He picked up the longsword again, and with other hand gripping the doorknob, he cautiously and slowly began to open the door¡­n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The crack in the door had barely widened when a fluffy rabbit pushed its way in.


    Both of them were stunned.


    Shen Mo opened the door fully and the rabbit hopped in, scampering into Bai Youwei¡¯s arms.


    Shen Mo and Bai Youwei looked at each other, and the previously tense atmosphere instantly eased, leaving only a smile.


    Shen Mo closed the door again and sat down, asking, ¡°How much power does it have left?¡±


    ying with the rabbit¡¯s ears, Bai Youwei answered softly, ¡°About half.¡±


    ¡°Let it go and recharge.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡±<div>


    She opened the toy house, the rabbit went inside to recharge, and they were the only two left in the equipment room.


    Shen Mo pulled her into his arms and they sat, resting by the wall.


    He was sweaty, and his upper body was soaked, but Bai Youwei didn¡¯t mind. Her head rested on his chest, as she listened to his strong, steady heartbeat. It made her feel safe andforted. She closed her eyes too.


    The confrontation with Mary had been too exhausting.<div>


    Time ticked by, minute by minute.


    No one spoke.


    asionally, they heard loud footsteps outside and became even quieter.


    Mary kept cursing outside, furiously destroying the scenery and facilities on both sides of the road but she was unable to locate anyone.


    The cat¡¯s body was excessivelyrge, preventing it from entering many narrow areas. If the dolls hadn¡¯t silently provided clues, Mary would be wandering aimlessly within the park, like a headless fly!


    She had the cat knock over the roadside trash cans, break the treehouse¡¯s trunk, ruin a long string of colourful gs, and then wreak havoc in the ball pit.


    Finally, the night wasing to an end.


    Reluctantly, Mary and her cat returned to the Merry-go-round.


    The speed of the Merry-go-round gradually slowed, and the music became softer.


    Atst, it stopped. The toy cat let out a ¡°meow¡±, curled itself up into a ball and fell asleep on top of the carousel roof; Mary patted her puffy skirt, found afortable angle on the cat, and alsoy down to sleep.


    Meanwhile, the clock tower let out a single ¡°dong¡±!


    Dawn arrived.


    <div>

 Chapter 431: 431: Nine People

    Chapter 431: Nine People


    Everyone hesitantly emerged from their hiding ces, staring at the sun outside, revealing expressions of relief as if they had survived a catastrophe.


    However, this relief couldn¡¯tst too long.


    Because they only had 6 hours.


    In 6 hours, Mary and the cat would awaken again, and they muste up with a self-rescue n during the day.


    Everyone gathered again under the carousel.


    Shen Mo, Bai Youwei, Shen Fei, Yan Qingwen, Lu Ang, Yu Yaqing, Robin, Jiang Hao, Tan Xiao.


    Nine people in total.


    Everyone had varying degrees of fatigue in their eyes.


    Yan Qingwen looked around and said, ¡°Let¡¯s discuss everyone¡¯s experiences fromst night or any discoveries.¡±


    ¡°The cat is controlled by Mary.¡± Shen Mo started, ¡°When Mary does not give specific instructions, the puppet cat seems tock an attack consciousness, so our next attack should still be targeted at Mary, we must separate Mary from the cat.¡±


    Yu Yaqing nodded, ¡°If the puppet cat is controlled by Mary, it makes sense. No wonder no matter how we attack it, it has no effect.¡±<div>


    ¡°It¡¯s more than just not being effective, we can¡¯t move it at all.¡± Lu Ang said worriedly, ¡°It¡¯s too big, and the cotton inside is hard, like some sort of steel frame. With the weapons we have, it¡¯s like using matchsticks¡­¡±


    ¡°Matches¡­¡± Yan Qingwen pondered, ¡°We could consider using fire, the outer cotton cloth and cotton of the puppet cat are all mmable, and once it catches fire, Mary will leave the cat. Fantasy Street was on firest night, we should be able to get a fire source if we go there now.¡±


    ¡°What if it jumps into theke?¡± Tan Xiao couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°There¡¯s argeke at Treasure Bay, and a big fountain at the entrance of the amusement park, there¡¯s plenty of water in these ces.¡±


    Shen Fei exined to him, ¡°The purpose of using fire is not to burn the cat, but to force Mary to leave the cat, so that everyone can focus their efforts on Mary.¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Shen Mo asked Tan Xiao, ¡°Where did you and Jiang Hao hidest night? Why didn¡¯t we see you guys?¡±


    Tan Xiao was stunned, and answered with wide eyes, ¡°I was at Treasure Bay, in a trash can by the road. I¡¯m puzzled, nothing happened all night long, I almost fell asleep.¡±


    Everyone was speechless after hearing this.


    Treasure Bay is on the other side of theke, mirroring Adventure Ind, it¡¯s far from the other parks, so it¡¯s no wonder that Tan Xiao had no idea about what happenedst night.


    Robin asked the always silent Jiang Hao, ¡°What about you? Where did you hide?¡±


    Jiang Hao looked up at everyone, exining with a smile, ¡°I hid under the ferris wheel, in the control room, you know that small house with a red roof.¡±


    Several people listened, their expressions somewhat odd.


    Last night when they were attacking Mary and the cat, they had passed by there, but Jiang Hao didn¡¯t appear.


    Either, Jiang Hao was lying;


    Or, Jiang Hao actually saw them but chose not to help.


    Thinking about their desperate fight, and the indifferent observer in the dark, even knowing that the observer wasn¡¯t close to them, there was still a sense of difort.


    Yan Qingwen didn¡¯t dwell on this, she simply said in a light voice:


    ¡°The trash cans at Treasure Bay, the control room of the ferris wheel, neither of these ces had any toys, the fact that they safely stayed there all night reaffirms this, so what we need to do next, is destroy all the toys we can see! Especially their eyes, if we can¡¯t destroy them, we still need to find a way to cover them all¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Yu Yaqing looked up at the carousel, hesitatingly asked, ¡°What about during the day?¡±


    <div>

 Chapter 432: 432: Divided into Three Groups

    Chapter 432: Divided into Three Groups


    Yu Yaqing said, ¡°In thest game, Bai Youwei and I had to face a Duke who killed every night. The Duke was invincible at night, and we only had a chance to attack during the day. I think the games share simrities in some areas, and Mary¡¯s weakness could be hidden in daylight.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Yan Qingwen nodded, ¡°Indeed, Mary seems easier to deal with than the doll cat. Moreover, Shen Mo has cut off half of her arm, this is a good opportunity to press the attack.¡±


    He looked at Shen Mo and said, ¡°Let¡¯s split into two teams. Shen Mo, Lun Ang, and Jiang Hao will stay and help me set up the traps, and the rest will take care of the dolls in the park.¡±


    Jiang Hao was surprised when his name was suddenly mentioned. Looking up at Yan Qingwen, he asked, ¡°I¡¯m staying?¡±


    Since entering the game, he had deliberately reduced his presence, it was a bit strange for Yan Qingwen to suddenly keep him at this time.


    With a casual tone and a slight smile, Yan Qingwen said, ¡°Yes, Yu Yaqing and Robin got a bit hurtst night, to save their strength, I think it would be wise to have them rest.¡±


    This exnation from Yan Qingwen was eptable.


    Robin, who was displeased with Jiang Hao¡¯s indifference the previous night, said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t want to do anything, n to hide until the game is over? You better have the ability to survive until then!¡±


    Jiang Hao forced a smile, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant, I was just asking casually. I¡¯ll stay and help.¡±


    Yan Qingwen exchanged a nce with Shen Mo.<div>


    It was a crucial moment in the game¡¯s progress, best to keep Jiang Hao under their watchful eyes to prevent him from messing up.


    After arranging the teams, they split up to take action.


    Yan Qingwen, Shen Mo, Lv Ang, and Jiang Hao were left to set up the traps.


    Bai Youwei, with Yu Yaqing, Robin, Tan Xiao, and Shen Fei went to handle the dolls in the amusement park.


    All the small dolls were put into boxes, locked in sheds, or thrown into ck garbage bags;


    Therger dolls had their eyes poked out, their heads smashed, or their heads wrapped in garbage bags;


    Evenrger cartoon statues were either destroyed if possible or had their heads covered with cloth and their eyes sealed with stickers if they couldn¡¯t be destroyed.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    In short, they tried everything to ensure they wouldn¡¯t be seen.


    The amusement park was vast, and there were too many dolls. It took them more than two hours just to clear the dolls on the main road.


    Shen Fei was anxious to go back and check on the progress of Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen, but Bai Youwei and Yu Yaqing weregging behind.


    ¡°Can you move any faster?¡± He urged them impatiently.


    Yu Yaqing pointed to therge rainbow umbre outside the drink shop, ¡°We need to move the umbre to the right.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the difference between left and right?¡± Shen Fei couldn¡¯t understand.


    Despiteining, he still went over to help them move the umbre.


    Bai Youwei then directed Tan Xiao and Robin, ¡°No ss windows can be left, every pane in this food stall should be smashed to prevent the reflection of people.¡±


    Shen Fei finally got it, Bai Youwei was nning their retreat routes.


    He couldn¡¯t help but nce towards the direction of the clock tower, asking, ¡°It¡¯s almost three o¡¯clock, will there be enough time?¡±


    ¡°There will be enough time. Three people in each group, three retreat routes will be sufficient.¡± Bai Youwei squinted, scanning the surroundings, ¡°This ce is good, both the Adventure Ind and Gourmet Town can be reached. But these sses are a hindrance.¡±


    Shen Fei frowned. Previously, everyone had been hiding alone and having three people in a group seemed too many¡­ However, if it¡¯s a nned retreat, this pairing isn¡¯t too bad. At the very least, it¡¯s better than being isted when the cat pursues.<div>


    He asked her, ¡°How do you n to divide the groups?¡±


    Bai Youwei replied, ¡°I¡¯ll form a group with Shen Mo and Tan Xiao. You, Robin, and Jiang Hao will be another group. Lastly, Yu Yaqing will join Yan Qingwen and Lun Ang.¡±


    Shen Fei frowned again, ¡°Can¡¯t I be in the same group as my brother?¡±


    He really didn¡¯t feelfortable leaving her alone with his cousin the whole time.<div>

 Chapter 433: 433: Starting Work

    Chapter 433: Starting Work


    Bai Youwei smiled at his words, and asked him, ¡°Do you have any props?¡±


    Shen Fei was taken aback.


    What does this have to do with props?


    As an organization staff, he didn¡¯t have to enter the game forcefully, regrly, and in turn, but he had to hand over all the props on him to the game-y evaluation group, so¡­


    Shen Fei replied in a muffled voice, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Bai Youwei spoke cheerfully, with a hint of schadenfreude, ¡°That¡¯s why you are safe being in a team with Jiang Hao because you don¡¯t have props.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Shen Fei frowned.


    Having heard this, Robin looked at Bai Youwei thoughtfully.


    ¡°Alright, we need to speed up now.¡± Yu Yaqing interrupted them, ¡°You guys continue to deal with the doll, I¡¯ll go with Weiwei to confirm the rest of the routes.¡±


    ¡°Okay~ Let¡¯s get to work! Let¡¯s get to work!¡± Tan Xiao rallied, spontaneously treating Robin and Shen Fei as his sidekicks, and dragged them to work.


    ¡­<div>


    Time flies.


    When the hour hand pointed at four o¡¯clock, everyone gathered again under the carousel.


    The ce lookedpletely different now.


    ¡ª Fires were built around the carousel,rge brick tiles were pried open, they got candles from somewhere and melted them in the grooves without the tiles, turning into streams of hot wax surrounding the area.


    On the outskirts, there were high-hanging hemp rope fishings, rows of wooden masts, and disassembled plush toys piled up like small hills.


    These were all extremely mmable materials.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Bai Youwei looked at the setup and couldn¡¯t help but remark, ¡°Yan Qingwen, don¡¯t burn us along with it.¡±


    Yan Qingwenughed, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the burning range is controble, but the wax oil is indeed very dangerous, you guys find a ce to hide in advanceter.¡±


    The burning wax oil, once sshed on the body, would cause serious burns and are difficult to clean in a short period of time.


    Bai Youwei let out a deep sigh, ¡°I¡¯m missing Su Man a bit.¡±


    Yu Yaqing smiled when he heard it, ¡°Yeah, I miss her a bit too.¡±


    Su Man was good at using a whip. If she were here, she could easily pull Mary down from the cat. They wouldn¡¯t have had to set such an borate trap.


    Yan Qingwenughed, ¡°Although it took us a lot of effort, I still hope that the trap won¡¯te in handy in the end. It would be best if we could finish it off in one shot.¡±


    Bai Youwei blinked curiously, ¡°What are you guys nning to do?¡±


    Lun Ang growled from the side, ¡°Go up and chop her up in one shot!¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do it.¡± Yan Qingwen said, ¡°I¡¯m the most familiar with the trap. If anything unexpected happens, I can withdraw more easily than you guys. Shen Mo and Lun Ang, you guys focus on controlling the direction of the fire, the rest of you find a ce to hide.¡±


    ¡°Let Weiwei stay.¡± Shen Mo looked at Bai Youwei, ¡°She can be helpful at the crucial time.¡±


    Shen Mo would not blindly protect Bai Youwei.


    He believed she was qualified to stay.<div>


    Shen Fei hesitated, ¡°Brother, what about me¡­¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°You find a ce to hide.¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°If the fire bes uncontroble, leave ording to the withdrawal route.¡±


    Shen Fei: ¡°¡­¡±


    Why is the treatment so different?<div>


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay too.¡± Robin stepped forward, his tone firm, ¡°You don¡¯t need to agree, my brother died in this game, the cat, that Mary, I won¡¯t let them off!¡±


    Yan Qingwen looked at Shen Mo and Bai Youwei.


    The expressions on their faces were nd.


    Yan Qingwen thought for a moment, and looked at everyone, ¡°Then it¡¯ll be me, Shen Mo, Bai Youwei, Lun Ang, and Robin, the five of us will stay, the rest of you find a ce to hide, if anything happens, withdraw ording to the nned route immediately.¡±

 Chapter 434: 434: You Bad Guys

    Chapter 434: You Bad Guys


    Everything was ready.


    Next, during Mary and the cat¡¯s slumber, they were going to take Mary down!


    Climbing the carousel wasn¡¯t difficult for Yan Qingwen.


    The challenging part was climbing without making a sound or disturbing Mary and the cat.


    All the yers who tried tounch a surprise attack on Mary and the cat during the day had failed for unknown reasons, so Yan Qingwen did not hold out much hope for this operation.


    He was a very rational person who epted failures. Now he was cing his hopes more on the sessful activation of the trap after possible failure, as long as Mary and the plush cat could be separatedpletely, then their efforts would not have been in vain.


    He grabbed the protruding carvings on the edge of the canopy, looked left and right before flipping himself up¡ª


    Shen Mo and Lun Ang were in their spots, ready to knock down the high fire basins and set all the wax oil on fire as soon as the cat jumped down!


    Meanwhile, Bai Youwei was sitting quietly by Shen Mo¡¯s side, ready to create a retreat opportunity with lightning if the cat retaliated fiercely.


    Seeing them, Yan Qingwen suddenly felt calm.


    Both attack and defense were calcted. All he had to do was follow the nned steps one by one.<div>


    Even if they failed, it didn¡¯t matter.


    Shen Mo and Lun Ang were here.


    Even if they failed, it didn¡¯t matter either.


    Bai Youwei was here too.


    Only when you fight together can you understand the power of trust and tacit understanding between teammates.


    He inhaled deeply, exerted force on his arm, jumped high, andnded smoothly on the top of the carousel! Then he quickly turned around!


    Mary and the cat were sleeping.


    The one-eyed cat, its ginormous figure curling Mary in the middle. Mary¡¯s eyes were closed, her body covered in dust, her hair scorched. Where Shen Mo had cut off her arm, she didn¡¯t bleed, revealing a material simr to that of a porcin doll, embedded with a skeleton like steel bars.


    Neither the man nor the cat on the carousel was disturbed.


    Yan Qingwen pulled out the ax strapped to his calf, eyes fixed on Mary.


    Once Mary¡¯s head was chopped off, it would all be over.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    It didn¡¯t seem difficult. The little girl in front of him showed no signs of waking up, the plush cat was also quiet, nothing seemed to be awry.


    So, how did the previous yers die?


    Yan Qingwen moved closer step by step, his emotions in turmoil. Even when there was only one step between him and Mary, he felt an unnoticed danger lurking about.


    He didn¡¯t believe the game would end so easily.


    But where was the danger?


    The ax remained unmoved in his hand.


    He was thinking.


    Unintentionally, he saw the doll hidden behind Mary, half of its face peeking out, its ck eyes staring straight at him!<div>


    Instantly, chills rushed up Yan Qingwen¡¯s spine!


    A cold shiver infiltrated his bones!


    Mary was asleep, but her dolls weren¡¯t!


    The eyes of the other dolls were covered, but Mary¡¯s doll saw him!!!<div>


    Yan Qingwen knew it was bad. Without hesitation, he raised his ax and swung at Mary!


    Clink!¡ª


    The sound of metal shing!


    A triangr sharp spike shot out from Mary¡¯s severed arm! It forcefully blocked Yan Qingwen¡¯s attack!


    The steel spike came fiercely and abruptly. Yan Qingwen¡¯s hand, gripping the ax, was numbed from the impact.


    ¡°You bad guys¡­¡± Mary sat up, ring sinisterly at Yan Qingwen, ¡°I¡¯m going to squeeze out all the jelly and cotton from your bellies!¡±


    Without hesitation, Yan Qingwen gave up the attack and turned to flee! He jumped off the carousel!


    Mary immediately chased after him!

 Chapter 435: 435: Want to Play Dirty Tricks

    Chapter 435: Want to y Dirty Tricks


    Shended heavily, riding on the gigantic stuffed cat. The triangr cone was like a reaper¡¯s scythe, shattering and slicing through everything in its path!


    Yan Qingwen sprinted into a predetermined path and yelled loudly, ¡°Left!!!¡±


    Lun Ang on the left summoned all his strength and tipped over the fire basin along with its stand!


    Mary and the cat immediately dodged out of the way.


    Yan Qingwen again shouted, ¡°Right!¡±


    The fire basin on the other side also fell!


    Mary quickly dodged on the cat, but bumped into the bonfire. The stacked firewood copsed as if carefully calcted, creating a slippery mess of wet wax all over the cat¡¯s paws! The mes quickly engulfed the cat, the fire growing more intense as it rolled!


    However, against everyone¡¯s expectations¡ª


    Although the cat was almost entirely aze, Mary refused to get off it!


    ording to the original n, they would strike down Mary and the cat the moment they separated. But now, the raging fire impeded them, making it impossible to get near!


    Mary¡¯s red shoes were burnt to a crisp, disintegrating into fragments that fluttered down. Her beautiful puffy dress too caught fire!<div>


    And her most beloved rag doll, one of its braids was engulfed by the mes!


    ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!¡± she screamed as she tore off the rag doll and hurled it away! Her entire person screamed furiously in the air, not from pain but from anger!


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you all! I¡¯ll kill all of you!!!!¡±


    Yan Qingwen, who had originally retreated to a safe area, saw that the situation was amiss and immediately warned Shen Mo and Lun Ang in a loud voice, ¡°She¡¯s going to spread the fire! Move quickly!!!!¡±


    Mary followed the sound of Yan Qingwen¡¯s voice, her face turned ck and twisted in the mes. Theyers of ck sticky substance were melting, making her look horrifying at the moment!


    She rode out of the fire circle on the burning cat!


    Wherever she went the mes roared! The fire zed uncontrobly!


    Bai Youwei anxiously said from not far away, ¡°The fire is too big, I can¡¯t use the rabbit!¡±


    If the fluffy rabbit came in contact with the mmable wax oil, it would be reduced to ashes!


    Shen Mo pushed his wheelchair and retreated, stopping at a junction and instructed her, ¡°You go first, I¡¯ll go help Yan Qingwen!¡±


    ¡°Brother!¡± Shen Fei ran over from a distance.


    Shen Mo frowned, ¡°Why are you here? Didn¡¯t I tell you guys to find a ce to hide first?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here to help you!¡± Shen Fei looked anxious, ¡°Plus, seeing the fire on your side so huge, how could I just stand by?¡±


    Shen Mo had no time to scold him now, he quickly handed the handle of the wheelchair to Shen Fei and barked out a coldmand, ¡°You and Weiwei get out of here first! I¡¯ll retreat with Yan Qingwen from another route and meet you at the Clock Tower after it ends!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, he picked up his weapon and ran towards Yan Qingwen¡¯s direction, getting closer and closer to Mary and the cat.


    Bai Youwei bit her lip and held the rabbit tightly in her hand, her eyes fixed on the man who was leaving.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go quickly!¡± Shen Fei pushed the wheelchair and ran onto another road.


    ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Bai Youwei turned her head and saw Shen Mo¡¯s figure gradually obscured by the thick smoke. Unable to bear it any longer, she fiercely threw the rabbit out!


    ¡°Go help him!¡± she shouted.<div>


    The rabbit was important, but Shen Mo was more important!


    Shen Fei had a change of heart towards her due to her actions, but now wasn¡¯t the time to think about those trivial matters. He pushed the wheelchair and ran like the wind. However, he caught sight of Jiang Hao popping up from somewhere and rushing towards him!


    ¡°Why did youe over too?!¡± As Shen Fei was running, he shouted, ¡°Did something go wrong with your evacuation route?!¡±


    Jiang Hao didn¡¯t answer but just smiled at him, his grin eerie.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om<div>


    He was moving fast, running parallel to them with only a flower bed in between.


    Bai Youwei, sitting in the wheelchair being jolted about, annoyingly scolded Shen Fei, ¡°Are you a pig-brain? Your judgement of direction is all wrong, he¡¯s clearly been trailing us! He¡¯s trying to pull a fast one!¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Shen Fei was taken aback, he was incredulous, he looked at Jiang Hao again.

 Chapter 436: 436: Sprinting All the Way

    Chapter 436: Sprinting All the Way


    ¡°Pick me up quickly! Forget about the wheelchair!¡± Bai Youwei shouted.


    Jiang Hao heard her words, his smirk getting colder. No longer pretending a chase, he suddenly drew closer to them at the end of the flower beds, extending his hands d in white gloves!


    Even without knowing what the white gloves did, just him stretching them out like that was scary enough!


    In his rush to evade, Shen Fei gripped the armrests, sharply veering the wheelchair and causing it to topple sideways. Bai Youwei was thrown out due to the inertia, the pain making her grit her teeth.


    ¡°Bastard¡­¡± She propped herself up on her elbows, furious. ¡°Shen Fei! That¡¯s the second time you¡¯ve thrown me! Remember this!¡±


    ¡°Run!!!¡± Shen Fei yelled, not bothering to say anything more, he picked her up and dashed forward!


    Jiang Hao, however, stooped down to pick up the canvas bag that had fallen on the ground, dismissing the chase for now.


    But when he unzipped the bag and saw the full assortment of snacks inside, the expression on his face contorted instantly! He tossed the bag away in frustration and gave chase to Shen Fei and Bai Youwei once again!


    ¡°Run faster! He¡¯s catching up!¡± Bai Youwei hurried him.


    Shen Fei was drenched in sweat, panting heavily, ¡°I¡¯m already running at my fastest!!!¡±


    Bai Youwei grumbled, ¡°Then stop running! Stand your ground and fight him off!¡±<div>


    Shen Fei felt uncertain, ¡°I don¡¯t even know what his gloves do¡­¡±


    Just then, another person darted out onto the road ahead!


    ¡°Whoa! What¡¯s going on?!¡± Tan Xiao watched them, dumbfounded, ¡°Why¡¯s there a huge fire? Why is Jiang Hao chasing you?¡±


    Bai Youwei immediately responded, ¡°Tan Xiao! You and Shen Fei, both of you need to take down Jiang Hao!¡­ Why are you running?!¡±


    Before she could finish speaking, she saw Tan Xiao turn and flee!


    Tan Xiao was shouting while running ahead, ¡°The cat ising! ¡ª¡ª The cat ising! ¡ª¡ª¡±


    Tan Xiao was in the lead, followed by Shen Fei carrying Bai Youwei, with Jiang Hao stubbornly giving chase. Further away, Mary and a cat, racing towards them with mes in tow!


    The cat moved at an astonishing speed!


    Once the cloth and cotton was burnt off, a seemingly indestructible steel frame was revealed. The thumping noise it made when running on the ground was daunting! It barely looked like a cat anymore!


    This was more like a steel monster!


    ¡°Don¡¯t run aimlessly! Follow the path I showed you!¡± Bai Youwei shouted at the people in front.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Seemingly remembering this information just now, Tan Xiao hastily veered and ran into the back of the Magic Flying Fish facility.


    It was now that Bai Youwei¡¯s nned evacuation route truly came into y.


    They sprinted into a narrow alley between two buildings. The ragdoll cat couldn¡¯t get in, and as Bai Youwei had anticipated, it jumped on the rooftop, only to realize that the area below was filled with umbres making it impossible to discern where Tan Xiao and Bai Youwei had gone.


    Enraged, Mary jumped down from the cat, sweeping away the sea of umbres, not realizing that Bai Youwei and the others had not crossed the alley. They had used the umbres as a distraction only to run in another direction after leaving the alley.


    ¡°For God¡¯s sake! What¡¯s happening?¡± The breathless Tan Xiao asked while running, ¡°How did that cat turn into such a monstrous thing? Where¡¯s Brother Mo? Howe it¡¯s just you guys? Shen Fei, what¡¯s the deal with you and Jiang Hao? And isn¡¯t your evacuation route supposed to be in the other direction?!¡±


    Tan Xiao asked a series of questions, but no one answered him.


    Slowing down, he leaned against a wall, panting, ¡°I¡¯m too tired, I can¡¯t run anymore¡­¡±


    Shen Fei was also slowing down, his energy significantly depleted from all the running.<div>


    Bai Youwei saw Jiang Hao catching up from behind, a pair of axes in hand seeming even scarier with his cold re.


    A sense of dread overcame her, the next second, she saw Jiang Hao throw an axe in their direction!


    ¡°Get down!¡± Bai Youwei shouted urgently.


    ¡°What?¡± Shen Fei hadn¡¯t processed what was happening, he turned around to get a look at the situation whereupon the axe mmed into his back with a thud!<div>

 Chapter 437: 437: Please Answer the Question

    Chapter 437: Please Answer the Question


    By sheer luck, it wasn¡¯t the de edge that hit them.


    Even so, Shen Fei was knocked off bnce, and he toppled over with Bai Youwei!


    ¡°What the hell is happening?!¡± Tan Xiao screamed in rage, ¡°Has he gone mad, throwing an axe at us?! Weiwei, electrocute him!¡±


    Hearing this, Jiang Hao smirked coldly, lifted another axe and said, ¡°Her rabbit has been taken by Shen Mo!¡±


    ¡°Damn it! So arrogant?!¡± Tan Xiao stopped running and raised his sword to meet his enemy, ¡°Let Master Xiao teach you a lesson!¡±


    The two began to fight.


    Tan Xiao was unpredictable, leaving Jiang Hao unable to keep up for a while!


    Injured at the back, Shen Fei gritted his teeth, stood up, picked up Bai Youwei again, and forced himself to keep running.


    Seeing their escape attempt, Jiang Hao¡¯s eyes shed with malicious intent, and he suddenly made a move! A metal pipe shot out from his gloved hand with a whoosh!


    The metal pipe was incredibly long!


    It aimed at Shen Fei with a lightning speed, piercing through his shoulder de and out the front of his chest! It grazed Bai Youwei¡¯s face, and to their horror, prated Shen Fei!<div>


    ¡°Ahh!!!¡± Shen Fei screamed in pain.


    Bai Youwei fell onto the ground from his arms.


    ¡°Holy shit!¡± Tan Xiao was scared out of his wits, staring at Jiang Hao, ¡°What the hell kind of monster is this?!!¡±


    From behind, the faint glow of fire hinted that the target-less puppet cat was heading their way.


    Time was of the essence. Now was not the time for a drawn-out battle.


    Bai Youwei struggled to sit up and yelled to Tan Xiao, ¡°Tan Xiao! Come and help!¡±


    She couldn¡¯t remove Shen Fei from the pipe by herself.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Trying to escape?¡± Jiang Hao sneered as he approached, ¡°Without the rabbit, let¡¯s see what you can do. Hand over the puzzle and props!¡±


    Shen Fei was kneeling on the ground, his face deathly pale, on the verge of copse.


    Tan Xiao held the steel pipe to prevent the wound from ripping even more.


    Bai Youwei, disheveled and leaning on the ground, with her long white dress dirty with dust, looked like a trapped white bird in Jiang Hao¡¯s eyes. She seemed desperate and hopeless, unable to fight back.


    The sight of her distressed expression only heightened his appetite.


    He took one step at a time, his palm gradually retracting the steel pipe, and asked with a hint of satisfaction, ¡°Where did you hide the puzzle and props? ¡­Are you scared? ¡­Want to escape? Then bring out the puzzle, as long as you have the puzzle, you can leave the game, right?¡±


    Tan Xiao swore at him loudly, ¡°You motherfucker! You think we¡¯re idiots?!! If you knew where the puzzle and props were, you¡¯d kill us before we even get them out!¡±


    ¡°Tan Xiao, stop arguing with him!¡± Bai Youwei propped herself up, fuming, ¡°If he wants the puzzle and props, just give them to him!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Tan Xiao was taken aback.


    Jiang Hao looked at Tan Xiao, narrowing his eyes, ¡°Are the puzzle and props hidden on you?¡±


    Without thinking, Tan Xiao blurted out, ¡°Yes! They¡¯re in Master Xiao¡¯s pocket! What about it? If you have the guts,e and get them! I¡¯ll beat you to death, you damn mncholic fart!¡±


    His stream of foul words made Jiang Hao¡¯s face twitch. Just as he was about to approach, Bai Youwei took advantage of his distraction and suddenly pulled out a card!<div>


    She shouted, ¡°Quiz time!¡±


    Jiang Hao was taken aback and hurriedly retreated!


    At the same time, the gloved hand clenched into a fist, and the steel pipe snapped off, tilting backward because of gravity.


    Caught off guard, Shen Fei and Tan Xiao couldn¡¯t steady themselves. They staggered and almost fell over. Tan Xiao knelt on one knee and held up the broken pipe again.<div>


    The wound on Shen Fei¡¯s shoulder was torn even more, creating a gaping hole!


    And now, a card appeared in front of Jiang Hao!


    The card hovered right in front of his eyes.


    His body stiffened, unable to move, not even his eyes! He could only stare at the card in front of him!


    Bai Youwei coldly dered, ¡°Please answer! ¡ª¡ª


    What is 735670783 multiplied by 30791325 plus 530351216 equal to?!¡±


    ¡¤


    (Friendly reminder: The numbers here are the group numbers for the Doll Game special group, the adult fan group of Huahua, and the underage fan group of Huahua)

 Chapter 438: 438: How Annoying

    Chapter 438: How Annoying


    [Lucky Question Card: Allows the holder to ask any yer a question. The yer must answer correctly, otherwise they will be penalised and unable to move freely for 60 seconds. If they answer incorrectly a second time, the penalty increases to 120 seconds, and to 180 seconds for a third incorrect answer. After this, the constraint will automatically be removed.]


    As Bai Youwei finished speaking, words appeared on the nk card:


    735670783 x 30791325 + 530351216 =?


    ¡ª¡ªPlease answer the question.


    Jiang Hao gritted his teeth, how could he possibly answer this?!


    He struggled desperately, even attempting to move his toes with all his might, but he still can¡¯t budge a bit!


    Apart from breathing, blinking, and speaking, he couldn¡¯t move any other part of his body! It¡¯s as if his eyeballs were locked in ce! He could only stare at the quiz card!


    He felt helpless and had no choice but to guess blindly!


    Jiang Hao: ¡°265¡­7890¡­7¡­¡±


    A sudden notification appeared in his mind:


    [Beep! Wrong answer, you can re-answer after being penalized for 60 seconds.]<div>


    Jiang Hao almost vomited blood out of frustration!


    Meanwhile, Bai Youwei and Tan Xiao worked together to remove the steel pipe from Shen Fei¡¯s shoulder.


    With a ng, the metal pipe was finally pulled out, and a lot of red jelly-like blood gushed out instantly from Shen Fei¡¯s wound!


    ¡°This is bad, Weiwei, he¡¯s going to die!¡± Tan Xiao yelled in panic, ¡°Mogu¡¯s brother is dying! What should we do?!!¡±


    ¡°Stop yelling!¡± Bai Youwei said irritably, ¡°Get the mud out!¡±


    Tan Xiao was taken aback, then remembered the mud he¡¯d been carrying, and quickly pulled it out of his jeans pocket to press it onto Shen Fei¡¯s wound!


    Bai Youwei was infuriated: ¡°You really kept the prop in your ass-pocket?!¡±


    Tan Xiao responded: ¡°I don¡¯t have pockets on my clothes!¡±


    Bai Youwei red at him furiously.


    Tan Xiao looked innocent and a bit wronged.


    If he didn¡¯t put it in his back pocket then where should he put it?


    Should he carry a canvas bag like Weiwei? As a man, wouldn¡¯t carrying a bag make him look less manly?


    The wound on Shen Fei¡¯s body began to heal visibly under the mud, but the damaged bones and internal organs inside had to rely on his self-healing abilities.


    Jiang Hao stood rigidly a few steps away from them, still immobile and staring at the quiz card, his face devoid of any additional expressions.


    Tan Xiao nced at him and turned to Bai Youwei, ¡°Should we take this chance to get rid of him?¡±


    Get rid of him?


    Of course!


    Bai Youwei was about to nod when several clusters of fire suddenly fell from overhead.


    They looked up to find the fire had unknowingly spread, igniting the decorative gs on the house, with other decorations on the verge of falling at any moment.<div>


    ¡°Forget it.¡± Bai Youwei scowled irritably, ¡°Let¡¯s go, don¡¯t bother with him! He¡¯s not going to survive anyway!¡±


    Shen Fei, clutching his shoulder, slowly got to his feet, his face pale as he said, ¡°The cat is still nearby, we need to find a safe ce as soon as possible.¡±


    They didn¡¯t hesitate any further.


    Tan Xiao carried Bai Youwei on his back, with Shen Fei following behind, and they all left together.<div>


    Although Jiang Hao¡¯s eyes were glued to the quiz card, he overheard their entire conversation clearly. His heart pounded fiercely as his body filled with anger and resentment!


    A cluster of mesnded on his back, and the high temperature quickly burned through his clothes, causing agonizing pain on his back¡¯s skin! Yet, he couldn¡¯t move!


    Damn it!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Was he forced to use the puzzle piece to leave the game?


    ¡­No, he can¡¯t waste a puzzle piece again!


    He had to collect more puzzle pieces and props, otherwise, this journey would be in vain!


    The mes continued to burn on his back, sweat the size of soybeans trickled down from his cheeks, he could already smell the scent of his flesh being charred.


    The physical pain, the mental torture¡­ after enduring for a full 6 minutes, he finally regained his freedom! He quickly rolled over on the ground, sped his hands together and swiftly opened them. A bottle of water appeared in his palms¨D

 Chapter 439: 439: Rubber Band

    Chapter 439: Rubber Band


    [Magic Gloves: Can store items whose weight equals the wearer¡¯s own body weight, unlimited item quantity.


    Attention, when the weight of the items exceeds the wearer¡¯s weight, the hands will break due to overload;


    Attention, the cross-section area of the stored items should not exceed the area of the palm;


    Attention, once used, the gloves cannot be removed. ]


    The equipment provided in the toy game, any useful ones, alwayse with various limitations.


    A pair of gloves with storage capabilities are no exception. They¡¯re so tantly white, so starkly white, as if they want the whole world to know, this is an extraordinary item.


    Jiang Hao swiftly poured water on the part of his body that was on fire, then gritted his teeth and gave a few strong pats, finally managing to put out the mes.


    Dragging his injured body, he gritted his teeth with anger, wishing he could shatter Bai Youwei and Tan Xiao into pieces!


    Now, where have Bai Youwei and Tan Xiao gone?


    ¡­Haha, of course, he knew where they went.


    Either this evacuation route or that one, there was no need to think too hard. Besides, Bai Youwei was limping and Shen Fei was injured, they couldn¡¯t have gone far!<div>


    A figure suddenly appeared in his line of sight.


    It was Robin.


    Jiang Hao paused for a moment, then a thought came to his mind.


    This kid might also have some helpful items. Although they may not match those of Bai Youwei, a mosquito leg is still meat. Today hasn¡¯t been sessful so far, better to earn a little where possible.


    Jiang Hao feigned concern and greeted: ¡°How did you get here? Was there an ident on the evacuation route over there?¡±


    Robin was looking for cover, but when he saw Jiang Hao, he was taken aback, then briefly replied: ¡°Mary and the cat have drawn the fire over there, I just managed to shake them off.¡±


    Jiang Hao silently joined his palms together, saying: ¡°The fire here is getting bigger and bigger. I know a ce where we could hide. You want toe with me?¡±


    Half-believing, half-doubting, Robin walked towards him: ¡°Which ce?¡±


    Jiang Hao: ¡°Over there in Adventure Ind¡­¡±


    Boom! ¡ª¡ª


    A giant metal cat suddenly rushed in! Roof tiles fell noisily!


    The colossal cat head was lowered, the formerly pretty girl on top was now only a metal frame, with the rubber that hadn¡¯t burntpletely clinging onto her joints, charred and sticky; and only a pair of eyes ¡ª¡ª


    A pair of ss eyes glowing green were fixed on Jiang Hao and Robin!


    ¡°Ah,~ Look at what we found! Two cute¡­little mice¡­¡±


    Mary sneered. As her mouth opened and closed, her burnt skin ked off.


    Jiang Hao and Robin turned and ran!


    ¡°Meow!~~~¡±


    A thrilling cat¡¯s shriek echoed around them.


    They both darted into an adjacent exhibition hall, the overhead noises of booming and booming! Mary and the cat followed closely!<div>


    The cat¡¯s ws were stomping heavily on the roof, almost crushing them through the ceiling!


    Jiang Hao suddenly stopped, looking out the window, he saw the Ferris wheel not far away.


    He nced at Robin running ahead and, without hesitation, jumped through the side window of the exhibition hall and ran straight towards the Ferris wheel!


    He originally intended to let that physically robust but simple-minded jock draw Mary and the cat¡¯s attention. However, Robin, to his surprise, followed him in no time!<div>


    ¡°Jiang Hao! You fucking trying to screw me?!¡±


    Robin shouted out while running, obviously faster than the severely burnt Jiang Hao.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    However, his shout also drew Mary and the cat¡¯s attention!


    Mary shifted the direction of the cat and started chasing them!


    ¡°Idiot!¡± Jiang Hao couldn¡¯t help cursing, bing even more contemptuous of Robin.


    He quickened his steps, and after a few vigorous strides, he leapt high. At the same time, he flung out a piece of stic band from his hand!


    The stic band, initially only half a metre in length, quickly elongated in the air! It wrapped around the cabin of the Ferris wheel nearly a hundred meters away, as if it had infinite tensility!

 Chapter 440: 440: Seven More Remaining

    Chapter 440: Seven More Remaining


    Whoosh!


    Propelled by the tension of the rubber band, Jiang Hao¡¯s body soared into the air, reaching a height of a hundred meters in the blink of an eye!


    He tightly clung to the outside window of the cabin, as the rubber band shrank back to its original length.


    Below, a frustrated cat mmed against the base of the Ferris wheel. Steel shed against steel, creating a cacophony of sound, causing the cabin to shake incessantly.


    Amid the shaking, Jiang Hao somersaulted into the cabin.


    Before even settling down, he took a nce downwards¡ª


    Just as he predicted, the Ferris wheel was stationary during the daytime. The cat, no matter how fearsome, wouldn¡¯t be able to jump this high. It could do nothing but repeatedly m futilely against the base of the wheel.


    The structures here were incredibly durable. Although the tiles, doors, windows, and various ornaments had been thoroughly ravaged by Mary and the cat, the integrity of the buildings remained unscathed, the Ferris wheel included.


    So, for the moment, it was rather safe for him to stay here.


    Jiang Hao sat down, exhaling in relief.


    Next, he only needed to find a hiding spot before nightfall, or he could stay put and hide in this exact cabin.<div>


    ¡­ No, wait a second.


    Did he really need to wait for the night?


    Given how Mary had suffered today, she would undoubtedly wreak havoc in the amusement park tonight! Why should he take risks alongside the others?


    However¡­


    How could he bear to just walk away like this?


    His initial intention in entering the game was to get Bai Youwei¡¯s puzzle pieces and tools. However, against his expectations, he had not only failed to get any puzzle pieces but had also wasted a tool.


    Exiting the game now would mean having to use up one puzzle piece!


    Just thinking about it made Jiang Hao wince!


    The loss was too great to bear!


    He couldn¡¯t just let it go. With the injuries he sustained, he had to settle the score with Bai Youwei!


    Where was Bai Youwei now?


    Whilst thinking about this, Jiang Hao stood up once more, peering out the window.


    From his elevated perch, his vision was unobstructed. He saw Mary and the cat have left the base of the Ferris wheel, seemingly led away by someone. In the direction of ¡­ the pirate ship?


    The people on the ship were howling and shouting. Could tan Xiao be among them?


    Was Bai Youwei also on board?n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Just as Jiang Hao squinted, trying to get a better look, there was a sudden thump from the top of the cabin. Following that, a hand grabbed hold of the window!


    It was Robin!


    Incredibly, Robin had climbed up!


    This height! Was he insane?!<div>


    Even if he was seeking a hiding spot, climbing this high wasn¡¯t necessary!


    Astonished, Jiang Hao stared wide-eyed as Robin hauled the upper half of his body into the cabin¡ª


    Robin¡¯s arm muscles were tensed to the limit, his eyes dark and brooding, he demanded, ¡°Why did you have that tool?¡±


    ¡°What tool?¡± Jiang Hao forced a smile, his hands behind his back, sped together, ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about¡­¡±<div>


    ¡°The rubber band just now!¡± Robin roared in anger, ¡°It can bind anything! An infinitely stretching rubber band! That was clearly Aqiang¡¯s tool, why did you have it?!!¡±


    ¡°Because¡­¡± Jiang Hao took a step back, ¡°That¡¯s because¡­¡±


    Robin advanced on him, ¡°Because what?!¡±


    ¡°Because¡­¡±


    Jiang Hao suddenly smiled, extending his hand towards Robin, ¡°Because of this¡ª¡±


    A section of iron pipe abruptly lunged forward!


    Piercing through Robin¡¯s waist, propelling him out of the cabin and sending him plummeting down!


    Jiang Hao¡¯s lips curled into a cold, mocking smile, leisurely withdrawing the iron pipe.


    Walking over to the now vacant cabin entrance, he responded mockingly, ¡°Of course it¡¯s because¡­someone killed him, you idiot.¡±


    Just then!


    A hand suddenly grabbed his ankle!


    Jiang Hao¡¯s face instantly drained of all color!


    On reflex, he jerked his leg back to evade, but his opponent¡¯s strength exceeded his, wrenching him violently. He was dragged outside the cabin! His only saving grace, the tight grip he maintained on the edge of the cabin doorway!<div>


    ¡°Let go! Let go!!!¡± Jiang Hao cried out in terror!


    Robin¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, fiercely grabbing his ankle!


    Jiang Hao attempted to reach for a weapon or puzzle piece from his glove! But the glove required both hands to activate!


    His grip began to slip, and with a desperate cry, Robin yanked him down!


    Two figures plunged from the Ferris wheel¡ª

 Chapter 441: 441: Close your eyes and mend your spirit

    Chapter 441: Close your eyes and mend your spirit


    ¡°Weiwei, did you hear anything?¡±


    Tan Xiao couldn¡¯t help but look into the distance.


    ¡°Seems like someone shouted.¡±


    They were now on a pirate ship in Adventure Ind, near theke, so the terrain was lower and all they could see were lush green nts and roller coasters rising and falling in the distance.


    ¡°Hurry up and get in, stop worrying about that!¡± Bai Youwei urged anxiously, ¡°You just knocked over that huge pirate g, for all we know, Mary might be riding her cat towards us!¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Tan Xiao immediately deflected me: ¡°It was Yan Qingwen and Lun Ang who messed up everything on the ship, so when I lightly touched it, the g fell!¡±


    Bai Youwei retorted, ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have just not touched it?¡±


    Tan Xiao responded, ¡°I thought it was about to fall, so I touched it to see if it would, who would¡¯ve thought it really would fall!¡±


    Bai Youwei closed her eyes, ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear another word from you in the next ten minutes!¡±


    Tan Xiao: ¡°¡­¡±


    Bai Youwei held onto the stairs and went down to the lower deck.<div>


    Tan Xiao scratched his head and followed her, saying, ¡°Weiwei, it seems that you can walk without the crutches, just a bit slowly¡­¡±


    Bai Youwei turned around and said in a cold voice, ¡°Ten minutes!¡±


    Tan Xiao quietly touched his own nose.


    ¡­


    Bai Youwei arrived on the lower deck.


    This ce depicted some aspects of pirate life, like treasure maps nailed onto wooden boards, sailors¡¯ diaries ced in cabins, rooms filled with gold, silver and jewels, which were suitable for tourists to take pictures.


    However, for Bai Youwei, the best part was that the entrance was quite narrow, preventing the cat from entering.


    Shen Fei was sitting in the passageway, his face pale and breathing slowly.


    Hearing Bai Youwei and Tan Xiao, he looked at them and weakly asked, ¡°Is it safe here?¡±


    ¡°I think so.¡± Bai Youwei, supporting herself down the stairs, didn¡¯t have much energy either. Her legs hurt, her head hurt, she was in pain all over.


    ¡°ording to what the Inspector said earlier, all the facilities in this amusement park are very sturdy and there¡¯s no danger of copse. The cat can¡¯t get in for now, so we should be safe.¡±


    ¡ªIf the structures were not sturdy enough, Mary just needed to have the cat destroy every building, leaving the yers with nowhere to hide, and she could win the game. It was a huge injustice.


    After listening, Shen Fei slowly nodded and then closed his eyes.


    Bai Youwei didn¡¯t want to see him close his eyes. Although she knew he was tired and injured, she thought it was like he was dying when he closed his eyes.


    She didn¡¯t want Shen Mo¡¯s brother to die.


    At least not in front of her.


    ¡°Have you been in a maze?¡± Bai Youwei asked him.


    Shen Fei slightly lifted his eyelids to look at her, ¡°I have¡­ ¡±


    ¡°How many times?¡± she asked again.<div>


    Shen Fei thought for a moment, ¡°Once¡­ in Shanghai, when I was trapped in the maze, I thought I wouldn¡¯t survive¡­ Later, Professor Song and a special forces team cracked the maze, taking others and leaving together, there were over a hundred people¡­ These people became the core members of the organization.¡±


    Bai Youwei gave a small smile, ¡°Shanghai¡¯s maze was indeed a blessing to mankind.¡±


    It had enhanced the physical abilities of over a hundred people.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky, if you hadn¡¯t been through the maze, with this kind of injury, even with mud therapy, it would be hard to recover.¡± Bai Youwei reassured him casually, ¡°Have a good rest, you¡¯ll get better soon.¡±<div>


    Shen Fei looked at her, moved his lips as if wanting to say thank you.


    But Bai Youwei already closed her eyes, as if resting.


    He didn¡¯t know what to say, thinking he would disturb her. After staring at her for a moment, he also closed his eyes.


    A few secondster ¡ª


    The ship shook violently!


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡± Tan Xiao jumped up in surprise and ran out!

 Chapter 442: 442 Left Window

    Chapter 442: Left Window


    ¡°Come back!¡± Bai Youwei barked. ¡°Going out is suicide! Sit back down!¡±


    Again, an impact!


    A tter of bangs rang out!


    Wood splintered, a cat¡¯s screech was drawn out and the harrowing sound of scratching felt as if it were right above their heads!


    They could keenly perceive, the sharp, metallic, ttering sound of the cat¡¯s ws scraping against the ship¡¯s body!


    Its long ws were lodged in the entrance, shattering the deck! It crushed the stairs, itsrge head pressed against the narrow passage, attempting to squeeze in!


    ¡°Will ite in?!¡± Tan Xiao asked anxiously, a hint of panic in his voice.


    ¡°No.¡± Bai Youwei frowned, her voice steady, ¡°If the information provided by the game files is correct, once the cat is woken up during the day, as long as it can¡¯t see any yers within its field of view, its rage meter will quickly deplete, and then it will go back to sleep on the carousel. It has already hovered outside for a while now, it should be leaving soon¡­¡±


    As she finished speaking, suddenly everything outside went quiet.


    Shen Fei questioned doubtfully, ¡°It left?¡±


    All was silent.<div>


    Quiet all around.


    Tan Xiao tiptoed towards the exit, intending to investigate the situation.


    Suddenly! The ship jolted even more violently!


    Tan Xiao fell t on his back!


    This collision was no longer from above, but from the side¡ª


    A series of thuds ensued!


    Each one louder than thest!


    Each collision increasingly brutal!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    With each impact, the ship¡¯s position shifted, tilting to the other side!


    ¡°What¡¯s it doing?!¡± Tan Xiao cried in astonishment.


    ¡°It knows it doesn¡¯t have much time left, and wants to knock us into theke before it falls asleep!¡± Bai Youwei gripped the doorframe tightly to stop herself from sliding down the tilting floor, ¡°Hold on tight! This is not a real ship, if it falls into the water, it will sink quickly! Be careful not to be hit by things on the ship!¡±


    Even before she finished speaking, with thest violent bump, the ship turned over by 90 degrees¡ª


    Everything inside the cabin¡ªtables, chairs, stools, wine casks props, all hurtled towards them!


    Bai Youwei was hit by some scattered decorations and slipped down, but was caught in mid-air by Shen Fei!


    The ship was still tilting, almost fully capsized at 180 degrees!


    Unable to brace herself in time, a heavy wooden table copsed onto Shen Fei¡¯s back!


    Both hit the ceiling hard!


    Bai Youwei felt like her back was about to break from the pain, made even worse by Shen Fei¡¯s body pressing on top of her.


    ¡°Shen Fei!¡± She pushed him hard, only to realize that he was unconscious. He had been hit on the head and had passed out.<div>


    Water was rapidly filling the cabin.


    ¡°Tan Xiao! Tan Xiao!¡± Bai Youwei shouted out Tan Xiao¡¯s name.


    After a few seconds, Tan Xiao came running over in a state of total chaos, startling at the sight of the unconscious Shen Fei, ¡°What happened to him?! Is he dead???¡±


    ¡°If we don¡¯t leave now, we¡¯re really going be dead!¡± Bai Youwei spoke quickly, ¡°You get to the exit quickly and then find something to break the third window on the left side of the pirate ship! Save me and Shen Fei!¡±<div>


    Tan Xiao responded, ¡°Aren¡¯t you twoing with me?!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re too slow, by the time we reach the exit, the ship will have sunk!¡± Bai Youwei urged him anxiously, ¡°Hurry up!!!¡±


    The water had already reached their ankles, Tan Xiao couldn¡¯t dy any longer, and ran towards the exit in a panic.


    The stairway was blocked by fallen objects, and moving these things out of the way consumed even more time.


    The water level rose rapidly, quickly reaching his calves. Theke water was turbid, and the lights around them flickered. In a state of panic, Tan Xiao finally found the exit, took a deep breath and plunged into the water¡ª


    Just as he was out of the hatch, he could already feel theke¡¯s sludge below. He hurriedly picked up the pace, kicking his legs! He swam far away instantly!


    Meanwhile, behind him, the pirate ship was heavily pressed down, with the deck and the hatch both deeply submerged in the mud.


    Tan Xiao turned around to look at the sunken ship underwater, thinking to himself, this is bad!


    Weiwei had mentioned the window on the left, but left¡­ which side was left again?

 Chapter 443: 443: Losing Consciousness

    Chapter 443: Losing Consciousness


    After the boat sank to the bottom, the rate at which the water level rose slowed, possibly due to the internal air pressure and the exit being blocked by mud at the bottom of theke.


    But the threat of death still loomed.


    Bai Youwei held up Shen Fei¡¯s head, pushing hard upward, attempting to keep him in a sitting position so his head would stay above water.


    She struggled with these efforts, cursing under her breath, growing increasingly agitated.


    If only she hadn¡¯t made those ims before entering the game.


    Something about rescuing someone if they fell into the water, what nonsense! Now, not only could she and Shen Fei not wait for Shen Mo to rescue them, but she also had to figure out a way to save Shen Fei herself!


    The water had already reached her neck, and there was no sound from the outside.


    She grew worried, would that idiot Tan Xiao not know his left from his right?


    She had rushed him earlier and hadn¡¯t had the chance to rify which ¡°left¡± she meant. It would have been better if she had defined directions using the cardinal points.


    ¡­Could Tan Xiao even distinguish north, south, east, and west?


    With these thoughts running through her mind, Bai Youwei¡¯s headache intensified.<div>


    As Shen Fei kept tilting his head downward in his unconscious state, water flooded his mouth and nose. Bai Youwei found it increasingly difficult to hold him up. She had no choice but to force herself to stand, with one hand holding onto a window frame and the other yanking his hair, pushing his head upwards.


    At this point, who cared about being too rough? She was struggling just to stand herself, now she was forced to support another person too. It was truly an unreasonable situation!


    Bai Youwei was filled with resentment.


    Bam!


    A muffled noise resounded through the cabin. Startled, she immediately turned to look¡ª


    It was pitch ck under the water, through the window she could only see the murky water filled with mud, with a few dark strands of algae floating by asionally.


    The banging noise continued, but Tan¡¯s Xiao figure was nowhere in sight.


    Without a doubt, he had hit the wrong window.


    A sense of despair rose within Bai Youwei!


    Which implied that she had to drag Shen Fei to the window by herself!


    Of course, she could wait for Tan Xiao to climb into the cabin, find them, then drag Shen Fei out. But once the window was broken, the cabin would fill with water immediately. If Shen Fei stayed underwater too long, he would drown!


    After all, not all yers were like them, having eaten the fish brought by the spring guest, able to stay unharmed underwater.


    She had to get Shen Fei out as quickly as possible!


    Her mind was filled with chaotic thoughts. Bai Youwei clenched her teeth, enduring her vtile temper and pulling Shen Fei¡¯s cor, she headed toward the opposite cabin.


    Moving underwater was no easy feat.


    But thankfully, buoyancy made it barely possible for her to drag an adult man.


    After finally reaching the aisle, she heard a loud bang! The window in the opposite cabin was broken!


    Water rushed in!


    Under the force of the rushing water, Bai Youwei quickly grasped the doorframe while Shen Fei was swept away!<div>


    Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but curse out loud: ¡°Damn it!!!¡±


    ¡­


    Shen Fei was swept to the end of the hallway by the current, mming into various debris, too disoriented to identify what they were.


    He vaguely knew he was underwater, it was cold and dark all around¡­<div>


    Someone grasped his hand.


    He exerted effort to open his eyes, intending to see who it was, but all he could see were the ck algae, forming tangled strands, rippling along¡­n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The touch was gentle yet icy-cold, vivid yet dreamlike.


    Incredible.


    But the suffocation intensified his dizziness¡­


    He reached out to part the ck algae and saw a pure white dress, as light as semi-translucent cicada wings, it seemed to glow under the rippling water, making his vision even more blurry.


    In the chaos, he was yanked up to the surface.


    The sunlight was blinding.


    His lungs burned.


    He could vaguely hear Shen Mo¡¯s voice, Yan Qingwen¡¯s voice, various voices¡­


    Then, he lost consciousness

 Chapter 444: 444: Another Pair of Eyes

    Chapter 444: Another Pair of Eyes


    A bustling stage¡ª


    The music surged, lights converged, and cartoon puppets performed on stage.


    Below the stage was an invisible area, typically used as a secret passageway for performers to make unexpected entrances or exits.


    This was a ce hidden from the audience¡¯s view, and even the performing puppets couldn¡¯t see.


    At this moment, it was filled with the survivors of the game so far ¡ª Shen Mo, Bai Youwei, Tan Xiao, Shen Fei, Yan Qingwen, Lun Ang, and Yu Yaqing.


    Their actions had not achieved the desired effect, and everyone was anxious.


    Yan Qingwen counted and said, ¡°There are seven left.¡±


    Pausing slightly, his gaze shifted from the unconscious Shen Fei and wounded Yu Yaqing, adding, ¡°Among the seven, two are injured.¡±


    Bai Youwei felt this man was obsessed with numbers. It was clear enough to the eye that the number of people had decreased, yet he insisted on emphasizing it.


    Yu Yaqing, pressing on his abdominal wound, said, ¡°My injury isn¡¯t severe. A few hours of rest, and I will recover quickly.¡±


    Lun Ang, annoyed, eximed, ¡°This game is somewhat twisted, isn¡¯t it? We burnt Mary and the cat into metallic skeletons, and yet they still aren¡¯t dead! Did we do all that for nothing?!¡±<div>


    ¡°It¡¯s notpletely useless,¡± Shen Mo said calmly, ¡°At least, we all know now that Mary and the cat aren¡¯t afraid of fire. Their weaknesses must lie elsewhere.¡±


    Yan Qingwen nodded lightly, ¡°Exactly, we¡¯ve tried knives, electricity, fire. Mary and the cat took the blows but ended up recoveringpletely. Now, facing these two metal skeletons, we need to consider other possibilities. What part did we overlook¡­¡±


    ¡°The knife doesn¡¯t work?¡± Tan Xiao, baffled, nced around, ¡°Brother Mo cut off Mary¡¯s arm with a sword, right? How can that be useless?¡±


    Yan Qingwen paused slightly, and asked Tan Xiao, ¡°How was Mary¡¯s arm when you saw her?¡±


    Tan Xiao shook his head, ¡°It turned into a triangr knife, but surely it doesn¡¯t transform wherever it¡¯s cut, unless it¡¯s a Transformer.¡±


    Yan Qingwen pondered, ¡°So, although we can¡¯t hurt the steel skeletons, we can dismantle them at the joints¡­ and after dismantling, Mary¡¯s form changes ordingly.¡±


    ¡°But does dismantling ount for ¡®killing¡¯ them?¡± Yu Yaqing frowned, ¡°The game¡¯s victory terms are to ¡®kill¡¯ Mary or the cat. Just severing an arm wouldn¡¯t suffice.¡±


    Lun Ang snorted heavily, ¡°I just don¡¯t believe it. Chop off its head and see if it can still live!¡±


    ¡°Old man, don¡¯t blow your own trumpet~¡± Tan Xiao made a cynical remark, ¡°We can¡¯t even get close to them for now, are we supposed to kill from afar?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that we can¡¯t get close¡­¡± Yan Qingwen contemted with a stern expression, and continued slowly, ¡°If we could get the doll off Mary¡­ perhaps we could seed.¡±


    He spoke, then looked at everyone, ¡°We¡¯ve all overlooked the ragdoll on Mary. The dolls in the amusement park all serve as Mary¡¯s eyes. When I climbed onto the carousel, the doll saw me, which is why the ambush failed. If we want to seed next time, we must figure out how to deal with the doll first.¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Yu Yaqing realized, ¡°You mean¡­ if we don¡¯t deal with Mary¡¯s doll, it¡¯s just like, they are sleeping with their eyes open?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Yan Qingwen confirmed, ¡°The game is divided into day and night, it must have a purpose. Just as you said earlier, if they are invincible at night, then they must have a weakness during the day.¡±


    Yu Yaqing frowned and thought for a while, looked hesitantly at Bai Youwei, ¡°Weiwei, what do you think?¡±

 Chapter 445: 445: Fallen a Few Times

    Chapter 445: Fallen a Few Times


    Bai Youwei sat next to Shen Mo,cking energy.


    After returning from theke, she had changed into dry clothes, but her hair was still soaked and hanging down her back. The smell ofke water made her feel ufortable.


    Fortunately, everyone present was familiar. Even though they saw her change clothes, they politely refrained from asking where the clothes came from.


    Shen Mo looked down and exined for her, ¡°She is a bit tired. Since entering the game, we have been continuously active for over 20 hours.¡±


    These 20 hours were not normal days of leisurely living, but twenty stressful and tense hours; being tired was only natural.


    Bai Youwei frowned slightly, speaking slowly, ¡°I think Yan Qingwen¡¯s idea is correct¡­ If it weren¡¯t for the rag doll, the daytime assault would have seeded. The issue is, the doll is carried around by Mary and it won¡¯t be easy to separate them¡­ I can¡¯t think of a good solution right now, the music outside is too loud¡­¡±


    Seeing her straining, Yan Qingwen looked at the others.


    Apart from the constant game face of Shen Mo and Tan Xiao¡¯s endless energy, the others showed signs of fatigue.


    Yan Qingwen said, ¡°Since we can¡¯t think of any solutions, let¡¯s discuss it in the daylight. This ce is well hidden; Mary and the cat won¡¯t find us. Everyone, rest. Tomorrow, we may have new ideas.¡±


    After that, everyone discussed a bit more and then looked for ces to rest.


    This ce had no beds, no pillows, you could only find a wall or a pole to lean on and shut your eyes for a bit.<div>


    Mary and the cat could appear at any time, so they couldn¡¯t fully let their guard down to fall asleep.


    Shen Mo held Bai Youwei in his arms, adjusting his position to make her sleeping morefortable.


    It was unclear when they started, but they had gotten used to this kind of intimacy. Natural and close, irrelevant of any passion.


    Shen Mo held her shoulder and said in a low voice, ¡°If we still can¡¯t think of a solution tomorrow, you and Shen Fei stay here, and Yan Qingwen and I will deal with the rag doll.¡±


    Bai Youwei looked at him, somewhat speechless. ¡°You want me to stay with him?¡±


    ¡°Someone needs to take care of you.¡± Shen Mo gave a small smile, ¡°He was injured and almost drowned, he probably won¡¯t be in a good state tomorrow, not suitable for joining us.¡±


    As he said this, he looked at Shen Fei, who was still unconscious. His voice became even quieter,


    ¡°I also have my selfish reasons, Tan Xiao still has a puzzle piece to protect himself even if dangeres, but Shen Fei doesn¡¯t¡­ I hope that when we leave the game, I can return him, unharmed, back to our parents.¡±


    ¡°What about me if he is unharmed?¡± Bai Youwei pokes him in the chest, unsatisfied, ¡°Do you know how many times your brother dropped me today? Four times!¡­ No, that¡¯s wrong, it was five times! I lost count, anyway, he dropped me so many times! ¡±


    Shen Mo was taken aback, looking down at her, ¡°He intentionally dropped you?¡±


    ¡°Even if it wasn¡¯t intentional, can he just drop me as he wishes?¡± Bai Youwei rolled up her sleeves to show him her elbow. ¡°Look here, it¡¯s skinned, and also here¡­¡±


    She brushed back her bangs to show him her forehead.


    ¡°Is it swollen yet? I¡¯m sure it¡¯s swollen, right? I can feel it! And there are also my legs, look¡­my knees, my waist, all over¡­¡±


    Shen Mo grabbed her hand that was about to lift her skirt, speaking helplessly, ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough.¡±


    Bai Youwei was upset and dropped her skirt, ¡°In my whole life, I haven¡¯t been dropped as many times as I have today! I don¡¯t care, tomorrow you must keep him away from me! I don¡¯t want him to take care of me.¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The further away he stays, the safer it will be, in case he dies, it won¡¯t have anything to do with her.


    Even if Shen Mo wouldn¡¯t me her, she decided to nip any potential disruption to their rtionship in the bud!

 Chapter 446: 446: The Big Lion

    Chapter 446: The Big Lion


    Shen Mo hesitated a bit, he would be worried leaving Bai Youwei alone.


    No matter how intelligent Bai Youwei was, her ability to handle emergency situations was almost negligible. Although Shen Fei was injured, he would definitely have no problems escaping with her.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    There was indeed some discord between the two, but Shen Mo believed that in the face of safety issues, such minor disagreements could bepletely disregarded.


    Just like when he used to carry out missions, personal emotions were always putst.


    Bai Youwei could tell from his expression that he was not in agreement. Her lips pursed with disappointment, and her face fell.


    Shen Mo said, ¡°Ovee it.¡±


    Bai Youwei wrapped his neck around hers, ¡°¡®Don¡¯t want to ovee it~¡±


    Shen Mo said, ¡°Don¡¯t be so obstinate.¡±


    Bai Youwei burrowed her face into his shoulder pit: ¡°Whining~¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡°¡­¡±


    He sensed that everyone else had turned to look¡­<div>


    An indescribable look was on everyone¡¯s faces. It wasn¡¯t as if they were seeing a cute little girl throwing a tantrum, but rather a ferocious lion, very disconcerting.


    Shen Mo patted Bai Youwei¡¯s back silently, feeling helpless.


    There was no other way.


    If she didn¡¯t want to ovee the situation, then he had to.


    ¡­


    All night, neither Mary nor the cat showed up.


    When the hands of the clock again pointed to 12, and daylight came, the clock tower let out a deep bell sound ¨C


    The amusement park returned to tranquility.


    Shen Fei had also woken up.


    Having regained his consciousness, he was somewhat excited. He was sharing his dream from yesterday with Tan Xiao and Lun Ang, emphasizing that he had seen the Water Demon!


    ¡°Her hair was like ck seaweed! Her skin as white as crystal! I couldn¡¯t make out her features clearly in the water, it was very mysterious¡­hey, stopughing! Maybe this is a key clue from the game!¡±


    Lun Angughed heartily, ¡°You¡¯re still half asleep!¡±


    Shen Fei earnestly said: ¡°At first I thought it was a dream, a hallucination, but the feeling was too real! I even touched her skirt!¡±


    Lun Ang teased: ¡°The Water Demon wore a skirt? I thought Water Demons and mermaids didn¡¯t wear clothes.¡±


    Tan Xiao also made fun of him: ¡°Your brain is waterlogged! What Water Demon! That was Weiwei! Hahaha!¡±


    Shen Fei froze, then instinctively looked at Bai Youwei, ¡°No, the Water Demon I saw was wearing a white skirt, she was wearing blue¡­¡±


    He stopped mid-sentence, Shen Fei¡¯s expression became stiff.


    Bai Youwei was¡­ indeed wearing a white skirt yesterday. Could it be, he really misunderstood?


    His face reddening for some reason, Shen Fei¡¯s cheeks burned hot with embarrassment.<div>


    Lun Ang ced his arm on his shoulders andughed, ¡°That¡¯s normal, who doesn¡¯t have a dream lover when they¡¯re young, right? Heh heh¡­¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I, I don¡¯t!¡± Stifled with embarrassment, he kept shaking his head. Noticing Bai Youwei¡¯s indifferent gaze in the distance brought a certain inexplicable disappointment.


    Bai Youwei only nced at Shen Fei before controlling her gaze.


    She tugged at the arm of the man in front of her, looking disgruntled: ¡°You can¡¯t go back on your word after a good night¡¯s sleep. Where is your basic integrity?¡±<div>


    Shen Mo smiled, ¡°What are you talking about? I asked you to stay in the clock tower with him, didn¡¯t say you had to be together.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t being in the clock tower together?!¡± Bai Youwei rolled her eyes and exaggerated, ¡°The tower is high with so many steps, do you want me to trip and fall at all 360 degrees?!¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t fall.¡± Shen Mo pinched her cheeks, ¡°You can stay at the top, I¡¯ll have Shen Fei guard the bottom.¡±

 Chapter 447: 447: The Last Day

    Chapter 447: The Last Day


    Bai Youwei was stunned.


    By asking Shen Fei to stay under the clock tower, was it equivalent to¡­asking Shen Fei to shield her?


    ¡ªIf Mary and the cat found the clock tower, they would first find Shen Fei andunch an attack on him, ignoring the possibility of others hiding on top of the tower.


    Bai Youwei¡¯s feelings became somewhat intricate.


    She wanted Shen Mo to treat her better, but for her safety, he unhesitatingly let his cousin use himself as a shield. That was really ruthless! ¡­It made her feel a little embarrassed~


    (Blushing)


    ¡­


    In fact, Shen Mo hadn¡¯t given that much thought.


    He just felt that as a man of the Shen Family, Shen Fei should protect women and the weak. This was a responsibility a man should bear, and it had nothing to do with anything else.


    (Aloof)


    ¡­<div>


    The group left the stage and walked out of the puppet theater.


    The sun was bright outside, the blue sky was cloudless, the white daylight shone on everyone¡¯s faces, bright enough to be suffocating.


    They had already spent two days and two nights in this game.


    Now it was the third day.


    On the way to the carousel, things began to change a bit.


    They found many stuffed toys by the side of the road, but these were toys that were left only with their outeryer; their fluffy inner cores had been hollowed out.


    Seeing ttened teddy bears, dogs, and little ducksying on the ground, it gave off an inexplicable eeriness. Everyone became vignt and continued forward.


    They arrived again at the carousel.


    After burning all night, the area was no longer bright and shiny as it first was, but a mess, ckened all over, filled countlessly with disassembled puppet dolls.


    The cat puppet¡¯s head had been sewn back on, and cotton was stuffed into its two front paws, wrapped in cloth. But the back legs had not been fixed in time, left bare, revealing the metal frame.


    Mary had also been partially fixed; the scorched face had be fair and delicate again. As there was no suitable material to fix the hair, yellow wool was temporarily used as a substitute.


    The part below the head was still metallic, just like a robot doll with a human head.


    She was leaning on the rag doll, sleeping on the cat puppet. One arm was a triangr bay, while the other hand was holding a needle and thread, as if she had been sewing all night and was exhausted.


    For a moment everyone looked at each other.


    No wonder nothing had happenedst night; it turned out that Mary didn¡¯t bother looking for them at all.


    Was sewing the cat puppet back together more important than finding the hide-and-seek yers?


    This matter was unfathomable, and they had no way of finding an answer to it.


    Yan Qingwen looked around and said, ¡°Quite a lot of ces have been burned.¡±


    Fantasy Street and Dreaming Garden were almost all ruined, nearly half of the Fairy Tale Kingdom was also burnt. Fortunately, the mine of the dwarves had blocked the spread of the fire; otherwise, it would have been hard for them to find a hiding ce if everything was burnt.<div>


    ¡­Suddenly a sense of having shot themselves in the foot.


    Yan Qingwen sighed.


    ¡°Maybe we don¡¯t need to find a hiding ce anymore.¡± Yu Yaqing said seriously, ¡°As long as we kill Mary this time, the game of hide-and-seek will end.¡±


    Will it end?<div>


    Everyone looked at each other and fell silent.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get started.¡± Yan Qingwen stretched his arms, and began assigning tasks, ¡°Yu Yaqing and Tan Xiao are responsible for finding hiding spots. Find all the possible ces to hide in the amusement park, and then everyone decides where to hide tonight.


    Shen Mo, Lun Ang and I will set up traps around the carousel.


    Shen Fei is injured, he can rest somewhere.


    Youwei, you just mentioned going up to the clock tower, go up and survey the situation, perhaps from above, there are aspects we may have failed to notice¡ª¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    After saying everything, he looked at everyone and extended his right hand:


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope, this is thest day.¡±

 Chapter 448: 448: The Death of the Immature

    Chapter 448: The Death of the Immature


    Lun Ang ced a hand atop Yan Qingwen¡¯s, and said with a grin, ¡°We¡¯ve yed so many rounds, what¡¯s one more!¡±


    Tan Xiao also extended a hand: ¡°My lucky stars are shining bright, we¡¯ve got this!¡±


    Yu Yaqing looked at them and without hesitation reached out, solemnly saying, ¡°Last day, let¡¯s give this our all.¡±


    Shen Mo smiled faintly, staying silent, but ced his hand in theirs.


    Shen Fei, seeing his brother join in, eagerly followed suit.


    Lastly, Bai Youwei¡­


    Bai Youwei looked at them.


    And they all looked back at her.


    Expectation filled their eyes, smiles yed at their lips, and words of encouragement hung in the air¡­A spectrum of emotions reflected onto her.


    Flushed and ufortable, she bit the bullet and slowly, extended her own hand.


    Just as she put it down, someone firmly grasped hers.<div>


    All hands pushed down together and then lifted high¨D


    ¡°We¡¯ve got this!!!¡± Tan Xiao shouted the rallying cry.


    Bai Youwei furrowed her brow,ining outloud, ¡°¡­So childish!¡±


    Everyoneughed uproariously!


    The pressure lifted, the tension disappeared, and theirughter and joy spread to all, as if it were only a casual game.


    It had nothing to do with life or death, the world outside.


    Just a game. That¡¯s all.


    Bai Youwei looked at them in confusion, unable toprehend their mood.


    Although it appeared as though they were simply putting their hands together, she had a strange feeling that somehow¡­things had changed¡­


    As if a new force emerged, shining brightly, reaching ever upward.


    But where did this powere from?


    Lost in her thoughts, she turned to look at Shen Mo.


    Shen Mo was still smiling too, his lips slightly lifted revealing a softness in his eyes.


    He raised a hand and gently ruffled her hair, ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the Clock Tower.¡±


    Lun Ang clenched his fists with fervor, ¡°Alright, we should start setting traps!¡±


    With a faint smile, Yu Yaqing added, ¡°And we¡¯ll find strategic defensive positions.¡±


    Each drew into action.


    Shen Mo pushed the wheelchair forward. The fact that it survived the congration was a miracle in and of itself.


    In no time, they reached the base of the Clock Tower. Shen Mo hoisted Bai Youwei onto his back and walked in. The stairway twisted upwards like a thread through the eye of a gargantuan bolt.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om<div>


    The staircase grew higher each step, seeming infinitely endless.


    Bai Youwei rested her chin on Shen Mo¡¯s shoulder, asking, ¡°What¡¯s your n?¡±


    ¡°Yan Qingwen ns to usessos,¡± answered Shen Mo in a steady voice as he continued his ascent. ¡°He will take on Mary. I¡¯ll provide backup. Lun Ang, Yu Yaqing, and Tan Xiao will handle the cat. Once they have ensnared either one, they will drag them apart, separating Mary and the cat.¡±


    After pondering for some moments, Bai Youwei said, ¡°Yan Qingwen is quite impressive¡ªalwaysing up with solutions, no matter the situation.¡±<div>


    With a slight smile, Shen Mo agreed, ¡°Indeed, he sometimeses up with some quite creative ideas.¡±


    Bai Youwei also agreed with this assessment.


    While hanging onto his back, she mused, ¡°The doll¡¯s field of vision is limited. If we can find its blind spots, we may be able to ensnare them while Mary and the cat sleep¡­yet beheading them could be much trickier.¡±


    Shen Mo softly agreed, ¡°There is some degree of difficulty. It is practically impossible for one person alone to kill either Mary or the cat.¡±


    ¨DKilling the cat was impossible due to its iron skeleton, and every evening, Mary would stitch its body back together.


    ¨DKilling Mary was no simpler. It could grow des from an amputated limb, and with a doll attached to its back, it seemed to have eyes in the back of its head; there was no taking it by surprise.


    Lost in thought, Bai Youwei uttered a peculiar, ¡°Huh!¡±


    At this, Shen Mo halted in his steps and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s rather strange¡­¡± Bai Youwei stared nkly, ¡°If we hadn¡¯t brought those swords and knives in, there would be no weapons in the amusement park. It doesn¡¯t seem fair for the yers to deal with these two targets unarmed.¡±

 Chapter 449: 449: Trap It

    Chapter 449: Trap It


    Shen Mo stopped and asked her, ¡°Do you think there¡¯s something wrong with the way we¡¯re doing things right now?¡±


    Bai Youwei furrowed her brows, unsure of how to respond.


    Their strategy¡­their strategy was not inherently problematic, whether it was using fire to separate Mary from the cat previously or using asso to force them apart now. Regardless of the results, from a conceptual standpoint, there was nothing wrong with their strategy.


    However, considering the standard conditions for clearing the game in prior instances, it wasn¡¯t about forcing everyone to be martial arts experts, nor was it about deliberately making things difficult for the yers¡ª


    Giving Mary and the cat an almost ¡°Immortal Body¡± setting and then asking the yers to kill them, isn¡¯t that a contradiction within itself?


    There was also another point that had been bothering her.


    ¡­Hide and seek.


    As far as she could tell, up till now, there didn¡¯t seem to be any corrtion between the game and ¡°hide and seek.¡±


    It¡¯s just that the clues avable at the moment were too fragmented, making it hard to piece together aplete logical line. She thought hard but was still clueless.


    ¡°Regardless, be careful,¡± Bai Youwei said softly, ¡°Something doesn¡¯t feel right.¡±


    Shen Mo lifted her slightly and said, ¡°I¡¯ll remind them.¡±<div>


    They continued moving upwards and arrived at the uppermost level of the clock tower where the lighting was bright.


    Bai Youwei leaned over the railing to look down.


    Even without a telescope, she could clearly see Yan Qingwen setting up traps near the carousel. The ropes were winding in all directions, and even Lun Ang¡¯s giant anchor was lifted. It was unclear what purpose it would serve in the end.


    Setting up a trap was an exercise in calction and inference, especially spatial reasoning.


    Even the simplest trick of using a rope to trip someone up requires considering the other party¡¯s stride, the height of their step, the angle of their footnding, and so on.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Shen Mo didn¡¯t stay in the clock tower for long and quickly went down to help.


    As Bai Youwei leaned on the railing, watching everyone busy below, she couldn¡¯t help but question, could she have misunderstood?


    Even though the game did not force the yers to be martial arts experts, people with highbat power often received more favor, because¡ª


    If you were able to fight your way out of a horde of rabbits, even if you chose the wrong path, you could still run back;


    If you managed to kill the giant frog, you would have unlimited time to find Jin Qiu;


    If you could kill either the ragdoll cat or Mary now, this round of hide-and-seek would end¡­


    She believed that there weremon elements in games. If something was off, there had to be a problem somewhere.


    Several hours passed in a sh.


    All the efforts that should have been made were made; now, all that remained was to see the results.


    The girl and the cat on the carousel, seemingly unaware of the threatening atmosphere surrounding them, were sleeping peacefully.


    Yan Qingwen, Lun Ang, and Shen Mo were all in their assigned positions.


    They were holding strange rope loops in their hands, made from hemp ropes but wrapped with thin iron wires as if to increase their stiffness.


    Yan Qingwen instructed them, ¡°Pay attention to the peak of the carousel¡¯s roof. Don¡¯t let your height exceed that range; it will enter the doll¡¯s field of vision.¡±


    Shen Mo nodded slightly and also reminded him, ¡°If you trap it sessfully, give us a signal right away, and we¡¯lle to help you.¡±<div>


    ¡°You too,¡± Yan Qingwen looked at them, ¡°If something goes wrong, hide in any of those spots. Don¡¯t try to fight it out. Mary and cat can¡¯t see yers, they will soon go back to sleep, and then we will still have a chance.¡±


    Everyone nodded, their eyes once againnding on Mary and the cat up high.


    Whether it will work or not, it all depends on this attempt!


    All preparations were ready.<div>


    Lun Ang gripped the rope loop tightly in his hand, the coiled iron wire was a bit sharp, yet he remained unfazed, his eyes unwaveringly fixed on the cat on the carousel.


    His mission was tosso the stuffed cat!


    He took a deep breath, tightening his grip on the rope loop in his hand.


    Three¡­


    ¡­two¡­one¡­go!

 Chapter 450: 450: In the Trap

    Chapter 450: In the Trap


    Lun Ang forcefully threw out thesso!


    Thesso, reinforced with a wire, remained in a perfect circle for a more urate throw.


    However, he threw it too high and it exceeded the height Yan Qingwen had suggested. It was about to fly over the roof when Shen Mo, from below, barely jumped up, grabbed the end of thesso and threw it downwards.


    Thesso descended and steadilynded on the cat¡¯s head!


    ¡°Pull!¡± shouted Shen Mo.


    Lun Ang immediately pulled back the rope with all his strength!


    All the iron wire wrapped around thesso tightened, and instantly squeezed the cat¡¯s neck!


    ¡°Got it!¡± Lun Ang roared, slung the coarse rope over his shoulder and began to tug in the opposite direction like a tug-of-war contest!


    At the same time, Shen Fei, Tan Xiao, and Yu Yaqing also tightly held onto the rope, pulling together with Lun Ang.


    With the loud roar of the colossal cat puppet, it fell from the carousel!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Meow!~~~¡± It struggled, shaking its head violently. Suddenly, they all lost their grip on the rope as if they lost bnce like a kite in the wind!<div>


    Just as it seemed the cat was about to free itself, they heard Yan Qingwen shout from afar, ¡°Got it!¡±


    Unbelievably, the cat ceased all movements and fell face down to the ground.


    ¡ª¡ªTheir guess had been correct. Once the cat was far enough, Mary could no longer control it!


    Shen Mo quickly said, ¡°You guys drag the cat away as far as you can! I¡¯m going to help Yan Qingwen!¡±


    After saying that, he immediately ran off. Yan Qingwen at the other end was engaged in a fierce battle!


    Mary had immediately awakened when caught, and was both startled and furious. She lifted her misshapen arm and furiously cut the rope!


    The rope snapped instantly, but the wire stayed connected.


    Shen Mo, who had just arrived, quickly picked up the other end of the rope!


    The trap was triggered instantly and a series of reactions formed within the ropes, creatingyers that crossed around Mary¡¯s body, hoisting her into the air¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Yan Qingwen! The rope!¡±


    Shen Mo shouted, tightly holding on to one end of the rope.


    Yan Qingwen quickly ran a few steps and grabbed the other end of the broken rope!


    The dual forces suspended Mary in the air and at the same time, arge ck anchor was swung from the middle and came whizzing through the air, hitting Mary on the head with an unstoppable force!


    Bang!!!


    Mary¡¯s entire body was sent flying!


    Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen were also knocked over by the force!


    The anchornded, creating a loud noise and then dust settled, making all silent again.


    Shen Mo rolled twice on the ground before quickly standing back up. His immediate reaction was to look at Mary.


    Yan Qingwen did the same.<div>


    They saw Mary lying not far from them, her head tilted from the anchor hit, connected to her neck by only a few strands of wire. She was barely intact.


    The trap had worked!


    They had separated Mary from the cat, and they had subdued Mary! At the moment, her limbs are twitching, convulsing as if she was a frog on its death throe.


    She propped herself up, her head swaying atop her neck. Then, she tried to stand back up again¡ª¡ª<div>


    Just then, Lun Ang rushed over from a distance, let out a roar, and raised his broadsword, to strike her harshly!


    Bang!!!


    Mary¡¯s head and her body separatedpletely.


    Her head rolled to one side and was picked up by Lun Ang by the hair.


    Mary¡¯s face still showed her startled and angry expression. With her eyes wide open and mouth in a grimace, her severed head was a terrifying sight.


    Lun Ang was relieved to see her in such a sorry state!


    ¡°Mary is dead!¡± He held Mary¡¯s head high for all hispanions to see. Then he shouted once more, ¡°Mary is dead!¡±


    ¡°Lun Ang! ¡­¡± Yan Qingwen¡¯s face turned ashy, ¡°Run!!!¡±


    Lun Ang froze, failing to react in time as he saw a shining white conical dagger prating his chest.

 Chapter 451: 451: The Last Night

    Chapter 451: The Last Night


    He bent his head down, staring nkly.


    Surprisingly¡­ It didn¡¯t hurt much.


    Blood turned into jelly, internal organs into cotton; his flesh, bones, and skin progressively transformed into the rubber stuffing of a doll at a speed visible to the naked eye.


    His vision blurred¡­


    His consciousness scattered¡­


    He faintly saw Yan Qingwen and Shen Mo rushing towards him, they were calling, screaming, but he couldn¡¯t hear them¡­ He could only watch their mouths opening and closing.


    The conical knife piercing his chest was suddenly withdrawn.


    Then, it was violently thrust in again! Once! Twice! Thrice!!!


    Lun Ang¡¯s body almost split into two halves, his fingers finally let go¡ª Mary¡¯s head fell to the ground, and after rolling a few times, her face turned upwards, revealing a strange smile at him.


    It seemed to be mocking his overconfidence.


    ¡°Lun Ang!!!¡± Yan Qingwen screamed uncontrobly!<div>


    The once sturdy and robust body toppled right before their eyes, weak and fragile, as if even a gust of wind could blow it away¡­ All around were sticky jelly and red-dyed cotton.


    And the metal skeleton he had once been, was slowly standing back up behind him.


    It had no head, and walked with the stumbling steps like a blind person, clumsily picking up its own head from the ground, attempting to return it to its neck.


    Shen Mo grabbed Yan Qingwen, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Yan Qingwen stood there nkly, staring at the doll remains on the ground, not moving.


    Shen Mo jerked him once, twice, forcibly dragging Yan Qingwen away!


    Not far away, Tan Xiao and Yu Yaqing came back to their senses and started running, but the gruesome manner of Lun Ang¡¯s death was imprinted deeply in each of their minds¡­


    ¡­


    Bai Youwei witnessed everything from the tower¡¯s top.


    She felt suffocated, as if an invisible hand was covering her mouth and nose; it was so ufortable that she could not breathe.


    Sitting slowly on the ground, she closed her eyes.


    Lun Ang was dead.


    So¡­they were still wrong.


    Even after decapitating Mary, they still couldn¡¯t kill her.


    Where is the mistake?


    What must they do in order to win?


    Her mind was in chaos, her thoughts entangled like a mess. She couldn¡¯t think clearly!


    What must they do to win?!


    How?!!<div>


    Footsteps suddenly echoed, she opened her eyes and looked towards the stairs.


    Shen Fei was slowly walking up.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brow, wasn¡¯t Shen Fei supposed to stay downstairs?


    ¡°I heard Brother Yan¡¯s voice¡­¡± Shen Fei looked at her, hesitatingly asked, ¡°About Lun Ang, did he¡­¡±<div>


    Bai Youwei lowered her eyes, saying softly, ¡°See it for yourself.¡±


    Shen Fei hesitated for a moment, then walked to the railing to look towards the carousel.


    Mary had attached her head back.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    She did not seek revenge on the yers but instead found her cat first, then took it back to the carousel, took out her needle and thread, and continued sewing the cat.


    Indeed, she was not in any hurry.


    Because these yers were helpless against her, except awaiting death, they couldn¡¯t do anything.


    After ten minutes, Mary and her cat fell asleep again.


    At this point, they had less than two hours left before the next nightfall.


    Actually, if they hurried, two hours was not short. A lot could be done in two hours, provided hope remained and courage as well.


    For them right now, the fate of Lun Ang was like a heavy blow, leaving them all dazed.


    The one only unaffected was probably Shen Mo.


    He calmly found a hiding spot, led the group into hiding, had Yu Yaqing and Tan Xiao look after Yan Qingwen, then left for the Clock Tower to bring back Shen Fei and Bai Youwei.


    ¡°Are we all hiding together now? Is that okay?¡± Shen Fei asked, feeling worried.<div>


    ¡°It won¡¯t matter.¡± Bai Youwei leaned against the wall, speaking faintly, ¡°Mary is busy with her dolls. Tonight, she probably won¡¯t have time toe looking for us.¡±


    Everyone was silent.


    The moment to rest brought no relief to their hearts.


    In a low voice, Yu Yaqing asked, ¡°What should we do next?¡±

 Chapter 452: 452: Just Feel Noisy

    Chapter 452: Just Feel Noisy


    ¡ª¡ªWhat to do?


    Shen Fei and Yu Yaqing instinctively looked at Yan Qingwen.


    He always had numerous ns.


    But right now, he couldn¡¯t think of any ns at all. He sat quietly against the wall. His head was dropped low and his hands were trembling slightly.


    Bai Youwei had never seen such a deste side of Yan Qingwen as if he had reached the point of absolute despair¡­


    Shen Mo nced at everyone present, his eyes finally falling on Yan Qingwen, asking, ¡°Does Lun Ang have a puzzle piece?¡±


    Yan Qingwen closed his eyes and replied in a hoarse voice, ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    Lun Ang had a puzzle piece, but he didn¡¯t get a chance to use it, then¡­


    Thinking about it made him feel so suffocated that it felt like a knot was tied in his throat, and he could not speak due to the pain.


    Shen Mo had always been calm. He turned his head to look at Yu Yaqing, asking, ¡°Do you have a puzzle piece?¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Yu Yaqing gently shook her head.<div>


    After considering for a while, Shen Mo said, ¡°We have to prepare for the worst. If we can¡¯t pass through, we must figure out how to evacuate. Bai Youwei, Tan Xiao, Yan Qingwen and I all have puzzle pieces. Tomorrow we will find an opportunity to recover Lun Ang¡¯s puzzle piece for Yu Yaqing to use. In the meantime, I woulde up with a way to prepare a puzzle piece for my brother.¡±


    Bai Youwei looked at him in surprise.


    Looking at her, Shen Mo calmly exined, ¡°We will just have to inconvenience Xiaoxin this time, using it as a temporary solution. We will make it up to him next time if we manage to clear the maze.¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin had also received a puzzle piece in the Snake Maze.


    Despite feeling guilty, Shen Mo had no other choice. He couldn¡¯t just stand by and watch his brother die.


    In a hoarse voice, Yan Qingwen said, ¡°You can use my puzzle piece. I¡¯m not going.¡±


    Hearing this, Shen Mo frowned, asking him, ¡°Do you realize what you are saying?¡±


    After hesitating for a while, Shen Fei quietly said, ¡°Brother Yan¡­ we know, you might not be able to ept it¡­ but Lun Ang would never want you to stake your life in the game if he were alive.¡±


    Yan Qingwen slowly shook his head, ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡±


    Raising his head, he looked at them, his eyes as still as a stagnant pool.


    ¡°If I leave here, then what happened today will forever remain here, and I won¡¯t be able to move past it. Can you understand that?¡±


    Even if he escaped, he was already dead. He had died in every previous second of Lun Ang¡¯s death!


    Everyone was silent and there was no sound.


    The loss of arade-in-arms, everyone more or less felt this pain. None of them were able to reassure each other, or knew what to say tofort each other.


    After a while, Shen Mo said, ¡°Let¡¯s try it one more time then.¡±


    Everyone looked at him.


    Shen Fei hesitated, ¡°But¡­ doesn¡¯t decapitation not work?¡±


    ¡°Although it will not instantly kill Mary, it can still hinder her movements.¡± Shen Mo calmly said, ¡°If we can behead her once, we can do it again. We need to find a way to hide the head once it is severed. By getting rid of the threat, we can slowly figure out a way to clear the game.¡±


    As he spoke, he looked towards Yan Qingwen who was keeping his head down, ¡°After that, get some rest.¡±<div>


    Yan Qingwen didn¡¯t respond, he just kept his head hung low. The remaining light outside painted a shadow on the wall, silent, veiled in (grief/loss), and lonely¡­


    ¡­


    The daytime was running out fast.


    Soon, it was night again.<div>


    The lights turned on and music yed. The outside world became excitedly noisy, bustling with noise.


    It seemed like mockery and derision, their spirits had sunk to an all-time low, but this amusement park insisted on creating an atmosphere of extreme fun.


    All they felt was irritation.


    Shen Mo took a short trip outside and came back to tell everyone, ¡°Mary collected many plush dolls again, she¡¯s sewing cloth cat dolls.¡±


    This indicated that they were safe for the evening.


    But it also implied¡­


    Once Mary finished sewing the dolls, what awaited them the following evening would be an even more brutal game of¡­ hide and seek.

 Chapter 453: 453 It’s Noisy Around

    Chapter 453: It¡¯s Noisy Around


    Although Mary wasn¡¯t moving, they still couldn¡¯t go out. If the remaining dolls outside discovered them, they would still be attacked by Mary.


    So, they could only continue to wait.


    Waiting for daylight toe, to see if there might be a chance.


    While it was still safe, they seized the time to get some rest.


    They were in the projector room of a 4D cinema inside an amusement park. It was simr to a simple office, not toorge, but enough to amodate them.


    Bai Youwei was sitting quietly against the wall, her mind in turmoil.


    Though her body and mind were grossly exhausted, Lun Ang¡¯s death was like a knife stabbing her heart, the pain throbbing. She couldn¡¯t sleep no matter what.


    Everyone else was the same.


    Yu Yaqing, lost in thought, Tan Xiao in a daze, Shen Fei furrowing his brows¡­ Perhaps they weren¡¯t as badly affected as Yan Qingwen, but in the face of life or death, everyone needed some space to themselves.


    It was noisy all around.


    Outside, a chaotic animated film was ying.<div>


    The electronic games room below was bustling and noisy.


    Shen Mo pulled her into his arms, gently patted her, calmly saying: ¡°Sleep.¡±


    Bai Youwei closed her eyes¡­


    She didn¡¯t sleep well, waking intermittently, having numerous bizarre dreams. The fluctuating music kept disturbing her, making her even more restless.


    She adjusted her position in Shen Mo¡¯s arms.


    Shen Mo, who was resting with his eyes closed, opened them and asked her in a low voice: ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too noisy¡­¡± Bai Youwei, leaning against him, said, ¡°It¡¯s so loud I can¡¯t sleep.¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Shen Mo stated lightly, ¡°Amusement parks are noisy.¡±


    Those noises filled every corner, deafening, chaotic, so cheerful they were almost boiling over, like a wild, revelry feast.


    Shen Mo moved Bai Youwei closer, covered her ears with his hand, and said softly again: ¡°Sleep.¡±


    Bai Youwei was taken aback, her heart gently trembled.


    Of course, covering her ears couldn¡¯t really block out the disturbing music, but his warm palm against her ear felt like a protective shield around her, warm, carrying a bit of weight, steadying her restless heart.


    She lowered her head, burying herself deeper into his chest.


    Although it was still noisy outside, she suddenly felt as if the world was peaceful¡­


    ¡­


    Time passed, second by second.


    After who knows how long, she heard the others whispering, the opening and closing of the door, and soft footsteps.


    Then she realized, she had really fallen asleep earlier.


    ¡°How long did I sleep?¡± Bai Youwei slowly straightened herself from Shen Mo¡¯s arms.<div>


    ¡°Less than an hour.¡± Shen Mo said.


    Sitting diagonally from her, Yu Yaqing said: ¡°It¡¯s good to sleep for a while, to rejuvenate. The mind will be clearer. I want to sleep, but I can¡¯t.¡±


    Bai Youwei rubbed her head, and said in jest: ¡°With all this noisy music everywhere, of course we can¡¯t sleep. No wonder Mary and Cat slept during the day. That song keeps ying in my head over and over, it¡¯s nauseating.¡±


    Yu Yaqing also chuckled lightly, ¡°This song sounds familiar, I think we learned it in kindergarten, but I don¡¯t remember what the lyrics were¡­¡±<div>


    Bai Youwei, while listening to the music outside, discerned carefully, and slowly started singing:


    ¡°Everywhere that Mary went,


    She would bring along, her little doll,


    People met them everywhere,


    Mary and her merry doll¡­¡±


    As she singing, her expression grew solemn, as if she sensed something, she repeated:


    ¡°Mary and her merry doll¡­


    Mary and her merry doll¡­


    Her merry doll¡­¡±

 Chapter 454: 454: Mary and the Doll

    Chapter 454: Mary and the Doll


    Bai Youwei had sung so many times that everyone in the room was looking at her.


    Yan Qingwen furrowed his brows, reciting the lyrics as well: ¡°Mary and her merry doll¡­ Mary and her doll¡­¡±


    Yu Yaqing looked puzzled from Yan Qingwen to Bai Youwei, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this song?¡±


    ¡°From the lyrics, it¡¯s about Mary in the amusement park.¡± Shen Fei also carefully listened to the song, tranting every word and sentence¡ª


    ¡°Wherever Mary goes,n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    She always brings her doll,


    Wherever people see them,


    Mary and her doll are always together.¡±


    Shen Fei thought for a while, looked up at Yu Yaqing, ¡°If we only look at the lyrics, there doesn¡¯t seem to be any problem. Mary always brings her cloth doll, which is like her second pair of eyes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the case¡­¡± Bai Youwei slowly shook her head, recalling the sparse clues from the beginning of the game, her face grew increasingly somber, ¡°Do you remember how the Inspector introduced the rules when we entered the game?¡±


    Everyone looked at each other.<div>


    Yu Yaqing answered: ¡°When we entered the game, the Inspector said that hide-and-seek was Mary¡¯s favorite game. He told us to hide when night fell so as not to be found by Mary and her cat.¡±


    Bai Youwei said: ¡°Besides that, the Inspector also said¡­ Mary is so good at hide-and-seek that she has never been found.¡±


    She looked at Yu Yaqing, then at the others and asked: ¡°We have spent three days and three nights in the game, have you ever seen Mary hide?¡±


    No.


    Mary was always with the cat; she never hid!


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Shen Fei was confused and couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious, ¡°Did the Inspector intentionally mislead us?¡±


    Bang!


    A sudden muffled noise.


    Yan Qingwen¡¯s fist heavily hit the wall, his voice breaking from the gritted teeth: ¡°The Inspector didn¡¯t mislead us¡­ on the contrary, he gave us hints!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Shen Fei was even more confused.


    Shen Mo understood what Bai Youwei meant, his face also didn¡¯t look good as he said in a deep voice: ¡°The Mary we have been killing¡­ is not Mary, so no matter what¡­ we can¡¯t kill her.¡±


    Shen Fei was so shocked that he couldn¡¯t speak.


    Tan Xiao¡¯s eyes widened as he asked: ¡°We¡¯ve been killing all this time, and she¡¯s not Mary? Then who is Mary???¡±


    Bai Youwei closed her eyes and said the answer: ¡°It¡¯s her cloth doll!¡±


    Yu Yaqing, Shen Fei, and Tan Xiao were all stunned, standing there unable to react.


    While Yan Qingwen had already figured out the answer, his expression was filled with regret!


    If he could have thought of this earlier¡­ perhaps Lun Ang wouldn¡¯t have died!


    ¡°If the cat can be manipted, why can¡¯t the little girl be manipted?¡± Bai Youwei lowered her eyes, continuing in a low voice, ¡°In fact, we all thought wrong, Mary controls the puppet cat, Mary also controls ¡®Mary¡¯! The target we have been killing is actually Mary¡¯s doll! That¡¯s why there¡¯s this song, repeatedly reminding us¡ª


    Wherever Mary goes,<div>


    She always brings her doll,


    Wherever people see them,


    Mary and her doll are always together!¡±


    Yu Yaqing couldn¡¯t help but stand up, ¡°The condition toplete the game is to kill Mary or Mary¡¯s cat! Even if we got Mary wrong, what about the cat? We still can¡¯t kill the cat!¡±<div>


    Bai Youwei looked up at her, ¡°The cat¡­ must be kible, it might need decapitation or a shot to the heart, I don¡¯t know¡­ but it can definitely be killed, that¡¯s why Mary sewed the cat up first hand, so we wouldn¡¯t see the w.¡±

 Chapter 455: 455: Actually, It’s Very Easy

    Chapter 455: Actually, It¡¯s Very Easy


    Yu Yaqing fell back helplessly, feeling like she had been made the brunt of a cruel joke! She was furious!


    So many people died, and they hadn¡¯t even figured out who their target was supposed to be!


    She clenched her fists tightly, suppressing her boiling anger, and said through gritted teeth, ¡°No wonder¡­No wonder the first thing she did after the dummy cat caught fire, was to throw the doll off her body! It was to protect the real Mary!¡±


    Shen Fei also came back to his senses, and asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Even if we know the doll is the real Mary now, how can we kill her? She has been with fake Mary all this while.¡±


    The fake Mary has an immortal body. It was made of steel ¨C it could not be chopped off nor burned!


    It was also riding a giant ragdoll cat!


    How could they kill Mary with these two obstacles?


    ¡°It¡¯s actually quite easy.¡± Shen Mo uttered, ¡°If we have a bow and arrow, we can assassinate her from afar.¡±


    ¡°But where can we find a bow and arrow?¡± Shen Fei blurted out.


    ¡°We have them.¡± Yan Qingwen stood up and dered in a deep voice, ¡°The bow and arrow are near the carousel, I¡¯ll get them now!¡±


    On the street north of the carousel, there was a long line of shooting game areas. It was quite amon prize game in amusement parks ¨C you win a prize if you hit the balloons or dolls.<div>


    The arrows used in the game had rounded tips and weren¡¯t sharp, so nobody thought of using them against Mary or the cat.


    But if it was to shoot a ragdoll, these arrows were absolutely sufficient.


    Knowing that Yan Qingwen was going to kill Mary, Shen Mo reached out to grip his shoulder and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s all go together.¡± Bai Youwei looked at them, ¡°You two can¡¯t do this without support.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we should all go together.¡± Yu Yaqing clenched her fist, ¡°Although I don¡¯t know archery, I can support from the sidelines!¡±


    Tan Xiao also chimed in, ¡°Yeah! I can help you¡­uh, help distract their attention!¡±


    Shen Fei hesitated, then walked over, ¡°Bro¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Shen Mo calmly said, ¡°Yan Qingwen and I are just going to get the bow and arrows, to verify whether our guess is correct. In addition, even if we want to kill Mary, we certainly will wait until daylight. The night¡¯s vision is not in our favor.¡±


    As he spoke, he lightly looked at Yan Qingwen, ¡°What do you think, Yan Qingwen?¡±


    Everyone¡¯s eyes turned towards Yan Qingwen.


    They all understood that Yan Qingwen probably wanted to immediately avenge his friend, he couldn¡¯t afford to wait a second longer! But as Shen Mo pointed out, the night put them at a significant disadvantage!


    Dolls serving as ¡°Observers¡± could lurk anywhere in the night.


    Coloured lights could affect their judgment of the target¡¯s position.


    Additionally, the ragdoll cat was always alert at night, not falling asleep frequently like during the day.


    Yan Qingwen understood all of these, but how many could remain calm andposed when rage swelled up in their hearts and hatred clouded their vision?


    He looked at the familiar and unfamiliar faces in front of him¡­ Lun Ang also appeared, trusting himpletely in his hallucinations, and directly asked, ¡°Old Yan, what should we do next?¡±


    Yan Qingwen closed his eyes and took a deep breath.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    When he opened his eyes again, Lun Ang¡¯s figure had disappeared.


    He clenched his fist, his voice barely audible: ¡°¡­We will get the bow and arrows, and then, wait for daytime.¡±<div>


    Everyone sighed in relief.


    Shen Mo patted Yan Qingwen¡¯s back, saying: ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The two left the room one after another.


    Watching their backs, Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but pray in her heart: Hope, everything goes well¡­<div>


    ¡­

 Chapter 456: 456: Keep Calm

    Chapter 456: Keep Calm


    Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen headed towards the shooting location.


    Though the dolls they passed by were cleaned up, some seemed to move positions overnight, appearing unexpectedly at crossroads, behind trees, next to windows¡­


    It wasn¡¯t long after they set out that their movements were witnessed by these dolls.


    Next, Mary detected them and sent the dolls to chase them, each mounted on a puppet cat ¡ªn/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Since they had encountered them before, both Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen had an idea of their speed and strength. They maintained theirposure, cooperating and grabbing a bow and arrow, nning to use nearby buildings as a cover to return to their hiding ce and meet with the others.


    Festive lights sparkling on both sides of the street, the music getting louder.


    In the middle of the chase, Mary noticed their bow and arrow, and hesitated for a moment ¡ª whether it was the puppet cat or the doll on it, they both froze momentarily.


    After a moment of hesitation, it suddenly backed away!


    The puppet cat retreated a few steps, then swiftly turned around, carrying Mary and running in the opposite direction at an extremely high speed!


    The two men stopped, frowning at the retreating silhouette of the puppet cat, then looking at each other.


    Only two seconds passed before Yan Qingwen¡¯s face changed dramatically. He chased after them, ¡°Mary is trying to hide!¡±<div>


    Shen Mo¡¯s brows furrowed even more, as he immediately followed!


    However, no matter how fast they were, they couldn¡¯t catch up to the huge yet agile puppet cat. They chased it all the way to Treasure Bay, where they finally lost the trail of Mary.


    Yan Qingwen wasn¡¯t willing to give up and searched around trying to find the direction in which the puppet cat had gone, but the lights were so dazzling that it caused the darkness to blur his vision.


    While he was searching for clues, the giant puppet cat leaped up from the dark and pounced on him!


    Yan Qingwen dodged to the side!


    Shen Mo swung his sword and shed!


    The de tore through the cotton cloth on the cat¡¯s paw. The overflowing cotton fluff, like rolling clouds, didn¡¯t hurt or itch the creature.


    It seemed like all their efforts were in vain!


    The two escaped from under the cat¡¯s paw, taking refuge in the kitchen of an ind-themed restaurant. The cat kept meowing outside, seemingly knowing that they were hiding nearby and kept pacing around the restaurant.


    ¡°Mary is gone.¡± Yan Qingwen peered through the gap in the kitchen door, staring unblinkingly at the outside, ¡°Mary is hiding. She¡¯s in Treasure Bay!¡±


    ¡°We should go back first,¡± Shen Mo advised with a frown, ¡°The cat outside is too tricky. We should meet with the others first, and look for an opportunity when it¡¯s daylight.¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± Yan Qingwen tly refused!


    Shen Mo was slightly startled, his face turning grave.


    Yan Qingwen seemed to perceive his own unpredictability, took a deep breath and, after a pause, exined:


    ¡°Once we leave, Mary will change her location again! The entire amusement park is so big, trying to find a single doll is like looking for a needle in a haystack! But now¡­ at least now, we know that Mary is in Treasure Bay! So we can¡¯t leave!¡±


    He took another deep breath, emphasizing to Shen Mo, ¡°We can make our move in the daylight, but for now, I can¡¯t leave!¡±


    Shen Mo also looked outside.


    The puppet cat couldn¡¯t find them and was reluctantly wandering nearby. Riding on the cat¡¯s neck was a metal skeleton doll; only its head resembled a human¡¯s. Its woolen hair was messy and tangled at the back of its head, and its pupils glowed faintly.


    This ¡°fake Mary¡± should have been carrying a cloth doll on its back, but now, it was gone.<div>


    The real Mary was gone.


    Yan Qingwen stared outside, his tone firm, ¡°I can¡¯t leave here. This is our only chance to find Mary, Shen Mo¡­ you don¡¯t need to worry about me, I¡¯ll be patient until daylight.¡±


    Shen Mo nced at him, his voice devoid of any emotion, ¡°You may want to wait until tomorrow, but they might not give you this opportunity. If Mary is indeed hiding here, she will definitely do everything she can to clear the park tonight. We two alone might find it difficult to handle it. You wait here, I¡¯ll go back and alert them.¡±


    <div>

 Chapter 457: An Example

    Chapter 457: An Example


    Yan Qingwen had his own determination, something Shen Mo could not impose upon. Seeing the opportunity, Shen Mo managed to escape. Soon after, the doll and puppet cat located him. However, after he had put some distance between them, the puppet cat stopped chasing him, returning to the vicinity of the food street, continuing its search for Yan Qingwen.


    Apparently, Mary was very anxious about being found.


    Shen Mo took a distant nce, then retracted his gaze and turned to leave.


    Returning to their hideout, in just a few sentences, he briefed the others about the situation. Bai Youwei showed little surprise on hearing that Mary was in hiding.


    The name of this game was hide-and-seek.


    And now, the real game of hide-and-seek had begun.


    ¡°Yan Qingwen did the right thing; he must stay in Treasure Bay,¡± Bai Youwei said calmly, ¡°As long as the puppet cat cannot locate him, Mary will stay hidden due to fear, unable to change her location at will. We now need to hurry over and share the burden with him, guarding all exits from Treasure Bay.¡±


    Shen Fei fetched a map andid it out for everyone to see: n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°In terms of size, Treasure Bay is the secondrgest park, just after Fairy Tale Kingdom, mainly divided into five attractions ¡ª


    The Lost Ghost Ship, the Mysterious Crystal Tower, the Sea Monster Food Street, Treasure Bay Theater, and the Jungle Adventure.


    All five settings would take a significant amount of time to search. The Sea Monster Food Street houses several restaurants offering both Western and Chinese cuisines; the Jungle Adventure is filled with countless climbing pipes and ropes. And then there¡¯s the Crystal Tower, the Theater, and the Ghost Ship. Mary could be hiding in any of these five attractions.¡±


    Shen Mo pointed to the position of the food street on the map, ¡°We were here when we lost track of Mary. So, we can rule out the food street. The Jungle Adventure and Treasure Bay Theater, the attractions nearest to the food street, are her most likely hiding spots.¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily,¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°It could be a diversion, hence the ambush at the food street.¡±


    Shen Mo frowned, deep in thought, ¡°¡­So, our priority now is to narrow down the search area.¡±


    ¡°But how?¡± Shen Fei asked anxiously, ¡°If Mary¡¯s doll and cat don¡¯t leave Treasure Bay, we can¡¯t get close. It¡¯s even more impossible to search each ce one by one!¡±


    Hearing this, YU Yaqing also looked grave: ¡°Also, once we find Mary, her doll and puppet cat will definitelye to rescue her, and we aren¡¯t a match for them.¡±


    Everyone fell silent.


    Shen Mo looked at the group. After a long pause, he said, ¡°Regardless, we must make our way to Treasure Bay as soon as possible. As long as west till dawn, our chances of winning will greatly improve.¡±


    Yu Yaqing bit her lip and nodded, ¡°Right, this is our chance. We have to seize it.¡±


    Just as everyone was about to set off, Bai Youwei suddenly said, ¡°I might have a n¡­.¡±


    All eyes were on her.


    ¡°But there¡¯s substantial risk,¡± Bai Youwei cautioned as everyone looked intently at her, ¡°We may not know where Mary is hiding, but don¡¯t forget that her doll and cat do. If we make separate attempts at each attraction, we¡¯ll definitely find her.¡±


    Yu Yaqing gave it some serious thought, ¡°I see what you mean¡­ if Mary is hiding on the Ghost Ship, then when we split up to search the Ghost Ship and the Food Street, the doll and the cat will definitely prioritize attacking those searching the Ghost Ship. As feasible as this n sounds, we need to ensure timelymunication for it to work. Otherwise, it¡¯ll be ineffective.¡±


    Here is an example:


    Bai Youwei is searching for Mary on the food street while Shen Mo is searching for her on the Ghost ship.


    If Shen Mo is first attacked, he will be unable to determine if the cat attacked him first;


    Bai Youwei, unaware of the situation on the Ghost Ship, equally can¡¯t infer if Mary is there.


    Or consider this extreme example:


    Shen Mo is killed on the Ghost Ship! Even if he saw Mary, a dead person can¡¯t ry the information!

 Chapter 458: The Cat Arrives

    Chapter 458: The Cat Arrives


    So, for Bai Youwei¡¯s method to work, it requires a basis: real-time information transmission!


    Shen Mo said: ¡°We can use walkie-talkies.¡±


    ¡°Walkie-talkies?!¡± Shen Fei was shocked, ¡°But¡­ but walkie-talkies need electricity.¡±


    Yu Yaqing was also stunned for a moment, then reacted, his face lit up with excitement!


    ¡°We have electricity! It¡¯s night time at the amusement park. The walkie-talkies can be used!¡±


    There were many walkie-talkies in the amusement park!


    Not only the security room had them, but every amusement facilities¡¯ operation room also had walkie-talkies!


    With the biggest problem solved, the group immediately set off for Treasure Bay¨C


    Yu Yaqing and Tan Xiao took a detour from the west to Treasure Bay, Shen Mo entered Treasure Bay from the south to join Yan Qingwen, Bai Youwei and Shen Fei, who were the weakest in action, so they stayed at the outskirts of Treasure Bay. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    They went quickly, and Yu Yaqing¡¯s voice came from the walkie-talkie:


    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived! We found the target wandering around the Ghost Ship. Mary is likely on the Ghost Ship¡­¡±


    Upon hearing this, Bai Youwei spread out a map on the bench, and sternly stated: ¡°That¡¯s not right, Mary isn¡¯t on the Ghost Ship! The doll and cat are prowling near the Ghost Ship probably to deceive us! The space under the ship is too narrow for the cat to enter, but the entire ship is movable. Once it lures us all in, the cat would crash the ship into theke!¡±


    The Ghost Ship appeared to be even more dpidated than the previous pirate ship, and it would sink much faster once it hit the water!


    Over the walkie-talkie, Bai Youwei heard Tan Xiao cursing on the other end.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you guys just observe the doll and the cat.¡± Bai Youwei said as she stared at the amusement park map, her voice unusually calm, ¡°Even though they¡¯re guarding the Ghost Ship, they will always be watching to see if Mary¡¯s hiding ce is safe. Just look at their eyes, wherever they look at the most, that¡¯s where Mary is hiding!¡±


    The other end of the walkie-talkie went quiet.


    Shen Fei, who had been with Bai Youwei all this time, couldn¡¯t help but be amazed.


    When a thief breaks into a house, the first thing people do when theye home is to check on their valuables.


    This basic principle that Bai Youwei mentioned might not necessarily ur to everyone.


    The location where Mary is hiding would certainly garner more attention from the doll and the stuffed cat! Even if they pretend to ignore it, their eyes cannot conceal it!


    They waited for two to three minutes.


    ¡°From the time of the conversation just now, until the present¡­Mary looked southeast five times, northwest three times, northeast, nine times¡­¡± Yu Yaqing secretly replied over the walkie-talkie.


    Shen Fei looked at the map.


    To the northeast of the Ghost Ship, there were two attractions, the Treasure Bay Theater and the Mysterious Crystal Tower.


    ¡°Both ces are possible.¡± Shen Fei looked up at Bai Youwei,¡±What should we do next to test?¡±


    Bai Youwei held the walkie-talkie, thought for a moment, and said, ¡°Yu Yaqing, go to the theater; Shen Mo, go to the Crystal Tower; Tan Xiao, wait for them to leave for three minutes, then go to the Ghost Ship.¡±


    The voice of Tan Xiao immediately resounded in the walkie-talkie: ¡°Why do I have to go to the Ghost Ship? Didn¡¯t we say the Ghost Ship was a front?!¡±


    Bai Youwei scrunched up her eyebrows: ¡°Of course, it¡¯s just a precaution, the Ghost Ship must have someone.¡±


    What if Mary was really hiding on the Ghost Ship?


    ¡°Oh¡­ brilliant indeed!¡± replied Tan Xiao.


    Shen Fei doubted whether he actually understood or not.


    But it didn¡¯t matter whether he understood or not, as long as he could follow the instructions.


    On the other end of the walkie-talkie, all was quiet, everyone was heading toward their respective destinations.


    Shen Fei found a tree nearby, managed to climb up on it, stood on a branch to look around and saw a dark shadow heading north from the direction of the Ghost Ship.


    The cat had indeed left the Ghost Ship!


    However, from Shen Fei¡¯s position, distance, and angle, he couldn¡¯t tell whether the cat¡¯s destination was the theater or the Crystal Tower.


    A momentter, Shen Mo¡¯s voice came through the walkie-talkie:


    ¡°The cat is here.¡±

 Chapter 459: 459 The Cat Left

    Chapter 459: The Cat Left


    The cat, it first went to Shen Mo!


    Bai Youwei¡¯s heart lifted instantly, telling those on the other end, ¡°Avoid a head-on conflict, find a ce to hide!¡­ Yu Yaqing, can you hear me? Get out of the theater now and head to the Ghost Ship to rendezvous with Tan Xiao!¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡± Yu Yaqing¡¯s response was short and swift, followed by silence.


    Shen Fei asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Why send her to the Ghost Ship?¡±


    Why not let Yu Yaqing meet Shen Mo at the Crystal Tower?


    Wouldn¡¯t the two of them together be more secure in dealing with the puppet cat?


    If this were earlier, he would probably have challenged Bai Youwei instantly, but now, he instinctively felt that Bai Youwei must have a reason.


    ¡°When I get a chance, I¡¯ll have to buy you a copy of ¡®One Hundred Thousand Whys¡¯,¡± Bai Youwei, looking at the map, coldly exined, ¡°Sending Yu Yaqing back to the Ghost Ship is because I can¡¯t let Mary think she¡¯s been discovered. I have to make Mary think that our real target is the Ghost Ship, not the Crystal Tower.¡±


    She paused for a moment, lifted her head to look directly at Shen Fei, and asked, ¡°Imagine, if you were Mary, what would you do now? Go to the Ghost Ship, or go to the Crystal Tower?¡±


    Shen Fei thought seriously, ¡°If I were Mary¡­¡±


    If he were Mary¡­<div>


    Weak, helpless, pitiful Mary who could only protect herself by controlling the dolls.


    Faced with a group of yers determined to win, Mary cautiously hid in the Crystal Tower, letting the doll and puppet cat guard near the Ghost Ship, misleading yers into thinking she was on the Ghost Ship.


    But what Mary didn¡¯t anticipate was that someone would suddenly break into the Crystal Tower.


    In a panic, Mary called the doll and cat over, wanting to kill or drive away the intruder, for fear of exposing her location.


    However, the intruder hid, and meanwhile, two yers arrived one after another at the Ghost Ship.


    What was she to do? If she ignored the Ghost Ship, the yers would definitely suspect that Mary wasn¡¯t there!


    Therefore, even if only for appearance¡¯s sake, Mary had to send the doll and puppet cat to the Ghost Ship!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Understanding all this, Shen Fei became perplexed, muttering to himself, ¡°When yers appear in both the theater and the Crystal Tower, the first ce Mary attacks is where she is most nervous and worried about exposure!¡±


    ¡°The cat is here!¡± There¡¯s a sudden loud bang from the transceiver, apanied by Yu Yaqing¡¯s shout!


    Bai Youwei responded quickly, ¡°Shen Mo! Keep searching the Crystal Tower! As soon as the cat leaves the Ghost Ship, make your way from the Crystal Tower to the Treasure Bay Theater! Then retreat from the theater to the Ghost Ship! We must make Mary believe that our target is the Ghost Ship! The Ghost Ship!¡±


    Turbulent sounds got louder from the transceiver!


    No one knew what was happening, followed by several shouts in a row!


    Bai Youwei became flustered and desperate, gripping the transceiver, persistently asking, ¡°What happened?! What¡¯s the situation over there?!¡±


    There¡¯s more chaos from the transceiver!


    After a while, Yu Yaqing, panting, answered, ¡°No problem¡­it¡¯s Tan Xiao, Tan Xiao just fell into theke, he¡¯s alright, but his transceiver is broken.¡±


    Pausing for a moment, she added, ¡°The cat has left.¡±


    The puppet cat headed towards the Crystal Tower.


    Shen Fei looked at Bai Youwei, ¡°Mary must be in the Crystal Tower! Otherwise, there¡¯s no reason for the doll and puppet cat to let Tan Xiao and Yu Yaqing off the hook! But the Crystal Tower has seven floors. Even if we know Mary is inside, it will take some time to find her! What do we do now?¡±


    He was burning with impatience, his brain hard at work:<div>


    ¡°Should we hide and wait until daylight? But if we hide, won¡¯t Mary take the chance to slip off somewhere else while we can¡¯t see?¡±


    Or¡­ should we stay nearby and keep our eyes on that puppet cat?


    ¡­No, that won¡¯t work, it¡¯s been running around all night, wanting to wipe us all out! It won¡¯t let us live peacefully until the dayes! This kind of chase won¡¯tst long before everyone is too exhausted to carry on!¡±


    <div>

 Chapter 460: 460: Why Is That?

    Chapter 460: Why Is That?


    Bai Youwei was annoyed by his rambling, ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Shen Fei was still panicking: ¡°Or should we use fire? ¡­ No, starting a fire would take time, and not many items inside the Crystal Tower can easily burn, it¡¯s hard to start a fire¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up!!!¡± Bai Youwei shouted irritably.


    Shen Fei started, standing frozen on the spot, staring nkly at her.


    Bai Youwei roughly grabbed his hand, shoved a lighter into it, and ordered, ¡°Go to the jungle adventure side and start a fire. The bigger the fire, the better!¡±


    Shen Fei was stupefied.


    Why the jungle adventure side?


    ¡ª If it¡¯s about dealing with Mary, the Crystal Tower should be chosen;


    ¡ª If it¡¯s about dealing with the puppet cat, the Ghost Ship should be chosen!


    Why the jungle adventure?!


    But Bai Youwei didn¡¯t look at him anymore. She picked up the walkie-talkie and spoke quickly: ¡°I¡¯m off to the Crystal Tower now, you guys buy me some time! I¡¯m not very mobile, Mary won¡¯t rush to deal with me. What she wants most right now is to kill everyone before day arrives! So, you don¡¯t need to worry about my safety. Just try to distance yourselves as far as possible! The further the doll and the cat are from the Crystal Tower, the better!¡±<div>


    After finishing speaking, she turned around to find Shen Fei still there. She immediately widened her eyes and asked, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you gone yet?!¡±


    Shen Fei stuttered: ¡°Why¡­why we should go to the jungle and start a fire¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you some alien baby?!¡± Bai Youwei said irritably, ¡°Your injury hasn¡¯t healed, you can¡¯t run or jump, and can¡¯t trick the cat or the doll like others. Of course you can only distract Mary by starting a fire!¡±


    Shen Fei¡¯s face turned red, ¡°What baby? That¡¯s a bit too much¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you blushing for?¡± Bai Youwei was speechless. She pushed him twice, ¡°Hurry up and go!¡±


    She packed up the map herself, wheeled towards the Crystal Tower, and didn¡¯t pay any more attention to Shen Fei.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Shen Fei hesitated on spot, he really wanted to catch up with her and ask: If distractions were needed, wouldn¡¯t it be better to set fire to the grand theatre instead? Why does it have to be the jungle adventure?


    Why?


    Why?


    He remembered Bai Youwei scolding him as ¡°alien baby¡±¡­


    With an embarrassed bow of his head, Shen Fei hastily headed for the jungle adventure.


    ¡­


    Bai Youwei safely made her way to the Mysterious Crystal Tower.


    Although the wheelchair wasn¡¯t too slow, once inside the Crystal Tower, there were upward spiraling stairs which required her to leave the wheelchair.


    And she did not have a crutch.


    The crutch had been lost somewhere long ago, and if she wanted to get up, she had only her less-than-reliable legs to rely on and would have to climb up the banister step by step.


    Even Mary probably hadn¡¯t made a move against her because of this.


    Bai Youwei studied her surroundings while pulling out her walkie-talkie.


    ¡°I¡¯m at the Crystal Tower now. There are many crystal ornaments and some cartoon pirate sculptures here. Mary might be hiding at the top. I am now going up. How is the situation on your end?¡±<div>


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m starting the fire. It¡¯s almost¡­done¡­¡± Shen Fei¡¯s halting voice transmitted over.


    Bai Youwei frowned, ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking you, where¡¯s your brother?!¡±


    After a while, Shen Mo¡¯s voice came from the walkie-talkie: ¡°Yu Yaqing and I are in the Ghost Ship. The Puppet Cat is smashing against the ship, trying to knock us into theke.¡±


    His voice was calm, without a trace of panic. If she hadn¡¯t heard the puppet cat¡¯s banging noises, she would find it hard to imagine that he was in danger.<div>


    Bai Youwei raised her head, looking upward along the staircase and took a deep breath.


    ¡°Everyone, hold off the doll and the cat for me, ten minutes.¡± She looked up towards the top of the tower, ¡°In ten minutes, we will definitely win.¡±

 Chapter 461: 461: Ten Minutes

    Chapter 461: Ten Minutes


    Boom!!!


    With the violent impact, the ship shuddered!


    Yu Yaqing clung to the door frame, telling Shen Mo: ¡°This ship won¡¯t hold out much longer! At most, after three more hits, the ship will flip into theke!¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s get out of here.¡± Shen Mo retreated outwards, taking advantage of the time interval between attacks, with Yu Yaqing quickly following him.


    A doll-sized cat was outside furiously battering the Ghost Ship! The dense wooden hull was brutally smashed, causing a massive hole, and timber shards were sttering everywhere!


    As soon as it saw Shen Mo and Yu Yaqinging out of the ship, it immediately stepped back, before running forward and hitting the ship¡¯s hull even harder!


    Another bang!


    The entire ship groaned, tilting to one side, and then causing huge waves!


    Shen Mo and Yu Yaqing leaped into these waves, barelynding ashore.


    Before they could steady themselves, a doll riding the cat pounced on them!


    Shen Mo and Yu Yaqing did not confront them head-on, but battled while retreating, retreating towards the jungle, trying to lure the doll and the stuffed cat further away from the Crystal Tower, buying more time for Bai Youwei.<div>


    The stuffed cat was mammoth in size,rge-headed and fat-tailed, with sturdy limbs, and each pounce brought a seismic shake.


    This was what made it terrifying, but it was also it¡¯s weak point¡ª it couldn¡¯t enter narrow rooms or passages!


    As long as Shen Mo and Yu Yaqing didn¡¯t venture into those tter, unobstructed areas, the various shaped buildings in the amusement park alone would suffice to dodge this cat.


    They retreated all the way from the Ghost Ship to the food street.


    A row of simr-looking restaurants would suffice¡ª jumping into a window, the cat couldn¡¯t do a thing to them, it could only vent its anger by stomping furiously on the rooftop!


    Sweat started to appear on Shen Mo¡¯s face.


    Yu Yaqing¡¯s stamina was also hugely depleted, with sweat dampening his back.


    Just as they had retreated to thest building on the food street, the attacks from the stuffed cat subsided, as if it was tired of this game of cat and mouse. The doll sitting on the cat¡¯s back frequently looked back, gazing in the direction of the Crystal Tower.


    Seeing this, Shen Mo felt a sense of dread. He no longer deliberately evaded, but rushed out of the building and stabbed at the stuffed cat with his sword, trying to reignite its anger!


    Yu Yaqing also followed, cooperating with Shen Mo to attack the doll and the cat, even though they both knew deep inside that such minor injuries wouldn¡¯t affect the stuffed cat at all.


    The stuffed cat meowed and lifted its front paw to pounce hard once!


    Yu Yaqing and Shen Mo both rolled to the side to evade.


    To their surprise, the cat didn¡¯t attack again, instead it turned around and ran towards the Crystal Tower, as if thest pounce was just to scare them off!


    ¡°How many minutes has it been?¡± Yu Yaqing asked.


    ¡°Six minutes.¡± Shen Mo started chasing after it again.


    Bai Youwei wanted them to dy for ten minutes, now only four minutes were left! With the speed of the stuffed cat, it only needed half a minute to run from here to the Crystal Tower!


    ¡°Mo, I found what you¡¯re looking for!!!¡± Tan Xiao¡¯s voice suddenly came.


    At the crossroad not far away, Tan Xiao was running like a madman! He had a bundle of ropes on his shoulder, both thick and heavy.


    That was thesso Yan Qingwen and Lun Ang had previously made!<div>


    Reinforced with wire, then cut by the doll, now it¡¯s back in Shen Mo¡¯s hands.


    Shen Mo quickly retied the rope, threw one to Yu Yaqing, kept one in his hand, ran quickly for some distance, then jumped up behind the running stuffed cat, throwing out the rope in mid-air!


    Hessoed the running stuffed cat!


    The huge dragging force directly pulled Shen Mo down, dragging him along the ground!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om<div>


    Tan Xiao fell behind him, grabbing the end of the rope, then wrapping it around a street light!


    Squeak¡ª-


    The streetmp bent and cracked from the pulling!


    The stuffed cat also stopped because of this, the rope was pulled taut!

 Chapter 462: 462: The Last Minute

    Chapter 462: The Last Minute


    ¡°Meow!!!¡± The cat trapped in the rope howled in agitation.


    At the same time, Yu Yaqing caught up from behind, throwing another loop of rope, trapping the doll attached to the cat!


    The doll was caught unprepared and tumbled onto the ground with a thud!


    ¡°Seven minutes!¡± eximed Shen Mo.


    Upon hearing these words, Yu Yaqing tugged on the rope even harder, practically using every ounce of her strength! She ran in the opposite direction to the ragdoll cat, dragging the doll behind her!


    The doll, enraged, raised its arm wielding the cone-shaped dagger, and fiercely cut down!


    The rope snapped!


    Yu Yaqing, losing her grip, instantly copsed!


    ¡°Stop!!!¡± She got up, unwilling to give up and lunged forward, once again holding onto the severed rope attached to the doll, pulling it back with all her might!


    She couldn¡¯t let the doll get close to the cat!


    And she definitely couldn¡¯t let the doll get close to the Crystal Tower!<div>


    Only three more minutes and this damn game would be over!


    The doll stumbled on the ground, angrily cut the rope once again with a backhand movement, and fiercely stabbed towards Yu Yaqing!


    Exhausted, Yu Yaqing¡¯s evasion was not quick enough, her arm was instantly cut open, leaving a long gash.


    However, the doll didn¡¯t continue its attack, it seemed to realize that something had happened at the Crystal Tower and, without any dy, it turned to sprint towards the Crystal Tower!


    ¡°Eight minutes!¡± Yu Yaqing gritted her teeth, and gave chase once more.


    On the other side, the ragdoll cat was struggling even more! It seemed anxious to chase after the doll. Its ws were scratching, its head was shaking, and its long tail was swinging, it almost uprooted the fragile utility pole!


    Shen Mo and Tan Xiao were having a hard time holding it off and they both had retreated to the side of the road.


    Bang!


    The ragdoll cat finally broke the rope! Tan Xiao jumped out to block its path, but was pinned to the ground with one swipe!


    A huge pressure hit him!


    Tan Xiao suddenly tasted iron in his throat, as if his internal organs were about to be crushed! Before he could react, he heard Shen Mo yelling at him: ¡°Tan Xiao!!!¡±


    Tan Xiao, frightened, opened his eyes wide!


    He saw the ragdoll cat¡¯s movements slow down. Because it was too far from the doll, it lost control and its massive body was falling towards him, as heavy as Mount Tai!


    Bang!!!


    The ragdoll cat thumped to the ground, raising dust thatpletely obscured Tan Xiao¡¯s figure.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Shen Mo ran up quickly, lifted the cat¡¯s paw with all his strength, and saw no one beneath it¡ªa sigh of relief escaped his lips¡ª


    Tan Xiao wasn¡¯t there. He must have used the puzzle piece to escape.


    Now was no time for relief, the doll and Yu Yaqing were already heading towards the Crystal Tower.


    Shen Mo picked up his sword and gave chase once more.<div>


    ¡­


    But the doll didn¡¯t run as fast as the ragdoll cat, and was soon caught up by Yu Yaqing. It swung its cone-shaped dagger randomly a few times and dashed forward.


    Johnson stuck to it like glue!


    The doll, annoyed, once again turned to stab at Yu Yaqing. ¡°You¡¯re annoying as hell, woman! Die!!!¡±<div>


    This time, Yu Yaqing couldn¡¯t avoid it.


    Her body had already reached its exhaustion limit, and she was only able to hold onto the piece of severed rope on the doll¡¯s body by sheer willpower. Unable to dodge, she was instantly stabbed in the chest by the cone-shaped dagger!


    There was a sudden ringing in her ears.


    She looked at the doll¡¯s ferocious face, then down at her hand clutching the rope¡­


    She couldn¡¯t let go.


    Just one more minute¡­


    The final minute¡­


    Whoosh!


    The dagger was pulled out, and the doll, in a frantic rage, stabbed her again! ¡°Let go! Let go!!!¡±


    Yu Yaqing¡¯s world spun.


    The doll, furious, stomped its feet and stabbed her over and over again! All the while making her look like a blood-soaked person. Then, with a swift pull of the dagger, it broke free and ran away!


    Yu Yaqing¡¯s body, slowly, softly, copsed¡­


    <div>

 Chapter 463: 463: Top of the Crystal Tower

    Chapter 463: Top of the Crystal Tower


    She saw jelly-like blood gushing out of her body, a numbing weakness at the wounds, feeling no pain¡­


    ¡°Yu Yaqing!¡± Shen Mo hurried to help her up as he arrived.


    Shen Mo¡¯s calls to her sounded fuzzy, as if her ears had turned into cotton.


    Shen Mo used mud to treat her, but there were only three uses of it left. Yu Yaqing had over ten wounds in her body. As they treated one, others continued to bleed out bright red jelly-like blood.


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ waste¡­ supplies¡­¡±


    Yu Yaqing grabbed Shen Mo¡¯s arm, forcing out words from her throat:


    ¡°¡­how¡­ long¡­ has it been?¡±


    A dull pain clenched Shen Mo¡¯s heart. He looked in the direction of the Crystal Tower and said, ¡°Ten minutes. Yu Yaqing, we¡¯re going to win.¡±


    ¡°Shen Mo¡­you¡­tell Bai Youwei¡­¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Her voice was growing fainter and fainter.


    Shen Mo bent down, listening closely as she whispered:<div>


    ¡°Tell Bai Youwei¡­ she must¡­ win, win till the end.¡±


    Shen Mo gritted his teeth and replied: ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll tell her.¡±


    ¡­


    The Crystal Tower¡ª


    The spiral staircase led to a dead end. There was no way forward.


    The top of the Crystal Tower was different from the rest. The seventh floor was designed like a giant Crystal Stone, therefore it was entirely made of ss. This meant that the visitors could directly see the sixth floor from there.


    But now, the ss floor of the seventh floor was gone.


    Including the staircase that was built on the ss floor, it was all destroyed.


    Now, where Bai Youwei was, the sixth floor, the floor was covered with shards of ss of all sizes. Even though she was careful, she couldn¡¯t avoid getting cut.


    She raised her head to look at the doll on the top of the tower.


    It was sitting atop the mysterious Crystal Stone in the center of the seventh floor.


    The ¡®mysterious Crystal Stone¡¯ was not mysterious at all, just an artificially crafted sculpture hung there to give a sense of achievement and pleasure to the children who reached the top. They could take pictures, buy souvenirs, or make a wish on the Crystal Stone.


    The small doll sat there, with its golden yarn hair, pink cotton dress, a t face with a pair of dark ss bead eyes, and a curved mouth stitched with thin threads.


    Through the ss, the doll looked at the zing fire in the ¡°Jungle Adventure¡± direction and said slowly:


    ¡°Oh, all that fire burned were some trees. I thought the fire would spread over here. I was so scared that I kept watching.¡±


    Its voice was as sweet as a baby, but it carried a heavy tone of mockery.


    Bai Youwei asked it, ¡°Are you Mary?¡±


    It looked down at Bai Youwei, ¡°Surprise, surprise~ Aren¡¯t youme? Yet here you are. Quite unexpected, huh! But even if you made it here, what good will it do?¡±


    Itughed.<div>


    ¡°What good will it do? After all the trouble to get here, only to find there¡¯s no way forward, how would that feel? Oh~ Just thinking about it makes me want tough. Ha-ha-ha-ha~¡±


    Theughter suddenly stopped. As if mood-swinging, it cursed suddenly:


    ¡°You think, just by keeping my doll and cat busy, you could kill me? You bastards! Bloody bastards! You all deserve to die! In tonight¡¯s game of hide and seek, I¡¯ll make sure none of you survives! None!!!¡±


    Bai Youwei took out the rabbit.<div>


    Mary beganughing again¡ª


    ¡°Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!!! Have you gone mad from anger? Or have you be stupid? How are you going to electrocute me? Don¡¯t you know that ss is an instor?


    And there are conditions to use that item of yours, right? Only effective within 2 or 3 meters?


    Are you going to throw it here? Can you throw that high?


    Why don¡¯t you jump up here yourself? Oh¡­ I forgot, you¡¯reme, you can¡¯t jump. Ha-ha-ha-ha!!!¡±

 Chapter 464: 464 Long Time No See

    Chapter 464: Long Time No See


    Mary was spewing the vilest words, incessantly insulting, cursing, ridiculing, and mocking!


    It was standing on the Crystal Stone, its tiny body towering over everything else, utterly arrogant!


    ¡°You lot of filthy rats! You all deserve to die!!! Those who cannot find me will die sooner orter! Even those who find me will die! You will die!!!¡±


    The sounds of metal shing, mixed with the rustle of footsteps, rose from below.


    Mary let out a ¡°huh¡± and sneered, ¡°You actually made it this far, pretty impressive. But even if you are impressive, it ends here.¡±


    Itughed wickedly and ominously, ¡°Because as long as I am alive, my dolls will never die!¡±


    ¡ª Dolls wouldn¡¯t tire, wouldn¡¯t feel drowsy, wouldn¡¯t feel hungry, and they wouldn¡¯t possess a vulnerable and sensitive heart like humans.


    As long as Mary was alive, her dolls would fight forever!


    Shen Mo was just an ordinary person after all, no matter how strong he was, how long could hest?


    The sounds of fighting grew closer, even if she couldn¡¯t see what was happening below, Bai Youwei knew that Shen Mo was gradually being worn out.


    It wouldn¡¯t be long before the dolls caught up to her and killed her.<div>


    Bai Youwei silently put down her stuffed bunny.


    As the stuffed bunny¡¯s fluffy hands touched the ground, a blue-purple current started to spread.


    The Mary sitting on the Crystal Stone became startled and mocked, ¡°Hey! Can¡¯t you think of anything else, so you¡¯re desperately trying anything? I¡¯ve already said it, ss is an instor! This Crystal Stone is also an instor! You can¡¯t electrocute me!¡±


    Bai Youwei raised an eyebrow but remained silent.


    ¡°Hey! Have you gone mute? I¡¯ve already told you, it¡¯s useless! Useless!¡± Mary shrieked in her childlike, shrill voice.


    However, Bai Youwei seemed to ignore her, and ordered her bunny in a low voice, ¡°Increase the electric output.¡±


    The sizzling sound of electricity became even louder.


    A creaking sound echoed from the surrounding ss walls.


    Mary, suspicious, couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that Bai Youwei was plotting something. She nervously nced around, not understanding what was going on.


    ¡°Hey! What the hell are you up to?¡± Mary demanded.


    Bai Youwei ignored her and simply continued to order her bunny, ¡°Increase the electric output further.¡±


    ¡°No matter how much you increase it, it won¡¯t work!¡± Mary shouted irritably, ¡°Even a hundred-fold increase won¡¯t work! Even if you hit me with it, it won¡¯t work! I¡¯m a cloth doll! I¡¯m not afraid of electricity! I¡¯m not afraid¡­ Ahhhhh!¡±


    Bang! All of the surrounding ss expl*ded!


    Mary screamed sharply in surprise!


    It clung to the Crystal Stone, trembling, surrounded by the sounds of expl*sions and shattering ss.


    Finally, when the sound ceased, it raised its startled head to look around, only to find that all the ss walls in the tower had been shattered!


    There were none left!


    The tower had been reduced to nothing but an empty framework!


    The electricity had caused extremely high temperatures and caused the metal frame around the ss to twist and warp. The distortion led to the upperyer of the ss being squeezed and shattering!<div>


    Looking back at Bai Youwei on the ground below, Mary shouted in anger,


    ¡°You¡¯re so cruel, you wicked woman! Are you trying to scare me to death? I¡¯m telling you! Your tricks are useless against me! My dolls will arrive soon, and by then, none of you will be alive! None of you will be left alive!¡±


    Bai Youwei looked up at her, her lips curving into a mocking smile.


    Mary was furious, ¡°What are youughing at? What are youughing at?! Do you realize your doom is upon you?! You won¡¯t beughing soon!!!¡±<div>


    Bai Youwei squinted her eyes and smiled, ¡°Look, with the ss gone, isn¡¯t the view outside much prettier?¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Mary looked up, ¡°What¡¯s the big deal? So what if the jungle adventure has turned into a bonfire, you think I¡¯d be scared? Hmph¡­¡±


    Thud!


    An arrow suddenly shot at her! It pierced through Mary¡¯s cloth body in an instant!


    With the impact, Mary¡¯s body fell straight down¡ª


    It couldn¡¯t believe what had happened, it struggled to turn its head in the air, and saw a man standing on the roof of the theater on the other side.


    The man held his shooting stance, his eyes cold as ice, he said softly, ¡°¡­I¡¯ve been waiting.¡±

 Chapter 465: 465: The Best Prop

    Chapter 465: The Best Prop


    Mary fell with a tter into a nket of shattered ss.


    Almost instantly, the lights of the entire amusement park went out.


    The rollercoaster stopped running, the carousel stopped spinning, and the Ferris wheel stood still. Even the puppets fell silent.


    The music faded away.


    The world plunged into darkness.


    Bai Youwei looked outside, Yan Qingwen stood amidst the darkness, strikingly calm and silent, akin to a statue.


    She finally rxed genuinely, her knees buckled, and she propped herself up on the stair railings and knelt down.


    ¡°Sorry, it took a while to find the shooting spot,¡± Yan Qingwen said.


    His voice wasn¡¯t loud, but the amusement park was so quiet, so quiet that even though they were distant, Bai Youwei heard him clearly.


    She made a bitter smile, lowered her head, and her cheek¡¯s sweat fell on the ground. She whispered softly, ¡°Finally¡­if it was anyter, I really couldn¡¯t hold on.¡±


    Not far away, the bunny approached slowly, its fluffy head rested on her knee, staying still, seemingly also exhausted.<div>


    Bai Youwei picked it up and stroked it.


    Well¡­it was almost out of energy, indeed a tough job.


    Bai Youwei cradled the bunny and rested quietly.


    There were distinct footsteps from below the stairs. She didn¡¯t turn around until a warm pair of hands, slightly damp from sweat, embraced her and progressively lifted her.


    The familiar warm embrace eased her, giving her a sense of returning home. Even if the man was sweaty, bloody, and covered in dirt, he could always bring her a sense of security.


    Bai Youwei leaned against Shen Mo¡¯s chest, closed her eyes briefly, then opened them and asked, ¡°Where are the others?¡±


    Shen Mo, cradling her, descended the stairs and answered softly, ¡°Tan Xiao is injured, he left.¡±


    Bai Youwei asked again, ¡°What about Yu Yaqing?¡±


    Shen Mo¡¯s steps momentarily hitched, then resumed. He continued moving downward and answered, ¡°¡­she had an ident.¡±


    Upon hearing the news, Bai Youwei froze, ¡°She¡¯s dead?¡±


    Shen Mo acknowledged with a faint ¡®mmhmm¡¯.


    The two remained silent, the only sound in the winding stairs was their footsteps, one following another.


    After a while, Bai Youwei asked him again, ¡°Did it hurt when she died?¡±


    Shen Mo stopped and looked at Bai Youwei, ¡°It didn¡¯t. When she died¡­she didn¡¯t suffer much.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Bai Youwei nodded her slightly dazed head, whispering, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡­


    The two exited the Crystal Tower to see Yan Qingwen and Shen Fei waiting for them outside.


    Further away, the Inspector was slowly making his way towards them¡ªN?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°Congrattions, you have cleared this game.¡±<div>


    Bai Youwei, Shen Mo, Shen Fei, Yan Qingwen.


    The Rabbit¡¯s gaze swept over each of their faces as it spoke warmly, ¡°You all performed even better than I imagined. Doll Games is always generous to its victors. You will receive the best rewards in history.¡±


    ¡°The best reward?¡± Yan Qingwen ridiculed sharply.


    Shen Mo responded indifferently, ¡°So many people have died unless they can be revived from death, I don¡¯t think any reward can be considered the ¡®best¡¯.¡±<div>


    The Rabbit chuckled softly, ¡°The reward that allows one to resurrect indeed exists, but it¡¯s not in my games.¡±


    When it finished its sentence, all four people present were stunned.


    A reward that allows one to resurrect from death?


    Did such a thing truly exist in the world?!


    Yan Qingwen asked anxiously, ¡°Where is this game you speak of? Which game do we need to enter to receive such a reward?¡±


    The Rabbit answered, ¡°There are 7124 Doll Games in total. After the initial trial run, 3361 games were shut down due to irreparable glitches, 2156 were shut down due to overly homogenous data, 1092 were shut down because the clearance rate was lower than 0.01%, and 343 were shut down because the clearance rate was higher than 10%. Only the remaining 172 games are running normally. The game that has the reward to resurrect from death is just one. Your chance of encountering it is roughly five out of a thousand, so I don¡¯t believe you would be that lucky.¡±

 Chapter 466: The True Needs of the Heart

    Chapter 466: The True Needs of the Heart


    ¡°Not necessarily.¡± Yan Qingwen stared at the Inspector, his voice extremely low. ¡°Just because I haven¡¯t encountered it doesn¡¯t mean others haven¡¯t. As long as someone hase out of that game before, they can definitely gather relevant information.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡± said the Rabbit head man with a mild smile, ¡°You¡¯re a wise man, I hope you get what you wish.¡±


    In the end, he did not disclose any clues about that game.


    The Rabbit head Inspector held up his ck top hat with one hand and reached into it with the other¡ª


    ¡°Next, it¡¯s time to distribute the game rewards¡­¡±


    He produced a cloth doll from the hat.


    Everyone¡¯s nerves tightened instantly as they stared intently!


    Because the cloth doll in the Inspector¡¯s hand looked exactly like Mary!


    The Rabbit head man exined, ¡°Hide-and-seek Mary loves to hide, and she also loves making dolls. As a reward, Mary will custom-make a doll for each of you.¡±


    He paused for a moment and then added with a slight smile, ¡°This is the best reward for you, because each one is tailor-made to fulfill your current desires.¡±


    With that, he set the doll down and said gently, ¡°Go on.¡±


    With a soft thud, the cloth dollnded on the ground and stood in front of Yan Qingwen taking a serious look at him.


    Then, it moved a few steps towards Shen Fei, quietly observing him as well.


    Finally, it observed Shen Mo and Bai Youwei.


    After inspecting all four, it strolled off.


    Just when everyone was puzzled, the Inspector exined, ¡°Mary needs some time to make the dolls. Please wait patiently.¡±


    This was unusual.


    Previously, game items would be given out directly, but this time they were being made on the spot. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    As they waited patiently, they grew curious about what kind of dolls the cloth doll would create.


    During this wait, Bai Youwei asked the Rabbit head man, ¡°You just mentioned that there used to be 7,124 games in total, but only 172 are still in operation now. Is this number fixed or will it change over time?¡±


    The Rabbit head man replied politely, ¡°Yes, this number can change at any time. For example, we will be closing down some games that require arge number of yers.¡±


    With the world poption continually dwindling, the games that had participation requirements of thirty to fifty people were no longer necessary.


    Because no one was able to activate them anymore.


    Yan Qingwen remembered something else and told them, ¡°The games around the base have maintained a high sess rate due to the strategies provided by the organization. However, he mentioned that 343 games were closed due to a sess rate above 10%. This suggests that even if the organization avoids triggering the anti-grinding system, it can¡¯t stop the arrival of new games.¡±


    Shen Fei voiced his concern, ¡°We must inform Professor Song about this situation. If the games near the base are gradually closed down, new games will surely appear to fill the gap, putting everyone in danger.¡±


    ¡°The 10% is possibly calcted based on the total number of people.¡± Shen Mo added, ¡°Currently, each game has imed at least a thousand lives. Based on a poption of a thousand, 10% would be 100 people. So, a game will be removed only if the organization sends 100 people to it. If we go by the rate of sending a team of five people into the game every seven days, it would take at least 140 days to reach that number.¡±


    This 140-day estimate is for a game with a total poption count of 1,000. In fact, the actual number of yers in each game far exceeds a thousand ¨C often several thousand, tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands.


    Therefore, the current situation at the base is rtively stable.

 Chapter 467: Steel Puppet

    Chapter 467: Steel Puppet


    During the conversation, a knocking sound echoed from the distance, like the beating of a gong, or hammering of iron. The incessant sound persisted and did not stop.


    Everyone looked over in suspicion.


    The noise continued for quite some time.


    When it finally ended, the night too came to an end. A loud chime rang from the clock tower, proceeding which, dawn broke.


    The Inspector smiled and said: ¡°Perfect timing, I hope you are satisfied with your game rewards.¡±


    ¡ª At the distant intersection, a towering silhouette slowly approached, like a fully armed heavy knight. With each step, a heavy sound was produced, apanied by the noise of metal friction.


    Everyone stared at the sight in astonishment. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Yan Qingwen couldn¡¯t help but step forward: ¡°¡­Lun Ang?!¡±


    His initial excitementsted for a mere two seconds. When he recognized the silhouette, he felt an immediate sense of profound loss and pain¡­


    Because it was not Lun Ang, but an armoured knight with a silhouette simr to him. Moreover, the part of the armour on the head was designed like a beard made of iron wire, making it remarkably simr to Lun Ang.


    This was a steel doll, modelled after Lun Ang.


    Yan Qingwen outstretched his hand and gently ced it on the steel puppet¡¯s chest.


    It was cold, hard, void of warmth or heartbeat.


    Meanwhile, information about the item appeared in his mind:


    [Mary¡¯s Doll ¡¤ Yan Qingwen: equipped with an automatic defense system, capable of defending and protecting an area with a diameter of 6 meters centered around the user.


    Please note, this prop is now bound to the user.]


    Unable to hold back, Yan Qingwen lowered his head, his eyes moist, a bitter smile at the corners of his mouth.


    ¡°Are you satisfied with your reward?¡± The rabbit-headed person courteously asked.


    Yan Qingwen lifted his head, took a deep breath, patted the armor of the steel puppet. As the metallic nging echoed, he said, ¡°Satisfied. Yes¡­I am very satisfied.¡±


    Everyone stared at the towering puppet, reminded of Lun Ang¡¯s death, and fell silent.


    Next up for the reward was Shen Fei¡¯s.


    Shen Fei received a tiny cloth doll.


    ¡ª It was even smaller than Mary, just the size of his palm, with ck hair, a white dress, and a round face with eyes and mouth embroidered with ck and red threads, and rosy cheeks.


    Upon seeing his reward, Shen Fei¡¯s face went red, evidently uneasy.


    He awkwardly nced at Shen Mo and Bai Youwei next to him, upon seeing no apparent change in their expressions, he slightly rxed.


    Even so, he still felt embarrassed.


    ¡°Wh-why is it this kind of prop¡­¡± Shen Fei questioned in a low, awkward voice.


    The rabbit-headed person asked, ¡°Do you not like it? But the rewards are tailor-made. In theory, Mary should fulfill your deepest needs.¡±


    The deepest needs of the heart.


    If it hadn¡¯t mentioned it, it would have been fine. But with its words, Shen Mo and Bai Youwei furrowed their brows, looking once more at the cloth doll in his hand.


    Shen Fei had no choice but to let them look. Fortunately, the appearance of the cloth doll was very abstract; its round face and round eyes wouldn¡¯t let anyone associate it with¡­ associate it with Bai Youwei.


    Shen Fei¡¯s cheeks burned.


    He didn¡¯t understand why Mary had given him such a doll. Could it be¡­ could it be because the impression of the water demon when he was unconscious was too deep?


    Feeling Shen Mo¡¯s assessing gaze, Shen Fei¡¯s heartbeat quickened, he pretended to act nonchnt, ¡°Haha¡­ I am a man, giving me a doll as a prop, that¡¯s strange¡­¡±


    Bai Youweimented, ¡°This doll looks a lot like Mary.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± The Inspector exined gently, ¡°The appearance of the cloth doll is based on Mary herself.¡±


    Shen Fei: ¡°¡­¡±

 Chapter 468: 468: No Rewards

    Chapter 468: No Rewards


    ¡°God¡­


    Why on earth would he have misunderstood it like that?! To think that he¡¯d actually assumed¡­


    Ah!!! I can¡¯t bear to think about it anymore!


    Shen Fei wished he could give himself two big ps on the spot!


    Shen Mo looked at his cousin¡¯s face, which was flushed red, and narrows his eyes in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell?¡±


    ¡°No¡­I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m fine¡­¡± Shen Fei buried his head deep, so embarrassed that he wished he could disappear into a crack in the ground!


    Bai Youwei impatiently said, ¡°Why are you blushing? Hurry up and tell us the use of the doll prop. With all that effort we put into passing the game, I hope the prop isn¡¯t just some piece of rubbish!¡±


    Shen Fei didn¡¯t dare to look at her, and replied with his head lowered, ¡°It¡­it has an automatic danger warning system. It seems to mean that it can warn of danger. It can¡­give six warnings per day.¡±


    [Mary¡¯s Doll¡¤Shen Fei: It has an automatic warning system, which can give an early warning of any dangers the user might encounter. It can give a warning up to 6 times in 24 hours.


    Note, this prop has now been bound to the user.]


    ¡°That¡¯s quite useful.¡± Shen Mo said calmly. ¡°Since it can give early warnings of danger, you should carry it with you every day.¡±<div>


    Shen Fei managed to respond with a reluctant ¡°Okay.¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Just contemting the fact that he, a fully-grown man, would have a cloth doll in his pocket every day made him feel¡­odd.


    But to Bai Youwei and Shen Mo, this reward was practical and very suitable for him.


    ¡°What¡¯s Shen Mo¡¯s reward?¡± Bai Youwei anxiously asked Mary.


    The most eye-catching steel puppet went to Yan Qingwen, while the tiny cloth doll went to Shen Fei. Now, the only thing left in Mary¡¯s hand was something that looked like a steel ruler.


    When she unrolled the so-called ¡°steel ruler,¡± Bai Youwei realized that it was a paper doll.


    It was as hard as steel yet as soft as paper, it could be folded and stretched. When the doll¡¯s arms and legs were closed, it turned into a dagger. When the doll¡¯s body was stretched out, it became a longsword.


    [Mary¡¯s Doll¡¤Shen Mo: A paper doll with various ways to y. It can cut any target except the user itself and can change its form ording to the user¡¯s will. It has a total of 6 forms.


    Note, this prop has now been bound to the user.]


    The paper cutout took the form of a dagger in Shen Mo¡¯s hand, it looked sharp and firm. However, when the de made contact with Shen Mo¡¯s skin, it immediately curled up like paper, which was astonishing.


    Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but touch it curiously; although she didn¡¯t use much effort, just a simple touch opened a small cut on her fingertip.


    Shen Mo furrowed his brows and put away the paper human, rolling it into a loop around his wrist like a bracelet.


    Bai Youwei didn¡¯t really care, she casually wiped her finger on Shen Mo¡¯s clothes and casually said, ¡°Now we¡¯re all set, atst, we have weapons and moreover, we can carry them into the game without restrictions.¡±


    Just as the Inspector said, all the rewards were tailored to their inner needs by Mary.


    I wonder what her reward will be like?


    What about an automatic wheelchair? Or that huge cloth cat would also be nice.


    Bai Youwei¡¯s thoughts flittered about in her mind, full of anticipation.


    Just then, she heard the bunny head Inspector say, ¡°The game rewards have been disbursed. So, see you¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Bai Youwei stared at him in astonishment. ¡°Where¡¯s my reward?¡±<div>


    Others were also confused and looked at the Inspector.


    Four people had passed the game, there¡¯s no reason for only three rewards to be dispensed, right?


    The rabbit-headed human stood in front of them, his suit impably tailored, his shirt snow-white. He just quietly looked at Bai Youwei, without uttering a word for a long time.


    Bai Youwei furrowed her brows and asked him again, ¡°Why didn¡¯t I get a reward?¡±<div>


    Finally, the rabbit-headed human spoke, ¡°As to why you didn¡¯t get a reward, I think¡­you should know better than I do.¡±


    Bai Youwei was taken aback.


    The Rabbit-headed humanughed softly, his voice gentle, ¡°Goodbye, I look forward to meeting you again.¡±


    It seemed like he was saying that to Bai Youwei, and also to the bunny in her arms.

 Chapter 469: 469: Game Number 21 Ends

    Chapter 469: Game Number 21 Ends


    The game is over.


    The Inspector vanished before their eyes, and silence spread around them, leaving only the sun silently illuminating them.


    Shen Fei tentatively nced around, ¡°Have we gotten out?¡±


    ¡°We have.¡± Yan Qingwen lifted his head to look at the sky, ¡°The sun is in the west, it¡¯s morning in the game, but in the real world, it should be the evening.¡±


    They turned around to find that the Crystal Tower behind them had returned to its original state. Therge crystal at the top was dyed orange by the setting sun, absorbing the brilliance of the evening twilight, sparkling brightly.


    Shen Mo pushed his wheelchair forward.


    Shen Fei and Yan Qingwen followed him.


    asionally, they came across humanoid dolls. They hade with a mission or ambition in their past lives. Now, they were all mixed together with the original dolls in the amusement park, as if they were a part of the amusement park.


    Yan Qingwen¡¯s pace suddenly increased.


    Faster and faster.


    In the end, he abandoned restraint and ran towards the carousel!<div>


    The Steel Puppet followed him, matching his pace. Each step produced a heavy echo.


    Everyone knew in their hearts that Yan Qingwen was going to look for Lun Ang.


    Near the carousel, Lun Ang¡¯s doll stood quietly. The setting sun cast a long shadow behind him. The doll was in perfect condition, without any wounds, its face bore a stiff expression of surprise.


    It was hard to imagine how brutal his death in the game had been.


    When Shen Mo and Bai Youwei arrived, they saw Yan Qingwen roping up Lun Ang¡¯s doll and tying it behind the Steel Puppet.


    ¡°If in the future¡­we can find a tool that allows resurrection, then maybe it can be useful,¡± Yan Qingwen said lightly as he stared at the doll.


    The doll on the Steel Puppet¡¯s back looked lifeless, stiff, clumsy, and even funny.


    But nobody managed tough.


    Bai Youwei said to Shen Mo, ¡°Let¡¯s bring Yu Yaqing too.¡±


    Shen Mo nodded.


    Although the prospects were dim, it was better than having no hope at all.


    ¡­


    The four people and two dolls walked out of the amusement park¡¯s gate.


    A few scattered young people were loitering outside who, judging from their attire, seemed to be part of the organization¡¯s assessment team.


    Shen Fei recognized them, waving at them from a distance while exining to Shen Mo, ¡°Professor Song must have sent them to wait here to ry the news in a timely manner.¡±


    When these young people saw theme out, they all froze, as if they couldn¡¯t believe their own eyes.


    One hesitated to ask, ¡°Did¡­did you use a jigsaw puzzle to get out?¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Shen Fei stepped forward, ¡°No, we got out after passing the game, take us to Professor Song quickly! We can provide the organization with a guide!¡±


    ¡°You really passed the game?¡± The young people were both surprised and excited, ¡°Hide and Seek has been cleared? Really cleared?!!¡±<div>


    They cheered and jumped around, running excitedly on the street!


    Their calls attracted more people. As survivors spread the news, the cheers echoed throughout the city¡ª


    ¡°They¡¯ve cleared it! Cleared it!!!¡±


    ¡°The 21st game has been cleared! We don¡¯t have to move away!¡±<div>


    ¡­


    However, joy and sorrow are ipatible.


    Shen Fei looked back, seeing the indifference on the faces of hispanions and the dolls of Lun Ang and Yu Yaqing, his just-appeared smile froze on his face. He felt deeply ashamed as if he¡¯d been taken by surprise and been pped in the face.


    The so-called victory, was won with the lives of theirrades.


    So, how could heugh heartily?


    Shen Mo patted him on the back with his free hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go, get some proper rest, don¡¯t let your parents worry.¡±


    Shen Fei bowed his head, only responding with a dull ¡°hm¡±.

 Chapter 470: 470: Square Carnival

    Chapter 470: Square Carnival


    People need the rejuvenation of climbing a peak every time they hit a valley. On the evening of the 21st, when news of the game being cleared spread, people gathered spontaneously in the square, lit bonfires and threw a party.


    All were reveling in the merriment.


    Chu Huaijin, the person in charge of the organization, knew this was an excellent opportunity to rally spirits. He had his subordinates distribute supplies in abundance, providing food and drinks for the grand feast.


    Professor Song also hosted a banquet once again for those who cleared the game, the locale being the activity center in the square.


    Neither Shen Mo nor Bai Youwei were particrly interested, but they attended anyway. This feast was meant not only for celebration but also to discuss the next step and to exchange the rewards from the current game, to assemble the eight puzzle pieces.


    Teacher Cheng and Pan Xiaoxin also attended, even the injured Tan Xiao did.


    The atmosphere was truly vibrant. They dined and drank inside the room while the lively bonfire party was just outside.


    Young men were singing, dancing, shouting, and the few women meandered through the clusters of men, theirughter chimed like bells.


    It has been a while since they had rxed like this.


    People lived day by day at the base without much thought, it was only when they were threatened with eviction that they realized how much thend beneath their feet meant to them.


    Clearing the game was not just a morale booster, it was also a signal telling them that it¡¯s time to unite.<div>


    ¡­


    Shen Fei was well-liked at the base, and as soon as he reached the square, he was towed off to join the frolic around the bonfire.


    Tan Xiao also joined, even his bandaged chest did not dampen his love for festivity. He was surrounded by a group of people, engaging in discussions about everything under the sun, especially the game.


    ¡°¡­Confronting Mary and the cat was hecious! The cat was as massive as a truck! But no fear, none at all! We had Yan brother, the forefather of setting traps! In a blink of an eye, heid a around them! Roasted Mary and the cat like pigs! But the most unexpected thing was¡­¡±


    He pped his thigh, spittle flying.


    ¡°Shocking as it was, Mary and the cat were not afraid of fire at all! And to top off it all, we had a traitor among us!¡±


    ¡°Ah? A traitor?¡±


    ¡°What traitor?¡±


    ¡°Who is it?! Who is the traitor?¡±


    The crowd around him, listening to his story, erupted in confusion, all asking who the traitor was.


    ¡°The guy wearing white gloves!¡± Tan Xiao was still furious at the mention, ¡°That guy with the beady eyes and small nose, didn¡¯t look trustworthy at all! If we hadn¡¯t needed more yers, we wouldn¡¯t have brought him! He didn¡¯t think about clearing the game, even dared to covet my Sister Weiwei¡¯s¡­ oh, wrong, covet my Weiwei¡¯s prop!¡±


    Everyone looked at each other, curiously asked him: ¡°Then what happened? Didn¡¯t Jiang Haoe out with you guys? Did you guys get rid of him?¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t even have time to do that!¡± Tan Xiao sighed, ¡°The fire was so fierce, we barely escaped, how could we have time to deal with him? But it was so close, If we hadn¡¯t brought the healing prop, Shen Fei would have nearly lost his life to Jiang Hao!¡±


    Someone immediately protested: ¡°Didn¡¯t Jiang Hao have two buddies with him? Did theye? They should rify! Those who joined them in the games never came out alive before!¡±


    ¡°Exactly! They need to exin what happened!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Even if Jiang Hao died, we can¡¯t just let the matter drop!¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The crowd was a buzz, bing more heated.


    Someone chimed in, ¡°They left a long time ago!¡±


    ¡°What? When did they leave?¡±<div>


    ¡°They probably heard the game was cleared, worried that Jiang Hao¡¯s actions would expose them too, so they hurried away¡­¡±


    ¡°Those scoundrels!¡±


    Everyone was cursing to vent their anger.


    <div>

 Chapter 471: 471: Stop Showing Off

    Chapter 471: Stop Showing Off


    ¡°Not far off, Shen Fei was also surrounded by a group of people.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    They were all in their early twenties, around the same age as Shen Fei, and they were also discussing matters rted to the game of hide and seek.


    In stark contrast to Tan Xiao¡¯s lively chattering, their discussions here were heated, yet calm and rational. Everyone was attempting to analyze and summarize Shen Fei¡¯smentary, hoping to learn something.


    Inevitably, Jiang Hao¡¯s name came up in their conversation.


    ¡°¡­ording to what Shen Fei said, it seems that this Jiang Hao, this isn¡¯t his first time doing something like this.¡±


    ¡°Killing is much easier thanpleting a game. They guarantee their survival rates by grabbing items and piecing together puzzles, showing absolutely no humanity.¡±


    ¡°Next time wee across a person wearing white gloves, we should all be careful. We might encounter people associated with them¡­¡±


    The ruckus from Tan Xiao¡¯s side would sometimes overshadow the conversation on Shen Fei¡¯s side.


    A few showed their distaste.


    ¡°Those are just people who managed to escape using puzzles, they didn¡¯t even clear the game. Yet they boast as if they¡¯re so great, it¡¯sughable!¡±


    ¡°Not surprising at all, there are a few notorious braggarts over there. They¡¯ve barely yed the game, but boast as if they¡¯re the best!¡±<div>


    ¡°I really can¡¯t stand this sort of person, aren¡¯t they trying to steal Shen Fei¡¯s spotlight?!¡± A young man said to Shen Fei, ¡°Shen Fei, didn¡¯t you gain a bonus item? Show them off, let those ignorant people widen their horizons!¡±


    Shen Fei felt awkward and declined, ¡°Don¡¯t say that¡­ Tan Xiao is pretty amazing¡­ I didn¡¯t really help much in the game¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re way too modest!¡± A friend by Shen Fei¡¯s side gave an exasperated sigh, shook his head and said, ¡°Shen Fei! Even modesty should have a limit, are you really going to let others steal your spotlight?¡±


    Shen Fei, feeling embarrassed, shook his head, ¡°As long as everyone makes it out safe, that¡¯s good enough. Having the spotlight or not¡­ isn¡¯t important.¡±


    This was what he truly meant.


    In the past, he might feel resentful in such circumstances, but after facing life and death experiences together, one realizes that fighting for the spotlight or saving face doesn¡¯t matter, and there¡¯s no need to be critical.


    Nevertheless, everyone dismissed his words as modesty and humility.


    ¡°Forget it. If Shen Fei doesn¡¯t want to, let¡¯s not force him¡­ Those guys just talk big, but really, they¡¯re ignorant and ipetent. Did you hear that guy called Tan Xiao reading Mary¡¯s rhyme? He pronounced ¡®doll¡¯ as ¡®dough¡¯, his pronunciation was hrious. I wonder where that bumpkines from, never seen the world¡­¡±


    ¡°Have you seen the world?¡±


    A sudden woman¡¯s voice rang out.


    There are few women in the base, and even fewer youngdies so a crisp and soft voice like this isn¡¯tmon, especially when it¡¯s icy cold.


    ¡°Bai¡­Bai Youwei¡­¡± Shen Fei stands up uneasily.


    Bai Youwei, however, didn¡¯t look at him and instead directed her indifferent gaze at the young man who spoke earlier:


    ¡°Your so-called worldly experience is speaking standard American English? Having polite conversation and organized dialogue?


    Do these things make you proud?


    If your parents did not send you to learn English, if you were not born in a well-off family, if you grew up in a poor remote area without inte, would you have any of these things?


    In the end, everything was given to you! There¡¯s nothing on you that you earned through hard work, so what do you have to be proud of?¡±


    The young man was flushed and embarrassed by her words.


    Bai Youwei scoffed, ridiculing him, ¡°Bumpkin? Never seen the world? Do you understand what it means to ¡®see the world¡¯? Seeing the world doesn¡¯t just mean looking up, but also down! Look at where you stand, don¡¯t get carried away!¡±<div>

 Chapter 472: 472: Not What You Think

    Chapter 472: Not What You Think


    Everyone held some awe for the four individuals who¡¯d managed to clear the levels, and with Bai Youwei being notoriously resourceful and not to be messed with, her current tirade went unchallenged by the young boys.


    The boy she was berating directed a plea for help at Shen Fei.


    Shen Fei awkwardly looked away, thinking to himself: I wouldn¡¯t dare either¡­


    ¡°Shen Fei.¡± Bai Youwei called out.


    ¡°A¡­ah?¡± Shen Fei jumped in surprise, immediately standing up straight. ¡°Wha¡­what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Come here.¡± Bai Youwei beckoned to him. ¡°I have something to discuss.¡±


    ¡°Oh, alright¡­¡± Under the watchful eyes of his friends, Shen Fei followed Bai Youwei.


    They moved to a nearby corner, a less noisy area. Shen Fei asked, puzzled, ¡°What is it?¡±


    After looking around, Bai Youwei whispered to him, ¡°Do you have a car? Can you give me a ride home?¡±


    ¡°Home?¡± Shen Fei couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going back with my brother?¡±


    Struck with displeasure, Bai Youwei raised an eyebrow, ¡°Are you driving me or not? If not, I¡¯ll ask someone else!¡±<div>


    ¡°I¡¯ll drive¡­¡± Shen Fei brought out his car key exining, ¡°I thought you were going with my brother, so I was just asking.¡±


    ¨C Automobile fuel was a preciousmodity, so although most people in the city owned cars, they generally refrained from using them. They would walk if they could, and would only drive when going on long trips.


    Shen Fei had some standing within their organization, so both the vehicle and fuel were supplied internally.


    He thought that Bai Youwei had asked him to save on fuel, but once they were in the car, she dictated, ¡°Don¡¯t tell Shen Mo, just take me backter.¡±


    Shen Fei: ¡°Why¡­¡±


    Bai Youwei furrowed her brows.


    Shen Fei mped his mouth shut, asking no more.


    He had to find a way to escape being referred to as the¡¯s baby!


    ¡­


    When Bai Youwei reached her residence, she instructed Shen Fei to wait in the living room. She then went into her room, locked the door behind her, and took out a golden key to unlock her dollhouse.


    Both Teacher Cheng and Pan Xiaoxin were ying in the square, so the dollhouse was empty for now.


    She then quickly washed her hair and body in the bathroom, followed by blow-drying her hair. All these simple actions weren¡¯t as easy for her, so they took some time.


    Once freshened up, she pulled out ake-blue long dress from her wardrobe. With a deep V-neck, ruffle edges, and a soft fit, even her less than perfect figure looked stunning. The wave pattern below the knees on the dress wonderfully concealed the imperfections on her legs.


    Looking at herself in the mirror, Bai Youwei let out a sigh, then pushed herself out of the dollhouse in her wheelchair.


    She wasn¡¯t done yet.


    She had returned because she remembered that the dressing table in her room wasden with makeup left by the room¡¯s previous owner.


    Sitting before the dressing table, she meticulously applied foundation, drew her eyebrows, and even tried mascara to make her eyes more vibrant. She decided to forego eyeshadow altogether as she had never used it before. Next was the moving of the lipstick, she cut off a small slice and gently applied it to her lips, followed by puckering.


    She considered trying a small amount of perfume, but didn¡¯t like the scent left behind by the previous owner and decided to skip it.


    Finally, Bai Youwei fluffed her hair up a bit, giving it more volume.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om<div>


    In the mirror, her snow-white skin contrasted with her red lips. The delicate, girlish face hidden beneath the expansive dark hair blurred age boundaries, disying both the innocence of a girl and the charm of a woman.


    She was finally satisfied.


    The night sky, a bonfire, strong liquor, and aromatic food brewing; such an environment was perfect for her bold and bright makeup.


    As she opened the bedroom door, she saw Shen Fei asleep on the living room sofa.<div>


    Bai Youwei woke him up and asked, ¡°How do I look?¡±


    Shen Fei was taken aback. He looked at the made-up Bai Youwei and stammered, ¡°I, uh¡­I think¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to think.¡± Bai Youwei looked intently at him. ¡°Would your brother like this?¡±

 Chapter 473: 473: Suddenly Getting Angry

    Chapter 473: Suddenly Getting Angry


    Shen Fei: ¡°¡­¡±


    How was he supposed to know whether Shen Mo liked it or not?


    However, it was indeed hard to figure out Shen Mo¡¯s tastes. From childhood to adulthood, this cousin of his seemed to have never had a particr liking for anything, including hobbies and romantic rtionships.


    Back in the day, Shen Fei and his peers had many preferences like a particr game, a movie, a pop song¡­ They would imitate the dressing styles of celebrities, cheer for a ser match, keeping a fresh and robust interest in everything.


    But Shen Mo was always indifferent.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Even with academics, he only stuck to routine without much zest. Every task he performed was like a robot, precise, perfect, but rigid.


    He faintly remembered once overhearing his uncle and father at a family gathering discussing how this kind of personality suited better if Shen Mo joined a military academy as he might struggle to seed in other fields.


    Later on, it came to pass that Shen Mo did indeed go¡­


    Thinking about all this, and then thinking about how differently Shen Mo treated Bai Youwei, Shen Fei couldn¡¯t help but feel peculiar.


    ¡°Hey, why are you zoning out?¡±


    Bai Youwei waved her hand in front of his eyes, ¡°Is my dress okay? Actually, the bonfire party would match better with a red dress, but since we just yed the game and red implies blood, I chose blue. How does it look? Pretty?¡±<div>


    ¡°Um¡­pretty.¡± Shen Fei nodded affirmatively, ¡°My brother likes blue.¡±


    ¡°Great, let¡¯s go.¡± Urged Bai Youwei, ¡°Hurry up, back to the square.¡±


    She had it all figured out. Though she couldn¡¯t dance, she was determined to stand up, and with railings, she could even walk a few steps.


    She wanted to face the crowd.


    She wanted to see a different self in his eyes.


    She eagerly wanted to.


    ¡­


    Driving back to the square only took several minutes.


    On their way back, they bumped into some young boys and girls returning from the square.


    Bai Youwei had spent quite a while showering, drying her hair, dressing up, and by the time she finished, the bonfire party was near its end and some people were already heading home.


    Shen Fei, gripping the steering wheel, saw a couple kissing under a tree. The headlights unintentionally shined upon them, causing the surprised couple to nce their way, which made Shen Fei blush.


    The girl at the scene covered her cor,ined that the boy shouldn¡¯t do such things by the road. The boy wrapped his arms around the girl¡¯s waist, whispered soothing words which just made the girl more embarrassed, and she yfully chased him to the other side of the road, disappearing quickly from sight.


    Shen Fei had encountered such scenes before and didn¡¯t feel much, but now with Bai Youwei in the same car, he inexplicably felt awkward and embarrassed.


    He coughed lightly and told Bai Youwei in a normal tone, ¡°I¡¯ll park the car ahead and take you to my brother.¡±


    Bai Youwei said, ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s go back.¡±


    Shen Fei stopped, ¡°Why¡­¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you stop asking why!¡± Bai Youwei suddenly exploded, angrily saying, ¡°Why why why! I don¡¯t know why! I don¡¯t know! Can¡¯t I just want to go back?!¡±


    Shen Fei stared at her in silence.


    Bai Youwei turned her face away in frustration, silently gazing out the car window.<div>


    An awkward silence spread throughout the car.


    Neither of them spoke.


    Shen Fei couldn¡¯t understand why she exploded out of nowhere. She had spent over an hour grooming herself. Why didn¡¯t she want to go now, when they were just about there? She seemed to be in quite good spirits just now. How did it suddenly¡­


    He knew better than to ask any more questions. Silently, he turned the car around and took Bai Youwei back home.<div>

 Chapter 474: 474: After Starting a Fire

    Chapter 474: After Starting a Fire


    Returning to her abode, Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t hold in her resentment any longer, regardless of whether Shen Fei would hear from outside. She went into her room and swept all the cosmetics from her vanity onto the floor!


    All the jars and bottles were smashed! Perfume and powder made a mess on the floor!


    Still not enough, she threw pillows and tore the bedsheets!


    Whatever could be smashed, she smashed, whatever could be broken, she broke, and whatever could be destroyed, she destroyed!


    She kept picturing in her mind that couple running and chasing after each other ¨C the young girl full of youth, dressed in denim shorts. Her bare legs were unobscured, dazzling and eye-catching!


    So what if you can stand? What does taking a few steps mean?


    Can you run? Can you jump? Do you have that pair of healthy, lively, long legs?


    Jealousy!


    Fury!


    Unprovoked anger drove her to want to scream hysterically!


    All negative emotions overwhelmed Bai Youwei. She clenched her teeth and grabbed the hem of her skirt, wishing she could burn it clean!<div>


    Her carefully selected long skirt, an expensive and beautiful dress, also used to hide her shorings! It was like a joke before those legs!


    What a huge joke!


    Jerk!


    The ripping sound of tear and pull, the curtains were ripped apart!


    She opened the wardrobe again, threw all the clothes inside to the floor indiscriminately, and even wanted to push the wardrobe over and smash it to pieces!


    Suddenly, voices were heard from outside the door.


    Bai Youwei froze in her actions.


    She was stunned as she turned to look at the locked bedroom door¡ª


    In the living room, Shen Mo who just returned home asked Shen Fei, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Despite it being a very ordinary question, Shen Fei stammered in response, ¡°I, I drove Weiwei back¡­¡±


    Shen Mo raised his eyebrow, ¡°Weiwei?¡±


    Shen Fei sensed something and corrected himself, ¡°I drove Sister Weiwei back¡­¡±


    Shen Mo nodded lightly, ¡°Go home early. You need a few more days to recover from your injuries. Be careful.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Shen Fei replied, hesitated as he nced at the tightly closed door behind him, then departed quietly.


    When Shen Fei left, Shen Mo knocked on the bedroom door.


    ¡ªKnock, knock.


    ¡°Weiwei?¡±


    Bai Youwei looked around the messy room.


    Why did he have toe at this time¡­<div>


    She closed her eyes, holding herself back at her limits.


    ¡°Weiwei, are you in there?¡± Shen Mo asked again.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Bai Youwei shouted back, quickly picking up the clothes on the floor and stuffing them back into the wardrobe!


    As she tidied up, she yelled out, ¡°Wait a moment, I¡¯m changing my clothes! Give me a second, then I¡¯ll open the door!¡±<div>


    Picking up all the cosmetics from the floor!


    Unable to clean up all the jars and ss shards, she simply swept all under the bed!


    The bedsheets? The bedsheets need to be tidied up quickly!


    ¡­Damn it! The lipstick and eyeshadow had stained the sheets irresistibly! No choice, she had to change the sheets!


    But where were the clean sheets?


    Bai Youwei yanked her hair out of frustration, pulling the wardrobe door open again and flipping through it frenziedly for the bedsheets. The clothes she had just stuffed in the wardrobe fell out again.


    She was at her wits¡¯ end, but finally found the clean sheets after hard searching. With great effort, she spread them out on the bed, only to notice the pillows were missing.


    Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!!!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Where the hell had she thrown the pillows?!


    ¡°Weiwei, are you alright in there?¡± Shen Mo, who had been waiting for a while, asked suspiciously.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine! ¡­I, I¡¯m just slow in changing clothes, wait a little longer!¡± She exined again.


    Wheeling around the room, Bai Youwei searched for the pillow, but to no avail. Eventually, she found it strangely underneath the bed.


    She had to get off the wheelchair,y down on the floor and crawl under the bed to pick it up.<div>


    While reaching for it, her palm was cut by the ss shards under the bed. When she crawled out, she bumped her head on the bed frame.


    She patted the two pillows clean and ced them neatly at the head of the bed.


    While arranging them¡­ for some reason, she suddenly felt overwhelmingly sad and upset. The tip of her nose tingled, and tears dropped heavily onto the pillows¡­

 Chapter 475: 475 Let’s Continue

    Chapter 475: Let¡¯s Continue


    ¡°Weiwei? Are you done changing?¡± Shen Mo asked from outside the door.


    ¡°Done.¡± Bai Youwei replied.


    She rubbed her tears fiercely, not realizing that she had smeared her mascara creating a ck mark. She supported herself with both hands to return to her wheelchair, took a deep breath, and then opened the door.


    When Shen Mo outside the door saw her, he was a little taken aback.


    Bai Youwei acted as if nothing had happened, casually flipping her long hair, pretending toin, ¡°What¡¯s the rush? You made me panic, took me half a day to change my clothes, this skirt was hard to put on¡­¡±


    Shen Mo had a smile in his eyes, ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡±


    Bai Youwei was slightly stunned, looking at him, bashfully asking, ¡°¡­ Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, really.¡± Shen Mo nodded, stepping into the room.


    He noticed that the bedsheet had been changed, he couldn¡¯t help but nce at Bai Youwei.


    Bai Youwei casually said, ¡°The previous sheet was dirty.¡±


    Crick¡ª¡ª<div>


    As her voice fell, he stepped on a piece of broken ss.


    Shen Mo looked at Bai Youwei again.


    Bai Youwei turned her face away ufortably, ¡°Ah¡­ It seems like the room hasn¡¯t been cleaned for a few days.¡±


    The corner of Shen Mo¡¯s mouth lifted slightly, he walked to the window and closed the curtains.


    Swish¡ª¡ª


    The torn curtain came down in one piece with a light twist.


    Bai Youwei said, ¡°You¡­ are too careless¡­¡±


    Perhaps because the reason was too far-fetched, she spoke without much confidence.


    Shen Mo looked at her with an unfathomable smile.


    Bai Youwei was a little embarrassed and mumbled, ¡°What are youughing at?¡±


    Shen Mo smiled lightly, ignored the curtain, walked over lifted her onto the bed from the wheelchair, took out a few tissues from the side table, and gently wiped the traces on her face.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you came back?¡±


    ¡°I wanted toe back and change my clothes. Seeing you having a good chat with some people from the organization, I didn¡¯t want to disturb you¡­ Mao,¡± Bai Youwei made up a half-true, half-false excuse, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you toe back so quickly. If I had known, I wouldn¡¯t have wasted my effort.¡±


    Shen Mo held her in his arms, his nose brushing against hers, he chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s not a waste, you look gorgeous.¡±


    The man who was usually reticent and cold, had praised her for the second time today.


    Bai Youwei felt surprised.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Unable to react in time, her face had a somewhat nk expression.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Shen Mo lowered his head, getting closer to her, his lips almost touching hers¡­


    Caught off guard by his natural affection, Bai Youwei blurted out, ¡°Did you drink?¡±<div>


    His thin lips curved slightly, getting closer to hers, lightly touching the corner of her mouth, ¡°Didn¡¯t drink, maybe it¡¯s the smell of liquor from the dinner table¡­ does it smell bad? Do I need to take a bath?¡±


    Bai Youwei nked even more, ¡°¡­¡±


    This¡­


    Is he¡­<div>


    ¡­ Kissing her?


    It couldn¡¯t be an idental touch could it?!


    She felt a mix of emotions for a moment, nervousness, excitement, and anticipation!


    Acting as if possessed, she¡­ she also touched his.


    Her heart pounded wildly.


    She said, ¡°No¡­ It doesn¡¯t smell bad.¡±


    Theughter in Shen Mo¡¯s eyes deepened, ¡°Shall we continue?¡±


    Bai Youwei wrapped her arms around his neck, ¡°Okay, okay¡­¡±

 Chapter 476: 476: Drum-like Biceps

    Chapter 476: Drum-like Biceps


    Shen Mo is lying down on the bed with Bai Youwei, the two of them quiet.


    Yes, quiet, but to Bai Youwei, there is a noise.


    Her heartbeat, was unbearably loud to her¡­


    She didn¡¯t know what Shen Mo was feeling right now, but she simply couldn¡¯t fall asleep, tossing and turning.


    Shen Mo had his eyes closed, letting her move around in his arms. Eventually, probably fed up with her restlessness, he grabbed her hand and ced it on his waist.


    Ah¡­


    Abdominal muscles~


    Bai Youwei calmed down, quietly touched his abdominal muscles, and along with oblique muscles, deltoid muscles,tissimus dorsi muscles¡­


    She poked at his biceps, curiously asking: ¡°Why isn¡¯t it as bulging as those male celebrities on TV shows?¡±


    Shen Mo flexed his muscle for her to see.


    Bai Youwei¡¯s fingers sank in, only to be pushed out again. She couldn¡¯t help grinning delightedly and coiled around Shen Mo to continue ying.<div>


    One moment it bulged, then it would soften. After about a dozen of these cycles, Shen Mo finally opened his eyes, adjusted his position hugging her and said, ¡°Stop ying.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Bai Youwei asked.


    Shen Mo replied: ¡°Because it¡¯s tiring.¡±


    Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡±


    Are you even a man? Making excuses like exhaustion, doesn¡¯t it hurt your pride? How tiring can flexing a bicep be?


    Bai Youwei mumbled harshly in her heart.


    After mumbling, she coiled around Shen Mo¡¯s waist and suggested sulkingly: ¡°Let¡¯s rest in the dollhouse then~¡±


    Shen Mo stroked her head, and grunted in assurance.


    Resting outside was not safe enough, especially now that they had so many jigsaw pieces, they had to be more cautious.


    Bai Youwei opened the doll house. It was also nighttime, there were no lights on in the living room, everything was dark.


    Shen Mo turned on the light and found a severed arm lying on the living room floor, catching them off guard.


    Shen Mo: ¡°¡­¡±


    Bai Youwei was also stunned.


    ¡°Oh this¡­ I almost forgot, this is the arm you chopped off.¡± She exined, ¡°I wanted to burn it, but it wasn¡¯t afraid of fire and kept struggling, so I casually tossed it into the dollhouse.¡±


    What kind of ¡®casual¡¯ is that?


    It seems taking things from the game had be her habit.


    Shen Mo asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t it frighten Teacher Cheng and Xiaoxin?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Bai Youwei shook her head lightly, ¡°They were both on the second floor at the time. Moreover, I am the owner of the dollhouse, and everyone and everything inside have to obey mymands, so I wasn¡¯t worried it would cause trouble.¡±


    She said, letting out a sorrowful sigh, then said, ¡°It¡¯s probably because of this that the Inspector didn¡¯t reward me.¡±<div>


    Thinking about it, Bai Youwei was quite upset.


    The rewards Yan Qingwen, Shen Fei, and Shen Mo received were all excellent. The iron doll provided an extra bodyguard, the rag doll could provide early warnings, and the metal doll could transform into a close-range weapon. In the end, all she got was a severed arm¡­


    Ah! She made a huge loss!


    What was she thinking at the time? It was toote for regrets now.<div>


    Bai Youwei was filled with regret and frustration.


    Shen Mo picked up the arm, which didn¡¯t react at all.


    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s broken.¡± Shen Mo said.


    ¡°Broken, huh¡­¡± Bai Youwei moved closer to take a look, ¡°Should we throw it out? It¡¯s quite nauseating.¡±


    The hand on the severed arm suddenly clenched itself into a fist, and then a finger stretched out, vigorously waving.


    Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡°¡­¡±


    After two seconds of silence, Bai Youwei gave Shen Mo aplex look: ¡°Now it¡¯s even more disgusting.¡±


    A severed arm that could move.


    Truly revolting.N?v(el)B\\jnn

 Chapter 477: 477: One Hand

    Chapter 477: One Hand


    Shen Mo thought for a moment, then tossed the severed arm on the couch, ¡°Let¡¯s keep it for now. We can¡¯t just treat it like regr garbage; it might cause trouble.¡±


    What if throwing it away ended up hurting someone, or was taken advantage of by others?


    But Bai Youwei didn¡¯t consider these points. Wrinkling her brow unhappily, she said, ¡°It was just lying on the floor and now you¡¯ve tossed it on the couch. I just changed the couch cover. It didn¡¯t even wash its hand!¡±


    The hand on the couch rolled onto the floor, palm down, arm up, and began to crawl stiffly towards the kitchen¡ª


    Suddenly Bai Youwei and Shen Mo heard the sound of a faucet being turned on, and the running water.


    The two exchanged a nce, their expressions rather delicate.


    Shen Mo was silent for a moment, then said, ¡°Now you don¡¯t have to worry about it getting your couch cover dirty.¡±


    Bai Youwei: ¡°Hmmm¡­¡±


    ¡°However¡­¡± Shen Mo stroked her head, ¡°Remember to tell Teacher Cheng and Xiaoxin beforehand.¡±


    Otherwise, it would be quite scary to see a severed arm in the middle of the night.


    Bai Youwei was still mulling over how to deal with this thing.<div>


    Right then, the water in the kitchen stopped. Not feeling reassured, she went to the kitchen with Shen Mo. They saw the arm was wiping its ¡®hand.¡¯ Immediately, Bai Youwei blew up!


    ¡°You¡¯re wiping ¡®hand¡¯ with a dishcloth?! After just washing it?! The dishcloth is full of oil!!¡±


    The hand gave arge jump, then, with a thump, fell from the edge of the sink and quickly hid in the narrow crevice behind the refrigerator, shivering with fright.


    ¡°There¡¯s dust behind the refrigerator! It¡¯s filthy!¡± Bai Youwei angrily said, ¡°Refrigerator! Move out of the way!¡±


    The refrigerator stood still.


    Shen Mo gave her a look, ¡°The refrigerator was moved in from outside.¡±


    It¡¯s just a normal household appliance, not an object from the game. It wasn¡¯t that intelligent.


    Bai Youwei bit her lip and pped her hand against the refrigerator, making a loud banging sound.


    ¡°Come out! Go wash your ¡®hand¡¯ again! Use soap to wash, then dry with the paper towel on the dining table. After that¡­ stay on the chair! Don¡¯t touch the floor!¡±


    No one could disobey the house-owner¡¯s order in the dollhouse.


    The hand came out trembling, and ording to Bai Youwei, it started to rub the soap with its palm and back of the ¡®hand¡¯, trying hard to work up ather¡­n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Bai Youwei watched the hand suspiciously from the side, ¡°If you make the stuff in the house dirty again, I¡¯ll send you out to chop wood! You won¡¯t be allowed back in!¡±


    Shen Mo found it all rather amusing as he watched.


    He then nced at the fluffy bunny in the living room silently charging up, and couldn¡¯t help but think: this home was bing more and more lively¡­


    ¡­


    In an empty and vast space, countless cubes were systematically arranged.


    One cube was emitting a pure white light, flickering in and out of intensity, as the Bunny-headed Inspector stood in front of the cube, methodically carrying out data repair.


    This was its work and its duty, tirelessly toiling day in and day out¡­ all for the endless satisfaction of the system¡¯s demands.


    A ball rolled to its feet.<div>


    The Bunny-headed creature stopped, turned around, and saw a blue-eyed, blond-haired handsome cartoon male walking towards it. Apart from him, there were also marites with strings, an old man in a grey robe, a three-faced stone statue, a floating Ghost Fire¡­ and many others.


    Everyone had gathered.


    The Bunny-headed creature quietly watched them, its eyes finally falling on the cartoon male¡¯s face, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    The cartoon male said, ¡°There has been an anomaly in the system. I discovered that you¡¯ve given yers a functional prop from the game as a reward.¡±<div>


    The Bunny-headed creature nodded slightly, replying calmly, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Feeling disgruntled, the cartoon male questioned, ¡°Could you exin your reason? The items this yer carries have greatly disturbed the bnce of the game. Why would you still¡­ In any event, we can¡¯t help but suspect that you¡¯re showing favoritism in managing the game.¡±


    The Bunny-headed creature seemed slightly surprised, ¡°You mean¡­ favoritism?¡±

 Chapter 478: 478: Which One Do You Prefer

    Chapter 478: Which One Do You Prefer


    The ball rolled around at the foot of the rabbit-headed figure, saying dismissively,


    ¡°Oh well~~ I think it¡¯s impossible, protect yers or anything, what good would that do for us? Everyone is way too tense~~ Protecting yers, that¡¯s just not possible~~¡±


    ¡°An exnation would still be more appropriate.¡± The rabbit-headed figure calmly scanned the room, ¡°In the game, functional items became severely damaged after being attacked. Some of the broken parts were taken by the yer and ced into their own possessions, creating a hidden risk in the game.


    So, I temporarily corrected the game, cancelling that yer¡¯s reward, and recing the reward with the broken parts she took away, to prevent the situation from escting further.


    Even though it was extraordinary, in my opinion, such remediation is perfectly justified under critical circumstances.¡±


    ¡°Yeah right, yeah right, I see no issue either~¡± The ball quickly chimed in, rolling around, ¡°We can¡¯t just let the yer take away the parts and give them a reward, too? Wouldn¡¯t that be even worse?¡±


    Manga guy frowned, ¡°The rewards we¡¯ve prepared for the yers have restrictions when in use. But those functional items, even if they are just parts, once they leave the original game copy, we cannot predict the ramifications. This is an even bigger risk that may not be fixable! Why didn¡¯t you recover those parts?¡±


    The rabbit-headed figure gave a lightugh, ¡°She put the parts into the dollhouse, how was I supposed to recover them?¡±


    He turned his gaze towards the ball, ¡°One of the dollhouse rules, without the owner¡¯s permission, no one is allowed entrance. That includes the Inspector.¡±


    The ball bounced up immediately, eximing, ¡°Are you ming me now? ¨C I¡¯ve said it before! My dollhouse wasn¡¯t fully debugged! Not fully debugged! Not fully debugged! The game was triggered too soon, I simply didn¡¯t have time to rectify it!¡±


    Difficult games must be matched with corresponding rewards, but such rewards may easily affect the game bnce! It¡¯s really hard to juggle all aspects!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om<div>


    The ball hopped aggrievedly on the floor, with a ¡®dong¡¯ sound demonstrating its indignation.


    ¡°If you must me someone, me him! He¡¯s the one who handed out the Gold Coin!¡±


    The ball mumbled towards the gray-robed old man.


    Hidden under the cloak hood, the mask of the gray-robed figure made him look like a big mushroom with his bent back.


    Under the gaze of the other Inspectors, his back hunched even more, his body shrank smaller under the wide robe, turning into a dry, twisted mushroom.


    ¡°A yer has entered the game, I must be going¡­¡± The gray-robed old man said hoarsely.


    The ball jumped three meters high, and in a clear and crisp voice, ¡°You¡¯re evading responsibility!!!¡±


    ¡°Evading¡­responsibility?¡± The figure in the gray robe paused, his shriveled body began to swell up, it looked like a bunch of clothes being filled with air, billowing and ballooning.


    ¡°When distributing rewards, the system didn¡¯t penalize me!¡± It emphasized strongly, ¡°I didn¡¯t break any rules, so why should I bear the responsibility?! The rewards I gave out matched the difficulty level of the game! Even though the dollhouse wasn¡¯t fully debugged, it still met the requirements for the rewards within the system¡¯s rules!¡±


    Ball: ¡°Well¡­that sounds too¡­¡±


    Before the words ¡®shameless¡¯ left his mouth, the rabbit-headed figure gave a slight smile, ¡°Every time we select, towards the end, there are always a few yers who step out of line. This time, it¡¯s just that it happened a little earlier. Everyone, there¡¯s no need to be so tense.¡±


    ¡°That sounds about right.¡± The ball mumbled, ¡°yers who rise to the top too early usually die early. I wonder who will be the final winner this time¡­¡±


    ¡°The Doctor.¡± The Puppet Master spoke with a raspy voice.


    ¡°That guy huh¡­¡± The ball considered, ¡°Yeah, the chances are pretty high.¡±


    He asked the manga guy: ¡°Who do you favor?¡±


    Manga guy frowned, ¡°¡­Jefferson, or the Doctor.¡±


    ¡°And you?¡± The ball asked the rabbit-headed figure.


    The rabbit-headed figure responded with a chuckle, ¡°I favor Bai Youwei.¡±


    ¡­<div>

 Chapter 479: 479: Su Man is Missing

    Chapter 479: Su Man is Missing


    Bai Youwei had no idea what kind of trouble she might have caused for the game¡¯s supervisors.


    She had had a good sleep and even received a morning kiss buff, so she felt increasingly energetic.


    However, her mood was affected when she saw the hand in the dining room.


    Seeing this severed hand reminded her of the missed reward.


    The hand was lying on the chair.


    Bai Youwei forbade it fromnding yesterday, so it spent the entire night on the chair, tossing and turning like a bored hamster, picking off the plushyer of the chair cushion bit by bit.


    There was a thinyer of dust on the floor under the chair.


    Bai Youwei believed that if it were allowed to stay on the chair for a month, it could make a hole in not only the cushion but also the wooden chair itself.


    ¡°Nevermind,¡± Bai Youwei sighed, she shouldn¡¯t have had any expectations for this kind of ¡°wreckage¡±, ¡°Come down.¡±


    The hand slid down from the chair!


    It seemed to be quite fearful of Bai Youwei, hiding behind the refrigerator as soon as it came down.<div>


    Bai Youwei frowned andmanded, ¡°I¡¯ll set three rules for you!


    First, do not go to the second floor;


    Second, do not damage any items in the house;


    Third, wash your hands frequently to keep clean! ¡ª Go wash your hands now! I have told you that it¡¯s dirty behind the refrigerator!¡±


    The hand obediently came out and went to wash itself.


    Shen Mo said with a light smile, ¡°It looks very energetic. I wonder if it needs to be charged.¡±


    ¡°It probably doesn¡¯t,¡± Bai Youwei pondered, ¡°Mary¡¯s doll doesn¡¯t need charging, so it shouldn¡¯t need it either¡­I just don¡¯t know where it gets its energy.¡±


    Shen Mo looked at the hand crawling away with interest, ¡°Let¡¯s keep it for a few days and see, maybe we will find something.¡±


    Bai Youwei nodded gently.


    Since there was an extra hand in the house, they had to exin it to the others.


    Bai Youwei and Shen Mo formally introduced the hand to Teacher Cheng, Tan Xiao, and Pan Xiaoxin, who had stayed outsidest night.


    All three felt extremely ufortable!


    Even though the hand was indeed beautiful, white and plump, with delicate fingers and small dimples on the back of the hand.


    But after all, it was a ¡°disjointed wreckage¡± crawling around in front of them, which was visually indescribable.


    Xiaoxin looked the most ufortable. After all, as a child, seeing such a thing was inevitably horrifying.


    Tan Xiao adjusted the quickest and even suggested that the hand could help him scratch his back when he couldn¡¯t reach.


    Teacher Cheng waspassionate and although troubled at first, she couldn¡¯t help but sympathize when she saw Bai Youwei bossing the hand around. She even found a glove for the hand to use as ¡°slippers¡± to prevent it from dirtying the sofa and getting scolded by Bai Youwei.


    While discussing in the dollhouse how to amodate this ¡°new member¡±, Pan Xiaoxin suddenly proposed, ¡°Su Man¡¯s hand was injured. What if this arm could be attached to her? Wouldn¡¯t it fit perfectly?¡±


    The hand shivered.<div>


    ¡°Su Man¡¯s injury hasn¡¯t healed yet?¡± Bai Youwei was surprised.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Pan Xiaoxin nodded, ¡°Zhu Shu told me. She came looking for you early this morning, but you were in the dollhouse and didn¡¯t know.¡±


    Bai Youwei asked, ¡°Did she say why she was looking for me?¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t say. When she noticed you weren¡¯t around, she asked us about Su Man,¡± Pan Xiaoxin answered seriously, ¡°Su Man seems to have left the base and no one knows where she went. Zhu Shu asked a lot of people but no one knew.¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om<div>


    Bai Youwei and Shen Mo looked at each other, both a bit puzzled.


    Su Man¡¯s family was here, and Li Li was also here. Why did she leave the base all of a sudden?


    ¡°Are you sure she left on her own?¡± Bai Youwei asked with a frown, ¡°Could something have happened to her?¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin shook his head nkly, ¡°Zhu Shu didn¡¯t say.¡±


    After thinking for a bit, Bai Youwei said to Shen Mo, ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look.¡±


    Zhu Shu and Yan Qingwen lived on the other side of the neighborhood, quite close by. They could just go ask and find out.

 Chapter 480: 480: Going to a Place

    Chapter 480: Going to a ce


    Bai Youwei and Shen Mo visited the residences of Zhu Shu and Yan Qingwen together.


    It took a long while for the door to be answered.


    Zhu Shu opened the door and paused slightly upon seeing them. She then stepped back to let them in, saying, ¡°I was just looking for you two over there¡­¡±


    Bai Youwei and Shen Mo were also startled.


    As Zhu Shu was wearing an apron, she had an air of a dutiful wife and loving mother.


    This might seem ordinary to others, but for Zhu Shu who was once a star, it appeared somewhat refreshing.


    Once inside, they noticed that the living room was cluttered with supplies.


    ¡ª¡ª They also had these stuff. These were gifts from the organization as a token of gratitude for passing the 21st game.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    As Zhu Shu moved rice, flour, oil and salt to the kitchen to make room for Bai Youwei and Shen Mo to sit down, she exined, ¡°Brother Yan hasn¡¯t eaten anything or had any appetite since he exited the game yesterday. I thought of making some nourishing soup, and just finished preparing the ingredients. It¡¯s just a bit troublesome starting the fire¡­¡±


    Hesitating slightly, she made a bitter smile: ¡°In other aspects, I¡¯m not much help either.¡±


    Shen Mo nced at the bedroom door, which was tightly closed, ¡°Is it because of Lun Ang?¡±<div>


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Zhu Shu also looked towards the bedroom door, ¡°He didn¡¯t sleep all night. He said that the moment he closed his eyes, he saw Lun Ang standing in front of him. After he found out that Su Man disappeared, he was more unable to sleep¡­ I was worried that his body couldn¡¯t take it, so I got some sleeping pills from the medical team and he just fell asleep.¡±


    Shen Mo paused briefly, then said, ¡°It may take Yan Qingwen some time toe out of this.¡±


    Zhu Shu merely uttered a low, ¡°Mm¡±. ¡°Now¡­I am the only person left by Brother Yan¡¯s side, and I want to take good care of him.¡±


    The five of them hade together through a series of coincidences. Perhaps at first it was because of debts, mission, or benefits, but along the way, they had formed an irreceable bond as a team. But aftering here, Li Li returned to the research group, parting ways with them, followed by Lun Ang¡¯s unfortunate death, and now Su Man¡¯s mysterious disappearance¡ª¡ª


    Out of the original five, only Zhu Shu and Yan Qingwen remain.


    As Zhu Shu thought about this, she let out a deep sigh, ¡°Brother Yan may seem indifferent to everything, but in reality, he cares about teammates more than anyone else ¡­ Lun Ang¡¯s death was a huge hit to him, and now with Su Man¡¯s incident, I really worry about him.¡±


    At certain moments, Yan Qingwen and Shen Mo seemed simr: both indulging in aloofness. But if you interacted more with them, you would find that Yan Qingwen is ¡°sociable¡±, even though he is aloof, and can easilymand attention in a group.


    Shen Mo¡¯s coldness is genuinely cold, like a lone drifter, emitting ax indifferent to people and things unlike others.


    Losing teammates is definitely a heavy blow to Yan Qingwen, who naturally belongs to a ¡°team¡±.


    It¡¯s like an orchestra conductor losing his band, a flock of geese scattering, or a leading general finding himself charging alone¡­ The loneliness and destion are something that ordinary people can¡¯tprehend.


    Bai Youwei asked Zhu Shu, ¡°How could Su Man suddenly disappear? Are you sure she is alright?¡±


    Zhu Shu gave a bitter smile, ¡°Yesterday, her family came looking for us with a handwritten letter Su Man left behind, asking if we knew where she went. In the letter, Su Man wrote that she was heading off to somewhere, and that her family should take care of their health and not to worry about her.¡±


    Bai Youwei widened her eyes, ¡°¡­ she is heading off to somewhere?¡±


    ¡°Brother Yan suspects she entered thebyrinth.¡± Zhu Shu sighed again, ¡°When Su Man left ¡®The Last Bride¡¯, her right hand was severely injured. Brother Yan and Lun Ang brought her back from the underground parking lot at the time, and they were the ones who treated her wound. She didn¡¯t want us to worry, so she asked Lun Ang and Yan Qingwen to keep it a secret and didn¡¯t inform her family. Now I think about it, she probably ran off without saying goodbye because of this, heading to thebyrinth.¡±

 Chapter 481: 481: Which One Will It Be?

    Chapter 481: Which One Will It Be?


    If Su Man¡¯s hand really was seriously injured, wouldn¡¯t she be risking her life going into the maze alone?


    Bai Youwei frowned and asked, ¡°Does Su Man have any tools on her?¡±


    ¡°Probably just the Snowke left,¡± Zhu Shu expressed with concern, ¡°The water monster¡¯s eggs have been used up, and apart from the Snowke, she doesn¡¯t have any puzzles or tools. Her parents mentioned that there are a few first aid supplies and weapons missing from the house, which must have been taken by her.¡±


    ¡°But how would she know where the maze is?¡± Bai Youwei was puzzled, ¡°If she wanted to go to the maze, she would need to know its location, right? She can¡¯t just wander aimlessly.¡±


    Zhu Shu hesitated for a moment, then said quietly, ¡°Her father works for the organization; he might have some information we don¡¯t know about. It¡¯s not impossible that Su Man obtained some clues about the maze from him.¡±


    But in the end, these were all just spections.


    Bai Youwei suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t we ask Professor Song?¡±


    Zhu Shu gently shook her head.


    Professor Song was a special presence within the base.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    When he wanted to see you, it would seem like quite a mundane and easy affair.


    But if he didn¡¯t want to see you, when he was engrossed in his research, trying to get an appointment with him was as difficult as reaching the heavens. Even the organization leader, Chu Huaijin, might not be able to see Professor Song.<div>


    Shen Mo said: ¡°It¡¯s the same if we look for Chu Huaijin. If there¡¯s any information about the maze, as the main person in charge, he should know.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, worth checking out,¡± responded Bai Youwei, ¡°If we want to collect puzzles, sooner orter, we need to find out about the maze.¡±


    Without further dy, after discussions, Shen Mo left to find Chu Huaijin.


    They thought it would take some time to know the results, but Shen Mo quickly returned.


    Chu Huaijin had alsoe, and he brought a map and two sheets of paper with him.


    The two sheets of paper were very thin and nearly transparent. They depicted some red dots and yellow areas. The patterns looked simr but had some local differences.


    Chu Huaijin exined, ¡°These should have been delivered to you yesterday. This was the reward initially promised to you, the marked maps of the maze and the game.¡±


    ¡°You have to know that neither the maze nor the game¡¯s locations are fixed. The maze will expand in diameter, and the game will randomly shift. So Professor Song worked tirelesslyst night to make these corrections. One of these pages shows the results from a month ago, and the other reflects the corrections fromst night. With our current technology, we can only guarantee 70% uracy. We hope it will be of help to you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Shen Mo said nonchntly, taking the two sheets and cing them on the map.


    The red dots and yellow areas ovepped with the map, making it immediately clear. The yellow ovey was the maze, and the red dots represented the game.


    ¡°Is this thergest area we can currently detect?¡± asked Shen Mo.


    The map he was holding was slightlyrger than a city map, covering the surrounding provinces and cities, but it didn¡¯t include any farther ces.


    Chu Huaijin nodded, ¡°Yes. Since establishing the base, the research team¡¯s personnel and equipment have been heavily depleted. The detection range now is already the base¡¯s limit.¡±


    Shen Mo frowned, looking at Bai Youwei and Zhu Shu beside him.


    ¡°Looking at the map, the two closest mazes are to the north, towards Xuzhou, and to the south, towards Fuzhou. Su Man should be in one of them.¡±


    Zhu Shu and Bai Youwei looked at each other.


    Two mazes, all unknowns, and judging by the distance, they were not far apart. So¡­ which maze did Su Man likely go to?

 Chapter 482: 482: Big Arrow

    Chapter 482: Big Arrow


    The blue sky, serene as a tranquil sea, with faint wisps of clouds like white foam on the waves.


    Su Man sat in the car, lifting her hand high out of the window, feeling the wind weave through her fingers, bearing the faint chill of autumn.


    Summer was on the verge of passing.


    She wondered if herpanions had made it out of Game 21. Without her dragging them down, they should have been able toplete the game smoothly.


    Now, after enduring a tough journey spanning two days and three nights, she had finally reached the edge of the maze.


    She should have arrived much sooner but had had to drive using only her right hand, which, coupled with detouring around blocked roads and frequent stops, dyed her.


    Fortunately, her journey was a safe one.


    Perhaps it was because traveling alone didn¡¯t trigger the game, but at any rate, her journey was free of surprises and danger.


    Su Man squinted at the fog ahead. She estimated it was still over a kilometer away, and she decided not to drive any farther.


    She stopped the car, unloaded all her supplies, lowered the bicycle tied to the roof, and then strapped the food, clothes, water, and a copsible tent onto the rear of the bike.


    As for the remaining supplies, she wrapped them upyer byyer in prepared ck trash bags and stuffed them into a nearby dumpster¡ª<div>


    Surely, if anyone came by, they wouldn¡¯t rummage through a trash can for supplies, right?


    The corner of Su Man¡¯s mouth curled into a slight smile.


    She had learned this from Zhu Shu. Back when Zhu Shu had suggested this method for hiding supplies, Li Li had praised her endlessly. She remembered feeling jealous and sulking for several days.


    Looking back now, it was quite remarkable that despite living on the edge of life and death daily, she could still find room for jealousy.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Su Man shook her head with a wry smile, mounted her bike, and headed toward the maze¡­


    The fog was just ahead.


    The distance was closing in.


    Her riding pace was slowing down¡­


    For some reason, Su Man suddenly lost her confidence.


    As she looked at the fog just before her, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder, after going in, would she be able toe out?¡­ If she died inside, would she regret this decision?


    Causing her family to worry, making her friends upset, why had she so recklessly left without a word?


    ¡­No, no, that¡¯s not right.


    It¡¯s not like that.


    How could she start retreating now? Hadn¡¯t they all agreed not to be a burden on each other? The maze was right in front of her! As long she goes in andes out, she would recover!


    It wasn¡¯t about leaving without a word; she simply didn¡¯t want to keep living under the protection of others!


    Su Man mentally cheered herself on and quickened her pace.


    The fog began to slowly swallow her form.


    ¡­


    Once inside the fog, Su Man stepped down from her bicycle, pushing it along as she walked on.<div>


    The path under her feet gradually became soggy and wet, and the light dimmed, making her feel anxious, as if her preparations were not sufficient.


    ¡­Well, they couldn¡¯t really be sufficient.


    After all, no two mazes were the same; every maze represented the unknown, and no one could foresee what they might encounter within.


    As the white fog dispersedpletely, Su Man realized she was standing amidst a dense bamboo forest.<div>


    The bamboo grove was so thick that she couldn¡¯t push her bicycle through. She had no choice but to abandon it and carry all her supplies on her back.


    In all honesty, it was quite heavy. If not for her improved physical ability from navigating two mazes, she might not have been able to carry it all. If she¡¯d only taken the essentials, it would surely have made moving easier.


    However, Su Man knew her limitations.


    She knew she wasn¡¯t the cleverest, so she could only resort to this ¡°dumb method¡± of bringing as many supplies as possible, so she wouldn¡¯t panic when she needed something.


    After a tough trek through the dense bamboo forest, she came across something.


    A gigantic arrow.


    This starkly contrasting, huge arrow, unlike anything in the surroundings, stood before her eyes, seemingly guiding her in a certain direction.

 Chapter 483: 483: The Person on the Motorcycle

    Chapter 483: The Person on the Motorcycle


    Su Man curiously gazed up at the arrow.


    The arrow, nearly a hundred meters in length, mysteriously hung in the air above the bamboo forest without the aid of any external force.


    This was a maze.


    A maze meant it was easy to lose one¡¯s way.


    Yet an arrow appeared to show her the way, making Su Man wary.


    She wondered, how would Yan Qingwen analyse this situation if he were here?


    What would Bai Youwei do if she were here?


    ¡­


    ¡­¡­


    ¡­¡­


    Well, she couldn¡¯t figure it out.<div>


    Su Man gave up.


    With a resigned eptance, she picked up her backpack and began walking in the direction indicated by the arrow.


    Not far along, she saw some mini arrows scattered around the bamboo forest, all pointing in the same direction.


    The arrows made no sound, but when they all appeared before her, it was as if they carried their own sound effects, nagging at her mind: this way, this way, this way¡­


    Su Man knitted her eyebrows in suspicion, but she continued to move forward.


    And just like that, she managed to leave the bamboo forest smoothly¡ª


    To find herself on a t asphalt road.


    The difference between the asphalt road and the bamboo forest was stark, as if they were cleanly cut apart. The damp soil and the solid concrete had no transition between them, crudely juxtaposed.


    Su Man was a bit taken aback.


    There were arrows on the asphalt road too ¨C on the streetmps, the dustbins, they were everywhere.


    Something didn¡¯t feel right, but she didn¡¯t have any leads. Not knowing where else to go, she subconsciously continued following the arrows.


    Along the way, she spotted many, many mannequins. Most carried big and small bags like she did, while others were in cars, filled with their entire households, as if fleeing for their lives. Yet, they were all frozen in ce, turned into static human figurines.


    There must be some problem with this maze; otherwise, these people wouldn¡¯t have turned into mannequins.


    Su Man grew increasingly cautious, observing her surroundings meticulously. At the same time, she was hesitating over whether or not she should continue following the arrows.


    Based on the mannequins¡¯ position, all of them had encountered problems while following the arrows. Could the arrows be traps then?


    However¡­


    After entering the maze, apart from the obvious arrows, she had found no other clues.


    If she didn¡¯t follow the arrows, where should she go?


    Su Man¡¯s mind becamepletely nk.<div>


    This was really vexing.


    If Yan Qingwen were here, or if Bai Youwei were present, they would surely have some idea by now.


    Why couldn¡¯t the Gods give her a smart mind?


    Su Man looked ahead in a daze.<div>


    There were even more mannequins in front, packed closely together. As far as she could see, there were only mannequins. She didn¡¯t know how many people this maze had swallowed.


    The more she thought about it, the more conflicted she became. Not knowing whether she should continue, she stood frozen in ce.


    Just then, she heard a loud motorcycle engine behind her¡ª


    Vroom!N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Vroom!


    Turning around she saw a motorcycleing her way from the distance. It made a lot of noise, but its pace was slow, stopping every now and then, which was apanied by boisterousughter and shouting from a young man.


    She hadn¡¯t expected to find any living people in this maze.


    Did they enter by ident, or were they here for the puzzle?


    Su Man nced at the sides of the road. She quickly put down her luggage, opened the door of a parked car, squeezed in next to a mannequin, and then watched the back with alert.


    After waiting for a while, the motorbike finally arrived.


    Only when they were near did she realise that aside from the three young men on the motorbike, there was also a man with his hands tied together with a rope hanging at the back of the bike¡ª


    The man was wearing sses and appeared to be the same age as the men on the bike, but his predicament was a sorry sight. He stumbled along behind the motorbike, his knees bruised and bloody from all the falls.


    Whenever his strength gave out and he fell, the bike would stop. The boys on it would curse and jeer at him, waiting till he managed to get up before they revved up the bike and moved forward again.<div>

 Chapter 484: 484: The strong bullying the weak

    Chapter 484: The strong bullying the weak


    Su Man saw this and instantly felt the injustice!


    She hated this kind of bullying more than anything!


    It waspletely detestable!


    If it wasn¡¯t for the fact she was outnumbered and her injured hand had not yet healed, she probably would have already rushed out to teach those rascals a lesson!


    Yan Qingwen always told her not to be impulsive, not to act rashly, and not to act recklessly when she got angry! ¨C She knew being this way wasn¡¯t good, but temper wasn¡¯t something that could simply be changed by just wanting to change it.


    The motorcycle drove past the car.


    Those people hadn¡¯t noticed her at all. There were too many dolls around, and even if they saw Su Man, they probably would carelessly mistake her for just another doll.


    Once the sound of the motorcycle was distant, Su Man emerged from the car, only to find dolls toppled over everywhere, naturally creating a path in the middle.


    She deeply furrowed her eyebrows.


    Then she picked up her bag and followed the trail left by the motorcycle.


    ¡­<div>


    The motorcycle did not go too far.


    It wasn¡¯t because they didn¡¯t want to go further, but rather the man tied to the back of it had exhausted all his strength. After being dragged for some distance, they were afraid he would die, so they stopped to rest.


    Su Man had been carefully following them all this time.


    She hid behind the roadside vegetation, which had been left untrimmed for a long time, flourishing enough to conceal her well.


    Through the gaps in the branches and leaves, Su Man carefully watched those people.


    She thought to herself that it wasn¡¯t that bad, as she didn¡¯t know anything about this maze. By following them, she might as well use them as stepping stones. If anything happened to them, she could take the opportunity to uncover the potential dangers in the maze.


    However, she was still not sure¡­ who these people were, and why they had kidnapped that man?


    The man with sses copsed on the roadside, several young people seemed not to worry about him escaping. The ropes carelessly tossed on the ground, they didn¡¯t tie him up nor pay any special attention to him.


    Seems reasonable, with the poor man barely breathing and his legs soaked in blood, how could he run? Even if he did try to run, how could he outrun these fit and youthful kidnappers?


    Su Man bit her lip, hesitating about how to rescue him.


    She not only needed to consider how to save him but also how to provide for him afterward, after all, they were in a maze. It was already challenging for her to protect herself, let alone another person?n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    As Su Man was pondering, one of the young men walked up to the man with sses, carrying a water bottle. He crouched down, unscrewed the cap and started pouring the water on the man¡¯s knees.


    The clean water washed over the dust-stained bloody wounds, revealing a fresh red wound. The man grunted in pain, his legs uncontrobly twitched.


    ¡°How¡¯s it going? Can you still walk?¡± the young man in a denim jacket, and a metallic ne asked coldly, ¡°Even if you can¡¯t, it doesn¡¯t matter, right? Since you¡¯re crippled, having one less leg doesn¡¯t make much difference to you¡­¡±


    Hearing these words, Su Man was taken aback.


    ¡­ Was he crippled?


    But just a short while ago, she saw him running and falling behind the motorcycle. He seemed to walk just fine.


    One of the young man¡¯s aplices grumbled angrily: ¡°This guy just needs a lesson! If we didn¡¯t need him to show us the way, I would have killed him a long time ago!¡±


    The young man in the denim jacket stood up, frowning, ¡°Enough. Looking at his condition, he can¡¯t walk anymore today. You two go set up the tent, I¡¯ll go find a ce to collect some water. We ran out of it.¡±<div>

 Chapter 485: 485: It’s Settled

    Chapter 485: It¡¯s Settled


    The two men got up to work, still cursing and telling vulgar jokes and obscenities.


    It seems that the man in the denim jacket is their leader.


    Now that man has gone to fetch water, leaving two others behind to pitch a tent. Their movements were rough and temperamental as if their frustrations were due to being stuck in the maze for a long time.


    Once the tent was up, and the man who went to fetch water hadn¡¯t returned, the two went scavenging for supplies in the roadside store. They made a mess, leaving the ce in tatters. Even the ss cabs were shattered clean, even those in the antique shop that they clearly had no use for, its contents were destroyed maliciously.


    They are nothing more than a bunch of hoodlums!


    Su Man watched, furious, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder: With the game killing so many people, howe these scumbags aren¡¯t the ones falling prey?


    She looked at the other side, the man on the ground was silent and seemed so exhausted that moving about seemed to be an arduous effort, let alone escaping.


    She thought for a while and decided to continue observing, to see if there was a chance to rescue this man.


    From what she had overheard earlier, they needed this man to lead the way. He must have some knowledge about the maze; if she could save him, perhaps out of gratitude, he could teach her how to get out of the maze.


    After all, men who wear sses are usually quite intelligent.


    Such as Li Li (at least that¡¯s what she thinks).<div>


    And he is a cripple.


    Bai Youwei is clever.


    Su Man was deep in thought, and at this moment, the man who had gone to fetch water returned carrying arge bucket of purified water, which looked as if it had been ripped straight off someone¡¯s water dispenser.


    He pointed it at the man with sses on the ground and poured it directly onto his face!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The column of water sshed all over the man¡¯s face.


    ¡°Lu Yuwen, get up and drink,¡± the man in the denim jacket ordered rudely, ¡°Don¡¯t y dead with me, get up and figure out the map, let¡¯s see where we go next.¡±


    Su Man was slightly startled.


    ¡­Lu Yuwen?


    There¡¯s a ¡°wen¡± in his name.


    Seems like men who have ¡°wen¡± in their name are quite intelligent.


    Such as Yan Qingwen.


    So this man = Li Li (wears sses) + Bai Youwei (crippled) + Yan Qingwen (name contains ¡°wen¡±)


    Su Man thought to herself: I need to save this man!


    She quietly retreated, hid her luggage, and then armed herself with only a whip and dagger, ready to wait and observe again ¡ª


    From day to night.


    When ites toying low, she was patient enough to hold still for hours.


    A fire was lit on their side. They cooked a pot of instant noodles and chatted while eating.


    After listening for a little while, Su Man was able to get a rough understanding of their situation.


    The young man in the denim jacket is called ¡°Brother Xiao¡±.<div>


    The somewhat shorter one is called Yang Zi.


    Thest one, a dark-skinned man, is named Zhang Ke, a ¡°double¡±.


    The three of them met Lu Yuwen in thest game. Lu Yuwen came up with the solution to win, and they worked with Lu Yuwen to seed. They were mutually beneficial to each other.


    However, after the game ended, they turned on him, trying to snatch Lu Yuwen¡¯s reward props!<div>


    To elude them, Lu Yuwen purposely ran towards the direction of the maze and identally encountered the maze expansion zone, getting all four of them sucked into the maze!


    These three men hate Lu Yuwen to the bone!


    They knew themselves well, knowing they were not as intelligent as Lu Yuwen, so they held on to Lu Yuwen, waiting for him to find a way out.


    And so, Su Man saw what she saw at the beginning.


    Now that they were full and satisfied, they left some instant noodle remnants for Lu Yuwen in a stainless steel bowl.


    Lu Yuwen didn¡¯t eat, but they forced him, drenching him in soup ¨C a man being treated worse than a dog.

 Chapter 486: 486 Lu Yuwen

    Chapter 486: Lu Yuwen


    Su Man watched from the shadows.


    Although she and Lu Yuwen were strangers, she steeled her teeth in rage at their actions. She wished she could rip apart these three viins!


    But now was not the time¡­


    She would have a better chance of sess if she waited until they all fell asleep at night, or when the three of them were separated. Only then would she make her move.


    Su Man clenched her teeth, her gaze fixed on the men as she waited patiently.


    The man in a jean jacket named Xiao released Lu Yuwen, letting him fall to the ground in agony, coughing up broth and noodles. He then grabbed Lu Yuwen by the hair, forcing him to look at the map in his own hands and threatened,


    ¡°It¡¯s already the third day, look at this damn map carefully. Figure out where we should go tomorrow. If we don¡¯t get out, don¡¯t me me for showing no mercy.¡±


    Yuwen weakly closed his eyes, answering hoarsely, ¡°Even if you¡­ kill me¡­ I would not know the way. This maze is split into a 10¡Á10 squarettice, like¡­ a chessboard. We must pass through all 100 squares to find¡­ a way out¡­¡±


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Brother Xiao shoved Lu Yuwen¡¯s head down, grinding his face against the hard cement floor. Blood seeped out.


    A short, young man in their group grumbled, ¡°We¡¯ve only made it through 35 squares! By his calctions, we¡¯re stuck here for another five or six days!¡±


    Zhang Ke, with his darkplexion, chuckled nonchntly, ¡°There¡¯s water here, we have food, and we don¡¯t have to worry about those twisted games. I think it¡¯s just fine here¡­¡±<div>


    ¡°You must be fucking insane!¡± The short man shouted, ¡°Didn¡¯t you see those puppets on the way?! At least in the game, you know how you¡¯re going to die. In this maze, you won¡¯t even know how you died!¡±


    Zhang Ke responded with a smile that didn¡¯t reach his eyes, ¡°A death is a death. What¡¯s the difference.¡±


    ¡°You can die if you want! I don¡¯t want to wait here another minute!¡± The short man, irritable, stood up and went inside the tent.


    Zhang Ke purposely raised his voice and asked, ¡°Yang Zi, you seem quite angry, do you want me toe in and cool you down?¡±


    The man inside replied with a roar, ¡°Get lost!!¡±


    Zhang Ke smirked apathetically and turned his gaze back onto Lu Yuwen on the ground.


    Lu Yuwen¡¯s body was covered in blood and dirt, and he looked like he was half-dead.


    Zhang Ke moved his gaze away with regret.


    Hispanions were ugly and unpleasant, and the only good-looking one had been tormented into this wretched state, making the situation uninteresting.


    Brother Xiao advised, ¡°Save your energy, rest up. We don¡¯t know what we¡¯ll encounter tomorrow.¡±


    Zhang Ke, finding it boring, went to his own tent to sleep.


    Brother Xiao sat outside for a while, diminishing the ze of the fire before joining the short guy in his tent for rest.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Time ticked away.


    There was no movement from the tents.


    After a while, the sound of snoring echoed from inside. They appeared to be asleep.


    In this maze, apart from the numerous arrows, there was no visible danger. They slept without a care, oblivious to the fact that someone was watching from the shadows.


    Su Man continued to wait.


    She intended to save Lu Yuwen when these people were deeply asleep.


    While she was contemting rescue ns, her eyes remained focused on the tents, alert for any slight movement.<div>


    Right when Su Man was about to take action, she was startled to see Lu Yuwen, who had been lying on the ground, suddenly sitting up!


    She held her breath instinctively.


    She had assumed Lu Yuwen was asleep!


    After all, after being dragged by a motorbike for half a day and without a proper meal or water, how could an average person have the energy to keep going?<div>


    The Lu Yuwen in front of her was just like that.


    He used up all his strength to stand up, and then¡­ slowly¡­ headed in the direction of the motorbike.

 Chapter 487: 487: The Smell of Gasoline

    Chapter 487: The Smell of Gasoline


    Lu Yuwen was moving very slowly.


    On the one hand, he didn¡¯t want to make any noise; on the other hand, his legs seemed to have been born defective, limping, and with an injured knee, he was having difficulty moving.


    Su Man did not know what he was up to, so she watched warily.


    She had thought that he might want to get on the motorcycle and escape, but upon further thought, she realized that was not possible since the keys to the motorcycle were with the man called Brother Xiao.


    It was too dark, Su Man could only see Lu Yuwen¡¯s silhouette. Soon after, she heard the rustling sound, she smelled the scent of petrol.


    Su Man suddenly realized¡­


    Could he possibly¡­


    Lu Yuwen tore a strip of cloth from his knee, stuffed it into the small opening of the fuel tank, and waited until the cloth was soaked with petrol, then gently pulled it out.


    Because his hands were tied, he tried several times, tearing four or five pieces of cloth, then slowly walked back with even more cautious steps.


    He twisted the cloth along the edge of the tent, and the gasoline dripped out¡­


    Su Man watched his actions, her heart pounding with fear.<div>


    Could he possibly be nning to burn those people alive?!


    Although those people indeed deserved to die, the thought ofmitting arson to murder someone was indeed ruthless!


    Su Man watched Lu Yuwen in the darkness, her heart pounding with anxiety, although it was not her business, she was genuinely worried about him being discovered by those people!


    Suddenly, a noise came from the tent!


    Su Man hurriedly covered her mouth, afraid she might make a sound!


    Lu Yuwen froze in his tracks.


    A curse came from the tent, ¡°Lu Yuwen! What are you doing out there?! Don¡¯t you fucking act smart! You believe me or not, I could kill you now?!¡±


    Zhang Ke¡¯s voice came from the other side of the tent, ¡°What¡¯s all the noise about in the middle of the night? Are we going to sleep or not?¡±


    Lu Yuwen gritted his teeth, quickly threw away the cloth in his hand, and then grabbed a handful of soil from the ground, kneading it a few times to cover the smell of gasoline on his hands.


    ¡°I was¡­ going to the toilet¡­¡± he exined in a low voice.


    ¡°Going to the toilet?¡± The short man came out from the tent and kicked Lu Yuwen to the ground with a foot that was outside the tent!


    After kicking, he still was not satisfied, he stepped cruelly on Lu Yuwen¡¯s injured knee twice!


    ¡°FUCK you! You chose to take a piss at my sleeping spot?!! Go piss over there!¡±


    He grabbed the rope on Lu Yuwen¡¯s wrist, roughly pulled him up, and barked, ¡°Move it! I¡¯ll take you to the toilet! And see what tricks you¡¯re trying to y!¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He then pushed Lu Yuwen and started walking, all the while cursing, ¡°Bloody cripple! Don¡¯t think you¡¯re smart enough to y tricks. Dare to piss me off, even if Brother Xiao wanted to save you, I would still rough you up real good!¡±


    He pushed Lu Yuwen, walked from one end of the road to the other, closer and closer to where Su Man was hiding.


    Su Man held her breath, her nerves tense, and clutched the dagger tightly in her right hand, ready to strike at the first sign of being discovered!


    She could not give the short man any chance to call out for help!


    Just as she thought she was about to be exposed, the short man stopped. It seemed like he had no intention of going any further.<div>


    Su Man let out a sigh.


    The nighttime visibility was poor, and there was a hedge between them. As long as he didn¡¯te any closer, they should not be able to see her¡­


    Bang!¡ª


    The short man suddenly used his strength, seemingly fed up with Lu Yuwen¡¯s slow pace, he kicked Lu Yuwen¡¯s back, causing him to fall to the ground! His elbow hit hard on the brick edge of the nting strip!<div>


    He gritted his teeth, withholding a cry of pain, and when he opened his eyes, through the dense foliage nearby, he saw Su Man on the other side of the hedge!


    Su Man was also staring at him with wide eyes.


    Both were shocked and nervous.


    ¡°You want to piss, right! Let¡¯s see you piss! Ah!¡±


    The short man pulled Lu Yuwen back by the rope like dragging a dog, his foot stepping on Lu Yuwen¡¯s face.


    ¡°Can¡¯t piss, can you?! I knew you were up to something! Tell me! Were you trying to escape?!¡±


    Lu Yuwen¡¯s face was being stepped on into the mud, he kept his eyes closed and stayed silent.


    ¡°Yang Zi, that¡¯s enough! Stop fucking around!¡± Brother Xiao¡¯s voice came from the tent, sounding very impatient.

 Chapter 488: 488: The Transformation of the Monkey

    Chapter 488: The Transformation of the Monkey


    ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s all the noise about at this time of night¡­¡±


    In the tent on the other side, Zhang Ke saidzily:


    ¡°Even if he wants to escape, isn¡¯t that normal? Whatever he does, he can¡¯t get far with hisme leg. Besides, isn¡¯t he bound with a rope¡­¡±


    Yang Zi grunted heavily, pulling the rope to bind Lu Yuwen to a nearby tree tightly and snarled at Lu Yuwen: ¡°Behave yourself!¡±


    With that, he turned around and went back into the tent.


    Inside the tent, Brother Xiao and Yang Zi whispered a few words, their tones not very pleasant. After a while, the voices faded, as if they had fallen asleep.


    The night was once again silent¡­


    ¡­


    Su Man quietly got up and came in front of Lu Yuwen.


    She said to him in lipspeaking: ¡°I, save you.¡±


    Then she showed him her dagger, gesturing towards the rope on his body.<div>


    Lu Yuwen looked at her and silently shook his head.


    Su Man slightly frowned, a little puzzled. What does it mean? Did he not want her to save him?


    Did he not trust her, or did he misunderstand her intentions, thinking that she was going to hurt him as well?


    No matter!


    Get the person out first and deal with itter!


    If he goes on being tormented by those thugs, I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t survive.


    Su Man gripped the dagger tightly, shing down on the rope!


    ¡ª¡ªThe sensation was as though she had encountered a very tough cow tendon string! It wouldn¡¯t cut?!


    Su Man was startled and paused, subconsciously tried again, but still failed!


    Why?


    It looked like just an ordinary leather rope!


    Lu Yuwen spoke barely audible two words: ¡°Prop.¡±


    Su Man was slightly surprised, reaching out to touch the rope, and the information of the prop instantly appeared in her mind¡ª¡ª


    [Mr. Dongguo¡¯s Rope: Once knotted, no one other than the user can untie or damage the rope.


    Note, the prop loses its effect after the user¡¯s death.]


    No wonder he wanted to set a fire before!


    Because unless they die, he can never escape!


    Su Man was stunned.


    She didn¡¯t expect to encounter such a situation. Unless the tree was cut down now, there was no way to rescue Lu Yuwen!<div>


    Could it be cut down?


    ¡­ Strictly speaking, it¡¯s not impossible, but it¡¯s impossible to cut down a tree without waking those thugs.


    What should she do now?


    The man was within her reach.<div>


    But she couldn¡¯t save him!


    Lu Yuwen scratched the ground with his foot a few times and wrote a word: MAP.


    Map? What does he mean? Did he want her to get the map?


    Lu Yuwen nodded in the direction of the motorcycle.


    Su Man seemed to understand but was not sure, looking at him hesitantly, then tiptoed to the motorcycle¡ª¡ª


    The back box was not locked, several papers were squeezed into the gap, which could be opened with a light lift.


    The night was too dark to see the scribbles on the paper, she took them all in her hand, a thick stack.


    Then she returned to Lu Yuwen again.


    ¡°Take the map, find a ce to hide.¡± Lu Yuwen said in a low voice.


    Su Man asked, ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll find a way to get out.¡± Lu Yuwen¡¯s voice was even lower, ncing nervously at the tent, worried that Su Man would stay longer and wake those people, he urged, ¡°You hurry up and go!¡±


    Su Man bit her lip, hesitated for a moment, then turned around and hurried off.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    These maps are the key to getting out of the maze, she must hide them well!<div>


    ¡­


    After a long time, Su Man finally found a ce she thought was safe. She hid the maps and then went back to find Lu Yuwen.


    Lu Yuwen stared at her in disbelief: ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to hide?!¡±


    Su Man was stunned: ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me to hide the map?¡±


    Lu Yuwen was choked.


    There was a rustling noise from the tent.


    rm bells rang in Lu Yuwen¡¯s head. He was about to chase Su Man away when the figure in front of him suddenly leaped up and climbed up the tree in the blink of an eye, hiding in the dense branches and leaves.


    Lu Yuwen: ¡°¡­¡±


    Is this woman a monkey?!

 Chapter 489: 489: Lost the Map

    Chapter 489: Lost the Map


    The person who emerged from the tent was Zhang Ke.


    He got up in the middle of the night to urinate, and faintly noticed some movement from Lu Yuwen¡¯s side, casting a suspicious nce their way.


    ¡ª¡ªLu Yuwen was tied to a tree, head sagging, seemingly unconscious.


    There were sporadic snoringing from the nearby tent.


    Zhang Ke withdrew his gaze, only to dismiss the noise as a mishearing.


    He walked to the side of the road to pee, and after zipping up his pants, prepared to head back to the tent. identally, he noticed the lid of the motorcycle¡¯s rear box was not fully closed.


    It was not too far, so he walked a few extra steps, raised his hand to reopen the box lid, intending to close it properly.


    Upon opening it, however, he found the pile of papers inside was gone.


    Zhang Ke was dumbstruck.


    On instinct, he assumed the other two had taken the map into the tent to study it.


    But after a few steps, he felt something was wrong.<div>


    The tent was pitch ck, there was no light, nothing to aid in reading a map. Besides, the map has always been kept in this position, there was no reason for it to suddenly move.


    Zhang Ke once again looked at the bound Lu Yuwen.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    With Lu Yuwen bound by those tools, it was impossible for him to steal the map.


    The only remaining suspects were either Brother Xiao or Yang Zi, unless¡­there was a fifth person here?


    At this thought, Zhang Ke became vignt and scanned his surroundings¡ª¡ª


    Everything around him was too dark, too quiet, anyone hiding would be hard to detect.


    Despite him thinking the possibility was slim, he still cautiously approached the tent and tentatively asked, ¡°Brother Xiao¡­ Brother Xiao? Is the map with you?¡±


    After a few seconds of waiting, a muffled male voice came from the tent, ¡°What do you want with a map in the middle of the night¡­¡±


    Yang Zi was also woken up and grumpilyined, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, not sleeping in the middle of the night?¡±


    Zhang Ke said, ¡°Oh¡­ The map isn¡¯t on the motorcycle, so I thought I¡¯d ask if it¡¯s with you.¡±


    The two people in the tent were taken aback, instantly wide awake!


    Brother Xiao crawled out of the tent and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on? You said the map isn¡¯t on the motorcycle?¡±


    ¡°I just nced at it.¡± Zhang Ke pointed in the direction of the motorcycle, ¡°Everything else is there, but the map is gone.¡±


    Brother Xiao didn¡¯t believe it and hurriedly walked to the motorcycle. He swung open the box with a smack!


    It was indeed gone!


    Other than the map, everything else was in the box!


    ¡°Yang Zi! Have you taken the map?¡± Brother Xiao asked with a frown.


    The short young man angrily retorted, ¡°Why would I take the map?! Didn¡¯t you say it¡¯s useless unless we have all 100 squares?¡±


    He looked at Lu Yuwen, ¡°I¡¯m sure it was him! I¡¯ve said it before, this guy isn¡¯t trustworthy!¡±<div>


    As he said this, he moved to confront Lu Yuwen.


    Brother Xiao, annoyed, held him back, ¡°He¡¯s tied to the tree by you, how could he take the map?! Even if he did, where could he hide it? That thick pile of papers couldn¡¯t possibly be hidden on him!¡±


    Zhang Ke was on guard as he looked around. All the shadows in the darkness became suspicious.


    ¡°Brother Xiao, it seems this ce isn¡¯t as safe as we thought.¡± said Zhang Ke.<div>


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Yang Zi asked with a furrowed brow, ¡°Could it have been carried off by an animal?¡±


    ¡°What nonsense! Since the world turned into this, have you seen any animals?¡± Brother Xiao retorted, ¡°Even if there were, have you ever seen an animal that only eats paper?¡±


    Finally, the realization hit Yang Zi, ¡°You mean¡­ there are others here?¡±


    He looked around, ¡°Impossible¡­ ever since we arrived, we¡¯ve only encountered mannequins, no living people¡­¡±


    ¡°Regardless, we have to arrange someone for night watch.¡± Zhang Ke looked at Brother Xiao, ¡°Losing the map isn¡¯t a big deal, we can always redraw it, but we can¡¯t afford to carelessly lose anything else.¡±


    For instance, our lives.


    Brother Xiao, with a grave expression, nodded in agreement.

 Chapter 490: Is It a Monster?

    Chapter 490: Is It a Monster?


    Yang Zi couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°Why don¡¯t we ask Lu Yuwen? He was outside all night long, he might have seen or heard something!¡±


    Brother Xiao nced in Lu Yuwen¡¯s direction, frowning even deeper.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already told you to be careful! If you want to vent, wait until we¡¯re out of the maze! Now you¡¯ve turned him into a half-dead man, and you still expect him to hear something?!¡±


    ¡°Yes, after being tied up all night, we don¡¯t even know if he will be able to walk tomorrow.¡± Zhang Ke said sarcastically, ¡°If he really cannot walk, will we have to figure out how to carry him?¡±


    Brother Xiao became even more exasperated upon hearing this, said, ¡°Yang Zi, go and untie him!¡±


    Yang Zi was somewhat reluctant. He hated how Lu Yuwen looked down on them just because he was smarter, but thinking that someone would take turns to keep watch tonight and Lu Yuwen couldn¡¯t escape, hepromised and went over to untie him.


    Lu Yuwen, appearing feeble, slid to the ground leaning against a tree trunk, his body tilted to one side.


    Even though the ropes on his body were loosened, those on his wrists remained.


    The other end of the rope was tied to the tent, so they could detect any movements as soon as Lu Yuwen pulled on the rope.


    For the rest of the night, the three of them took turns to keep watch.


    Su Man couldn¡¯t find an opportunity to rescue Lu Yuwen.


    She couldn¡¯t even find a chance to speak to Lu Yuwen.


    In the blink of an eye, day had broken. Looking at the three men packing up the tent, preparing to start again, she sank into deep confusion ¡ª what was she supposed to do to rescue Lu Yuwen from such dire circumstances?


    With no good ideas in mind, she could only continue to follow them.


    Unfortunately, not long after they started, their motorcycle ran out of gas.


    The group of people cursed and muttered, attributing it to the ¡°thief¡± who stole the mapst night. They didn¡¯t suspect Lu Yuwen at all.


    Like this, after traveling for three blocks, they couldn¡¯t hold on any longer and had to stop.


    Without the motorcycle, it was just too hard to traverse the maze on foot.


    Lu Yuwen was almost dragged along, feeling an intense burning pain below his knees, his legs felt useless.


    Zhang Ke, Yang Zi, and Brother Xiao, who were dragging him, were no better. They were sweating profusely, but their youthful strength allowed them to endure much more than Yuwen, the cripple.


    Lu Yuwen nced back with some concern.


    At this pace and intensity, he doubted any woman could keep up.


    However, it was better that she couldn¡¯t keep up. Being further away from these men was safer. If a woman was entangled in this, escaping would be even more troublesome.


    No sooner had this idea crossed his mind, than he saw a sh of red dancing at the corner of his eye before disappearing. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Su Man was not only closely following behind, she also moved with agility and showed no signs of fatigue.


    Lu Yuwen: ¡°¡­¡±


    Where on earth had this womane from?! Was she a monster???


    ¡°What are you looking at! If you have the energy then hurry up and move!¡± Yang Zi from the front yelled, ¡°We¡¯ve lost our map, you have to redraw the entire thing for us! Be quick about it!¡±


    Lu Yuwen turned his gaze forward again and silently walked onwards¡­


    ¡­


    As Lu Yuwen had described earlier, the environment inside the mazeprised of massive, square blocks.


    Without any measuring tools, the exact size of the blocks remained unknown. They could only estimate that both sides were about 2 kilometers long.


    For example, the present 2 kilometers they were traveling was a highway. When they moved onto the next 2 kilometers, it could suddenly be a field or a hill, or the change could be smaller, turning into a different bloc.


    It was as if a city had been sliced into 100 pieces, randomly shuffled, and then reassembled.


    What they had to do was not just walk through each 2-kilometer block. They also had to map every block to look for patterns and clues.


    Despite his extreme fatigue, Lu Yuwen was painstakingly meticulous in his map drawing. After all, it was directly rted to whether he could escape from the maze.


    Just as he was carefully drawing theyout of the streets nearby, Yang Zi suddenly pulled him up. Lu Yuwen¡¯s paper and pen fell to the ground ¨C

 Chapter 491: Mentally Deficient Personality

    Chapter 491: Mentally Deficient Personality


    Lu Yuwen was taken aback.


    Brother Xiao and Zhang Ke were out looking for gasoline, and now it was only him and Yang Zi left. Could it be possible that thetter was nning to vent his anger on him while the other two were away?


    In Lu Yuwen¡¯s view, the short fellow named Yang Zi had a ssic dim-witted personality ¨C


    Lacking intelligence, he was unable to control his emotions, much like a wild animal with no understanding of restraint or camouge.


    For dealing with such people, Lu Yuwen¡¯s wisdom was to avoid provoking them at all costs. Resisting ormunicating were pointless, as theycked human IQ.


    Lu Yuwen silently followed Yang Zi, not asking why he had suddenly jerked him up, nor where he was taking him.


    Yang Zi, leading Lu Yuwen by the rope, took him into the restroom of a nearby mall.


    He kicked open a toilet stall door, tantly disregarded Lu Yuwen¡¯s presence, unbuttoned his pants with one hand while holding the rope with the other, and started defecating on the toilet in front of him!


    Lu Yuwen: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡­Heh, the low IQ dwarf ape.


    Keeping hold of the rope was bing bothersome, so Yang Zi simply tied it to the restroom door and lit a cigarette for himself.


    Cigarette smoke, stench¡­ The toilet¡¯s smell was indescribable.


    Lu Yuwen stood outside the stall, his face extremely unsightly.


    At this moment, he suddenly saw a head peeking out from the deepest stall in the restroom!


    He was startled, his eyes widened!


    Even though he tried to control himself after realizing it was Su Man, his sharp intake of breath still attracted the attention of the dwarf ape!


    ¡°Hey! What¡¯s going on?!¡± Yang Zi asked, frowning.


    Lu Yuwen quickly lowered his head, pretending to be spineless and scared, ¡°Cock¡­cockroach¡­¡±


    ¡°A cockroach scared you like this?¡± Yang Zi snorted, warning him, ¡°Behave, don¡¯t try any tricks!¡±


    Lu Yuwen said nothing, his head lowered but his mind was in turmoil!


    What was that woman doing?! Why was she in the men¡¯s restroom?!


    When did she sneak in? Why didn¡¯t he see her?! What was she intending to do?!!


    ¡­


    Su Man came prepared.


    Knowing that Lu Yuwen was constantly being watched, she had brought a notebook and pen. So even if they couldn¡¯t talk, they could pass messages quietly.


    Su Man wrote a sentence on the notebook, held it above the stall¡¯s door for Lu Yuwen to see:


    ¡°He is alone now, do you want to take him down?¡±


    Lu Yuwen: ¡°¡­¡±


    Do what?!


    Was it appropriate for a woman to be this impulsive?! Not knowing the enemy¡¯s strength, how did she n to take action? She might end up getting herself hurt instead!


    Lu Yuwen pretended his neck was ufortable, turned his¡­ stiff head to shake it no.


    Seeing this, Su Man slightly furrowed her brows.


    He didn¡¯t agree?


    But now was a particrly good opportunity, why didn¡¯t he agree? Even though she was injured, she should have no problem dealing with this shorty. Wouldn¡¯t their chance be lost if the other two returned?


    Su Mancked confidence in her own judgment. After thinking it over, she decided that Lu Yuwen must have his reasons for not letting her take action.


    Therefore, she continued writing on the notebook:


    ¡°Do you have a n?¡±


    Lu Yuwen: ¡°¡­¡±


    Of course he had a n, only it couldn¡¯t be exined in a sentence or two.


    He once again feigned a sore neck, twisted his¡­ stiff head and nodded.


    ¡°Hey!¡± The man on the toilet suddenly called him. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Lu Yuwen was startled, thinking that his small movements had been noticed, so he hurriedly looked up.


    ¡°There¡¯s no toilet paper, go check the other stalls for some!¡± Yang Zi ordered him impatiently.

 Chapter 492: 492: Toilet Paper

    Chapter 492: Toilet Paper


    Lu Yuwen: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you dawdling for?! Go find it!¡± Yang Zi cursed, ¡°Should I myself bend over searching for toilet paper?! Damn it!¡±


    The rope was long enough, so there should be no problem finding toilet paper in the restroom.


    Lu Yuwen hung his head and opened the next cubicle.


    ¡°Found any paper?¡± Yang Zi asked.


    Lu Yuwen paused for two seconds, removed the half roll of paper from the box, tucked it under his arm, and replied, ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°If not, then keep searching! And do it quickly!¡±


    Lu Yuwen pretended to search for toilet paper. Once he reached thest cubicle, he received a pen from Su Man and quickly wrote a message¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Stay close to us. When you see me signal you, reverse the direction of all the arrows! The exact direction will depend on my hand signal!¡±


    Arrows?


    Reverse the direction?<div>


    The big arrow that spans hundreds of meters cannot possibly be reversed. The arrows that Lu Yuwen is referring to must be the smaller arrows scattered around the big one.


    But what good would reversing the arrows do?


    Su Man looked at him skeptically.


    Yang Zi in the cubicle began cursing again:


    ¡°Damn it! How hard is it to find some toilet paper?! Have you found it yet?!¡±


    ¡°Found it.¡± Lu Yuwen pretended to struggle, patting the nearby toilet paper box, making a noise, ¡°The roll is stuck inside, almost done.¡±


    ¡°Hurry up!¡±


    Lu Yuwen didn¡¯t dare dy any further. Without allowing Su Man the opportunity to ask any questions, he rushed out and handed the toilet paper to Yang Zi.


    He wasn¡¯t sure if such an impatient and thoughtless creature would burst out due to the urgent need for toilet paper. After all, thetter had no bottom line.


    Once Yang Zi had finished up, presumably finding the smell too foul, he left the restroom immediately without further trouble for Lu Yuwen.


    Su Man looked at the words Lu Yuwen had left behind, contemting for a moment before leaving the restroom as well.


    Brother Xiao and Zhang Ke had already returned outside. They had found some gasoline, but the motorcycle was still parked where they restedst night, so the gasoline was of no use for the time being and they had to carry it along as they moved forward.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go two more squares and head back.¡± Brother Xiao said, ¡°We¡¯ll use the motorcycle instead, it¡¯s more efficient.¡±


    ¡°The motorcycle won¡¯t be that much more efficient.¡± Zhang Ke nced in the direction of Lu Yuwen, ¡°At most, three people can sit on a motorcycle. Unless someone gets down, to let Lu Yuwen up, otherwise, the motorcycle can¡¯t move faster.¡±


    Yang Zi snorted: ¡°Let him ride the motorcycle? While we chase behind? You really do care about him.¡±


    ¡°And do you have a n?¡± Zhang Ke didn¡¯t mince his words, ¡°Could your brain possibly produce a n?¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t understand! Isn¡¯t he just drawing maps? Can¡¯t we draw maps? Do we absolutely have to rely on him?!¡±


    Yang Zi violently tugged the rope wrapped around Lu Yuwen, almost making him stumble!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°We¡¯ve been trapped in this damn ce for three days, aside from drawing maps, what useful things has he done? Even if he drew hundreds of maps, it wouldn¡¯t guarantee an escape! Do you truly believe that he has an idea?!!¡±<div>


    ¡°Enough! What¡¯s there to quarrel about?!¡± Brother Xiao impatiently interrupted the two, ¡°If you have the energy to quarrel, you might as well move more maze squares! Look for an exit!¡±


    The two stopped arguing but neither looked particrly pleased.


    Lu Yuwen held the map in his hand, silently following behind.


    asionally, when the people in front of him were not paying attention, he secretly nced back¡ª¡ª<div>


    He couldn¡¯t see Su Man¡¯s shadow.


    He was slightly anxious.


    They were almost there and he wasn¡¯t sure whether Su Man had caught up¡­ When he saw her, he worried that the group would discover her, but when he couldn¡¯t see her, he was worried she couldn¡¯t keep up.


    Lu Yuwen intentionally or unintentionally, slowed down his pace, secretly praying: I hope the n will work!

 Chapter 493: 493: The Block is Broken

    Chapter 493: The Block is Broken


    Brother Xiao¡¯s n was to go back after going two squares farther, but they didn¡¯t expect that after advancing one more square ¡ª the road, was blocked.


    Or to put it precisely, the square was blocked.


    A huge copsed pit appeared in front of them!


    At least a kilometer away! The pit edge was neat and squarely shaped, as if a chess piece had been dug out of a full chessboard!


    Perhaps the sight was too spectacr, the group didn¡¯t speak for a long time, fixated on the scene.


    ¡°How could this happen¡­¡± Brother Xiao stared at the giant pit, ¡°What on earth is this ce¡­¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Yang Zi, too, was stunned for a long time before he asked: ¡°Could it be¡­an exit?¡±


    Lu Yuwen was shocked by the scene and copsed to the ground, his legs trembling.


    Zhang Ke picked him up, ¡°Hey, smart guy, what do you think this ce is?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Lu Yuwen struggled to adjust his sses, ¡°This is the only ce without¡­without any arrows. Perhaps there might be some clues. I¡¯m not certain, we need to¡­ we need to go down and see¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so high! How do we get down?!¡± Yang Zi immediately opposed, ¡°Plus, who knows what dangers lie below!¡±<div>


    Zhang Ke and Brother Xiao looked at each other, both hesitating.


    Brother Xiao stood at the edge, looking down ¡ª


    The bottom of the pit was about as high as a four or five-story building from where they stood. They could clearly see the smooth mud floor below. There were no buildings, no trees, nothing at all. It waspletely empty and visible in its entirety.


    They also couldn¡¯t see any danger.


    ¡°If we want to go down¡­it¡¯s not impossible, we can use a rope,¡± Brother Xiao said with a furrowed brow, ¡°We¡¯re here now, even if we turn around and leave, we¡¯ll have to go down and check it out the next time wee.¡±


    ¡°If anyone¡¯s going down, let him go first!¡± Yang Zi pointed at Lu Yuwen.


    Lu Yuwen was stunned.


    Brother Xiao frowned: ¡°How is he gonna go down with those two legs of his? He can hardly walk, and if you drop him down, you¡¯ll have to drag him back up. Want to go through that trouble? We should move quickly, go down for a quick look ande right back up. We¡¯ll figure out what¡¯s down there first.¡±


    Yang Zi: ¡°And what if he runs?!¡±


    Zhang Ke chuckled, picked up a brick from the road, and smashed it viciously onto Lu Yuwen¡¯s knee!


    Lu Yuwen screamed in agony, clutching his leg as he copsed to the ground!


    Zhang Ke tossed the brick, and said nonchntly with a smirk: ¡°Fine, now we don¡¯t have to worry about him running.¡±


    Yang Zi cast a nce at Lu Yuwen and smirked. He didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s all prepare, see how we can get down.¡± Brother Xiao looked around and noticed several residential buildings nearby, ¡°Follow me to get some mattresses and pillows. If we slip and fall, at least they¡¯ll cushion the fall.¡±


    The two followed him.


    Since Lu Yuwen couldn¡¯t even stand up, they didn¡¯t worry that he would try to escape. They didn¡¯t even nce at him when they left.


    As soon as they all went into the residential building. Su Man, who had been hiding in the dark, immediately came out, helped Lu Yuwen sit up, and said angrily but anxiously: ¡°They¡¯re gone. Let¡¯s get out of here quickly!¡±


    Lu Yuwen, soaked in sweat and pale as a ghost, was still in agony from Zhang Ke¡¯s hit ¨D the pain nearly made him bite off his gums!


    ¡°We can¡¯t. If we leave like this, we won¡¯t be able to untie the ropes!¡± He was panting and shaking his head, ¡°Listen to me. When they go down, rotate the arrow towards my direction!¡±<div>


    Still rather uneasy, he asked Su Man: ¡°Do you know where the arrow is?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Su Man nodded, ¡°It¡¯s about five hundred meters around the corner. I remember it. As soon as they go down, I will turn the arrow around!¡±


    Lu Yuwen nodded, urging her: ¡°Go quickly, they¡¯re about toe out.¡±


    Su Man looked back at the direction of the residential building, bit her lip, quickly retreated and hid herself again.<div>

 Chapter 494: 494: Meticulous Calculations

    Chapter 494: Meticulous Calctions


    Xiao Ge and his partners threw down seven or eight mattresses, along with all the sheets, quilts, and pillows they had scavenged from the residences. In a matter of moments, they filled the bottom with a thickyer of padding.


    At the first nce, they looked rough and relentless, like desperadoes, yet they valued their lives so much when it came to the crunch.


    Lu Yuwen sneered at their cowardice.


    Yang Zi untied the rope from Lu Yuwen¡¯s wrists, which were deeply bruised, having been bound for too long.


    The rope was long and stretchy. Xiao Ge tied one end to a nearby tree and wrapped the other end around his waist before gradually descending the rope.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Once at the bottom, Yang Zi pulled the rope back, tied it around his waist like Xiao Ge had done, and slowly descended.


    Zhang Ke was thest to go down.


    Seeing all three men had descended, Lu Yuwen cracked a cold smile. He leaned on his arms, attempting to get up.


    His knees had been severely damaged by Zhang Ke, leaving him unable to exert any force. Thus, he could only crawl forward by rolling onto his side.


    Nevertheless, his wrists, ankles, thighs, and knees were in terrible pain. As he cursed under his breath and painstakingly crawled forward, a figure suddenly appeared. It was Su Man, who was briskly running towards him!


    Lu Yuwen was startled and blurted out, ¡°Why are you here? Weren¡¯t you adjusting the direction of the arrows?!¡±<div>


    As Su Man supported him up, she replied, ¡°I did!¡±


    ¡°You did? That was fast!¡± Lu Yuwen couldn¡¯t believe it. She had to sprint half a kilometer, adjust almost a hundred small arrows, and then run another half kilometer to get back to him. ¡°What speed is she running? What¡¯s her endurance?¡± he wondered.


    She exined, ¡°I didn¡¯t lie to you! If I adjust a few of the small arrows, the nearby ones will automatically adjust their direction too! After adjusting more than 50, all the arrows start changing their direction, so I didn¡¯t need to adjust each one manually!¡±


    Before she finished speaking, they felt something trembling!


    They turned their heads to see the massive arrow suspended between the buildings, swaying and changing direction just like the small ones!


    While they were still surprised, the ground beneath them trembled violently, like an earthquake! They both fell to the ground!


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?!!¡± Xiao Ge¡¯s furious voice echoed from the pit below.


    ¡°Damn! Why is there an earthquake all of a sudden?!¡± Yang Zi roared from below, ¡°Hurry up! Zhang Ke, you son of a turtle! Give us the rope!¡±


    The rope was with Zhang Ke?


    Realizing this, Lu Yuwen grabbed Su Man¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Help me up! Zhang Ke is climbing up!¡±


    Zhang Ke was thest one down, so it¡¯s highly likely he hadn¡¯t reached the bottom when Su Man had changed the direction of the arrows!


    Su Man was faster than Lu Yuwen had anticipated, and now the whole area was moving quickly in the direction therge arrow pointed to! The building at the other end of the pit was quickly closing in!


    Meanwhile, the yelling of Xiao Ge and Yang Zi abruptly stopped!


    The pit they were in was being filled up!


    ¡°Quickly, let¡¯s move to the green belt over there!¡± Lu Yuwen shouted, ¡°Otherwise, when the section of earth stops, we¡¯ll be thrown out by inertia!¡±


    No one could predict how great the force of inertia would be!


    It¡¯s like standing on a speeding train that suddenly stops. How far would a person be thrown?


    Su Man tried to support Lu Yuwen to the green belt, but he was too slow.


    He was so anxious that he pushed Su Man away, ¡°Forget about me! You go!¡±<div>


    Just as the pieces ofnd were about to collide, Su Man was frantic! In a moment of desperation, she suddenly picked up Lu Yuwen and charged forward!


    Lu Yuwen: ¡°!!!¡±


    Despite all his cunning, he never thought there would be a day when a woman would carry him and run!


    <div>

 Chapter 495: 495: Good Name

    Chapter 495: Good Name


    ¡ªBOOM!!!


    With a loud crash, Su Man and Lu Yuwen both tumble into the green belt, the branches and leaves of the shrubs scraping their skin while also shielding their bodies!


    If they hit a wall or an electrical pole at this moment, broken ribs would be the least of their worries!


    Even so, the impact leaves Lu Yuwen bewildered, disoriented, and dizzy!


    Su Man, who is much stronger than Lu Yuwen, quickly gets up. She helps Lu Yuwen to his feet and drags him away from the green belt.


    Looming overhead, a ss window of a building nearby sways precariously. Just after the pair move away, it crashes to the ground, shattering to pieces!


    Su Man carries Lu Yuwen and flees, running until they reach a wide, open meadow. Once assured that there are no risks of falling objects nearby, Su Man finally puts Lu Yuwen down.


    ¡°Hey! Hey?!¡± Su Man ps his face, ¡°Lu Yuwen! Are you okay?!¡±


    Lu Yuwen, feeling groggy, struggles to open his eyes, ¡°¡­How did you know my name?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what they were calling you.¡± Su Man exins, simultaneously pressing on his chest and arm.


    Lu Yuwen, weakly and breathlessly, asks, ¡°Why are you¡­ poking around¡­¡±<div>


    Su Man says with a serious tone, ¡°I¡¯m checking to see if you¡¯ve broken any bones.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Lu Yuwen is at a loss for words as he lies on the ground, gasping, ¡°Even if they¡¯re not broken, you¡¯re going to finish the job.¡±


    Su Man quickly withdraws her hand and asks him anxiously, ¡°Does it hurt badly? Where does it hurt? I brought some medicine for injuries. I can apply it for you.¡±


    Lu Yuwen waves her off, ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here first.¡±


    Su Man scans their surroundings and nods vehemently. ¡°You¡¯re right. This ce is too strange. Let¡¯s get moving!¡±


    With that, she tries to lift Lu Yuwen up again.


    Upon seeing her efforts, Lu Yuwen quickly grabs her arm, ¡°Wait, wait a minute! I¡¯m too heavy. This isn¡¯t appropriate¡­ ¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing inappropriate about it.¡± Su Man replies, ¡°I¡¯m strong, don¡¯t worry! I won¡¯t drop you!¡±


    Lu Yuwen thinks to himself: I¡¯ve already experienced your strength, but whether or not you drop me isn¡¯t the point!


    He then suggests apromise, ¡°Can you carry me on your back instead?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Su Man furrows her eyebrows and supports his arm over her shoulder, slightly discontented. ¡°I¡¯m not embarrassed. Why should you be? The important thing now is to get out of here. What¡¯s the difference between carrying or piggybacking? Who are you pretending for?¡±


    Lu Yuwen¡¯s mouth twitches. He doesn¡¯t want to argue, ¡°¡­ Yes, you¡¯re right.¡±


    Su Man hoists him onto her back and starts walking.


    After a while, she feels a strange sense of unease, like something is off.


    It takes her a moment to realize what¡¯s wrong. She¡¯s used to getting snappy responses from Li Li when they talk. So much so that she¡¯s adapted to speaking bluntly and aggressively.


    Now that she¡¯s suddenly getting agreement, she doesn¡¯t know how to handle it¡­


    Deep down, she knows that men have their pride, and being carried around by a woman isn¡¯t really dignified.


    Su Man thinks about what to say to remedy the situation. After all, she still needs him to find their way out of thebyrinth¡­


    ¡°What should I call you?¡± the man on her back asks.<div>


    ¡°Su Man,¡± She replies, ¡°Su as in Suzhou, and Man as in vine.¡±


    ¡°Nice name,¡± Lu Yuwen says, ¡°It reminds me of a verse from the Book of Songs, ¡®In the wild fields, sparkle the dew-drops shed, There is a beautifuldy, pure and fair.¡¯


    There are more engrossing lines to the verse, but Lu Yuwen chose not to speak them for now.


    Anyway, they¡¯ve just met. Starting with small talk is a good way to work towards deeper conversation.<div>


    Su Man seems not to understand the remark, and replies tly, ¡°Really? I¡¯ve always thought my name was a bit old-fashioned. When I was in school, I always met people with the same name. Zhang Man, Li Man, He Man¡­ Eventually, I added a ¡®grass¡¯ character to my name.¡±


    Lu Yuwen: ¡°¡­I see.¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Suddenly feeling that the conversation just died a death.

 Chapter 496: 496: A Complete Mystery

    Chapter 496: A Complete Mystery


    He didn¡¯t speak, but Su Man took the initiative and asked, ¡°How did you know that changing the direction of the arrow would cause thend parcel to move?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡­¡± Lu Yuwen pondered for a while before replying, ¡°That, of course, I figured out from my analysis.¡±


    ¡°Your mind is really amazing.¡± Su Man sincerely eximed, ¡°I also saw those arrows, but I never thought that the arrow¡¯s direction could be changed, nor did I ever imagine that thend parcel could actually move.¡±


    No one dislikes beingplimented, especially whenplimented by the opposite sex.


    Lu Yuwen felt smug about it, but modestly said, ¡°After all, I¡¯ve been here for three days, so I¡¯ve pretty much figured out the environment and clues.¡±


    Having said this, he couldn¡¯t help but ask Su Man, ¡°When did youe in?¡±


    ¡°Yesterday.¡± Su Man answered, ¡°I was quite shocked when I first arrived and saw them dragging you on a bike. I didn¡¯t expect to meet people in the maze.¡±


    Lu Yuwen seemed surprised, ¡°Did youe in by yourself?¡±


    Su Man nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    From the tone of her voice, it didn¡¯t sound like she identally fell in here. On the contrary, she seemed to have willingly entered the maze?


    Why?<div>


    Everyone tries to avoid the maze, so why would someone willingly enter it? ¡­Could it be that her rtives or friends are in here?


    However, they had just met not long ago. Asking too many questions could easily cause difort, so Lu Yuwen buried his suspicions in his heart, preparing to ask Su Man at an appropriate timeter.


    This woman is full of mysteries¡ª


    Entering the deadly maze alone;


    Possessing astonishing strength and speed;


    Her left arm seems to be injured, with the entire forearm to the hand wrapped in bandages, but she still can use it.


    At least now, as she was carrying him, he felt that arm was quite strong.


    If that¡¯s the case, why wrap it in bandages?


    All of these signs¡­ are too strange.


    Su Man was unaware of Lu Yuwen¡¯splicated thoughts. She carried Lu Yuwen on her back and turned back, only to find the original path was blocked since thend parcel had moved.


    ¡ªThe original location of thend parcel had be arge depression, like a deep foundation pit that had been dug but no building constructed.


    Su Man had no choice but to take a detour along the edge of the pit.


    Lu Yuwen, fearing her strength would fail her, asked her to rest.


    Su Man shook her head, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s find a ce to stay first.¡±


    By coincidence, there was a private clinic nearby. She carried Lu Yuwen in, expertly disinfecting and medicating his wound.


    Lu Yuwen¡¯s trousers were already in an embarrassing state.


    Su Man went to a nearby clothing store to find a few pairs of trousers, taking care of him personally.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Since she didn¡¯t know Lu Yuwen¡¯s size, she brought back a pile of clothes and trousers, not forgetting socks and shoes.


    When she returned to the clinic, Lu Yuwen was washing his face and head with cold water.<div>


    For the three days he had been in the maze, he had been living like a dog, his hair was even filled with dried instant noodle kes, and his body stank terribly.


    If not for worrying about his leg wound getting wet, he would have love to take a thorough bath!


    Su Man put the clothes on the hospital bed, lifting her eyes she saw Lu Yuwen¡¯s freshly cleansed face, and was taken aback.


    She didn¡¯t expect¡­<div>


    She didn¡¯t expect him to be so¡­ handsome.


    Previously, his face was all covered in dirt and dried blood, only giving the impression of a clean and handsome appearance. Now she discovered, he had long eyebrows, slightly upturned eyes, and his facial features were more exquisite than most men. He looked a bit like an immortal prince from period dramas, carrying a kind of androgynous elegance.


    Some men are handsome, some are cool, some are good-looking, but Lu Yuwen was not any of those, he was simply¡­ beautiful!


    Lu Yuwen took the clothes and said, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    He thought Su Man would turn away while he changed his clothes, but she didn¡¯t move.


    Recalling Su Man¡¯s previous remark about him being pretentious, Lu Yuwen decided not to be pretentious and casually took off his ragged shirt¡ª

 Chapter 497: 497: Chicken Soup for the Soul

    Chapter 497: Chicken Soup for the Soul


    Su Man: ¡°¡­¡±


    She froze for a moment, then quickly turned around!


    Finally caught up by embarrassment, she stammered, ¡°You¡­ you should change your clothes first. I¡¯ll go back and bring our luggage and the map!¡±


    With that said, she hurriedly left.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Lu Yuwen watched her retreating figure, looked down at the clothes in his hand, wavered for a moment, but finally, unable to stand the stale smell on his body, gritted his teeth and decided to take a cold shower!


    ¡­


    The temperature, bearing the chill of early autumn, although not yet that cold, taking a cold shower was truly torturous.


    After bathing, Lu Yuwen sneezed countless times.


    Though he had cleaned up, his body was not okay. His head started to feel heavy and feverish.


    He knew it was bad. He quickly rummaged through the clinic, looking for cold medicine!


    When Su Man returned with their luggage, she was surprised to see Lu Yuwen¡¯s flushed face as hey on the medical bed, ¡°What happened to you?¡±<div>


    Didn¡¯t we just disinfect the wound? And didn¡¯t I apply the medicine? Why does it seem to be getting worse?


    Lu Yuwen was at a loss for words.


    Was he going to tell her that he¡¯d been self-indulgent again and gotten sick from taking a cold shower?


    In the end, his frail body wasn¡¯t fit for survival in a world like this!


    After taking the medicine, he felt exhausted. He weakly asked Su Man, ¡°Did you bring the map back?¡±


    ¡°I brought it back.¡± Su Man handed it to him.


    Lu Yuwen didn¡¯t have the strength to take it. He nced at the map in her hand and said faintly, ¡°If I get better tomorrow, I¡¯ll help youplete the rest of the map. This maze isn¡¯t scary. As long as weplete the map square by square, in the correct order, we can find the correct route¡­ If I can¡¯t get better, you¡¯ll have toplete it yourself, understand?¡±


    Su Man reached out to touch his forehead and frowned, ¡°Why the sudden fever? Did you take the medicine? I¡¯ll get it for you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve taken it¡­¡± Lu Yuwen grabbed her hand, his voice hoarse from the fever, ¡°It¡¯s probably because the wound on my leg is inmed, plus the chill¡­ It won¡¯t be better in a few days. If you can leave, leave as soon as possible and don¡¯t worry about me.¡±


    Su Man¡¯s frown deepened, ¡°I will surely take you out with me!¡±


    Lu Yuwen shook his head, ¡°¡­listen, I¡¯m a cripple, my legs were bad to begin with. Staying in the maze is safer, you don¡¯t need to take me out. Besides, I don¡¯t like owing people favors¡­¡±


    ¡°So what if you¡¯re a cripple?!¡± Su Man cut him off, her tone showing exasperation, ¡°You¡¯re just troubled with one bad leg, I know a woman who has two! But isn¡¯t she still living well?! Not only is she living well, but everyone is also afraid of her! No one dares to provoke her! You have to buck up too!¡±


    Lu Yuwen scoffed, ¡°Thanks for the pep talk, but I can¡¯t quite swallow it¡­¡±


    ¡°This is not pep talk! It¡¯s a real story!¡± Su Man persisted, ¡°She is far worse off than you, at least you can still walk. She can only use a wheelchair, even needs help to go to the toilet! But she has never given up and has passed many games! You shouldn¡¯t give up, either!¡±


    Lu Yuwen thought: How can someone in a wheelchairplete games?


    Could she be a little more sincere when giving motivational speeches?


    Forget it¡­


    This girl was straightforward and kind-hearted, just trying to encourage him. Why should he dampen her spirits?


    But seriously¡­ being sick really felt awful.<div>


    Lu Yuwen closed his eyes, let out a weak sigh, and once again said faintly, ¡°If I can get better, we¡¯ll leave together; if I can¡¯t, you should go by yourself. Like I said before¡­ we were strangers, you don¡¯t have to be dragged down by me, I don¡¯t like owing people favors.¡±


    He then stopped talking and closed his eyes to rest on the bed.


    Su Man bit her lip, her mood gloomy as she watched him.


    Were people with mobility problems always so stubborn?<div>

 Chapter 498: 498 Friends

    Chapter 498: Friends


    At night, Lu Yuwen remained in a semi-conscious state.


    He woke up a few times during this period:


    Once, Su Man yanked him awake to feed him medicine, her movements were rough, almost like force-feeding him;


    Another time, Su Man removed his shirt to wipe him down and apply a coldpress, her strength was overpowering, the towel rubbing against him almost peeling off ayer of skin;


    And yet another time, Su Man insisted on him getting up to soak his feet, iming it was a method she learned from the Chinese medicine clinic next door. ording to her, soaking the feet, followed by a massage on specific acupuncture points, could speed up his recovery.


    Lu Yuwen was extremely unyielding when it came to anyone seeing his feet, especially his congenitally disabled one. However, Su Man was stronger than him, and he couldn¡¯t resist her.


    Afterwards, he almost passed out from the pain.


    He thought he would have half his life tormented away by this woman but unexpectedly, he felt his spirit gradually improving as he slept into thete night.


    Although his body was still dripping sweat, his head didn¡¯t feel as heavy anymore.


    Lu Yuwen opened his eyes and slowly exhaled a breath.


    Su Man was asleep next to him.<div>


    She was leaning against the side of the bed, her eyebrows still slightly furrowed in concern, her right hand holding a thermometer while her left hand was ced beneath it.


    He hadn¡¯t looked closely before, but now that he did, her left hand, wrapped up in thick bandages, looked somewhat unnatural, uneven and lumpy. He had no idea what it looked like beneath the bandages¡­


    Lu Yuwen felt a pang of pity for her.


    Such a good-looking girl, but her hand was injured. He hoped she could recover in the future and wouldn¡¯t end up like him ¨C always attracting ridicule wherever he went because of the way he walked.


    He sat up, intending to reach for some water.


    Su Man was highly alert and woke up almost instantly. Her clear, distinct eyes opened wide, like a cat¡¯s in the dark of the night, sharp and energizing! Not the least bit groggy!


    Seeing Lu Yuwen awake, the sharpness in her eyes softened as she asked him, ¡°Do you want some water?¡±


    Lu Yuwen nodded, then asked her, ¡°Got anything to eat?¡±


    Su Man rummaged through her bag and took out a packet ofpressed biscuits. Struggling to open the packet with one hand, she used her teeth.


    Lu Yuwen said, ¡°Let me do it.¡±


    Su Man handed it to him.


    He took it, opened the packet and took out seven or eight biscuits, then handed the remaining half packet back to Su Man.


    Both of them ate their biscuits with hot water in silence.


    The indoor ambianceposed of soothing chewing sounds, the rustling of the packaging, and a small camping kerosene stove in the middle of the room quietly agitating its mes.


    After eating for a while, Lu Yuwen said, ¡°When dawn breaks, let¡¯s go back to where they went down.¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Su Man was momentarily startled, and asked, ¡°You worry that they might climb back up?¡±


    Lu Yuwen shook his head lightly and said, ¡°Xiao and Yang Zi should have been crushed to death, but in the end, Yang Zi called out Zhang Ke¡¯s name, which means Zhang Ke wasn¡¯t at the bottom at that time. He might be hanging somewhere in the middle. I¡¯m not certain if he managed to climb up after that, so I want to go back and check again.¡±


    ¡°Zhang Ke is the guy who swung the wrench at your knee?¡± Su Man asked.


    ¡°Mm.¡± Lu Yuwen nodded, ¡°Yes, him.¡±<div>


    Su Man knitted her brows disapprovingly, ¡°These people are ruthless and vicious, I hope none of them survive!¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t matter if they did.¡± Lu Yuwen pondered for a moment, then slowly responded, ¡°Once we get out, he would be trapped in here all alone. Unable to call out for help, that would truly be a fitting fate.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Su Man said firmly, ¡°This kind of person should be killed to eliminate future troubles! Otherwise, the next time someone enters thebyrinth, he might harm people again!¡±


    Lu Yuwen was taken aback, then gently smiled.<div>


    Su Man red at him, ¡°What are youughing at?¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡­¡± Lu Yuwenughed, ¡°You are unexpectedly quite righteous and hate evil.¡±


    Su Man fell silent and slowly lowered her head.


    ¡°I indeed hate such people, bullies who are underhanded and treacherous ¡­ When I think about my friends, who might encounter them in the game orbyrinth, who might even get into trouble because of that, I wish I could kill them all!¡±


    ¡°Your friends?¡±


    ¡°Mm¡­¡± She looked out of the window. ¡°I wonder how they¡¯re doing now¡­¡±

 Chapter 499: 499: The Lady in Black Skirt

    Chapter 499: The Lady in ck Skirt


    Dusk.


    An off-road vehicle sped down the smooth highway.


    Bai Youwei, on the passenger seat, was dozing off.


    The long drive, monotonous scenery, warm sunshine¡­ all tempting her to sumb to sleep.


    Curbing a yawn, she said, ¡°Next time, we should let Tan Xiao sit in the car. Despite his constant chatter, he can help us stay alert.¡±


    Shen Mo nced at her, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you let him sit in the car this time?¡±


    ¡°To save fuel, duh!¡± Bai Youwei eyeing him, ¡°Your car guzzles fuel, don¡¯t you know?¡±


    That¡¯s why not only the luggage had been moved into the dollhouse, but Tan Xiao, Chang Weicai, and Pan Xiaoxin were also banished into it.


    Shen Mo chuckled, not answering.


    In his heart, he thought Bai Youwei was deliberately creating more alone time for the two of them.


    ¡°Hang in there a bit longer, we¡¯re almost there,¡± Shen Mo said.<div>


    Bai Youwei mustered the energy to look forward, seeing a beautifulndscape shed by. Further ahead, heavy mists indicated the presence of the maze.


    ¡°I wonder if Su Man is in there¡­¡± she worriedly sighed.


    After discovering Su Man¡¯s disappearance, they and Yan Qingwen split into two groups to look for her. One group was dispatched to Xuzhou, the other to Fuzhou.


    In an environmentcking means ofmunication, finding someone was really hard. Yet with Lun Ang gone, Yan Qingwen did not want to see Su Man get into trouble again. Plus, collecting puzzle pieces from the maze was their original goal. It would, of course, be even better if they could find Su Man in the process.


    So, after some discussion, Shen Mo and Bai Youwei set out for Fuzhou, while Yan Qingwen and Zhu Shu headed to Xuzhou.


    Looking ahead, Shen Mo murmured, ¡°ording to the map, we should drive for another hour before seeing the fog, but seeing it now means the maze has expanded in the meantime.¡±


    Bai Youwei, leaning on the car window, muttered, ¡°What would happen if no one ever came out from a maze?¡­ Would the maze keep expanding? Expanding non-stop, covering the entire continent? The entire earth?¡±


    ¡°That depends on the purpose of the game system,¡± Shen Mo slowed down his car¡¯s speed and said calmly, ¡°If it¡¯s goal is to kill, the maze and the game¡¯s difficulty will increase. But if it aims to select certain people, it will surely leave some leeway.¡±


    Bai Youwei turned to look at him, ¡°Do you want to be selected?¡±


    Shen Mo answered frankly, ¡°Of course. Only by winning to the end can we uncover the truth.¡±


    Bai Youwei pondered before asking, ¡°Is knowing the truth important to you?¡±


    Shen Mo gripped the steering wheel, turned to nce at her, ¡°Lun Ang and Yu Yaqing both died in the game. Don¡¯t you want to know why they died?¡±


    Bai Youwei was silent for a moment.


    Lun Ang and Yu Yaqing were killed by the doll, which was created by Mary, who was created by the game itself. But who created the game? Why did the gamee into existence? This remained an unsolved mystery.


    But in truth¡­


    Bai Youwei didn¡¯t intend to pursue the truth. In fact, she was somewhat resistant to it. Once the truth arrived¡­ would everything return to the way it was?


    She looked down at her own legs.


    After so much struggle, she was about to stand up again¡­


    But this thought can¡¯t be shared with anyone, not even Shen Mo.<div>


    She didn¡¯t want to appear dark, selfish, or even malevolent in his eyes.


    The car suddenly stopped.


    Bai Youwei was surprised, ¡°Why did we stop?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a car up ahead,¡± Shen Mo squinted, ¡°Beside the car there¡¯s a tent and a woman.¡±<div>


    Bai Youwei also looked in that direction, ¡°Could it be Su Man?¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn

 Chapter 500: 500: Long Time No See, Du Lai

    Chapter 500: Long Time No See, Du Lai


    Bai Youwei only took one nce to know for sure that it wasn¡¯t Su Man.


    Because sitting beside the car in the distance was a woman in a ck skirt. Although too far away to discern her face, Su Man never wore skirts. Probably the only time was in the Doll House, when she waspelled to put on a doll costume.


    Moreover, it was truly odd to wear a long skirt while traveling.


    Bai Youwei wore skirts because wearing trousers was too much of a hassle for her.


    If she could run and jump, she would, of course, choosefortable sportswear.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    As Shen Mo and Bai Youwei scrutinized the woman, she also noticed them.


    Sitting upright, she turned her head towards them.


    Shen Mo and Bai Youwei were both stunned.


    Because the woman was not only wearing a long ck skirt, but there was also a long ck veil on her head. The two had initially thought it was her long hair draped over her shoulders, but only when the woman turned her head, revealing no face, did they realize her head and face were both covered by the ck veil.


    She was wrapped up more tightly than an Arabian woman; at least they would reveal their eyes, whereas this woman didn¡¯t even reveal an eyebrow!


    This was too strange.<div>


    Wasn¡¯t she hot in that outfit?


    Although it was already autumn, the heat was still intense, with the daytime temperature reaching as high as twenty-seven or twenty-eight degrees. Bai Youwei felt she would probably suffer from heatstroke if she dressed like that woman.


    ¡°So strange¡­¡± Bai Youwei murmured under her breath.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and have a look.¡± Shen Mo started the car again.


    As the woman in the ck skirt saw theming, she lowered her head and bent to enter the tent. Following that, a young man in a hoodie came out of the tent, casting a wary nce at Shen Mo¡¯s car.


    This man was none other than Du Lai, who had previously swapped the Substitute Doll with Bai Youwei.


    Du Lai was camping near the maze with a woman? Interesting.


    Bai Youwei narrowed her eyes. As Shen Mo pulled up with the car and stopped, she greeted Du Lai with a smile, ¡°Long time no see~¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s you guys.¡± Du Lai¡¯s face rxed upon recognizing them, and he returned Bai Youwei¡¯s smile.


    Bai Youwei grinned and asked, ¡°Who else did you think it could be?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t think it was anyone specific.¡± Du Lai nced at Shen Mo, who was at the wheel, and casually asked, ¡°Are you two thinking of entering the maze? Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re a bit short-staffed?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t there also just two of you?¡± Shen Mo replied nonchntly.


    ¡°Indeed, the maze is filled with perils, and two people do make for a weak team. Which is why we haven¡¯t really decided whether to enter yet.¡± Du Lai nced at the tent and introduced with a jovial tone, ¡°That¡¯s my girlfriend inside. She¡¯s not fond of talking much, hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡± Bai Youwei replied, ¡°We are also resting here. You don¡¯t mind, do you?¡±


    There was a slight stiffness in Du Lai¡¯s smile as he answered, ¡°No, not at all.¡±


    A low grumble came from inside the tent, ¡°There¡¯s plenty of space, why do they have to rest here¡­¡±


    The voice was soft, but Bai Youwei and Shen Mo heard it clearly.


    Du Lai smiled, turned around, and retreated into the tent.


    Bai Youwei could hear him appeasing the woman with a low voice, but they were talking in the dialect, so she couldn¡¯t make out what they were saying.<div>


    After a while, the woman stopped talking, and no more sounds came from the tent.


    Shen Mo asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Are you sure about resting here?¡±


    They had the Doll House, they didn¡¯t necessarily have to fight for this space with Du Lai.


    Plus, when searching for Su Man, the faster they find her the better, in case something happened to her in the maze and they wouldn¡¯t be there to help.<div>


    Bai Youwei nced at the tent not too far away, her eyebrows furrowing slightly, ¡°I¡¯m slightly concerned¡­ If we could cooperate, it¡¯d be one thing, but what if he decides to cause trouble for us?¡±

 Chapter 501: 501: Red Wine Braised Beef

    Chapter 501: Red Wine Braised Beef


    Whether it is abyrinth or a game, what is most unsettling is that among the yers travelling with you, some have ulterior motives, leaving you in constant vignce.


    Du Lai is camping so close, it¡¯s clear he ns to enter this maze.


    His dy could be due to hesitation, as he said, but Bai Youwei feels it¡¯s more likely that he¡¯s waiting for a scapegoat or a fall guy.


    After all, everything about thisbyrinth is still unknown. To get clues, using people as sacrifices is the easiest way.


    Bai Youwei doesn¡¯t want to have to guard against such people after entering the maze, it would be too draining.


    Plus, there¡¯s his so-called ¡°girlfriend,¡± which has her on edge as well.


    ¡°Perhaps we¡¯ll go first and they will follow,¡± Bai Youwei frowned with annoyance, ¡°it¡¯s so annoying, why did we have to run into him¡­¡±


    Shen Mo parked the car on the side and calmly said, ¡°Du Lai is an opportunist. If we¡¯re having a smooth run in the maze, he might be willing to cooperate and help us, but should we encounter any trouble, showing any weakness, he won¡¯t hesitate to trip us up for his own benefit.¡±


    Bai Youwei nodded, frowning, ¡°That is indeed the case¡­so the timing of entering thebyrinth is critical¡ª


    If we let them go first, I¡¯m worried that they¡¯ll hide any clues they find;


    If we let them gost, I worry they¡¯ll pick up the pieces if something goes wrong;n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om<div>


    And if we go with them, I¡¯m still worried¡­¡±


    If it was someone else, Bai Youwei might not be this cautious, but it¡¯s Du Lai himself that really makes her uneasy.


    Just thinking about him stealing all those puzzle pieces, it reveals a lot about his character and tactics.


    ¡°Since we¡¯ve run into him, there¡¯s no way to avoid it,¡± Shen Mo said indifferently, ¡°we¡¯ll enter thebyrinth tonight while they sleep.¡±


    So as to have least possible direct confrontation.


    ¡°Looks like that¡¯s the only way.¡± Bai Youwei grimaced, clearly unhappy, ¡°feels like we¡¯re chickening out.¡±


    ¡°Finding Su Man is the priority, no need for reckless confrontation, and besides¡­¡± Shen Mo nced over at the other group¡¯s tent, ¡°if I¡¯m not mistaken, when that woman turned her head to look at us just now, her shoulder didn¡¯t move.¡±


    Listening to this, Bai Youwei was initially puzzled but then her eyes slowly widened.


    When people turn their heads, their shoulders usually shift ordingly. It¡¯s impossible for them to remainpletely still unless they¡¯re a robot.


    ¡°Are you suggesting¡­¡± Bai Youwei drew closer and whispered into Shen Mo¡¯s ear, ¡°Du Lai¡¯s girlfriend, is not human?¡±


    ¡°Yan Qingwen got a hold of the Steel Puppet, it¡¯s not surprising that Du Lai has a simr doll,¡± Shen Mo said.


    Bai Youwei eximed, ¡°But she spoke just now¡­¡±


    It couldn¡¯t be a puppet doll starting to talk on its own, could it?


    Shen Mo chuckled and ruffled her hair, ¡°I¡¯m just specting. In any case, it¡¯s safer to stay away from them.¡±


    After pondering it for a while, Bai Youwei didn¡¯t mind her hair being ruffled up, and agreed, ¡°So, we¡¯ll rest up well now and set off when we¡¯re fully refreshed.¡±


    ¡­


    Shen Mo and Bai Youwei casually set up their tent, made a fire, then took out a well-cooked dinner from the dollhouse. They ate while warming themselves by the fire.


    As night fell, darkness quickly enveloped the surroundings, with only the two fires at the roadside casting a silent glow.


    Du Lai was also having his dinner.<div>


    Much simpler than Bai Youwei and Shen Mo¡¯s food, he had some hard and dry tbreads in his hand and instant noodles by his side. But he didn¡¯t bother boiling them since it would require firing up an extra pot, which he found tiresomely inconvenient.


    Meanwhile, Bai Youwei and Shen Mo was enjoying a meal of beef stewed in red wine.

 Chapter 502: Du Lai’s Girlfriend

    Chapter 502: Du Lai¡¯s Girlfriend


    ¡°Du Lai, why is your girlfriend always in the tent?¡± Bai Youwei asked with a mischievous grin, ¡°Is she not hungry, or does she think your tbreads are awful?¡±


    Du Lai blinked, then nced at the tbread in his hand, chuckling, ¡°It¡¯s indeed not good.¡±


    ¡°Invite her out to eat together.¡± Bai Youwei proposed genially, ¡°We have cooked plenty, it would be such a waste if left uneaten.¡±


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Du Lai didn¡¯t respond to her,ughing and teasing, ¡°Doesn¡¯t beef need to be stewed for a long time to soften up? I¡¯ve never seen you guys cook so quickly. It¡¯s quite impressive to see steaming hot food ready so fast.¡±


    Keeping herposure, Bai Youwei continued her invitation: ¡°Would you like to try some? It¡¯s really delicious~¡±


    Du Lai chewed silently, taking a piece of the tbread and swallowing it down with some cold water, responding, ¡°Thanks, but you guys eat.¡±


    He patted the bread crumbs off his clothes and walked into his tent.


    Bai Youwei and Shen Mo exchanged a nce.


    Just as they were about to say something, a woman¡¯sining voice came from the tent:


    ¡°Why won¡¯t you let me out to eat? I want to eat! What are you afraid of¡­¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t eat¡­¡± Du Lai¡¯s voice responded.


    His voice was quickly drowned out by the woman¡¯s:


    ¡°I can¡¯t do this, I can¡¯t do that! Is there anything I¡¯m allowed to do?! Why did you save me if that¡¯s the case? You might as well have let me die! ¡­¡±


    Her voice dropped as if Du Lai was calming her down.


    After a little while, her voice becamementing:


    ¡°Do you not love me now that I¡¯ve be like this?¡±


    Du Lai¡¯s voice seemed helpless: ¡°I love¡­¡±


    Woman: ¡°Then you say it, I love you.¡±


    Du Lai: ¡°I love you.¡±


    Woman: ¡°Say it louder!¡±


    Du Lai: ¡°Cough¡­ they will hear¡­¡±


    Woman: ¡°So what if they hear?! Is our love something to be ashamed of? Why did you save me if that¡¯s the case? You might as well have let me die!¡±


    ¡­


    Outside the tent, Bai Youwei and Shen Mo were speechless.


    Bai Youwei silently mouthed to Shen Mo: ¡°Du Lai¡¯s girlfriend has quite a character~¡±


    Shen Mo nced at the tent across from them, murmuring, ¡°Seems like we were wrong. Du Lai doesn¡¯t have the time to scheme against us now, let¡¯s leave early.¡±


    Bai Youwei pondered for a moment, then nodded: ¡°Mm, okay.¡±


    ¡­


    Indeed, Du Lai had no time to scheme against others now, as he spent almost all his timeforting his girlfriend.


    This was quite unusual.


    For a street performer like him, who had seen it all, was skilled in maniption and well-versed in the tricks of the trade, it was a surprise to see him being so submissive and patient with a woman.


    Bai Youwei felt she had a very limited understanding of Du Lai prior to this, but today she had truly seen another side of him.


    And then¡­


    She cast a sneak peek at Shen Mo.


    Would Shen Mo treat her the same way Du Lai did if she acted like Du Lai¡¯s girlfriend?


    Hmm¡­


    She felt a bit eager to test it out.


    ¡­


    Shen Mo was packing up.


    He was skillful; the fire pit was extinguished with sand, utensils packed away neatly, even the tent had to be undid, folded and bound, ropes were wound adeptly, his actions flowing like water, his arms sinewing strength with every motion.


    Sensing Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze, he looked back at her and asked,¡±What¡¯s up?¡±


    Bai Youwei fixed her eyes on his, and quietly asked, ¡°Do you love me?¡±


    Shen Mo was slightly startled, then looked towards the tent across the road, realizing Bai Youwei had been ¡°inspired¡±, barely suppressing his smile.


    Seeing he didn¡¯t respond, Bai Youwei hesitated, then asked again, ¡°Does this question¡­ make you hesitate?¡±


    Shen Mo walked over, leaned down and lightly kissed her lips, answering with a soft smile, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡±


    What the hell is ¡®it¡¯s okay¡¯?

 Chapter 503: What the Hell is Going On

    Chapter 503: What the Hell is Going On


    After packing things up, Shen Mo returned to the car, ready to rest a bit before heading into the maze.


    Entering the maze at midnight wasn¡¯t the best idea, but Bai Youwei had her dollhouse, so it wasn¡¯t a big deal.


    Unexpectedly, someone else was more eager than they were.


    Du Lai and his girlfriend, who was fully covered in a ck cloak, set off ahead of them, driving towards the maze.


    This was something Shen Mo and Bai Youwei hadn¡¯t anticipated.


    ¡ª¡ªThey had been wary of Du Lai, but now it seemed like Du Lai was much more on guard against them.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t feel like Du Lai at all,¡± Bai Youweiined to Shen Mo, ¡°In our previous encounters, he was always interested in my props and puzzles. But now he behaves like we¡¯re some sort of terrible threat he must avoid urgently.¡±


    Shen Mo stared at the fading taillights, his brow furrowing slightly, ¡°He¡¯s in such a hurry to leave, he probably doesn¡¯t want to have any more interactions with us¡­ it seems he¡¯s worried about his girlfriend revealing some secrets.¡±


    ¡°Might be,¡± Bai Youwei said thoughtfully, ¡°After all, we are camping on the opposite side, they might feel somewhat intimidated¡­ Moreover, I only saw his girlfriend at the beginning. Afterward, she stayed in the tent the whole time, nevering out, and we only heard her voice.¡±


    For any normal person, staying in the tent all the time without eating, drinking, or using the restroom, would that be possible?


    Bai Youwei became more and more suspicious, and wondered if Shen Mo was right ¨C maybe Du Lai¡¯s girlfriend wasn¡¯t human?!


    Shen Mo asked her, ¡°Do we go now?¡±


    If they left now, they would likely run into Du Lai.


    After thinking for a moment, Bai Youwei said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. Since he is being cautious right now, there¡¯s no need for us to be overly wary. Let¡¯s go now before they take the lead.¡±


    With that, Shen Mo didn¡¯t say another word and followed in his car ¡ª¡ª


    The two vehicles were not far apart, Shen Mo could see the taillights of the car in front.


    But not long after they set off, a soft rain began to fall from the sky.


    The rain wasn¡¯t heavy, but together with the cold autumn wind, it brought a deste feeling.


    The visibility became blurred.


    Shen Mo switched on the windshield wipers, but even amidst the night rain, the road ahead remained blurred, and he could no longer see the lights from Du Lai¡¯s car.


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    After driving like this for another two minutes, the road started to be bumpy and uneven. It was no longer a smooth asphalt road, but more of a muddy one like in mountainous areas.


    ¡°Something seems off,¡± Shen Mo furrowed his brows and stopped the car to check.


    Bai Youwei also rolled down the windows. The drizzle outside came in, bringing with it the cold chill of autumn. She shivered involuntarily.


    The temperature drop was unnaturally sudden.


    ¡°Could we already be inside the maze?¡± Bai Youwei asked, confused.


    The maze was hidden in the fog, and with the poor visibility at night, could they have unintentionally entered the maze, which happened to be in a cold, rainy environment?


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet.¡± Shen Mo got out of the car, the rain quickly soaking his shoulders. He surveyed the surroundings with a frown.


    The environment indeed had changed.


    The green belts and buildings on both sides of the road were gone, reced by dense, dark forest, and a small forest path leading somewhere unknown.


    Could they really be in the maze already?


    It was normal for Bai Youwei to think like this, but Shen Mo, being the driver, had a sharper sense of distance than Bai Youwei did. Given the speed they were driving at, it was impossible to have reached the confines of the maze in just two minutes.


    Unless¡­the maze had expanded again.


    But the maze had already expanded once before, could it possibly expand again in such a short time?


    While he was pondering, suddenly a light shed up ahead.


    Then he saw Du Lai and his ck-cloaked girlfriend hurriedly approaching them, with an air of frustration. Du Lai called out angrily to Shen Mo:


    ¡°Hey! What on earth are you guys up to?!¡±

 Chapter 504: 504: Female Fate Corpse

    Chapter 504: Female Fate Corpse


    Shen Mo and Bai Youwei were both taken aback.


    ¡°We¡­ made the ghost?¡± Bai Youwei said in amusement and annoyance, ¡°The people who created the ghost should be you! We followed your car and ended up in this ghostly ce!¡±


    Du Lai, who previously had a grin on his face, was noticeably agitated and rebuffed, ¡°What kind of ghost could we make?! We just wanted to get to the maze, but obviously ended up in the wrong ce!¡±


    Du Lai¡¯s girlfriendined, ¡°Can we stop mentioning ghosts all the time? It¡¯s already scary enough, and you people keep bringing up the ghost!¡±


    Bai Youwei was speechless. The most ghost-like person here was this woman! She was drenched, with wet ck clothes covering every inch of her body, her face barely visible. Yet sheined about their usage of the word ¡®ghost¡¯!


    How ridiculous! Could anyone be more horrifying than her current state?


    The rain trickled more heavily.


    Shen Mo frowned and said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it in the car.¡±


    Not wanting to be polite, Du Lai took his girlfriend by the hand and got into the back seat, immediately bringing a wave of damp chill with him.


    ¡°Our car can¡¯t be driven.¡± Du Lai wiped the rain off his face and said to Shen Mo, ¡°Can yours drive?¡±


    Shen Mo got back to the driver¡¯s seat, tried to start the vehicle, but got no response.<div>


    ¡°The car won¡¯t start,¡± he said in a deep voice.


    ¡°Du Lai, look!¡± his girlfriend said, clutching Du Lai¡¯s arm in fear, ¡°There¡¯s somethinging!¡±


    Bai Youwei also looked in that direction, just in time to see a faint light in the distance, the size of a soybean at first, gradually bingrger¡­ This light was slowly bobbing in the dark curtain of rain, like a person carrying antern approaching them!


    However, when it got closer, they realized it was not antern, but a bunch of ghoulish, blue Ghost Fire!


    Despite the rain, the fire remained unaffected, leisurely floating in the air,ing all the way to the front of Shen Mo¡¯s car, it¡¯s flickering me taking the form of a spectral face.


    ¡°Ding! Wee to the Doll Game! This game¡¯s theme is ¡®Fortune Corpse¡¯, and the rules are as follows:


    One: Refuse the game and be a doll!


    Two: Lose the game and be a doll!


    Three: Complete the game and receive doll as a reward!¡±


    A familiar voice rang out, and the four people in the car simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief.


    Compared to multiple uncertainties, at least the game was controble, the game had rules.


    However, contemting the idea of cooperating with unknown allies and opponents caused their nerves, which were just beginning to rx, to once again be tense.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Bai Youwei turned to Du Lai in the back seat and asked hesitantly, ¡°Du Lai, did you create this game?¡±


    ¡°Me?!¡± Du Lai snorted sarcastically, ¡°Miss Bai, you overestimate me. I don¡¯t have the ability tomand the Inspector!¡±


    Bai Youwei¡¯s eyebrows knitted slightly.


    It seemed that Du Lai did not know that certain items could activate a game, like the gold coin Tan Xiao once obtained.


    Observing the situation outside the vehicle, Shen Mo said, ¡°Logically speaking, there shouldn¡¯t be any games near the maze. This game probably started roaming after the maze expanded, and hasn¡¯t had the chance to relocate.¡±


    Based on prior experiences and information provided by Professor Song, they knew that every game would avoid the maze while moving. So, the periphery of the maze often forms an apparently safe ¡°void zone¡±, an area without any maze or games.


    Of course, this safety is only temporary, as the maze could expand at any moment.<div>


    Moreover, once the maze disappears, the games nearby would still be attracted and relocated here.


    The base in Shanghai was established utilizing this characteristic.


    Bai Youwei looked around, aside from the tranquil Ghost Fire floating around, she couldn¡¯t see anything else in the pitch-ck surroundings.


    ¡°Since we¡¯ve already entered the game, why don¡¯t we see the Inspector?¡­ Could that fire be the Inspector?¡±<div>

 Chapter 505: 505: Don’t Understand, Don’t Understand

    Chapter 505: Don¡¯t Understand, Don¡¯t Understand


    ¡°It is likely,¡± Du Lai said coldly, ¡°I remember the base¡¯s intel mentioned the Ghost Fire game.¡±


    After a pause, he wrinkled his nose in disgust, ¡°But that¡¯s a ghost wall game, not this woman¡­ woman what¡¯s it again?¡±


    ¡°Woman¡¯s Destiny,¡± his girlfriend interjected. ¡± ¡®Woman¡¯s Destiny¡¯ is a tune from the Min opera.¡±


    Du Lai seemed not to want his girlfriend to make her presence known in front of these two, discreetly pinching her palm.


    However, his girlfriend was determined to oppose him and raised her voice: ¡°What are you doing! I can¡¯t even speak now?! If that¡¯s the case, why did you save me? It¡¯d be better if you had let me die!¡±


    Du Lai: ¡°¡­¡±


    Shen Mo nced at the woman in ck before turning his gaze on Du Lai, ¡°I remember the Min opera is a local opera genre in Fuzhou, but I¡¯ve never paid much attention to it or know much about it. Now that we¡¯re in the game, if we¡¯re to act together, shouldn¡¯t some information be shared?¡±


    ¡°Indeed~¡± Bai Youwei chimed in, ¡°if you don¡¯t want to act together, you can leave now.¡±


    ¡°If I have to leave, then I¡¯ll leave! Who cares!¡± the woman in ck snapped, her temperrger than Bai Youwei¡¯s.


    Just as she was about to open the door and get out, Du Lai grabbed her, ¡°Wait a moment¡­¡±


    His girlfriend frowned displeasingly, ¡°What the heck are you doing?!¡±<div>


    She suddenly spoke in dialect.


    Du Lai kept gripping her hand and said to Shen Mo, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s safer to move together. We¡¯ve heard a lot about your extensive experience in clearing games. You wouldn¡¯t withhold any clues you find, would you?¡±


    Shen Mo nodded slightly, his voice calm: ¡°As long as there¡¯s an alliance, information resources should be shared.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Du Lai nodded, held his girlfriend¡¯s hand and said, ¡°We¡¯ll get off together, we¡¯ll ask the inspector about the rules. If the game isn¡¯tpetitive, I¡¯m willing to form an alliance. We will share any information about the game we have.¡±


    After saying this, he looked at Bai Youwei and smiled, ¡°How is that? Is it sincere enough?¡±


    Bai Youwei returned a cold smile and said nothing.


    Shen Mo held Bai Youwei¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s get off together.¡±


    ¡­


    A drizzle was falling.


    The cold wind was bleak.


    As soon as the car door was opened, the ethereal green Ghost Fire outside flickered, burning even more intensely. The ghostly face amidst the mes grew increasingly abstract and eerie.


    All four got off the car together.


    The fluctuating ghost fire floated towards them, its voice genderless, serene, slow, like a mournful chant from the depths of an ancient tomb-


    ¡°Wee¡­ to¡­ the doll game¡­¡±


    The mes danced around them slowly, getting very close, nearly touching their skin, and yet they felt no heat at all.


    ¡°Rules of the game, as follows¡­ Li¡¯s wife, carried a corpse from the east to the west of the vige¡­ then from the west to the east¡­ day in day out, without rest, if you can make her stop, you can win.¡±


    Bai Youwei, frowning in impatience, snapped, ¡°Speakprehensibly!¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Ghost Fire: ¡°¡­¡±


    Du Lai¡¯s girlfriend: ¡°Hahaha, it¡¯s not a human! How can it speak like one!¡±<div>


    Bai Youwei look annoyed: ¡°I don¡¯t understand, repeat the rules!¡±


    The ghastly fire stared at Bai Youwei.


    It recognized her.


    She had obtained ¡°One Tenth of Me¡± from the rabbit head, ¡°Doll House¡± from the ball, and recently acquired a few parts, which led theics man to suspect the rabbit head of favouritism, simply because¡­ this yer has too many uncontroble factors, causing everyone much trouble.<div>


    Unexpectedly, it would meet her in its own game¡­


    However, it¡¯s game shouldn¡¯t be exploited by her, should it?


    After all, its game, among all the doll games, was the most conservative, the most rigorous, and the most solid. The number of times it had been patched was close to zero.

 Chapter 506: 506: Repeat Rule

    Chapter 506: Repeat Rule


    The Ghost Fire repeated the rules again:


    ¡°A woman from the Li family transports corpses from the east of the vige to the west, and from the west back to the east, day after day without rest. If you can make her stop, you win.¡±


    Bai Youwei was speechless, ¡°As an Inspector, don¡¯t you n on tranting this?¡±


    The Ghost Fire remained silent.


    Of course, it could have exined the rules more inly, but it suspected that Bai Youwei¡¯s repeated inquiries were a scheme to find a loophole in the game.


    And it could not give her such an opportunity!


    This was no ordinary yer. Therefore, it had to be extra cautious not to make the same mistakes that the other Inspectors had made.


    The Ghost Fire cautiously backed away a bit.


    Bai Youwei was bbergasted, ¡°Why are you standing so far away?¡±


    The Ghost Fire replied, ¡°The rule presentation has finished, and¡­ good luck¡­¡±


    With that, the me trembled and suddenly disappeared, leaving only a string of tiny shimmering clusters of fire, casting a faint glow along the path.<div>


    Bai Youwei was speechless again: ¡°This is so irresponsible!¡±


    Du Lai¡¯s girlfriendmented, ¡°It seems like it ran away in panic¡­¡±


    Du Lai added, ¡°That¡¯s the Inspector¡¯s style, to appear and disappear unpredictably. Perhaps it will reappear soon.¡±


    Shen Mo frowned and nced at the distant clusters of fire, his voice was stern but determined, ¡°Let¡¯s follow the Ghost Fire. The real game area should be up ahead.¡±


    The four of them fell silent and exchanged nces before following the direction indicated by the clusters of fire.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The tiny greenish clusters of fire floated in the air. As they passed each cluster of fire, one went out. Unwittingly, they found themselves deep in the dense forest.


    The light rain continued to fall. But inside the dense forest, which was protected by the dense foliage, it was drier than outside.


    With the visibility being poor, Shen Mo manoeuvred the wheelchair carefully and slowly said,


    ¡°The rules of this round are somewhat vague, but it seems to be clear that it¡¯s not apetitive game.¡±


    If it¡¯s notpetitive, then they could let down their guard for now.


    Bai Youwei was very dissatisfied and grumbled, ¡°Not just vague, it¡¯s too vague! An ancient character can have multiple meanings, which could easily lead to word games. Who is ¡®it¡¯ referring to in ¡®it never rests¡¯? Does ¡®it¡¯ refers to the corpse transporting woman or someone else? And what does ¡®it¡¯ refer to in ¡®make it stop¡¯? Does it mean to stop the corpse transporting, or just to make the woman stop? Instead of exining, the Inspector just fled!¡±


    ¡°The ancient text needs to be interpreted within its wider context and background.¡± Shen Mo tried to soothe her, ¡°Perhaps when we get there, we will understand.¡±


    Bai Youwei thought for a while and turned her head towards Du Lai¡¯s girlfriend, ¡°Hey, what¡¯s the story of the Min opera that you just mentioned?¡±


    The woman in ck wasining to Du Lai about being blindfolded and barely being able to see the path. She was taken aback by Bai Youwei¡¯s question and lost her footing, almost falling.


    She was infuriated and tried to pull off her blindfold but was stopped by Du Lai.


    ¡°Miaoxue.¡± Du Lai called her name seriously, ¡°Stop tampering.¡±


    The woman in ck was even more angered, ¡°It¡¯s pitch ck here! How can I move with this blindfold on? I¡¯m not on a wheelchair! Carry me if you can!¡±


    After a brief pause, Du Lai bent over, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll carry you.¡±


    ¡°Get lost!¡± Irritated, the woman in ck pushed him roughly. With an overwhelming force, Du Lai fell, covered in mud, in a very embarrassing state.<div>


    ¡°Am I so unbearable to look at?! Then why did you save me?! Why did you save me?! Wasn¡¯t it better for me to die?!!¡±


    She was having a tantrum and screeched:


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you! I want to make a scene! I¡¯m not afraid if they see me!!!¡±


    ¡°Miaoxue!¡± Upon hearing her name, Du Lai got up quickly trying to stop her, but was a step toote!<div>


    The wet blindfold was forcefully torn off, revealing the woman¡¯s true face¡ª

 Chapter 507: 507 Fu Miaoxue

    Chapter 507: Fu Miaoxue


    It was a very young and beautiful face.


    Bright eyes, white teeth, a fairplexion, ck hair, a small nose, and a sharp chin. However¡­ it was a doll.


    Du Lai¡¯s chest heaved violently. He had painstakingly hidden the truth, only for her benefit, not wanting her to be treated as a monster by others!


    Bai Youwei was merely disabled in both legs and had to endure so many strange looks. If she appeared before the world, what would be the consequences?!


    He rushed up to cover her again with a cloth! But she pushed him away once more!


    ¡°You¡¯ve already seen, what¡¯s the point of covering!¡± She flicked her soaked hair irritably and turned to look at Bai Youwei and Shen Mo.


    However, Bai Youwei and Shen Mo¡¯s faces only revealed slight surprise before quickly returning to calm. It was as if her being a doll was nothing shocking.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you surprised?¡± asked the woman in ck.


    With an impassive expression Bai Youwei replied: ¡°We were surprised.¡±


    The woman in ck: ¡°¡­¡±


    Humph!<div>


    They were clearly not surprised at all!


    Seeing that it was impossible to salvage the situation, Du Lai had to resort to damage control and exined to Shen Mo and Bai Youwei: ¡°Miaoxue turned into this in the game. I used a prop to save her, but for some reason, her body is still in a doll state. I hope you can keep this secret for us! I trust you understand just how much trouble this would cause if others saw her!¡±


    The woman in ck immediately retorted: ¡°So what if others saw! How troublesome can it be? If you find me troublesome, why did you bother saving me in the first ce? You should have left me to die!¡±


    ¡°Fu Miaoxue!¡± Du Lai couldn¡¯t take it anymore, ¡°Can we discuss this after we exit the game?!¡±


    But her attitude was even more unreasonable, ¡°Du Lai! Don¡¯t think that just because you saved me, you have the right to dictate my life! I¡¯ll live as I please! Either go with my n, or we break up!¡±


    Du Lai was too angry to speak, gritting his teeth as he red at her.


    Bai Youwei and Shen Mo exchanged nces. They hadplicated feelings about these two.


    Although they were evidently lovers, their rtionship seemed more like enemies, not necessarily filled with hatred but certainly antagonistic.


    Especially Fu Miaoxue, who seemed to be venting her anger on Du Lai all the time, and Du Lai simply putting up with it! It was truly baffling!


    Shen Mo intervened to break up the standoff¡ª


    ¡°Du Lai, the prop you mentioned, is it an item that can resurrect the dead?¡±


    Bai Youwei was stunned, looking at Shen Mo.


    She hadn¡¯t thought about that.


    Du Lai also paused before his eyes dimmed and he said slowly: ¡°¡­So you two know too.¡±


    Fu Miaoxue continued coolly: ¡°Don¡¯t get your hopes up. You may finally get the item after going through great difficulty just to find out that your resurrected loved ones don¡¯t want to live in such a state. Look at me now, doesn¡¯t it seem like a joke? Is it worth it?¡±


    She said this, ncing at Du Lai. Her casual tone conveyed her scorn: ¡°Are you an idiot, thinking it¡¯s worth it?¡±


    Du Lai didn¡¯t say a word, his face bing gloomy.


    Shen Mo and Bai Youwei remained silent as well.


    They were considering if such an item was used on Lun Ang and Yu Yaqing¡­<div>


    Transforming a person into a talking and walking doll, would this truly be a salvation or simply a new form of torment?


    Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t sure what Yan Qingwen would think when he learned about this, but she believed that Yu Yaqing¡¯s pride would never allow him to be a toy. Because it would symbolize failure, a most miserable one!N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Unconsciously, they had already left the forest.


    Outside the dense forest was a hillside. At the bottom of the hill were some houses, like a small vige with few scattered lights twinkling through the dim drizzle.<div>


    Fu Miaoxue stood on the hillside, speaking slowly: ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to know what the y ¡®Woman¡¯s Destiny¡¯ is all about? I¡¯ll tell you now~¡±

 Chapter 508: 508: The Small Village at the Foot of the Mountain

    Chapter 508: The Small Vige at the Foot of the Mountain


    Fu Miaoxue said, ¡°This opera is one of the early ssics of Fujian opera¡¯s ¡°Schr Forest¡± troupe. It tells the story of a man named Hua Zhou from Qi Country during the Spring and Autumn period. He led a military expedition against Lu Country, but unfortunately met his end on the battlefield. His wife, Jiang Ji, went to Lu Country to retrieve his remains and buried him in his hometown after facing many difficulties. On her way back, she encounters bandits, but her husband¡¯s spirit appeared and saved her.¡±


    At this point, she paused briefly, then added, ¡°However, the Inspector just mentioned that the woman who transported the corpse was a Mrs. Li, which probably has little to do with this story. It may just be that the game¡¯s theme chose this name because of the simrity in carrying the remains.¡±


    ¡°The game won¡¯t give useless clues, let¡¯s keep it in mind for now,¡± said Bai Youwei. ¡°We might need itter.¡±


    ¡°What are we supposed to do now?¡± Fu Miaoxue looked around. ¡°It¡¯s pitch ck here, we can¡¯t see anything, and it¡¯s raining, so how are we supposed to investigate clues?¡±


    She grabbed Du Lai¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°Speak up, what do we do next?¡±


    Just a minute ago she was screaming at Du Lai, now she¡¯s acting as if nothing happened.


    Du Lai seemed unfazed by Fu Miaoxue¡¯s fast changing temperament, and calmly suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s get off the mountain and find shelter from the rain. We can enquire information from the vigers along the way, they should know something.¡±


    His n aligned perfectly with Shen Mo¡¯s thoughts.


    The four descended the mountain together and saw an old willow tree at the eastern end of the vige.


    On the muddy ground next to the tree were several deep wagon wheel tracks ¨C some ovepped, some intersected, but all were the same size ¨C as if the same wagon had repeatedly passed over and over the same spot.


    Shen Mo raised his eyebrows and looked around, ¡°These must have been left by the corpse-carrying woman.¡±<div>


    From the eastern side of the vige, she would transport corpses to the west, then from the west she would transport corpses to the east, day in and day out, without rest.


    Hence the tire tracks left on the road.


    Du Lai also became alert, observing the surroundings and calmly stated, ¡°The rules tell us to make the corpse-carrying woman stop, but they don¡¯t say what will happen if the yers encounter her.¡±


    ¡°The corpse-carrying woman is key to the whole game. Until we find out more, it¡¯s better not to make direct contact with her,¡± Shen Mo continued to plod forward. ¡°The rain is getting heavier, let¡¯s find shelter as soon as possible.¡±


    Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue followed him.


    ¡­


    The vige was small, with only twenty or so households, and most of them had no lights on, as if they were already asleep.


    Shen Mo approached one of the houses where a light was on and knocked on the door.


    There was no response from inside.


    Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue simrly knocked on several other doors, all with the same result.


    Some even turned off the light immediately after they knocked, as if they were fearful of something and wouldn¡¯t open the door no matter what.


    They took shelter from the rain under the eaves of a house, then Du Lai tried pushing the door, saying, ¡°This doortch structure is simple. It wouldn¡¯t be too difficult to get in.¡±


    For Du Lai, picking door locks was as easy as eating a meal, no challenge in the slightest.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± Shen Mo said lightly, ¡°Even if we break in, we may end up getting driven out by the owner. There¡¯s another house up ahead, let¡¯s try there instead.¡±


    The house Shen Mo referred to was clearly owned by a wealthy family in the vige. There were two stone lions crouching by the gate, and the mansion was many timesrger than the other houses in the vige, set apart at a far distance.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    It was likely that the owner didn¡¯t want to live next to the poor, or found them noisy, so they chose such a secluded location, with no neighbors around, and only flowers, trees, and arge lotus pond nearby.


    Shen Mo was about to knock on the door when he found it already open¡ª


    The gate to the outer courtyard was not locked.


    <div>

 Chapter 509: 509: Must Memorize

    Chapter 509: Must Memorize


    Everyone was taken aback.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    But since the door was open, they made their way inside.


    ¡ª It was a three-tiered ancient mansion with white walls, green tiles, vibrant rednterns that seeped into the darkness of the night, turning darker in the shadow and redder in the light. Coupled with the rustling trees in the courtyard, it was eerily gloomy.


    In the mncholic pitter-patter of the rain, an old man¡¯s recitation of verses seemed to hover faintly, his voice aged and hoarse¡­ The atmosphere became increasingly creepy.


    They quickly came across a second door, which was also open.


    Through the narrow, vertical door frame, they could see an old schr standing beneath the eaves of the main house, pacing and muttering verses:


    ¡°Fish, I desire; bear¡¯s paw, equally I desire¡­¡±


    The four people outside the second door shared a look.


    ¡°What is he reciting?¡± Fu Miaoxue whispered to Du Lai.


    Du Lai shook his head: ¡°I can¡¯t tell.¡±


    Shen Mo frowned, watching for a while before raising his voice from outside the door: ¡°Excuse me, sir, we¡¯re just passing through. Can wee in to escape the rain?¡±<div>


    The old schr did not seem to hear him, continuing to mutter repeatedly, ¡°Fish, I desire; bear¡¯s paw, equally I desire¡­¡±


    Shen Mo became more perplexed and asked again, ¡°Sir?¡±


    The man continued to ignore them as if he couldn¡¯t hear their words.


    ¡°Is this crappy game¡¯s NPC supposed to be a deaf person?¡± Bai Youwei, soaked in rain and in a bad mood, grumbled, ¡°The Inspector speaks in riddles, and even the NPCs in the game spout verses. They¡¯re being pretentious for no good reason.¡±


    ssical poetry was not Bai Youwei¡¯s strong suit.


    Fu Miaoxue chuckled, ¡°So the Inspector is problematic after all!¡±


    Shen Mo thought for a while, tightened his grip on the handle of the wheelchair and stepped over the threshold with Bai Youwei¡ª


    As the wheelchairnded, the two entered the courtyard between the main house and the second door, only a dozen steps away from the old schr.


    However, the man remained indifferent to them, lost in his reverie, repeating over and over, ¡°Fish, I desire; bear¡¯s paw, equally I desire; the two cannot be had together¡­ the two cannot be had together¡­¡±


    Seeing that Shen Mo and Bai Youwei had safely entered, Du Lai also took Fu Miaoxue¡¯s hand and followed them in.


    Shen Mo, pushing his wheelchair, approached the old schr,ing directly before him. Yet, the schr paid them no heed, engrossed in his chant.


    Shen Mo ventured to respond, ¡°Both fish and bear¡¯s paw are desired, yet the two cannot be had together; hence, one would give up fish for the bear¡¯s paw.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± The old schr paused briefly. Atst, he responded. He slowly turned, lifted his head, and looked at Shen Mo.


    His face was that of a man in his seventies, with white hair, antiquated, but with a pair of dark and bright eyes, staring fixedly at Shen Mo, which was kind of rming.


    ¡°Indeed, indeed¡­¡± the old schr nodded repeatedly, ¡°Fish, I desire; bear¡¯s paw, equally I desire. The two cannot be had together, hence one would give up fish for the bear¡¯s paw.¡±


    Everyone instantly realized this was an obstacle designed by the game. Solving it would probably yield clues for the next step.


    Just when they thought they could breathe a sigh of relief, the old schr continued, ¡°Life, I want; righteousness, I also want. These two cannot be had together¡­ cannot be had together¡­¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡°¡­¡±


    Bai Youwei frowned in disgust: ¡°This old guy is never-ending!¡±<div>


    Fu Miaoxue, grinning, uttered, ¡°This is simple too; it¡¯s to give up life for righteousness!¡±


    The old schr¡¯s eyes brightened further, his face full of smiles, ¡°Ah¡­ indeed! Life, I desire; righteousness, I desire as well. They can¡¯t be had together, hence one gives up life for righteousness.¡±


    Everyone was speechless.


    This old schr just wouldn¡¯t stop!<div>


    Again, he began reciting intently, ¡°Life is what I want, what I want is more than life, hence I would not unworthily live¡­ I would not unworthily live¡­ I would not unworthily live¡­¡±


    They were stuck once more.

 Chapter 510: 510: Two Old Men

    Chapter 510: Two Old Men


    Shen Mo: ¡°¡­¡±


    Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡±


    Du Lai: ¡°¡­¡±


    Fu Miaoxue: ¡°¡­¡±


    After the old bookman recited ¡°I desire nothing more than righteousness¡± ten times, Shen Mo asked, ¡°Who remembers whates after this line?¡±


    Du Lai looked at Fu Miaoxue.


    Fu Miaoxue rolled her eyes, ¡°Don¡¯t look at me, I only remember the first two parts!¡±


    Shen Mo looked at Bai Youwei.


    Bai Youwei let out an irritated sigh, ¡°Fine, I know.¡±


    Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue were confused.


    Shen Mo told them, ¡°Wait here for a while.¡±<div>


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Du Lai asked in confusion.


    ¡°Outside.¡± Shen Mo nced at Bai Youwei, ¡°We have something to discuss.¡±


    He led Bai Youwei outside the second door.


    As Du Lai was puzzled, he faintly heard a lowered conversation from outside, like an old man sighing heavily, ¡°Ah, this is a ssic verse that every junior high student must memorize¡­¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t attend junior high!¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s voice overwhelmed his.


    The old man was silent.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Fu Miaoxue tightly clung to Du Lai¡¯s arm, whispering, ¡°It¡¯s so scary~ Another old man has suddenly appeared¡­¡±


    Du Lai frowned, looking towards the threshold.


    After a few seconds, an elderly voice from outside recited, ¡°Life is what I desire, but there¡¯s something I desire more than life itself, thus I wouldn¡¯t abandon it for trifling gain; death is what I detest, but there¡¯s something I detest more than death itself, thus there are troubles that cannot be avoided!¡±


    The old bookman inside the door, a little startled, responded, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing we desire more than life, then why wouldn¡¯t we do whatever it takes to prolong it?¡±


    The old man outside insisted, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing we detest more than death, then why wouldn¡¯t we deter troubles at any cost?¡±


    The Old Bookman responded again, ¡°Thus, there are things more precious than prolonging life; thus, there are hardships one wouldn¡¯t avoid at any cost!¡±


    The old man countered again, ¡°Precisely! There are things we desire more than life itself, and things we detest more than death itself!¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s not just the wise who know this¡­¡±


    ¡°Everyone knows it, only the wise do not lose sight of it!¡±


    These two old men, one responding to the other. Back and forth between them!


    One with full expression!


    The other, passionately eloquent!


    One with robust power!<div>


    The other, melodiously graceful!


    In this gloomy old house, two old men passionately intoning together, reciting the entire verse of ¡°Fish is my desire¡±!


    Fu Miaoxue was terrified.


    Listening to two old men reciting poems in the middle of the night, it was just too damn scary!<div>


    Finally, when they finished reciting, the old bookmanughed heartily three times:


    ¡°Splendid! Splendid! You are all so talented, with your ready wit and profound knowledge, I am truly impressed! Your esteemed presence brightens up my humble abode!¡±


    He bowed to them, ¡°Please,e in, pleasee in quickly¡ª¡ª¡±


    As he spoke, he pushed open the main hall door with a loud thud!


    Fu Miaoxue let out a short scream, then jumped into Du Lai¡¯s arms!


    Du Lai¡¯s face looked even worse than hers!


    (After all, he is not a puppet, his expressions are more vivid.)


    Inside the brightly lit hall was a long blood-red table with fruit and incense in the middle and high-backed chairs on either side, each upied by a paper figure!


    The paper figures were made of white paper, with painted ck eyes and red mouth. They were dressed in exquisitely vivid paper robes!


    The old bookman with white hair bowed to the two paper figures, saying, ¡°Father, mother, we have guests from afar. I invite them to sit for a while.¡±


    Fu Miaoxue clung to Du Lai¡¯s neck tightly. If she were still alive, she¡¯d surely be crying by now!


    Du Lai was being strangled to the point of gasping for air.


    When Shen Mo and Bai Youwei came back and saw the paper figures in the hall, their expressions shifted.<div>


    After the old bookman exined the situation to the paper figures, he walked out to the door of the hall and bowed to them, ¡°Esteemed guests, pleasee in quickly¡ª¡ª¡±

 Chapter 511: 511: The Humble House

    Chapter 511: The Humble House


    In ancient times, a hall usually served two functions ¨C one was to pay respect to ancestors, and the other was to receive guests.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    There were calligraphies and paintings hanging on the wall facing the entrance, with couplets on both sides. Next to the wall, there was a long table with a sacrificial altar, candlesticks, and fruit desserts. In front of the table was a square table with high-backed chairs on both sides. The rest of the space was filled with tea tables and stools, ready to amodate guests.


    After the four of them entered the room, they sat on the chairs on both sides. There were four chairs on each side, but they all chose the two near the door.


    They didn¡¯t want to be too close to the two paper figures.


    Next to their seats, there was a te of nuts, a te of snacks, and a cup of tea.


    The old schr warmly weed them: ¡°Please have some tea, make yourselves at home.¡±


    Bai Youwei picked up the teacup and took a small sip¡­


    ¡ª The tea was cold, with a musty taste. It didn¡¯t taste like tea at all, but rather like the rainwater from outside.


    She quietly put down the cup. She didn¡¯t want to touch the nuts or snacks either.


    The old schr asked: ¡°It is a remote and deste ce here, what brings distinguished guests like you from so far away?¡±


    Shen Mo was very straightforward, he said: ¡°We want to know how to stop the female corpse from walking.¡±<div>


    Du Lai, sitting opposite, stared at him in astonishment. He hadn¡¯t expected Shen Mo to put it so bluntly.


    The old schr pondered for a moment, then replied: ¡°I have been a government official for numerous decades, and since retiring and returning to the countryside, I¡¯ve roamed around. I moved here not long ago, and indeed heard rumors about the ¡®walking female corpse,¡¯ but am not entirely clear on the matter. As it is alreadyte, why don¡¯t you rest here for the night and inquire the local vigers tomorrow, perhaps you can find more information.¡±


    Shen Mo gave a nce at Bai Youwei, then Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue, seeing that everyone had no objections, he said to the old schr: ¡°Then we will impose on you.¡±


    The old schr stood up, bowed again towards the two paper figures, and said respectfully:


    ¡°Father, mother, I¡¯m going to take our guests to their rooms.¡±


    The paper figures didn¡¯t speak, their faces were coated with bright red rouge, smiling joyously, but their silence was eerie and hair-raising.


    Everyone avoided looking, shied away their gaze, and followed the old schr out of the hall.


    ¡­


    Behind the hall was the master¡¯s living room, and further behind it was a small garden.


    The garden was full of winding paths and dense floral shadows, it was charminglyndscaped like an ancient garden. However, the vegetation was too dense, the massive tree crowns covering the sky, far from being pleasant, it gave people a sense of suffocation.


    The old schr led the group along the winding corridors until they reached a row of side rooms. He stopped and with a friendly smile said:


    ¡°This ce is simple, please make yourselvesfortable.¡±


    Shen Mo uttered a brief ¡°thank you¡±.


    The old gentleman nodded in acknowledgement, turned, and left.


    Waiting until the figure of the elderly man disappeared, Du Lai pushed open the door in front of him¡ª


    The side room was less than twenty square meters. There was a bunk bed, an old wooden table, a round stool, a screen, and a washstand. It was already fully furnished.


    They opened the rest of the rooms one by one, all of them were furnished and arranged in the same way, there were four in total, coincidentally one for each of them.


    ¡°Are we supposed to sleep separately?¡± Fu Miaoxue clung to Du Lai¡¯s arm and said, ¡°No, it¡¯s too scary. I can¡¯t sleep alone at night!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s pair up.¡± Shen Mo suggested in a calm tone, ¡°We can live in adjacent rooms. If anything happens at night, we can help each other.¡±<div>


    Du Lai agreed.


    They chose the two rooms in the middle and each entered a room.


    The rooms were dark and damp, the bedding smelled of mildew, not knowing how long it hadn¡¯t been washed.


    Bai Youwei opened her dollhouse, letting Chang Weicai help bring out a new set of bedding.<div>


    Considering that clues might appear at night, both of them didn¡¯t change into their pajamas, theyid on the bed with their clothes neatly on, in case there was an emergency in the middle of the night¡­

 Chapter 512: 512: Babbling

    Chapter 512: Babbling


    When closing the door, Teacher Cheng repeatedly instructed Bai Youwei and Shen Mo to be careful. He also handed over a fully charged rabbit toy as a precaution.


    Teacher Cheng also wanted to give them the severed hand, but Bai Youwei objected.


    Because the hand was too noisy, like a person with hyperactivity disorder, constantly picking and scratching around the room creating squeaking sounds. The noises only stopped if the hand was locked in the storage room.


    Bai Youwei did not want to be disturbed by it at night.


    ¡­


    Afterying out clean bedding, they could finally lie down and rest. If one ignored the howling wind and the candlelight¡¯s flickering glow, the amodation arranged by the schr was not bad.


    From time to time, whispers came from the adjacent room, mostly Fu Miaoxue chattering with Du Lai asionally joining in.


    As Bai Youweiy on her bed, fatigue quickly washed over her.


    ¡°¡­what time is it now?¡± She rolled over, keeping her energy alive to ask Shen Mo.


    Shen Mo was lying next to her, he lifted his wrist to check his watch, the minute hand having stopped at the moment they entered the game, at thirteen past ten.


    ¡°It should be around midnight.¡± Shen Mo estimated the time.<div>


    Bai Youwei thought to herself, ¡°So it is almost midnight, it is normal for me to feel sleepy¡­¡±


    ¡°Now that Fu Miaoxue is a puppet, I wonder if she¡¯ll feel tired.¡± Bai Youwei muttered with her eyes closed.


    Shen Mo chuckled, ¡°You can ask her tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to ask.¡± Bai Youwei snuggled into his embrace and hummed, ¡°She has such a bad temper.¡±


    With a smile on his lips, Shen Mo kept quiet. But in his mind, he thought: When I first met you, you were not much different from her, easily set off.


    After a moment of silence, he heard Bai Youwei softly say in his arms, ¡°But if I found out that I was bing a puppet, I would probably be freaking out.¡±


    Shen Mo gently stroked her head, whispering softly, ¡°Sleep.¡±


    His low, hoarse voice seemed to carry a hypnotic power, and Bai Youwei really fell asleep¡­


    ¡­


    In the middle of the night, she vaguely heard someone singing an opera.


    The unintelligible tunes were jarring to her ears and she tossed and turned restlessly in bed.


    But the singing grew louder, heartbreaking and mncholy¡­ Each line struck her heart, diforting and suffocating her, making it hard to breathe.


    Unable to bear it any longer, Bai Youwei opened her eyes.


    The room was dim, with tree shadows flickering on the window. Shen Mo was lying quietly beside her.


    Bai Youwei furrowed her brows, sensing something amiss.


    Shen Mo was usually the most vignt one. Why was he sleeping soundly now? Was he not hearing the loud singing outside?


    At this thought, Bai Youwei became a little scared¡­


    She was not omnipotent, facing such a scary and creepy environment naturally caused her heart to flutter with fear. Particrly when the man always protecting her was sleeping soundlessly, it made her terribly uneasy!


    ¡°Shen Mo, Shen Mo¡­¡± She gently nudged his arm.<div>


    Shen Mo woke up quickly.


    He opened his eyes, looking questioningly at Bai Youwei, and asked: ¡°Why are you up?¡±


    Bai Youwei said, ¡°There¡¯s a noise outside.¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°A noise?¡± Shen Mo looked confused. He concentrated keenly for a moment, only hearing the gentle sound of the rain.<div>


    He asked Bai Youwei: ¡°What kind of noise is it?¡±


    Surprised, Bai Youwei blurted out: ¡°How can you not hear such loud opera singing?¡±


    Shen Mo really couldn¡¯t hear it. He thought for a moment, got out of bed, and opened the door¡ª


    The sound of falling rain was clearer, the mncholic opera singing was intermittent, but audible.


    ¡°There is indeed a noise, but¡­¡± Shen Mo looked at Bai Youwei and said, ¡°at least to my ears, the noise isn¡¯t loud and seems very distant, like it¡¯sing from the vige.¡±

 Chapter 513: 513: Heard a Little Bit

    Chapter 513: Heard a Little Bit


    The old schr¡¯s mansion was very remote, separated from the other vigers by arge lotus pond. Coupled with the incessant wind and rain, it was really hard to hear what was happening in the vige.


    If Bai Youwei hadn¡¯t pointed it out, Shen Mo would not have noticed, hidden among the patter of the rain was the distorted sound of a woman singing opera.


    Just as they expressed their confusion, the door next to them opened, and Fu Miaoxue dragged Du Lai out,ining, ¡°There¡¯s clearly a sound, a very loud sound, how can you not hear it!¡­¡±


    Seeing Shen Mo standing under the eaves, she paused, ¡°Did you hear it too?¡±


    Shen Mo replied, ¡°Weiwei heard it, I only noticed after I opened the door.¡±


    Hearing this, Du Lai listened intently again, and finally managed to catch the semnce of a tune amidst the chilling wind.


    ¡°I can only hear a little too.¡± Du Lai said, his face serious, putting away his nonchnt demeanor and looking seriously at Shen Mo and Bai Youwei, ¡°It seems like the corpse carrier woman has emerged, but I don¡¯t know why, her voice seems to only affect women. Maybe the key to the game lies with the women.¡±


    Shen Mo thought for a moment, then said, ¡°I¡¯ll go and check it, you stay and look after them.¡±


    Du Lai frowned, promptly stipting, ¡°Just so we¡¯re clear, this mansion isn¡¯t safe either. If anything happens, I can only take care of Miaoxue at most. I can¡¯t handle another person.¡±


    Shen Mo thought to himself, Bai Youwei doesn¡¯t need your protection.


    But considering they had just allied themselves, there was no need to be constantlypetitive, asionally showing weakness was also necessary.<div>


    He said coolly, ¡°Then I will stay, you go and check the situation.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be separated from my boyfriend!¡± Fu Miaoxue clung to Du Lai¡¯s arm.


    Bai Youwei rolled her eyes, ¡°Then the two of you can go together~¡±


    Fu Miaoxue snorted, ¡°Why should we? Why don¡¯t you go with your boyfriend?!¡±


    Bai Youwei, originally quite angry, felt a sudden shift in her mood at the mention of ¡°boyfriend¡±. She couldn¡¯t rouse her anger and even found Fu Miaoxue somewhat cute.


    Boyfriend¡­


    She nced at Shen Mo at her side, realizing that she now also had a boyfriend!


    Meanwhile, Fu Miaoxue was still clinging to Du Lai obstinately.


    Du Lai, always patient attempted to reason, ¡°Right now, the singing of the corpse carrier woman can only be clearly heard by the two of you, so the voice might have an effect on women, so both of you must stay. I¡¯ll go alone, I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    Fu Miaoxue asked, ¡°How soon is soon?¡±


    ¡°20 minutes.¡± Du Lai said.


    Fu Miaoxue turned her head in refusal, ¡°No! That¡¯s too long! I give you 20 seconds, you have to be back in 20 seconds!¡±


    Bai Youwei and Shen Mo: ¡°¡­¡±


    20 seconds? Is that even humanly possible?


    But Du Lai, as if having seen everything, calmly haggled, ¡°How about 15 minutes? 20 seconds is too short.¡±


    ¡°15 minutes and you call that ing back soon¡¯? Why don¡¯t you say you¡¯lle back slowly then? Can 15 minutes be called soon?!¡± Fu Miaoxue was indignant. ¡°40 seconds! Not a second more!¡±


    Bai Youwei: ¡°Pff¡­..¡±


    She wanted tough, but held it in¡­..


    After contemting for a bit, Du Lai said, ¡°10 minutes then. I¡¯ll run over, check what¡¯s going on ande back immediately.¡±<div>


    ¡°No, no, absolutely not!¡± Fu Miaoxue angrily stated, ¡°The most I can give you is 6¡­¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°6 minutes, right?¡± Du Lai interrupted her, leaned in to quickly nt a kiss on her face and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be back in 6 minutes, off I go~¡±


    Before Fu Miaoxue could react, Du Lai quickly ran out. To save time, he didn¡¯t even take the corridor, but climbed straight over the wall and jumped out!


    He had a skill in climbing walls, springing high, thrusting his hands onto the edge of the brick wall, and then pushing himself up with his legs, he vaulted over the wall with finesse.<div>


    Bai Youwei was shocked, ¡°Did your boyfriend train in Qinggong?¡±


    His technique was merely superb.


    Fu Miaoxue raised her chin proudly: ¡°Hmph, my boyfriend is naturally awesome~¡±


    Her face then turned grim once more, she stared at the wall Du Lai had scaled over, murmuring, ¡°I clearly wanted to say 60 seconds¡­..¡±

 Chapter 514: 514: The Old Woman

    Chapter 514: The Old Woman


    The rain outside keeps falling without pause.


    Du Lai puts on the hood to his jacket, an inconspicuous gray outfit, and races forward through the rainy night.


    A intive woman¡¯s voicees and goes, weeping andmenting, piercing the lingering, chilly autumn rain with a biting cold.


    Following the sound, he runs to the wall of someone¡¯s courtyard. Sensing that the voice is close by, he deliberately slows his pace, silently searching for the woman singing the opera.


    But the night is truly too dark.


    It¡¯s raining and there are no lights nearby. The entire vige is pitch ck and it¡¯s even hard to see the road.


    As he hesitates, he suddenly feels that the voice is much closer!


    As if it¡¯s right behind him!


    A scared Du Lai hurries to hide behind a nearby stack of straw bales!


    Just after squatting down, he hears the squeaking sound of a cart wheel¨C


    An emaciated old woman, pushing a wooden cart, slowlyes around the corner of a house!<div>


    Du Lai¡¯s nerves go taut and he ducks lower, his eyes unblinkingly fixed on the old woman.


    In the dimness of the rainy night, he can¡¯t make out the woman¡¯s face, only sensing that she is very old, extremely old¡­ stooped and bone-thin, with disheveled white hair over her shoulders, her stiff and faltering gait makes her seem less than human.


    The wooden cart, too, looks old and weather-beaten, soaked through and sttered by mud, as though it was dug out from the earth.


    On the cart, covered by a thoroughly wet straw mat, is a faintly discernable skeleton.


    ¡ªThere is a woman named Li, carrying a corpse from the east of the vige to the west, and again from west to east, day after day, without rest¡ª


    If webine Fu Miaoxue¡¯s exnation of the opera¡¯s plot with what¡¯s happening, then this old woman pushing the cart is Li, and the corpse on the cart is Li¡¯s husband.


    Du Lai holds his breath as he watches the old woman push the cart past him.


    As she walks, she sings. Her voice is intive and hoarse; it¡¯s hard to imagine that such a sound could carry so far, from the vige all the way to the annex of the old schr¡¯s mansion.


    However, in a game like this, nothing out of the ordinary is actually out of the ordinary.


    Du Lai stays in ce for a while, making sure the sound is far enough away before silently rising up, then quickly returning to the old schr¡¯s mansion.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡­


    While Du Lai was away, Fu Miaoxue stayed with Shen Mo and Bai Youwei. She didn¡¯t mind being the third wheel. It was certainly better than sitting alone in her room.


    Bai Youwei curiously asks her, ¡°You technically died once, why are you still so afraid of ghosts?¡±


    ¡°I may have died once, but I didn¡¯t be a ghost.¡± Fu Miaoxue says disdainfully, ¡°I just became a doll, that¡¯s all!¡±


    ¡°You turned into a doll huh¡­ so you lost the game?¡± Bai Youwei asks, ¡°Did you enter the game with your boyfriend?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Fu Miaoxue shakes her head and speaks indifferently, ¡°I entered the game alone. I wasn¡¯t as lucky as you all, I entered a test game.¡±


    ¡°Test game, I¡¯ve heard of it¡­ I¡¯ve heard that there isn¡¯t a single person who has survived a test game,¡± Bai Youwei continues slowly.


    She thinks about something the Rabbit-headed person said.


    It said that test games are full of bugs, making it practically impossible toplete. Even if a yer was able toplete it, they could nevere out alive.<div>


    ¡ªJust like throwing a group of rabbits into an unfinished experimental cabin. Even if a rabbit survived the experiment, does it deserve to live?


    Thinking about it now, the Rabbit-headed person seemed to be more than willing to tell them about the game system, while other Inspectors would either bashfully dodge the topic or not mention it at all¨C


    Why does it act this way? Does it have special privileges, or¡­ does it have an ulterior motive?


    <div>

 Chapter 515: 515: Riddle Kingdom

    Chapter 515: Riddle Kingdom


    As Bai Youwei was pondering, Fu Miaoxue asked her, ¡°How do you know about the test game? I only talked about it with my boyfriend.¡±


    There probably aren¡¯t many people in the world who know about it. After all, everyone who entered the test game died.


    Bai Youwei said, ¡°I heard about it from the Inspector, both my boyfriend and I know.¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡°¡­¡±


    He realized that since he entered this game, he and Du Lai seemed to have lost their names.


    ¡°The Inspector told you about this?¡± Fu Miaoxue asked, confused, ¡°I never met him, there¡¯s no Inspector in the test game, only a set of instructions telling us what to do first, then what to do next¡­¡±


    Bai Youwei asked her, ¡°What kind of game was it?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Fu Miaoxue¡¯s face fell, recalling bad memories, ¡°At that time, the inte and power outages hadn¡¯t yet urred, and the news about people turning into dolls had juste out. I was walking in my garden at home, and suddenly I found myself in apletely unfamiliar ce called Riddle Kingdom!¡±


    The test game was different from the actual game, there was no formal entrance, so there were no triggers, selections were entirely random by the system.


    Fu Miaoxue angrily said: ¡°That game is just insane! It required yers to find clues on their own to leave Riddle Kingdom, but for every question we asked the inhabitants of the Kingdom, we first had to answer one of their questions. My answer was clearly correct, but I still died!¡±


    ¡°You die even though you answered correctly?¡± Bai Youwei eximed, ¡°This game is seriously wed.¡±<div>


    Fu Miaoxue said, ¡°One of the inhabitants asked me, ¡®why didn¡¯t the ss cup shatter when the King of Riddle Kingdom threw it?¡¯¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Bai Youwei asked.


    ¡°The correct answer is, ¡®because the cup was caught.¡¯¡± Fu Miaoxue chuckled cynically,¡±Sounds absurd, right? It¡¯s utterly nonsensical!¡±


    ¡°So what was your answer?¡± Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°My answer was, ¡®the cup was thrown into the water, so it didn¡¯t shatter. I thought there was nothing wrong with it, a cup thrown into the water wouldn¡¯t break! But they insisted I was wrong, then they threw me into the water, and I drowned!¡±


    Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Shen Mo: ¡°¡­¡±


    This is such a wrongful death, worthy of being a test game. It really isn¡¯t reliable!


    ¡°So after that, you were stuck in Riddle Kingdom all the time?¡± Bai Youwei continued asking.


    ¡°No.¡± Fu Miaoxue shook her head lightly, ¡°After five or six rounds, I was moved to another game by the system. There is no real death in the game, it¡¯s all about individual willpower. Everyone¡¯s circumstances are different¡­


    Some people can¡¯t stand it after the third or fourth round and slowly turn into inhabitants of Riddle Kingdom, forgetting who they are and what the game mission is. They only know to follow the rules, ask, ask, and ask. As soon as a yer asks how to leave Riddle Kingdom, they present them with the riddle of the ss cup.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯re remarkable.¡± Bai Youwei seriously said, ¡°To persist through so many rounds without giving up.¡±


    ¡°Not as remarkable as you both.¡± Fu Miaoxue smiled, taking in Bai Youwei and Shen Mo, ¡°You¡¯ve been winning from the very beginning, and for me, I¡¯ve been losing right from the start.¡±


    No matter how excellent she performed afterwards, it was of no use.


    Because from the beginning, she lost, and even if she was revived, there was no going back¡­


    ¡°Being remarkable isn¡¯t about winning or losing.¡± Shen Mo said calmly, ¡°Knowing how you lose means you know how to avoid danger. Du Lai is also very perceptive to danger. Maybe together, one plus one is greater than two, and you might produce unexpected results.¡±

 Chapter 516: 516: Sing Quickly

    Chapter 516: Sing Quickly


    Speaking of Du Lai, Bai Youwei nced towards the door subconsciously, ¡°¡­ Du Lai has been gone for a while, hasn¡¯t he? Why hasn¡¯t he returned yet?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s dark outside, finding the running-chime woman safely might not be easy.¡± Shen Mo asked them, ¡°Can you still hear that opera singing?¡±


    Bai Youwei and Fu Miaoxue nodded almost simultaneously.


    ¡°The sound isn¡¯t as loud as before, but I can still hear it clearly.¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brows slightly, murmuring, ¡°If only we knew what the singing was about¡­¡±


    Sinceing out of the dollhouse, she was very sensitive to the dolls in the game.


    Sinceing out of the hide-and-seek game, she was very sensitive to the sounds in the game, always feeling that there could be some key clues hidden in them.


    But she couldn¡¯t understand Beijing Opera, let alone Fujian Opera?


    Bai Youwei looked at Fu Miaoxue, asking: ¡°Do you understand what she¡¯s singing?¡±


    ¡°That¡­ should be lyrics from ¡®Woman¡¯s Destiny.¡¯¡± Fu Miaoxue pondered for a moment, saying, ¡°Actually, I also can¡¯t quite remember, but when she sings this tune, I can recall a few lines¡­¡±


    Fu Miaoxue cleared her throat, humming slowly along with the mournful tune amidst the sound of rain:


    ¡°In an instant¡­<div>


    In an instant, the cold air strikes people, thick clouds cover all around.


    I can only adjust my clogs, dare not pause.


    In a deserted wilderness, nowhere to shelter.


    In waves, oh,


    In waves, the bitter wind and rain soaks my clothes.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Ah¡ª¡ªoh¡ª¡ª


    Oh heavens! I am weak and helpless, not leaving my family.


    Just for my husband¡¯s remains, I have trudged over mountains and waded through rivers, enduring great hardships.


    Suddenly encountering wind and rain, the thunder does not stop its thunderp.


    Scaring me to the point my liver and intestines shatter, trembling with fear.


    Liver and intestines shatter, trembling with fear¡­


    Ah¡­¡±


    The clear and sweet voice of Fu Miaoxue was much more pleasant than the distant eerie female voice.


    She sang the lyrics in Mandarin for Bai Youwei and Shen Mo to hear, then said: ¡°¡®Woman¡¯s Destiny¡¯ has several long sections following it, but the voice outside did not continue singing. She¡¯s been repeating the section I just sang. Just looking at the words, it doesn¡¯t seem suspicious.¡±


    Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t figure it out either.


    After some thought, she pulled out a pen and paper from her canvas bag, deciding to write down Fu Miaoxue¡¯s lyrics.


    ¡°Sing it again, I¡¯ll write it down.¡±


    Fu Miaoxue remarked:¡± Your bag really has everything in it. You even prepared a pen and paper¡­¡±


    Previously, she had heard Du Lai say to be careful of Bai Youwei, even mentioning she was a bit strange.<div>


    Could it be that Bai Youwei, like Doraemon, has a magic pocket?


    Fu Miaoxue reached out to touch the canvas bag.


    ¡­ The feel was quite ordinary, just a regr canvas bag, and no information came to her mind.


    That means the canvas bag is not a prop.<div>


    ¡°Hurry up and sing.¡± Bai Youwei looked at her somewhat bewildered, ¡°Let¡¯s write down the lyrics so we can find clues together.¡±


    Fu Miaoxue absentmindedly responded.¡±


    Without Du Lai, shecked motivation.


    Just as she prepared to sing again, she caught a glimpse of a figure reflected in the window, and her heart leaped with joy: ¡°My boyfriend¡¯s back!¡±


    Shen Mo and Bai Youwei both looked over, and saw an unfamiliar figure had appeared at the window, judging by the height and build, it looked like Du Lai.


    Fu Miaoxue went to open the door cheerfully.


    But when she got to the door she stopped, feeling that something was amiss.


    The figure in the window remained motionless.


    Not making a sound, nor showing any sign of movement¡­


    Fu Miaoxue remained silent for a few seconds. For some reason, she backed off a couple of steps, whispering to Shen Mo and Bai Youwei: ¡°Du Lai left over the south wall, but this figure¡­ seems to havee from the east corridor¡­¡±

 Chapter 517: 517: Shasha

    Chapter 517: Shasha


    Du Lai promised Fu Miaoxue that he would return quickly. Given the choice between detouring along the winding corridor and scaling the wall, thetter was obviously faster.


    But if the person outside wasn¡¯t Du Lai, then who could it be?


    All three stared at the figure with caution.


    In an instant, the atmosphere in the room became incredibly tense.


    Shen Mo pulled the piece of paper from his wrist. With a swoosh, it transformed into a dagger in his hand, and he told Bai Youwei and Fu Miaoxue in a low voice, ¡°Both of you, step back.¡±


    Fu Miaoxue quickly grabbed Bai Youwei¡¯s arm!


    Bai Youwei tugged twice but couldn¡¯t pull free.


    Fu Miaoxue turned towards Shen Mo, her voice strained with tension, ¡°Be careful. What if that¡¯s actually my boyfriend outside?¡±


    Bai Youwei retorted internally, if it really was Du Lai, deliberately trying to scare them by lurking outside, he deserved a good sh.


    Suddenly, Shen Mo sprang into action!


    His movements were lightning-fast. The two women were taken aback and before they could respond, Shen Mo had flung open the door!<div>


    The dagger in his hand gleamed cold and deadly. It thrust straight towards the figure outside the door!


    A rustling sound echoed.


    There was no screaming, no shouting. Only the soft rustling, much like the sound of tearing paper!


    Bai Youwei and Fu Miaoxue watched in horror as a paper man outside was stabbed by Shen Mo and sliced in two!


    The rustle¡­


    An incredibly thin paper man met an extremely sharp de. In the span of an instant, it was cut in half, sent flying and then gently fell in the garden below.


    The falling rain soaked the painted face of the paper man.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ck eyeballs¡­


    Bright red lips¡­


    The color slowly had seeped out, following the drops of rain and depicted a form of painful scars.


    Bai Youwei and Fu Miaoxue stood in the doorway, their gaze fixed on the paper doll in the garden. It felt like something was squeezing their throats, and their hearts pounded uncontrobly.


    They had grown up in the city and even though they had witnessed some folk customs and funeral cultures, most of those were influenced by the West. Now, facing this paper doll, they felt an indescribable difort, goosebumps erupted in waves, even their scalps tingled.


    They didn¡¯t understand why their ancestors had invented something so horrifying. Couldn¡¯t they conduct funerals in a straightforward manner?


    Paper, being just a thinyer glued to slender bamboo strips and once soaked with rain, disintegrated rapidly.


    Like colorful muddy scraps, it hung from the bamboo, swaying and trembling in the wind and rain.


    They were silent for a while when they suddenly heard the sounds of urgent footsteps. As they turned around, they saw Du Lai gasping for breath as he ran towards them!


    Fu Miaoxue cried out in relief and rushed towards him!


    ¡°Why did it take you so long to return?! You scared me to death!!!¡±


    She angrily gripped Du Lai¡¯s cor and interrogated him, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯ll be back in six minutes?! How many six minutes have passed now? How many? Answer me!!!¡±<div>


    Shen Mo also asked him in suspicion, ¡°Did something happen on the way?¡±


    Du Lai¡¯s dy in returning was indeed abnormal.


    His face was as white as a sheet, soaked through with both rain and perspiration. He didn¡¯t look like he¡¯d gone out briefly but rather as if he¡¯d run a marathon!


    ¡°Let¡¯s discuss it inside.¡± Du Lai jerked his hand free from Fu Miaoxue¡¯s grip, hastily dragging her inside.<div>


    Shen Mo was thest to enter, casting a cautious nce around, he shut the door.


    Inside the room, Du Lai sat in a chair to catch his breath. After a while, he told them,


    ¡°Getting to Yunhai¡¯s woman didn¡¯t take much time, but on my way back, I encountered ghost walls. No matter how much I tried to bypass, I kept looping in the corridor.¡±


    ¡°It must have been that paper man causing trouble!¡± Fu Miaoxue shivered, burrowing deeper into Du Lai¡¯s arms. ¡°Just now it mimicked your appearance. I was about to open the door for it!¡±

 Chapter 518: 518: The Young Voice

    Chapter 518: The Young Voice


    ¡°Impersonating me?¡± Du Lai asked, furrowing his brow. ¡°Did anything happen to you all?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing.¡± Shen Mo replied, ¡°The paper figure didn¡¯t seem to attack us, but this raises questions about why it appeared at our room door?¡±


    Was it merely to scare people and add a sense of horror to the game?


    Everyone was at a loss.


    Bai Youwei said, ¡°Let¡¯s first talk about the corpse-bearing woman.¡±


    Spotting pen and paper on the table, Du Lai picked them up to draw a rough sketch.


    There were twenty-three households in the vige, each represented by a square on his sketch. He roughly drew out a distribution map and circled two points at the extreme east and west¡ª


    ¡°There¡¯s an old willow tree on the east, an old locust tree on the west. Based on the scenes I¡¯ve seen and the traces left by the wheels, the path of the corpse-bearing woman is approximately like this¡­¡±


    He drew a winding line that started from the east, moved to the west, and then looped back. The path was essentially a circle through the vige.


    ¡°An elderly woman in her seventies or eighties, pushing a handcart with a mat on top. The mat must be covering a corpse,¡± Du Lai sinctly exined the situation. ¡°I didn¡¯t show myself, so I¡¯m not sure if she poses a threat.¡±


    ¡°Did you only see the old woman?¡± Bai Youwei asked doubtfully. ¡°I heard a very young woman¡¯s voice.¡±<div>


    ¡°Me too.¡± Fu Miaoxue added. ¡°The voice sounded very young.¡±


    Du Lai shook his head, ¡°Apart from the old woman, I didn¡¯t see anyone else.¡±


    In a serious tone, Shen Mo said, ¡°So, we now have two problems. One, why did the paper figure suddenly appear at our door? Two, why did the voice of the corpse-bearing woman sound younger than the woman Du Lai saw?¡±


    He paused, and looking at them, said, ¡°Do you have any thoughts about it?¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Every household in the vige has their doors closed. Only the old schr¡¯s door is open. It seems that besides asking the vigers about the situation tomorrow, we should also find a chance to investigate this mansion,¡± Bai Youwei suggested.


    Fu Miaoxue reminded, ¡°Don¡¯t forget, we were able to enter because we recited the ssical Chinese verse. If we want the vigers to talk, we¡¯ll probably need to make an effort, just as it was when I yed ¡®Riddle Kingdom¡¯. Each inhabitant had a set of riddles to solve! The theme of the game might be different, but many mechanisms are interconnected!¡±


    Bai Youwei agreed with Fu Miaoxue¡¯s viewpoint and nodded in approval.


    Those who have yed games extensively will notice that no matter how the game rules change, some things always interconnect.


    ¡°The ultimate goal of corpse-moving is burial,¡± Shen Mo analyzed. ¡°Once we figure out why the corpse-bearing woman hasn¡¯t buried the body yet, we would be close to clearing this game. Let¡¯s investigate together when daylightes.¡±


    A trace of a smile appeared on Du Lai¡¯s tired face. ¡°It seems this is like a detective riddle game, where you have to solve A, which usually needs B, and to solve B, you usually need C. The answeres only when A, B, and C are all connected.¡±


    Fu Miaoxue sighed, ¡°Damn, this is bothersome. I hate it when I have to use my brain~¡±


    Bai Youwei said, ¡°I love using my brain.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Asked Fu Miaoxue, looking at her with innocent eyes.


    Bai Youwei patted her own leg and said, ¡°Because there¡¯s nothing else I can move.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue had a sudden realization.


    After a while, she felt something was off. She looked at Bai Youwei suspiciously, then at Du Lai, and whispered, ¡°Why do I feel like she just insulted me?¡±


    Du Lai chuckled and, taking Fu Miaoxue¡¯s hand, said to the others, ¡°We¡¯re going back to our room. Contact us if anything happens.¡±


    Shen Mo slightly nodded.


    All four of them were not new to the game and had their own approach to it. After finalizing their n, they each went back to their rooms for rest. The scare that night seemed to be but a minor episode.<div>

 Chapter 519: 519: The Old Man Can’t Stay Idle

    Chapter 519: The Old Man Can¡¯t Stay Idle


    The next day, when Bai Youwei woke up, Shen Mo was not by her side.


    He was standing by the window, which was half-open. The rain outside had stopped, but the sky was still gloomy.


    ¡°What time is it?¡± Bai Youwei asked as she got up.


    ¡°Seven o¡¯clock,¡± Shen Mo replied.


    Bai Youwei was a bit dazed. Had she slept that long? Judging by the sky, she thought it was five or six o¡¯clock, but it was already seven¡­ She usually couldn¡¯t sleep well in foreign environments and she didn¡¯t know why she fell asleep the moment she closed her eyes this time.


    She had a feeling that this wasn¡¯t a good thing.


    Bai Youwei sluggishly got out of bed. Over by the screen were washing utensils: a damp wooden basin, a coarse bristled toothbrush, and a cloth with a musty smell of earth.


    She didn¡¯t touch any of these things. Instead, she opened the dollhouse and asked Teacher Chang for their toiletries.


    You might as well bring breakfast too.


    Teacher Chang had made scallion flower rolls and multigrain soy milk.


    Every day in the dollhouse, while idle, Teacher Chang cooked, studied menus and significantly improved his culinary skills.<div>


    Over breakfast, Teacher Chang on the door side asked Bai Youwei and Shen Mo on the other side of the door, ¡°Weiwei¡­ is the game this time difficult?¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s quite difficult. Both Shen Mo and I cannot understand the Fuzhou dialect,¡± Bai Youwei said as she nibbled on the flower bun, asking Teacher Chang, ¡°Do you speak Minnguage?¡±


    ¡°Minnguage?¡± Teacher Chang shook his head in confusion, muttering, ¡°Isn¡¯t it about archaeological poetry?¡±


    Bai Youwei burst intoughter, ¡°Teacher Chang, have you not had enough fun?¡±


    He had been debating with someone in a poetry contest with great momentumst night.


    Chang Weicai smiled awkwardly and admitted: ¡°You two have been taking care of me. I also want to help¡­¡±


    ¡°If we need your help, we won¡¯t hesitate to ask,¡± Bai Youwei said between bites of the soft and chewy flower roll, which had a savory and salty vor followed by a hint of sweetness, ¡°¡­.this is so delicious.¡±


    ¡°Then eat more,¡± Teacher Chang responded with a smile, ¡°Xiaoshen, you should eat more too. There are still plenty in the steamer.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s send some to Du Lai,¡± Shen Mo suggested to Bai Youwei, ¡°He only has ration biscuits. He probably won¡¯tst a few days.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Bai Youwei agreed, nodding her head, ¡°Just tell him it¡¯s from the old schr¡¯s kitchen. He can believe it or not.¡±


    Having allied themselves, they could be more generous, sharing their food and drink was no big deal.


    Shen Mo then took some steamed buns to the neighbor.


    Teacher Changter discussed with Bai Youwei: ¡°I¡¯ve almost finished tidying up the vegetable patch on the slope. The ce is big, butcks color. Other than green, there¡¯s nothing else. Shall we nt some flowers ¡­¡±


    If growing vegetables and crops is for food, then nting flowers is purely for their appeal. It wasn¡¯t necessarily important, it was because the old man couldn¡¯t idle around, he always wanted to find something to do, to prove himself valuable.


    ¡°Good, in a while Shen Mo and I will dig up a few.¡± Bai Youwei responded enthusiastically.


    The old schr¡¯s garden was full of peonies and paeonies, which seemed to be top-grade.


    Teacher Chang rose, saying, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go and find two shovels for you ¡­¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, a crying sound came from afar¡ª


    Teacher Chang was taken aback. Bai Youwei also paused, immediately closed the dollhouse door and quickly said, ¡°Teacher Chang, I¡¯ll go see, we¡¯ll talk about nting flowerster!¡±<div>


    She went to the door in her wheelchair, but was stopped by the elevated threshold.


    This ancient architecture was not friendly to her at all.


    Shen Mo returned soon, lifting the wheelchair effortlessly out the door.


    Bai Youwei asked him, ¡°Where are Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue?¡±<div>


    Shen Mo shook his head, ¡°They¡¯re not in the house.¡±

 Chapter 520: 520: Those Cries

    Chapter 520: Those Cries


    Just after they had spoken, they saw Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue approaching from the garden.


    Shen Mo asked, ¡°Where were you guys?¡±


    ¡°Went to the kitchen to get something to eat.¡± Du Lai raised a te of cold, stiff buns in his hand, then saw the hot steam bun in Shen Mo¡¯s hand and couldn¡¯t help but pause, ¡°Where did you get those?¡±


    Shen Mo paused for a moment before answering, ¡°I got them from the kitchen.¡±


    Du Lai: ¡°¡­¡±


    Shouldn¡¯t there be basic respect?


    Even if you¡¯re going to lie, at least be earnest about it, right?


    Fu Miaoxue wasn¡¯t interested in the food and directly asked them: ¡°Did you guys hear that crying noise? I think it might be a clue. Shall we check it out together?¡±


    Shen Mo handed the steam bun to Du Lai, ¡°Hmm, let¡¯s go together.¡±


    Du Lai gently squeezed it. It was soft and with a slight warmth, clearly it hadn¡¯t been out of the pot for long. It was fresh.


    He couldn¡¯t help but look at Bai Youwei.<div>


    She was willing to give him the Substitute Doll, suggesting she got hold of a better item.


    But isn¡¯t bnce the key to the game? Why are Bai Youwei¡¯s items all so¡­


    Bai Youwei looked calm andposed.


    Du Lai didn¡¯t want to think about it anymore.


    ¡­


    They all left together.


    As they passed the main hall, they again ran into the old schr.


    The old schr was crafting paper figurines.


    The paper man that Shen Mo had smashed was still lying in front of the room in the garden. Only a few bamboo pieces and some paper scraps remained. The one the old schr was currently crafting was a new paper figurine.


    ¨C Thin bamboo sticks were woven into a round head and further added to a cylindrical body. Then, coated withyers of white paper, a form took shape.


    Before he could paint the eyes and nose on, it was just a nk silhouette. The smell of paste filled the air.


    Another paper figure sat perfectly intact in a high back chair. What was missing was the old schr¡¯s ¡°mother.¡±


    Bai Youwei was curious about the paper figures, but when they moved a bit closer, they heard the old schr mutter as he applied paste:


    ¡°The gentleman said, learning can never stop¡­ learning can never stop¡­¡±


    Everyone was speechless.


    Are they going to have to recite lessons to get answers again?


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the vige first,¡± Shen Mo said casually, ¡°The corpse carrier woman has been wandering around the vige all night, there should be clues there.¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Bai Youwei mumbled to herself, ¡°I hope not every NPC will have us recite lessons¡­¡±


    ¡­<div>


    As it turned out, while not all NPCs asked them to recite lessons, as Fu Miaoxue guessed, every clue dide with a test.


    They heard sobbinging from a house. The people inside were dressed in mourning clothes with constant crying, whitenterns outside the house, and paper underworld coins scattered around.


    Vigers wereing in a steady stream toment at the house.


    Shen Mo and hispanions also went to mourn.<div>


    But they couldn¡¯t enter the doorway, as if an invisible wall was stopping them.


    The homeowner asked them, ¡°Who are you mourning for?¡±


    Who?


    They didn¡¯t know.


    They had just arrived herest night, they didn¡¯t know anyone, let alone who had died!


    Without the answer, they can¡¯t enter. They had to ask the peopleing in and out.


    But no matter whom they asked, they could not get an answer.


    All the mourners had crying faces and aside from crying, they didn¡¯t speak a word.


    Bai Youwei saw a group of children ying by the corner of the wall. The adults were crying while the children didn¡¯t understand, they wereughing and ying.


    Among them, one child was holding a puzzle.


    Bai Youwei felt that it was promising and signaled Du Lai with a nce.


    With a big grin, Du Lai squatted down in front of the child, asked with a friendly smile, ¡°Do you know who is being mourned in this house?¡±


    <div>

 Chapter 521: 521: Conducting a Funeral

    Chapter 521: Conducting a Funeral


    The child expressionlessly handed over the puzzle to Du Lai, ¡°Daddy can¡¯t y with me. He said he will onlye back home when I can solve this.¡±


    Du Lai chuckled and gently took the puzzle from the child¡¯s hand.


    For street magicians, the puzzle and the Nine Linked Rings are basic skills and must-practice items.


    In just two or three moves, Du Lai disassembled the puzzle into separate pieces. cing it back in the child¡¯s hand, he once again ¡°kindly¡± asked:


    ¡°Kid, do you know what happened to this family? Who died?¡±


    This time, the child replied quickly: ¡°Everybody knows, Lizheng was decapitatedst night. The Ma Family slept next to the headless man the whole night and wet her pants when she woke up in the morning. How embarrassing! Is it embarrassing? How can an adult pee in their pants!¡±


    After saying this, the child made a face and ran off!


    Watching the child run off, Du Lai stood up pensively and said to hispanion: ¡°In this conversation, two people were mentioned, one is Lizheng who was beheadedst night, the other is Mrs. Ma, who should be Lizheng¡¯s wife.¡±


    ¡°Who is Lizheng? Is it a name?¡± Fu Miaoxue asked.


    ¡°It refers to the vige head.¡± Du Lai exined, ¡°Last night, the head of this vige was beheaded.¡±


    Fu Miaoxue frowned, ¡°That¡¯s gory. I don¡¯t want to see a headless corpse.¡±<div>


    ¡°This is getting interesting.¡± Bai Youwei mused thoughtfully. ¡°Her husband was lying next to her, decapitated, and the wife remainedpletely oblivious, only finding out in the morning¡­ Strange isn¡¯t it? Decapitation is neither quiet nor bloodless. How could the person sleeping in the same bed remain oblivious?¡±


    Shen Mo added, ¡°The murderer is either a local or a pallbearer fromst night. There¡¯s no third possibility. Let¡¯s go in and take a look.¡±


    They attempted to enter the house again.


    At the entrance, the homeowner asked them, ¡°Who do you grieve for?¡±


    Shen Mo replied: ¡°We grieve for Lizheng.¡±


    The owner respectfully stepped aside, ¡°Pleasee in, honored guests.¡±


    Having received permission, they somewhat rxed.


    If this method works, then the same pattern should apply when looking for other clues.


    Shen Mo, who was pushing the wheelchair, stopped and slightly furrowed his brows.


    Du Lai also paused solemnly before the threshold.


    The barrier at the entrance ¡­ still existed.


    They couldn¡¯t get in.


    Why? They had correctly answered the homeowner¡¯s question, so why couldn¡¯t they enter?


    Just as they were puzzled, Fu Miaoxue walked briskly over the threshold. She tried to take Du Lai¡¯s arm in habit, but ended up grabbing only air. She turned to look back and found-


    All herpanions were still outside!


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t youing in?¡± Fu Miaoxue asked, perplexed.


    Shen Mo, Bai Youwei, and Du Lai all looked at her withplicated expressions, simultaneously realizing a very basic etiquette.


    There are certain dress codes when visiting someone¡¯s house to pay respects.


    One should wear neutral colors as far as possible, preferably ck, gray or white.<div>


    Among them, Fu Miaoxue was the only one dressed all in ck.


    Sure, Shen Mo¡¯s shirt was ck too, but it was a short-sleeved T-shirt. In ancient times, wearing short sleeves to a mourning visit was considered disrespectful.


    As for Du Lai, he wore a grey hoodie, but his hiphop shorts were adorned with patterns.


    Bai Youwei wore a white dress covered by a camel colored shawl.<div>


    So, in the end, only Fu Miaoxue was ¡°dressed appropriately¡±.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go in alone!¡± Fu Miaoxue couldn¡¯t ept this. She had just said that she wouldn¡¯t go see the headless male corpse! Why now not only does she have to go see it, but she has to do so alone?! No way! Absolutely not!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 522: 522: A Head

    Chapter 522: A Head


    ¡°Going to prepare for clothing now would be a waste of time,¡± Du Lai patiently persuaded her, ¡°Miaoxue, what you can do is quite simple. Just remember every single thing you see as hard as you can, thene out and recount it to us. That would be enough.¡±


    ¡°No! I won¡¯t go in alone!¡± Fu Miaoxue insisted, ¡°How much time can preparing clothes waste? Can¡¯t you just steal a few ck outfits from the nearby area? After all, everyone from the vige hase to the funeral, so no one should be home!¡±


    Oddly enough, what she said made sense¡­


    Bai Youwei pondered for a moment, took off her camel-coloured shawl and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go with her. You guys can check nearby, if you can find clothes to change into and join us in paying respects, that would be best.¡±


    ¡°So be it.¡± Shen Mo took her shawl, turned around, and left with Du Lai.


    Without the shawl, Bai Youwei instantly felt the chill of autumn. However, when she looked at the two gentlemen walking away bear-armed and bare-legged, she felt she needed to improve her physical constitution.


    Fu Miaoxue and Bai Youwei entered with trepidation.


    The crying inside was even louder.


    Lizheng¡¯s home was much simpler than the academic¡¯s residence. It was just a in courtyard, with a square yard right after the entrance, followed by threerge brick-and-tile houses at the front, left, and right. The sons and their wives lived on the sides, while Lizheng and his wife lived in the main house.


    The coffin was ced in the hall directly in front of them.


    There were some crying, some singing, some burning paper, and some offering incense. It was extremely lively.<div>


    The woman known as thedy of Ma family who appeared to be in her fifties or sixties, sat beside the coffin wearing mourning clothes, appearing foolishly lost. The entire room was filled with wailing, but only the olddy hadn¡¯t cried. It seemed as if she had lost her senses due to the sudden shock.


    Bai Youwei and Fu Miaoxue overheard some mourners whispering to each other:


    ¡°Looking at Lady Ma in this state, I¡¯m afraid she won¡¯t live much longer.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Mrs. Li was the same way. First her husband was decapitated, and not long after, she also passed away.¡±


    Mrs. Li?


    The first sentence Inspector gave as a clue was: A female, Mrs. Li¡­n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Bai Youwei pounced on this information, almost immediately asking: ¡°Was Mrs. Li also decapitated?¡±


    The mourner replied, ¡°How could it be? It was her husband, Leper Li, who was decapitated. Mrs. Li had dementia. After her husband¡¯s death, she stopped eating or drinking and naturally passed away shortly after. Just like Lady Ma now.¡±


    As they spoke, they saw Mrs. Ma¡¯s daughter-inw trying to feed her some water. Mrs. Ma couldn¡¯t even open her mouth and stared nkly at the coffin in a daze.


    The mourners sighed and shook their heads at this sight.


    ¡°Mrs. Ma won¡¯t live much longer¡­¡± many echoed this sentiment.


    At this time, Lizheng¡¯s son asked: ¡°Is father¡¯sst meal ready?¡±


    The woman who was feeding Mrs. Ma put down the bowl and said, ¡°It¡¯s ready.¡±


    In ancient times, something was usually put in the mouth of the deceased, known as ¡°thest meal¡± or ¡°subduing the tongue¡±. Rich people would use gold beads or jade. Poor families used food, implying that the deceased would not suffer hunger or hardship on the road to the underworld.


    The daughter-inw scooped up a half-spoonful of white rice, about a mouthful,pacting it in the spoon, handed it to her husband who then respectfully said to the corpse in the coffin, ¡°Father, your son has prepared a meal for you.¡±


    Having said this, he reached out and pinched Lizheng¡¯s chin, trying to put the white rice in his mouth.


    However, the old man¡¯s mouth remained tightly closed. No matter how hard he tried, he could not open it.


    The son cried out, ¡°Dad! Please open your mouth, so you won¡¯t go hungry or cold on your journey in the afterlife!¡±


    The force he applied increased, as he tried to pry open his father¡¯s mouth with the spoon of rice. Unexpectedly, he applied too much force. The old man¡¯s head rolled over, was pried right out of the coffin, and flew out!<div>


    Itnded right in front of Mrs. Ma!

 Chapter 523: 523: Who Cut It?

    Chapter 523: Who Cut It?


    This sudden change surprised everyone, quieting the entire hall as everyone stared at the skull in front of Ma Family!


    Lizheng¡¯s corpse had been cleaned up long ago, so when the head fell, it was not bloody, but the horror was in no way diminished!


    The skull was grey and withered, the hair and skin as well. The eyes were tightly shut, and the skin on the face was wrinkled.


    The ce where it had been severed was coated with ayer of glutinous rice paste, smeared sticky and thick; it had been applied by Lizheng¡¯s sons in an attempt to put the head back.


    At this moment, the glutinous paste smeared all over Ma Family, carrying a bit of flesh-pink color, which was from the bloody threads leaked from the skull.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Ma Family¡¯s gaze nkly moved from the coffin to the skull in front of her.


    She slowly stretched out her hands¡­


    Slowly, she picked up her husband¡¯s head¡­


    Everyone watched in horror as Ma Family suddenly burst intoughter during this tense moment!


    ¡°Hahahaha!!!¡±


    All the people in the room looked at theughing old woman, shocked and unbelieving!<div>


    At a funeral, in front of a corpse, Ma Family wasughing hysterically as if she had gone mad!


    ¡°Hahaha!


    Hahaha!


    Haahaha!!!¡±


    The ear-piercingughter echoed throughout the room!


    Fu Miaoxue, frightened, clutched Bai Youwei¡¯s hand tightly!


    Since she was a puppet, her fingers were harder than those of a living human, making Bai Youwei¡¯s hand hurt.


    Meanwhile, Ma Family, holding Lizheng¡¯s skull, stood up, her eyes were wide open, pupils contracted, and her mouth stretched open until it could no longer close, exposing her gums and tongue!


    Her face was fierce, like a demon!


    ¡°Ma Family is possessed!!!¡± cried a viger suddenly in the room.


    Ma Family¡¯s sons and daughters-inw snapped out of their shock and rushed in to pin theughing Ma Family to the ground. One of them pped her hard across the face twice!


    But Ma Family remained oblivious, herughter continued crazily as if she had reached the heights of joy, or the depths of pain!


    ¡°Hahahaha!!¡­¡±


    Tears flowed down her face, her mouth was split open, her lips stretched to a point where they could no longer open, with blood oozing out of the corners.


    In the ensuing chaos, people gathered, some yelling about killing chickens to exorcise evil, while others were busy using a straw rope to tie up Ma Family! Others were busily picking up Lizheng¡¯s head, cleaning it, and cing it back into the coffin-


    Chaos was everywhere!


    Bai Youwei and Fu Miaoxue were ousted to the side, following the other vigers out of the hall.


    The funeral home was in disarray, the funeral was temporarily unable to proceed, and the yard was full of people rushing to ry the news. Ma Family¡¯s sons and daughters-inw were still weeping loudly in the hall, the scene could not be more chaotic.


    ¡°Shall we leave?¡± Fu Miaoxue asked Bai Youwei, looking around. She was clearly terrified just a moment ago, but now she seemedpletely unbothered.<div>


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of the headless male corpse anymore?¡± Bai Youwei said, shaking off her hand in exasperation, her hand already red.


    Fu Miaoxue shook her head, her eyes wide open, ¡°Compared to his wife, the headless corpse is nothing.¡±


    Laughter from Ma Family was terrifying.


    Bai Youwei nced over at the funeral hall and said, ¡°Ma Family has gone crazy, her sons and daughters-inw are all in the funeral hall, shall we go take a look at the back?¡±<div>


    Fu Miaoxue nodded, ¡°Alright.¡±


    The two of them headed to the back of the hall.


    Behind the hall were the bedrooms and a small courtyard. One side of the courtyard was the kitchen, and the other side was piled with firewood.


    There was a stump next to the firewood.


    An axe was lodged in the stump.


    The axe was covered in blood¡­


    If one looked closely, one could see a few strands of bloody hair stuck on the de.


    Fu Miaoxue whispered to Bai Youwei, ¡°Case solved, right? Lizheng was definitely murdered by his own family.¡±


    Why else would his family¡¯s axe be so bloody?


    Bai Youwei squinted slightly and followed the trail of the axe to the threshold of the bedroom. A few dark red bloodstains were visible on the ground, clearly visible even though they had been smudged by mud.


    ¡°Strange¡­¡± she murmured, ¡± If Lizheng¡¯s head was cut off by his own family, then who cut off Mr. Li¡¯s head?¡±

 Chapter 524: 524: The Big Rooster

    Chapter 524: The Big Rooster


    From the direction of the bloodstains, it¡¯s clear that someone took the ax from the courtyard, went into Lizheng¡¯s bedroom, killed Lizheng in his sleep, returned to the courtyard, and put the ax back.


    The ax handle was engraved with a ¡°Ma¡± character, which indicates that this ax was indeed the murder weapon.


    The disappearance of the blood traces by the stump also suggests that the murderer did not leave the yard.


    Of course, one could also assume that a murderer, who could nimbly traverse roofs and walls, left the crime scene without leaving any traces.


    But this game isn¡¯t set in a wuxia novel; instead, it¡¯s in a poor, remote little mountain vige. Bai Youwei doesn¡¯t believe that the game would create characters ipatible with its context.


    She thought, just like Shen Mo said, the murderer could either be the corpse carrier woman or one of the vigers here, with no third possibility.


    ¡°Why would his household want to kill Lizheng? Was it to assume the new role as Lizheng themselves, so they killed the old Lizheng?¡± Fu Miaoxue contemted, ¡°¡­But this doesn¡¯t make sense either, if they wanted to fool people, it would be more convenient to simply strangle or smother him to death. Why bother to decapitate him with an ax? And they barely cleaned up the blood ¡­ Also, what¡¯s up with the Ma family? Why did they suddenly break into hystericalughter?¡±


    She knocked her head in frustration, ¡°I just hate having to think so hard!¡±


    Bai Youwei chuckled and nced at her: ¡°Even though you hate thinking, the questions you brought up are all critical.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t sure if this was her inherent talent or potential forced out by the test game.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Fu Miaoxue huffed, ¡°I¡¯m ying the test version of the game after all, I¡¯ve encountered even more absurd situations! I still managed to unravel them~¡±<div>


    Bai Youwei said: ¡°Regardless, our aim is to discover the reason that the corpse carrier woman refuses to stop her actions. The game wouldn¡¯t provide useless clues; Lizheng¡¯s death, the Ma family going mad, must have some connection with the corpse carrier woman. What weck now is the bridge that connects these clues.¡±


    ¡°A customer mentioned the Li family just now, should we go investigate their house?¡± Fu Miaoxue asked.


    Bai Youwei nodded: ¡°Hmm, we should check it out.¡±


    The Li family is key in this game; they definitely needed to inspect her home.


    Just as the two were about to leave, Bai Youwei in her wheelchair suddenly stopped, her gaze directed to one side of the courtyard wall.


    Seeing this, Fu Miaoxue also stopped and asked her in confusion: ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes slightly widened, a look of astonishment on her face as she said: ¡°¡­ Look, over there.¡±


    Fu Miaoxue looked over.


    It was just a rooster standing in the corner of the wall, surrounded by a few hens.


    Fu Miaoxue found it iprehensible. They were just some chickens, was such a big reaction really necessary?


    ¡°Could this be the ¡®bridge to the clues¡¯ you mentioned?¡± Fu Miaoxue asked with furrowed brows.


    Bai Youwei gently shook her head, her eyes fixed on the chickens, saying: ¡°I haven¡¯t seen animals in a long time.¡±


    The rabbit in the Tortoise and the Hare wasn¡¯t a normal rabbit.


    The frog in Jin Qiu¡¯s ¡®golden frog¡¯ wasn¡¯t a normal frog.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The cats in Hide and Seek weren¡¯t normal cats¡­


    At first, she could still see birds in the sky, fish in the water, and asionally encounter wild cats, wild dogs, and mice scurrying about on the roadside¡­


    She didn¡¯t know since when, but there were no more birds in the sky, no fish in the water, and even ants and crawling insects had disappeared.


    Looking at those chickens, Fu Miaoxue said with a chill: ¡°In no time, you might not be able to see a single person either. Let¡¯s go~¡±


    Bai Youwei was reluctant to leave, and told Fu Miaoxue: ¡°You go first, check if they¡¯re back, I want to watch the chickens.¡±<div>


    ¡°Watching chickens?¡± Fu Miaoxue was speechless and walked away, lifting her skirt.


    When she got to the front yard, she felt something was wrong. Could watching chickens be more important than investigating clues at the Li¡¯s house?


    She turned back, and saw Bai Youwei still sitting in her wheelchair.


    Fu Miaoxue looked behind Bai Youwei¡ª<div>


    Huh?


    Where are the chickens?


    ¡­

 Chapter 525: 525 Li Family

    Chapter 525 Li Family


    Shen Mo and Du Lai rushed back to Lizheng¡¯s house, where they found Bai Youwei and Fu Miaoxue already waiting at the door.


    Fu Miaoxue kept staring at Bai Youwei with strange eyes, as if she was a rare specimen.


    Bai Youwei paid no mind to Fu Miaoxue¡¯s scrutinizing gaze. She looked Lan and Du Lai up and down, then doubtedly asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you change outfits?¡±


    After being gone for so long and not changing their clothes, could they have been dyed by something?


    Shen Mo calmly replied, ¡°We found a ce and will take you thereter. For now, let¡¯s talk about what you¡¯ve discovered on this side.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Bai Youwei slightly nodded, ¡°During the mourning ceremony, Lizheng¡¯s head fell out of the coffin, and his wife, Lady Ma, suddenly started tough hysterically. Some guests said that when a tragedy befell the Li family, he alsoughed like this, so we n to visit the Li family¡¯s house.¡±


    ¡°What a coincidence.¡± Shen Mo chuckled, ncing at Du Lai, ¡°We found a ce, which is just the Li family¡¯s house, where they used to live.¡±


    Bai Youwei immediately asked, ¡°Where did the Li family live?¡±


    Du Lai said with a cold smirk at the corner of his mouth, ¡°In the east of the vige, near the old willow tree.¡±


    ¡­


    The sky was gloomy as if it would rain at any moment.<div>


    The four of them quickly headed east of the vige.


    On the way, Bai Youwei and Fu Miaoxue also told Shen Mo and Du Lai about the hatchet.


    Du Lai spected, ¡°Given this, the murderer who killed Lizheng must be someone from his family. The game wouldn¡¯t provide useless clues. Is it possible that the murderers on both sides are the same person, and due to grievances, the corpse bearer has been dying her husband¡¯s burial?¡±


    ¡°People in ancient times indeed believed in the concept of having unfinished business,¡± deliberated Shen Mo, ¡°Li¡¯s husband, like Ma¡¯s husband, was decapitated. The murderers might very well be the same person. If we go by the line of reasoning that they want to see justice served, we¡¯ll only be able to let Li give her husband a proper burial once the murderer is found.¡±


    ¡°What if we don¡¯t go by that line of reasoning?¡± questioned Fu Miaoxue curiously.


    Bai Youwei answered, ¡°When a person dies but cannot rest in peace, there are generally two reasons¡ªunfinished vengeance or unfulfilled wishes.¡±


    So is the corpse bearer seeking unfinished vengeance, or does she have unfulfilled wishes?


    The vige is notrge, and the four of them unknowingly arrived at the eastern end where a mud house stood.


    Compared to Lizheng¡¯s green-bricked and tiled house, Li¡¯s home looked quite shabby.


    ©¤ There was only one brick room, the kitchen was a makeshift straw shed in the yard, the courtyard wall even simpler, made of branches and wheat straw mixed with yellow mud and built half a person high. The top was lined with bamboo sticks, which rattled and dropped clods of dirt when pulled with force.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The gates were locked, rusted all over. Shen Mo didn¡¯t use much force to pull the rusty lock off the wooden door.


    Inside, everythingy deste¡­


    No one lived here after Li Laitou and Li died.


    Dust-covered underworld paper flew all over the courtyard, with the wild grass on the rooftiles rustling. The door squeaked when lightly pushed open¡­


    As this ce has hosted two sessive funerals, remnants of the funerals remained in the house, several pieces of underworld paper covered with dust, some burnt candle stubs, and an ancestral tablet ced in the middle of the house.


    The wooden tablet read: In memory of the deceased husband Li Qianggui.


    Li Qianggui. That must be Li Laitou¡¯s real name.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Li also pass away? Why is there only one ancestral tablet in the room?¡± Fu Miaoxue curiously poked at the tablet.


    Du Lai pulled her hand back, ¡°After Li¡¯s death, since there was no one left in her family, no one set up an ancestral tablet for her.¡±<div>


    Sometimes when a household¡¯s poption was sparse, the neighbors had to help with the funeral arrangements, but only immediate family members could set up the ancestor tablets.


    Bai Youwei nced around the room and muttered, ¡°How do they not have any children¡­¡±


    ¡°Perhaps we should ask the neighbors,¡± suggested Shen Mo.


    As soon as he spoke, everyone fell silent.<div>


    They had been through ancient texts and solved a puzzle, so this time¡­ what would it be?

 Chapter 526: 526 The Sun Zi Mathematical Classic

    Chapter 526 The Sun Zi Mathematical ssic


    Next to the Li family¡¯s house lived another family in a mud-brick courtyard, impoverished to the extreme.


    Generally speaking, in this vige other than the grand residence of the old schr, only Lizheng¡¯s house was somewhat decent in appearance, everyone else was poorer than the next.


    An old woman sat in the dusty courtyard, smoking a pipe stuffed with crude tobo, puffing away.


    The smoke was very strong and harsh, probably the cheapest tobo leaves.


    Feeling the gaze from the outside, the old womanzily lifted her eyelids, took a cursory nce, and then continued puffing on her pipe, paying them no mind.


    ¡°Seems like most of the vigers are elderly.¡± Bai Youwei whispered to Shen Mo.


    Whether it was the old schr, Lizheng, or the Ma family, they were all people around seventy or so.


    And even Lizheng¡¯s son and daughter-inw they had seen in the hall were in their early forties. If there were any younger, they were just children. Oddly, there were no youths in their teens or twenties.


    ¡°In such a remote and poor ce, which youngster would choose to stay?¡± The old woman in the yard suddenly said, ¡°Those who could leave, have already left. The only ones remaining are the elderly who cannot move, and the old bachelors who can¡¯t get married.¡±


    The group was taken aback, not expecting this NPC to offer information so readily.


    Du Lai stepped into the yard and politely asked, ¡°Do you know the Li family next door?¡±<div>


    Hearing this, the old womanughed silently, wrinkles on her face like deep-set crevices, exuding an extremely unsettling feeling.


    At that moment, a fit of coughs echoed from within the house, followed by an old man¡¯s voice:


    ¡°I¡¯ve been ill for so long, when will my daughterse to see me?¡±


    The old woman took another drag from her pipe, gently knocked it against the ground, and said to the old man in the house: ¡°Didn¡¯t your eldest daughtere to see you just yesterday?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t all three of theme to see me together?¡±


    The old woman scoffed, replying, ¡°That¡¯s not easy. The eldest returns every five days, the second every four days, the youngest every three days. Who knows when they¡¯ll be able to see you again together.¡±


    While chatting, her gaze shifted to Du Lai, and behind him to Fu Miaoxue, Shen Mo and Bai Youwei.


    Everyone then understood, this NPC was challenging them with a riddle.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Bai Youwei breathed a sigh of relief inside.


    Thank goodness, this wasn¡¯t a difficult challenge.


    She asked the old woman, ¡°When were the three daughtersst together?¡±


    ¡°They met during the Mid-Autumn Festival.¡± The old woman responded.


    ¡°How many days have passed since the Mid-Autumn Festival?¡± Bai Youwei asked again.


    The old womanughed coldly, ¡°I¡¯m old and forgetful, I can¡¯t remember clearly¡­.¡±


    Bai Youwei slightly wrinkled her brow.


    Not just her, Shen Mo and Du Lai frowned too.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Fu Miaoxue was confused, ¡°Is the riddle too hard?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that the riddle is difficult, we¡¯re just missing something,¡± Bai Youwei exined, ¡°This is an old riddle from Sun Tzu¡¯s ¡®Arithmetical ssic¡¯, asking about three daughters: the eldest returns home every five days, the second every four days, and the youngest every three days. After the three daughters leave home together one day, on what day will they meet together again?¡±


    ¡°How many days?¡± Fu Miaoxue blurted out.<div>


    Bai Youwei: ¡°Sixty days.¡±


    The number of days is derived from finding the leastmon multiple between the intervals the daughters revisit home.


    That is, multiplying the numbers 3, 4 and 5, and it¡¯s 60.


    Fu Miaoxue blinked and said: ¡°Then just tell her the answer.¡±<div>


    Du Lai grabbed her hand and moved her behind him, ¡°What¡¯s missing here is the precondition ¨C we don¡¯t know on which day the three daughters left together.¡±


    ¡°There should be clues nearby for the Mid-Autumn Festival,¡± suggested Shen Mo, ¡°Let¡¯s split up and look.¡±


    Once they figure out when the Mid-Autumn Festival was in this game, they could calcte when the three daughters will return home together next.


    Fu Miaoxueined, ¡°Why go through all that trouble~¡±


    After saying that, she bounced up to the old woman: ¡°Hey, your three daughters will be back tomorrow~¡±

 Chapter 527: 527: A Firecracker

    Chapter 527: A Firecracker


    Everyone was stunned.


    Including the old woman, who was taken aback.


    The answer wasn¡¯t, of course, ¡°tomorrow,¡± so the old woman didn¡¯t say anything, just watched them with a baffling stare.


    ¡°Miaoxue!¡± Du Lai pulled Fu Miaoxue back, concern for her safety evident.


    ¡°You¡¯re so annoying~¡± Fu Miaoxue frowned and pulled her hand back, before bouncing back to the old woman and said, ¡°Hey, your three daughters will be back the day after tomorrow~¡±


    The old woman: ¡°¡­¡±


    Bai Youwei already knew what Fu Miaoxue was up to, and she struggled to hold backughter.


    Fu Miaoxue noticed her and shot her an annoyed nce: ¡°What are youughing at? If a method works, that¡¯s all that matters, right? Who knows how much time would be wasted finding clues for the Mid-Autumn Festival!¡±


    Bai Youwei, smiling, agreed: ¡°Yes, you¡¯re absolutely right~¡±


    Fu Miaoxue turned back to continue: ¡°Hey, your three daughters will be back in three days~


    Your daughters will be back in four days~n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om<div>


    Your daughters will be back in five days~


    ¡­¡±


    The old woman: ¡°¡­¡±


    Her weathered face stiffened slightly.


    In the quiet, morose farmhouse, only Fu Miaoxue¡¯s clear and crisp answers could be heard.


    Bai Youwei was holding backughter the whole time, thoroughly amused.


    Shen Mo and Du Lai both couldn¡¯t suppress their amusement ¡ª they hadn¡¯t expected Fu Miaoxue to discover such a bug in the game. Since the amount of answers were unlimited, it would only take a couple of hours to express sixty days ¡ª or even six hundred days.


    Before they knew it, Fu Miaoxue had counted up to the forty-first day.


    ¡°¡­Your daughters will be back in forty-one days~


    Your daughters will be back in forty-two days~


    Your daughters will be back in forty-three days~


    Your daughters¡­¡±


    Finally, the old woman reacted. She tapped the pipe in her hand against the doorframe and scowled at Fu Miaoxue: ¡°Old man, did you hear? These outsiders say our daughters won¡¯t be back for another forty-three days.¡±


    Ms. Fu put her hands on her waist victoriously and shot a nce back at Du Lai.


    ¡°Oh, thank you¡­ Cough, cough!¡± The old man inside the house coughed, then said, ¡°What do the outsiders want in our house?¡±


    ¡°They want to ask about the Li family next door,¡± the old woman replied expressionlessly.


    The old man inside murmured, ¡°I¡¯m not well. My spirit is low. If you don¡¯t have more than three questions, I should be able to answer a couple.¡±


    Fu Miaoxue immediately demanded, ¡°How can we clear the game? Why does the corpse carrier keep carrying corpses? What should we do to stop the corpse carrier?¡±


    She asked all three questions at once, not leaving any chance for others to inquire.<div>


    Bai Youwei was speechless and stared at her wide-eyed.


    A moment ago, she thought Fu Miaoxue¡¯s cleverness was like a firecracker. It could give the game an unexpected jolt! But now she realized that this firecracker could also explode on them! She was too unpredictable!


    The old man in the house was silent for a long time.


    Finally, he answered slowly, ¡°I¡¯m too old to understand what the guests mean ¡­ What do the guests want to ask?¡±<div>


    The wife outside the house coldly said, ¡°My husband only knows things rted to the neighbours. For other things, you might want to try asking someone else.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Fu Miaoxue replied casually, ¡°then I want to ask¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, Du Lai grabbed her arm, ¡°Wait before asking.¡±


    He reminded her, ¡°We have three questions. Think carefully before asking.¡±


    But Fu Miaoxue frowned, ¡°But what you want to ask, is not necessarily what I want to ask.¡±


    ¡°Then let each side ask one.¡± Bai Youwei suggested, ¡°Shen Mo and I will ask one, you two ask another, and thest question is decided by all of us together. Is that okay?¡±


    Fu Miaoxue thought about it, figuring she wouldn¡¯t be at a disadvantage, she nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    So, the first question was posed by Shen Mo:


    ¡°How did Li Qianggui die?¡±

 Chapter 528: 528: Waking up Slowly

    Chapter 528: Waking up Slowly


    ¡ª¡ªHow did Li Qianggui die?


    The elder in the room was silent for a moment, slowly opening his mouth, ¡°Ah¡­ You are asking about Li, the wretch from next door, right?¡±


    Shen Mo nodded, ¡°It¡¯s Li, the wretch.¡±


    The old man replied, ¡°Last Autumn¡­ I recall it wasn¡¯t long after the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Li family came to borrow white cloth from us, saying that their old man had died. We rushed to their home, and saw the wretch Liid on the bed, his head severed, the bed was soaked with blood.


    We asked the Li family what had happened, but they seemed foolish and mumbling, not making any sense.


    As there was no one else in the Li family, a few of us in the vige helped them arrange the funeral. Suddenly, Mrs. Li beganughing uncontrobly on the mourning hall, she refused to eat or drink, didn¡¯t even touch a drop of water, and not long after, she was gone too.¡±


    The old woman sitting by the door sighed long, ¡°Mrs. Li, a pitiful woman¡­¡±


    This answer was quite honest, practically everything that needed to be said was said. There was no intentional avoidance of crucial clues, nor ying with words.


    Next, it was Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue¡¯s turn to ask the second question.


    The two of them quietly discussed for a while, then Fu Miaoxue eagerly asked:


    ¡°Is it because you¡¯re all afraid of the woman transporting the corpse that the vige closes their doors at night? Why is that?¡±<div>


    The old woman began to tap her smoking pipe discontentedly at Fu Miaoxue, the pipe making a loud nging sound, ¡°My old man only knows about matters rted to the Li family next door.¡±


    Fu Miaoxue pouted, ¡°Hmph~¡±


    Du Lai whispered a few words into her ear.


    Fu Miaoxue¡¯s eyes rolled and she asked again, ¡°Why do you all close your doors tightly after the family of Li perished, and not open them at night?¡±


    Isn¡¯t this rted to the Li family now?


    But Fu Miaoxue didn¡¯t stop after finishing her question. She said aggressively, ¡°I suspect that Mrs. Li was killed by you all! You make no sense! Stop talking nonsense! I¡¯m aware of many such cases, when the man at home dies, the remaining orphans and widows are easy to bully, right? The person who killed Mrs. Li, not only you all are involved, your whole vige is involved too! You intended to take the Li family¡¯s properties and houses! Hence, Mrs. Li died with her eyes wide open, pushing her man¡¯s corpse, unable to find peace even in death!¡±


    The old woman, suddenly pinned with this me, was so angry that smoke seemed to being out from her nose. She abruptly stood up and shouted, ¡°Wake up Insane! Nonsense!!!¡±


    Fu Miaoxue was furious, pointing at the old woman and asking others, ¡°Is she cursing at me in the Fuzhou dialect?¡±


    Bai Youwei was gleefully watching from the side, ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who understands Minnguage?¡±


    Fu Miaoxue retorted indignantly, ¡°Understanding Min opera and being able to speak Minnguage are two different things!¡±


    Just like how some people can sing Cantonese songs but may not be able to speak Cantonese.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The old man in the room also grew anxious, he raised his voice, ¡°Why would we plot to kill for wealth when the Li family was so poor that they had to scrape and toil? At night, the vige closes their doors because Mrs. Li¡¯s resentful ghost won¡¯t rest in peace! Everyone is afraid of inviting this evil spirit into their homes so regardless of what noises we hear at night, we never open our doors!


    Li, the wretch, had a head full of sores and was impoverished, if it wasn¡¯t for the vigers¡¯ help, he wouldn¡¯t even have been able to afford a wife! How could we possibly covet his properties? That¡¯s utter nonsense!¡±


    Miaoxue blinked, turned around, and murmured to Du Lai: ¡°Well, I guessed wrong.¡±


    A little regretful.


    Du Lai asked Shen Mo and Bai Youwei, ¡°We still have a third question, do you have any questions you¡¯d like to ask?¡±


    Shen Mo slightly frowned, ¡°We originally wanted to ask if the Li family had any enemies, but it doesn¡¯t seem likely that there is a motive for revenge here.¡±


    Du Lai also nodded, ¡°In rural viges, even if there are murders, they are mostly due to verbal disputes, done in a moment of impulse. A murdermitted in the middle of the night seems like a long-plotted scheme, but if it was truly a premeditated n, they shouldn¡¯t have only killed Li, the wretch, and spared Mrs. Li, who was in the same bed.¡±


    Bai Youwei looked at them and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t have any questions, I would like to ask, why Li Qianggui and Mrs. Li didn¡¯t have any children.¡±<div>

 Chapter 529: 529: The Village Registry

    Chapter 529: The Vige Registry


    This issue wasn¡¯t too crucial, but Bai Youwei was still somewhat concerned about it.


    Every household in the vige had two or three children. Why didn¡¯t the Li household have any? To the point that after his death, there was no one left to mourn for him.


    The old woman immediately shook her head: ¡°Mrs. Li was too frail, too delicate.¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The old man in the house then replied: ¡°Mrs. Li was quite young when she married into our family. The first time she gave birth, she nearly lost her life, and although she managed to survive, the child didn¡¯t live past a month. The babies she gave birth to afterwards all died in infancy¡­¡±


    When the old man finished speaking, he sighed, and said tiredly, ¡°I am tired¡­ Wife, is there any water?¡±


    The old woman¡¯s face dropped, she got up and went into the house, mming the door shut with a loud bang.


    Once the three questions were answered, the NPC exited the scene.


    The four people outside looked at each other.


    Fu Miaoxue muttered, ¡°Didn¡¯t people in ancient times get married early? They were wed at fifteen or sixteen. If Mrs. Li was younger than that¡­ how old was she? Fourteen? Thirteen?¡±


    Bai Youwei reminded her, ¡°Li Laitzi was a poor man with a head full of scabs.¡±


    Fu Miaoxue shuddered dramatically: ¡°That ugly, how desperate must her parents have been to marry her off to him?¡±<div>


    Du Lai said: ¡°Perhaps Mrs. Li¡¯s family was even poorer, and like many families in ancient times, they were so poor they couldn¡¯t make a living, hence they sold their daughter in return for dowry, or to save resources for their son¡¯s future marriage.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s another possibility.¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°Mrs. Li herself could¡¯ve been ugly, or ill.¡±


    Like attracts like. If Li Qianggui was a dumb, poor man with a head full of scabs, then Mrs. Li might also have had some kind of defect.


    ¡°This might be tricky,¡± Du Laiughed, ¡°We don¡¯t know anything about Mrs. Li ¨C her name, age, where her family lives, nothing. Hence, we still can¡¯t infer why her dead body wouldn¡¯t rest.¡±


    ¡°At least we can rule out the possibility of her retaliating against her husband,¡± Bai Youwei analyzed calmly, ¡°No children, an ugly husband, and a poor family¡­I don¡¯t think they were a loving couple under these circumstances. A grudge seems more likely.¡±


    Shen Mo pondered for a moment, looked up at the sky, and said, ¡°There should be a household register at Lizheng¡¯s house. We should have enough time to go now.¡±


    Du Lai nodded.


    In terms of theft, nobody was more adept than him.


    Du Lai quickly found a house withundry hanging out to dry, changed into a viger¡¯s homespun outfit, grabbed a handful of yellow earth from the ground to smear on his face until he looked dusty and unremarkable, then he hunched over and headed towards Lizheng¡¯s house.


    Shen Mo, Bai Youwei, and Fu Miaoxue waited for him outside.


    It wasn¡¯t long before they saw himing out.


    He came out quickly, his expression gloomy. Everyone thought he had failed and didn¡¯t get the register. Much to their surprise, Du Lai pulled a register from his bosom and handed it to Shen Mo.


    ¡°Got it.¡± Du Lai frowned slightly, ¡°But Mrs. Li¡¯s name isn¡¯t in it.¡±


    Bai Youwei froze, and then seemed to think of something. ¡°Let me see.¡±


    Shen Mo had just opened the first page and handed it to her.


    The first page was an introduction to the vige, roughly detailing its poption, how much farnd it had, what crops it grew, and so forth.


    The following pages contained information on each household, arranged in order of seniority, starting from the grandparents¡¯ generation, down to the present.


    Bai Youwei found Li Qianggui¡¯s name.


    His parents had long since died, his two brothers had also passed away one after another. Li Qianggui lived to be 70, which was rather old. If he hadn¡¯t been decapitated, he might have lived even longer.<div>


    Next to Li Qianggui¡¯s name, there were small characters that read:


    ¡°Wife, Mrs. Li.¡±


    There was no name, no age, no introduction, nothing. She was like an attachment existing or not, no one would know.


    Bai Youwei furrowed her brows, flipped through a few more pages, and took a deep breath.<div>


    ¡°Most of the women in this vige don¡¯t have names.¡±

 Chapter 530: 530: It Has Been Dug Open

    Chapter 530: It Has Been Dug Open


    ¡°In ancient times, men were valued over women, so it¡¯s normal for women¡¯s names not to be recorded,¡± said Fu Miaoxue dismissively.


    ¡°Even if the names weren¡¯t recorded, their family histories would at least be noted.¡± Bai Youwei flipped over to the page about Lizheng, demonstrating to her.


    Lizheng¡¯s surname was Zhao.


    Lizheng¡¯s wife¡¯s surname was Ma.


    Hence, next to Lizheng¡¯s name, they wrote: Zhao, Mrs. Ma, married into this vige from Ma Family Vige¡­


    Even if her name wasn¡¯t written, all the information about Mrs. Ma was crystal clear. Where she was born, which family she married into, and how many sons and daughters she had were all indicated on the roster.


    Then looking at Li¡¯s Mrs., besides knowing that she was Li Laitze¡¯s wife, there was no other information about her.


    Fu Miaoxue read through a few more pages and murmured, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s strange indeed¡­¡±


    ¡°Either she¡¯s from this vige or she married into this vige from another,¡± Shen Mo analyzed, ¡°Given that the Li Family needed the vigers¡¯ help with funeral arrangements, it¡¯s likely that Mrs. Li had no rtives in this vige. It¡¯s very likely that she came from another ce, she might even have been bought.¡±


    With confusion, Du Lai said, ¡°If she was bought, Li Qianggui was 70 years old when he died. After so many years, resentment should have subsided, right? Moreover, both Li Qianggui and Lizheng are dead now. If Mrs. Li had any grievances, they should have resolved.¡±


    ¡°¡­Look at this.¡± Bai Youwei turned another page, ¡°It¡¯s that old woman we saw earlier, she doesn¡¯t have a name either.¡±<div>


    Li Laitze¡¯s neighbor, an old man with the surname Liu, hence, the old woman was only referred to as Mrs. Liu.


    But Mrs. Liu had a bit more information than Mrs. Li: Mrs. Liu had three daughters who got married off to different viges.


    Apparently, this ce was really poor. Every family with daughters would rather marry them off to other viges.


    They flipped through the roster back and forth several times, gathered quite a bit of scattered information, yet none could be pieced together to form aplete clue.


    Fu Miaoxue furrowed her brow, seemed a bit irritated andined, ¡°Is ying the official game always this mentally taxing? Why won¡¯t the body transporter woman stop?¡±


    After thinking for a while, Du Lai suggested, ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s because she died alone and was not properly buried? Why don¡¯t we go take a look at Mrs. Li¡¯s grave.¡±


    Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°We should not only check Mrs. Li¡¯s grave but also Li Qianggui¡¯s. If Li Qianggui¡¯s grave remains intact, the ¡®body transporting¡¯ hypothesis doesn¡¯t hold up. Is Mrs. Li really ¡®transporting the body¡¯? Is she really transporting Li Qianggui¡¯s body?¡±


    ¡°Stop it!¡± Fu Miaoxue rubbed her arm, ¡°Your words are giving me goosebumps!¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Bai Youwei nced at her arm, ¡°¡­Hehe.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t I just express how I feel?¡± Fu Miaoxue hid her hands behind her back, looking displeased.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Shen Mo looked at the clouded sky and said, ¡°I hope we can find it before the rain.¡±


    Shen Mo then pushed Bai Youwei¡¯s wheelchair and Du Lai took Fu Miaoxue by the hand. The two women quieted down as they all headed towards the gravesite.


    ¡­


    The tomb was located on a hill not far from the vige.


    It was where they had originally descended from the hill.


    As they climbed up the hill path, they could see several graves every few steps, simple mounds of earth with tombstones, or stones weighing down pieces of yellow paper.


    The sky had darkened. It was gloomy, and it felt like it could rain any minute.


    Considering Li Qianggui diedst year, his grave shouldn¡¯t be too old. Shen Mo and Du Lai split up to search for it.


    After some time, they finally found Li Qianggui¡¯s tombstone in a deste patch of weeds ¡ª<div>


    The tomb had been dug up.


    The decayed straw mat, now visible from the damp soil, concealed a faint presence of white bones underneath.

 Chapter 531: 531: Gloomy Wind and Severe Rain

    Chapter 531: Gloomy Wind and Severe Rain


    Judging from the colour of the soil and the condition of the surrounding weeds, this grave had been dug up quite some time ago.


    They had looked at several nearby graves, but found none belonging to the Li Family.


    Considering Li Qianggui and the Li family members died sessively, and that the Li family had no rtives or friends in the vige, it¡¯s unlikely that anyone would have established a separate grave for them. Therefore, it¡¯s highly usible that they were buried together.


    To confirm their conjecture, Shen Mo and Du Lai continued to dig the half-dug graves.


    The soil was loose, with the corpses buried quite shallow. In no time they had exhumed the remains of Li Qianggui.


    The corpse had dposed into dry bones, without a coffin, only wrapped in a mat, with clear signs of hacking on the neck, undoubtedly, it was Li Qianggui.


    Shen Mo and Du Lai continued to dig deeper, hoping to find the remains of Mrs. Li.


    Although Mrs. Li died after Li Qianggui, ording to ancient customs, when a husband and wife are buried together, it is strictly forbidden for the wife to be ced on top of the husband.


    If Mrs. Li is not on the right side of Li Qianggui, she must be buried deeper.


    Gloomy winds blew intermittently, the temperature dropped rapidly, and night was approaching.


    Yet they have gained nothing.<div>


    Drip¡ª


    A droplet of rainnded on Bai Youwei¡¯s cheek, making it feel damp and cool.


    She reached up to touch it, then looked up at the sky.


    Dark clouds had obscured the sky firmly without a gap, more rain came down, drizzling and then pouring.


    The rain was intensifying.


    ¡°Let¡¯s stop digging and leave here quickly¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue, who had been impatiently waiting, stamped her foot in frustration at the spot. She was both afraid and nervous, fearing that Du Lai and Shen Mo might dig up something from the ground.


    Bai Youwei silently stared at the deepening hole and then at the gloomy woods around, finally, she spoke: ¡°Let¡¯s go, Mrs. Li¡¯s bones are not here.¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The two men also felt the prospects were grim and climbed up in session.


    After catching his breath, Du Lai said: ¡°Li Lai Zi¡¯s bones are here, Mrs. Li¡¯s are not. Does this imply that the Corpse Carrier Woman has been carrying, not her husband¡¯s corpse, but her own all along? If we let her rest in peace, maybe she will stop.¡±


    The Corpse Carrier Woman¡¯s ceaseless actions are certainly driven by some reason.


    Either, it¡¯s a vengeance she hasn¡¯t avenged yet;


    Or, it¡¯s a wish she hasn¡¯t fulfilled yet.


    ¡°It¡¯s worth a try.¡± Shen Mo nodded slightly, ¡°If what she¡¯s carrying is indeed her own corpse, this approach is worth trying.¡±


    Fu Miaoxue said: ¡°But we don¡¯t know anything about her identity or her real name! Even if we make her a new grave, we can only write ¡®Mrs. Li¡¯ on the tombstone!¡±


    ¡°Could it be¡­ the key to this game is finding out the real identity of Mrs. Li?¡± Bai Youwei pondered, murmuring, ¡°Let¡¯s check tonight, to see whose corpse she is carrying.¡±


    They descended the hill and returned to the vige.


    At this time, the sky waspletely dark.


    In the pitch ckness, only the two hangingnterns outside Lizheng¡¯s courtyard emitted a hazy light. The dim me flickered, as if it could be extinguished by the rain at any moment.


    The vige was deathly silent, only the sound of rain and wind could be heard.<div>


    They took shelter at the Li residence.


    All the houses had their doors and windows tightly shut, only the uninhabited Li Family¡¯s house was essible. Ignoring the leaking roof, the ancestral worship tablets on the table, the underworld paper on the floor, and the strong musty smell in the damp air, this ce was just about bearable for them to stay.


    In the bleak wind and heavy rain, they began to hear that hoarse and piercing singing fromst night, like an old tape recorder, squeaking and creaking:


    ¡°In an instant¡­<div>


    In an instant, the cold air attacks, and dark clouds gather.


    This servant had no choice but to presuppose shoes, dare not to stop.


    Deste wilderness, no ce to hide.


    A gust¡­


    A gust of bitter wind and rain, soaking the clothes.


    Hey¡ª


    Ya¡ª


    ¡­¡±


    Shen Mo lightly furrowed his brows, holding Bai Youwei¡¯s hand, he whispered: ¡°Did you hear that?¡±


    Bai Youwei was slightly taken aback as she thought he was asking about the sound of the opera, but Shen Mo continued: ¡°Next door¡­ it seems there¡¯s some movement.¡±

 Chapter 532: 532: Chopping Sound

    Chapter 532: Chopping Sound


    Although they all had entered thebyrinth before, every person has a different constitution, and the intensification and inclination of abilities differ amongst them.


    Bai Youwei¡¯s hearing was nowhere near as sharp as Shen Mo¡¯s.


    It could also be due to the fact that her ears were filled with the sorrowful sound of singing opera, making it impossible for her to hear other sounds.


    After Shen Mo¡¯s warning, Du Lai also noticed the disturbance.


    ¡°Did someone just open a door?¡± Du Lai suspiciously walked to the window, leaned close to listen again, and said, ¡°Everyone closes their doors after dark, why would there be a sound of opening a door? I¡¯ll go and see what¡¯s going on.¡±


    The Li family and Liu family were neighbors, separated only by a garden wall. If one could climb over the wall, it would be possible to see the situation next door without leaving the premises.


    Fu Miaoxue immediately clung to Du Lai, sobbing and refusing to let him go.


    ¡°Are you leaving me alone again? Why did you rescue me in the first ce? You should have just let me die!¡±


    Her eyes were unable to shed tears, but judging by her voice, her crying was genuine.


    Shen Mo disliked wasting time, saying straight away: ¡°I¡¯ll go and have a look.¡±


    The moment the door was opened, a cold wind immediately rushed in, carrying a smattering of icy rain. Bai Youwei instinctively wrapped her shawl tighter around herself.<div>


    She watched Shen Mo¡¯s retreating back, furrowing her brows as she warned: ¡°Be careful.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± Shen Mo simply nodded in response, quickly disappearing through the doorway.


    ¡­


    The row of bamboo sticks embedded in the mud wall obstructed the view, and couldn¡¯t be climbed as they were too thin and flexible.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Shen Mo used a paper doll, transforming it into a dagger to cut a slim slit in the bamboo, looking through it to observe the situation next door.


    He saw the old woman who had posed them a riddle during the day, searching for something in the courtyard.


    Shen Mo watched for a moment and then saw the old woman stand up, a firewood axe now in her hand!


    His heart gave a slight lurch.


    He watched, shocked, as the old woman casually walked back into the house, holding the axe. The wooden door behind her creaked in the wind. Meanwhile, the old man inside was in a deep sleep, showing no signs of waking up at all!


    After a short while, Shen Mo heard the sound of chopping!


    Two sounds, ¡°crack, crack¡±.


    A whileter, he heard a ¡°thump¡±.


    Must have been the sound of a skull hitting the floor.


    Unexpectedly, but also quite expected. This could exin why Lizheng died in his bed, without his wife realizing anything.


    They must all have been influenced by the sound of the opera singing!


    Worried, Shen Mo furrowed his brows, because Bai Youwei was at a severe disadvantage in this game.


    After a while, the old woman came out of the house with the axe, expressionless, with a vacant stare. She casually threw the blood-soaked axe back to its original ce, then returned to the house and closed the door¡­


    From retrieving the axe, killing a person, to returning the axe and resting in the house ¡ª the entire process was exceedingly natural, as normal as can be, without a trace of emotional fluctuation. It was just like sleepwalking!


    Shen Mo frowned deeply, feeling that their original analysis was still wed.<div>


    If it was just a matter of giving Li Shi a decent burial to make her stop moving corpses, then why were these women in the vige killing people?


    They were clearly influenced by the voice of the corpse-moving woman!


    And this influence originated from the grudge the corpse-moving woman held against the entire vige!


    Shen Mo turned, ready to go back to the house to discuss the situation with the rest.<div>


    Suddenly, the courtyard door creaked open.


    Shen Mo thought it was the wind, but when he looked towards the noise, he saw an extremely emaciated, wrinkled face slowly peering out from the barely open courtyard door¡­


    An old woman, with loose hair and ragged clothes, resembling a skeletal corpse, was staring fixedly at Shen Mo!


    Shen Mo watched her vigntly.


    The next second, the old woman suddenly raised her arms and charged straight towards him!


    As she ran, she let out a crazed, hideousughter!


    ¡°Hahahaha!


    Hahahaha!


    Ahahahahahaha!!!¡±

 Chapter 533: 533 Sing it Again Now

    Chapter 533 Sing it Again Now


    Theughter was horrifying! Piercing and shrill! Not only did Shen Mo¡¯s face dramatically change, the same happened to the other three in the room!


    At this moment, a thought simultaneously surfaced in the minds of the four ¡ª


    Once night fell, every household in the vige closed their doors and windows. Was it because the vigers knew that the cadaver carrier would not let them off?!


    In an instant, the old woman was already approaching,ughing maniacally!


    Shen Mo drew out his long knife and, without any hesitation, swung it at her!


    But the knifepletely missed!


    The old woman¡¯s body seemed like a phantom. When the de fell, it was as if it swept through a cloud of smoke, causing no harm whatsoever!


    Shen Mo was taken aback. Seeing the old woman pounce, he didn¡¯t have time to think and swerved to dodge!


    The old woman moved with incredible agility, chasing after Shen Mo, her raised hands looking sharp and terrifying like eagle ws! She left three scratch marks on Shen Mo¡¯s back in an instant!


    ¡°HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!¡±


    Sheughed crazily, her hair disheveled as she chased Shen Mo, her eyes wide open and her jaws wide apart!<div>


    The shrillughter was almost piercing through the eardrums!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Shen Mo was temporarily at a loss, he could only retreat constantly in a defensive stance.


    ¡ª He couldn¡¯t harm the old woman, but she could harm him, this fight was hardly fair!


    Happening upon the cart parked at the entrance of the courtyard, Shen Mo swung his arm to chop off a row of bamboo poles from the courtyard wall, leapt over and simultaneously shouted: ¡°Du Lai! Carry the corpse!¡±


    The old woman, in pursuit, mmed her lower body into the earthen wall with a thud! Then, like a human spider, she crawled over the wall with shocking speed, chasing after Shen Mo!


    Du Lai knew that Shen Mo was creating an opportunity for him.


    He quickly rushed out of the courtyard, lifting the straw mat from the cart¡ª


    Underneath the mat was a woman¡¯s corpse!


    The woman seemed to be around 60 years old, her body extremely thin, her limbs like dried branches, grey-white hair loose, her white garment stained with fresh mud, as if she had just died not long ago.


    The corpse and the zombified old woman looked exactly the same!


    ¡°Du Lai!!!¡±


    Fu Miaoxue suddenly shouted from the doorway!


    Du Lai looked up to see the old woman, who had been chasing Shen Mo, wasing back!


    She was crawling on the ground with distorting limbs, unbelievably fast! In the blink of an eye, she was right in front of Du Lai, emitting spine-chillingughter from her mouth!


    Without any hesitation, Du Lai wrapped up the corpse with the straw mat, carried it on his shoulders and turned to run!


    Bear the corpse, bear the corpse!


    The ultimate purpose of carrying the corpse was to bury it!


    Li was so concerned about her own corpse, the corpse must be the key to solving the game mystery. Perhaps as long as the corpse is buried, the game could end?


    This possibility was great, he had to give it a try!<div>


    But Du Lai did not expect that the old woman would be so fast. He had barely run a few steps when his ankle was seized¡ª


    In an instant, the seized leg felt like it was pierced by an icicle! Du Lai fell in pain, his face pale!


    Shen Mo rushed over from behind, picked up the straw mat from the ground and ran far away.


    The cadaver carrier released Du Lai and turned to chase Shen Mo!<div>


    Even agile Shen Mo was no match for her. After running a short distance, he was caught up with. Unable to dodge, he had to drop the corpse wrapped in the straw mat.


    However, the cadaver carrier still did not give up pursuing them!


    The frenziedughter echoed in the dark rainy night, and the entire vige was deadly silent. No one opened the door, no one opened the window, Shen Mo and Du Lai had no ce to hide, even if they wanted to!


    In the room, Fu Miaoxue and Bai Youwei were helplessly pacing.


    Bai Youwei shouted into the dark curtain of rain: ¡°Run towards the old schr¡¯s house!¡±


    All the houses in the vige were closed. The old schr¡¯s house was the only ce they could hide! Even if there were those strangely acting paper dolls, it was still better than dealing with the monstrous undead before them!


    Fu Miaoxue was so anxious, she almost wept: ¡°Damn it! The old schr¡¯s house is too far away, we won¡¯t make it in time! The zombie is too fast!!!¡±


    Suddenly, Bai Youwei seemed to think of something. She turned to Fu Miaoxue with urgency: ¡°¡­Quick, Quick! Sing that opera you sangst time, sing it again!¡±

 Chapter 534: Wow

    Chapter 534: Wow


    ¡°Whaah!¡± Fu Miaoxue wailed, ¡°My boyfriend is on the verge of death! I am hardly in the mood for singing!!!¡±


    ¡°Sing! We might lure the Corpse-Carrier over!¡± Bai Youwei barked urgently, ¡°Sing!!!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Fu Miaoxue was taken aback, then came to her senses. ¡°Ah yes,st time it was after I sang that the paper figure appeared. Could this piece of chanting possibly summon ghosts?!¡±


    She looked to the door. The dim rain obscured her view. She couldn¡¯t see Du Lai or Shen Mo¡¯s circumstance, only heard a shrillughter in the distance.


    If they actually lured the Corpse-Carrier over, Du Lai and Shen Mo might escape danger but what would her and Bai Youwei do then?


    The door to this damn house broke as soon as they entered, so it couldn¡¯t be locked at all!


    ¡­Never mind!


    Fu Miaoxue screamed into the dark rain, ¡°Du Lai!!! Run to the old schr¡¯s house! If not, we are breaking up! Breaking up!!!¡±


    ¡°Stop talking nonsense! Start singing!¡± Bai Youwei urged her.


    Fu Miaoxue was frustration, ¡°I want to get into mood!¡±


    Bai Youwei¡¯s temper was even bigger: ¡°Wait a few more seconds to feel the mood, and you¡¯ll be carrying Du Lai¡¯s corpse!¡±


    Fu Miaoxue let out a cry and then began to sob, ¡°Damn it! Shut up! Stop scaring me!¡±


    Then they faintly heard Du Lai yell, ¡°Miaoxue! Use the puzzle piece! Wait for me outside when you get out!¡±


    The voice grew fainter, as if he was running in the direction of the old schr¡¯s house.


    Fu Miaoxue groped on her body, and found a thin puzzle piece was tucked into her waistband.


    She was angry, ¡°When the hell did he manage to nt this¡­¡±


    Looking back into the gloomy rain, she finally mustered up the courage to start singing:


    ¡°In an instant¡­¡±


    ¡°In an instant, a cold breath invades, and thick clouds gather.


    I can only force myself to walk faster, dare not to slow down.


    In the deste wilderness, there is nowhere to hide.


    A gust of wind,


    A gust of mournful wind and bitter rain, soaking my clothes.


    s¡­


    Ah¡­¡±


    Meanwhile, Fu Miaoxue heard Bai Youwei say behind her, ¡°Mr. Cheng, let me hold your hand quickly!¡±


    Fu Miaoxue was terrified, there were clearly just the two of them in the room. Who was Bai Youwei talking to?!


    ¡°Bai Youwei, you scared me again!¡± Sheined with a mournful face, ¡°you made me forget the lyrics¡­¡±


    Just as she was about to turn around, she saw the gate suddenly burst open! An emaciated old woman crawling rapidly!


    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Ahhhhh!!!!¡± Fu Miaoxue screamed in fright!


    Bai Youwei threw something out forcefully!


    Fu Miaoxue didn¡¯t see it clearly, a white shadow jumped down from Bai Youwei. It was the rabbit, it discharged a burst of lightnings at the approaching ghoul!


    The Corpse-Carrier was trembling, backed away abrupt.


    Fu Miaoxue quickly hid behind Bai Youwei, eximing: ¡°Your tool is so powerful!¡±


    ¡°Quickly close the door!¡± Bai Youwei ordered.


    Fu Miaoxue was taken aback, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to get your rabbit?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it!¡± Bai Youwei ordered her, ¡°Close the door, quickly!¡±


    Fu Miaoxue shut the door, then used the only broken table in the house to block the door, grabbing the table edge with both hands, pressing against it!


    The Corpse-Carrier that had been shocked by the lightning charged once again!


    Bang!


    The entire door panel shook!


    Fu Miaoxue panicked, ¡°How is this monster immune to even lightning?!¡±


    Outside, a sh of blue-violet light-


    The lightning was very powerful and exploded with a bang!


    After that, there was no sound from outside the door.


    Fu Miaoxue didn¡¯t wait for Ms. Li to hit the door panel again. She peered out through the gap in the door, only to see the Corpse-Carrier hurriedly leaving, crawling out of the yard.


    ¡°She¡¯s gone?!¡± Fu Miaoxue was delighted, ¡°She¡¯s afraid of lightning!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not afraid of lightning, she¡¯s afraid someone will steal her corpse.¡± Bai Youwei coldly said, ¡°Move the table, while she¡¯s distracted, we can hide in the old schr¡¯s house.¡±

 Chapter 535: Are You Scared?

    Chapter 535: Are You Scared?


    ¡°Are you sure she won¡¯te back?¡± Fu Miaoxue hesitated as she moved the table aside to peer outside, ¡°If she catches up with us halfway, we¡¯re all done for.¡±


    Bai Youwei nced at her indifferently, ¡°What are you afraid of? If she catches up, it is sure that I will be caught first.¡±


    Hearing this, Fu Miaoxue coldly snorted, ¡°Am I afraid? What do I have to fear? I¡¯m already the living dead, I don¡¯t fear pain or tickles. Even if she catches up, she can¡¯t do anything to me!¡±


    Bai Youwei eyed her suspiciously, ¡°So you are now¡­ an immortal body?¡±


    ¡°How would I know?¡± Fu Miaoxue red at her angrily, ¡°I can¡¯t just kill myself for an experiment!¡±


    Bai Youwei chuckled, ¡°What a pity if you don¡¯t try~¡±.


    Fu Miaoxue¡¯s eyes got even wider, ¡°Demon!¡±


    After the two women bickered for a few moments, one after the other, they exited the door.


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Outside, the sky was very dark, and the rain was heavy. The stuffed bunny hopped up onto the wheelchair andy down on Bai Youwei¡¯sp, quickly turning into a soggy rabbit.


    Fu Miaoxue nervously led the way, ncing around from time to time.


    Her pace was notably faster than the wheelchair-bound Bai Youwei, but she didn¡¯t dare to go ahead alone, always feeling safer by Bai Youwei¡¯s side.


    After they walked for a long time, with no sign of the body chasing them, they gradually moved away from the vige.


    Not far ahead was the old schr¡¯s house. A redntern hung under the eaves, glowing faintly in the ck, rainy curtain.


    Upon seeing this, Fu Miaoxue slightly dropped her guard.


    However, she felt uneasy again, thinking of the two paper figures inside the house.


    She really did not want to spend the night in this ce, if it weren¡¯t for the dangerous environment in the vige!


    ¡­


    Before Bai Youwei and Fu Miaoxue reached the main gate, Du Lai and Shen Mo heard movement and came to meet them.


    Seeing both of them unharmed, Du Lai was somewhat surprised.


    Both he and Shen Mo were strong fighters, yet even they could not deal with the corpse woman and had to run away disgracefully. It was surprising that these two could return safely!


    Although he faintly guessed that Bai Youwei had something to do with it, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°How did you guys escape?¡±


    Bai Youwei nonchntly replied, ¡°We used a prop.¡±


    Shen Mo came over and held her hand, which was icy cold. He frowned and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go inside and talk.¡±


    ¡ªFu Miaoxue was a puppet and probably wouldn¡¯t catch a cold, but Bai Youwei was weak and prone to bing ill.


    The four of them entered the mansion again.


    The door to the front courtyard was open just as it had been on their first night.


    The second door was merely ajar and opened with a gentle push.


    Passing through the stone-paved front yard, the main house was brightly lit. The two paper men were sitting on high-backed chairs, with snacks offered on the table in front of them and a candle flickering.


    The old schr, dressed in a gray-green long gown, held a book in his hand and was reading aloud by the paper people¡¯s side.


    He read very seriously, expressing a sense of nervousness like a child being examined on his homework by his parents.


    Bai Youwei had thought that the old schr would have another question for them. Unexpectedly, the old man just greeted them politely upon seeing them, ¡°Ah, our esteemed guests have returned. It¡¯ste, you should rest.¡±


    He didn¡¯t seem to intend to give them any trouble.


    That was just as well.


    They had just narrowly escaped the corpse woman¡¯s ws and really didn¡¯t have the energy to deal with someone else.


    Somehow, Fu Miaoxue took another look at the paper men.


    She seemed to fear that they would follow them. After casting a quick nce, she clung to Du Lai¡¯s arm and quickened her pace.


    Du Lai¡¯s movements were limp.


    After returning to their room and lighting a candle, the two men checked their injuries. As expected, Du Lai got injured on the ankle where the corpse woman grabbed him.


    The scratch marks on Shen Mo¡¯s back had turned a greenish-ck color, and the skin and flesh seemed on the verge of rotting away.


    This was not a normal wound.


    It was more like a poisonous corpse or some evil energy. The mud props had no effect on it.

 Chapter 536: Venting for Boyfriend

    Chapter 536: Venting for Boyfriend


    ¡°yers who have encountered the Ghost Fire game in the past mentioned that these kind of injuries can only heal naturally, medicines or props are useless,¡± Du Lai said, ¡°It would be best to get some sunlight, it helps to heal faster, but in this godforsaken ce, we¡¯re unlikely to see the sun easily.¡±


    He paused for a moment before adding, ¡°If we stay in the gloomy ce, the wounds will gradually deteriorate.¡±


    Bai Youwei frowned as she stared at the wound on Shen Mo¡¯s back and whispered, ¡°We need to get out of here as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s sort out the clues we have first,¡± Shen Mo retorted, still in a calm tone, ¡°We can now confirm that the corpse that the Corpse Carrier was carrying is in fact hers. And, the women in the vige who heard the opera singing women would unknowingly use an ax to behead their husbands.¡±


    ¡°From this point of view, it must have been Mrs. Li who killed Li Laitzi. The reason why she let the other vigers repeat the things she had done is most likely out of a sense of revenge,¡± Bai Youwei spected.


    Fu Miaoxue couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°If Mrs. Li keeps seeking revenge like this, she will end up killing everyone in the vige! Will we have to wait until that happens for this game to end?¡±


    Du Lai slowly shook his head, ¡°I still believe that the key is the corpse. The fact that she is fiercely protective about people touching her corpse must have a reason.¡±


    ¡°The reason ¡­¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment then hesitated, ¡°Perhaps she¡­ is afraid of being buried again with Li Laitzi, or the fear of being buried without a clear reason?¡±


    Fu Miaoxue seemed surprised but inspired, ¡°It might be, in her eyes, we are no different from the vigers. She has animosity towards the entire vige and certainly would not trust us.¡±


    Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°That¡¯s the idea.¡±


    Fu Miaoxue pondered, ¡°That means¡­ as long as we can make her believe that we are here to help her, she could let us take her corpse away, and have it buried?¡±


    Once the corpse is interred, wouldn¡¯t the job of carrying the corpse stop?


    The four people looked at each other, silent for a while.


    ying a game itself involves some degree of luck, sometimes when the thinking is urate, the path is clear, making the game seem easy, but if the thinking is not right, then it¡¯s like a road leading to a dead end.


    Without verifying Fu Miaoxue¡¯s words, no one could be certain if it is effective.


    Bai Youwei said, ¡°In line with the style of previous games, to make Mrs. Li believe in us, either we have to aplish some task, or, by some item.


    For example, if we find out the identity of Mrs. Li and shout her name, would she be calm?


    Or, if we find a keepsake from the Li family, will she trust us?¡±


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Shen Mo slightly nodded, ¡°Tomorrow, let¡¯s look for more clues in the vige, and visit the Li family again to see if we can find something simr to a keepsake.¡±


    Hid tone was calm, but his face was pale, likely affected by the injury on his back.


    Bai Youwei worried, ¡°Let¡¯s rest for now. The rest could be discussed tomorrow.¡±


    Fu Miaoxue felt pity for Du Lai¡¯s foot, ¡°Exactly, let¡¯s rest for now, there¡¯s no point in discussing it thiste.¡±


    She ushered Du Lai to leave and headed to the neighboring room.


    As soon as the door closed, Fu Miaoxue anxiously whispered into Du Lai¡¯s ear,


    ¡°I think I know how to beat the game!¡±


    Du Lai looked at her in surprise, ¡°You do?¡±


    ¡°Mhm~¡± Fu Miaoxue giggled, ¡°Thanks to Bai Youwei¡¯s hint. Didn¡¯t she mention looking for a keepsake? I know what it is~¡±


    She wrapped her arms around Du Lai¡¯s neck and whispered even lower, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say she took many pieces of the puzzle from you? Huh, that cunning woman¡­ just wait and see~ I¡¯ll get back her puzzles and props! I¡¯ll get back at her for you!¡±

 Chapter 537: Du Fu

    Chapter 537: Du Fu


    Du Lai had given Bai Youwei a total of 8 puzzle pieces.


    He wasn¡¯t trying to collect them all. The number didn¡¯t mean much to him, but among these 8 pieces, there were 2 that had game exemption rights.


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Although uncertain about what the world would be, Du Lai was certain that puzzle pieces would be a scarce resource in the future.


    Because one maze would only yield up to 9 puzzle pieces, which corresponds to 9 exemptions from the game.


    So far, the maze codes do not exceed two digits. Assuming there are 9 mazes in total, even if all arepleted, only 81 puzzle pieces could be gained. However, there are definitely more than 81 games and definitely more than 81 yers.


    In terms of quantity, the difference is huge.


    So getting hold of a puzzle piece would only get harder and harder in the future! Last time, he was able to obtain so many puzzle pieces was because Shanghai Base had gathered many yers who have ventured into the maze, but what about the future?


    Du Lai pondered deeply.


    He didn¡¯t believe that taking Bai Youwei¡¯s puzzle pieces and items was a good idea.


    Not because of the alliance between both sides, but because until Bai Youwei reveals all her cards, any action carries risk.


    However¡­


    Taking into consideration that he was not alone and needed to n for Fu Miaoxue, the more puzzle pieces, the better.


    This risk was worth a shot.


    Du Lai asked Fu Miaoxue, ¡°Do you think we have a chance?¡±


    Fu Miaoxue lifted her chin pridefully and said, ¡°Eighty percent.¡±


    After thinking for a while, Du Lai admonished her, ¡°Do not make a move until thest moment. This duo managed toplete so many games. It¡¯s definitely not just because of luck¡­¡±


    ¡°Boring!¡± Fu Miaoxue rolled her eyes, ¡°You just don¡¯t think I can beat her! Why did you save me in the first ce then? You would¡¯ve let me die!¡±


    Du Lai hugged her and kissed her, whispering sweetly, ¡°Unless I¡¯m dead, you must stay alive.¡±


    Fu Miaoxue squirmed in his arms and snorted, ¡°I¡¯ll decide based on your performance~¡±


    ¡­


    The night was quiet, with only the sound of the rain outside.


    Bai Youwei, unaware of the ns next door, sat by the bed, her brow furrowed as she looked at the wound on Shen Mo¡¯s back.


    Three scratch marks, no blood, but they left a bluish-ck mark on his skin. The skin was barely holding together, the bruise was gradually spreading as if he had been poisoned.


    This time Shen Mo had really suffered a great deal.


    Even with an item that could cut through anything, he was helpless against the ghost-like female apparition.


    Unable to lie on his back due to his injury, Shen Mo slept on his front, softly squeezing Bai Youwei¡¯s hand, he said, ¡°Go to sleep. It will get better once the game is over.¡±


    Bai Youwei pursed her lips, her face tense.


    After a while, she said: ¡°Earlier, Du Lai mentioned that this kind of injury can only heal itself. Sunlight can speed up the healing process and ording to folk¡­ Feng, Jian, Mi, Xin¡¯s saying, it¡¯s actually about replenishing yang energy? Apart from sunlight, rooster blood also carries strong yang energy¡­¡±


    She paused for a moment and hesitated, ¡°Also¡­ urine from a young child is said to be very strong in yang energy, should we try to get some from Xiaoxin¡­¡±


    Shen Mo chuckled, reaching out to caress her head, ¡°Stop fooling around,e and lie down with me for a while.¡±


    Bai Youwei pouted, slowly climbing onto the bed, shey on her side next to him.


    ¡°Are you sure we won¡¯t try it?¡± she asked, not giving up easily.


    Shen Mo grinned, ¡°If we are using Xiaoxin¡¯s, mine would do just as well.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Bai Youwei blushed.


    She felt that she and Shen Mo had vastly different understandings of a child¡¯s urine. When she said child¡¯s urine, didn¡¯t she mean actual urine from a child under the age of 12?


    Then she wondered: is he flirting with me¡­


    Bai Youwei stared at Shen Mo shyly.


    Shen Mo smiled slightly, whispering, ¡°Come closer.¡±


    Bai Youwei scooted closer to him, whispering, ¡°Youe closer too~¡±


    Shen Moughed, ¡°Alright, I wille closer too.¡±


    He moved closer to her lips and gave her a kiss.


    She also¡­ kissed him back.


    Then he again¡­


    And then she¡­


    ¡­


    A game they wouldn¡¯t tire of after ying all night.

 Chapter 538: 538: Stop Playing Dead

    Chapter 538: Stop ying Dead


    The next morning, the sky was still grey.


    Bai Youwei didn¡¯t remember when she fell asleep, and upon asking Shen Mo, she learned that it was already eight o¡¯clock.


    This feeling was terrible.


    Especially since Lizheng¡¯s wife, from the Ma Family, and Li Laizi¡¯s neighbor, Mrs. Liu, hadmitted felonies in the dead of night. It made her increasingly wary about the dangers of falling asleep at night.


    Voices could be heard from outside, Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue had seemingly awoken already.


    Bai Youwei also sluggishly arose, pondering about the events within the game whilst slowly washing.


    Laughter like silver bells sporadically drifted into the room, but it was unclear what the man and woman outside were joking about. Bai Youwei slightly furrowed her brows but didn¡¯t say anything.


    Shen Mo was swiftly tidying the ce up on one side and discussed with Bai Youwei:


    ¡°Although the information is fragmented, we actually have numerous leads,


    Mrs. Li¡¯s name and background are unknown;


    Mrs. Li married Li Qianggui, who is very poor and covered in scales;<div>


    Mrs. Li has not had any children for several decades after her wedding;


    Mrs. Li harbored a deep grudge against the vige;


    Mrs. Li does not allow outsiders to touch her remains¡­.


    In ancient times, there were people who specialized in human trafficking. Mrs. Li¡¯s appearance in the vige certainly wasn¡¯t voluntary. We could try looking for other women with unknown names and backgrounds. If wee across women who were also sold as part of the same transaction, we might be able to figure out Mrs. Li¡¯s real identity.¡±


    They had a name list of the vige at hand and could look for each person one-by-one.


    Bai Youwei gave a nod, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Upon opening the door, she saw Fu Miaoxue and Du Lai strolling in the garden outside.


    These two certainly had a romantic vibe between them.


    Du Lai was performing a magic trick to amuse Fu Miaoxue, creating a peony flower at one moment, and a Chinese herbaceous peony the next. His long and nimble fingers danced in the air, like a dance belonging solely to the fingers.


    Fu Miaoxue noticed the door of Bai Youwei and Shen Mo¡¯s room opening and greeted them with a cheery smile:


    ¡°Good morning~¡±


    Bai Youwei also gave a faint smile, ¡°Your spirits are so high; have you found a way to get through the game?¡±


    Fu Miaoxue¡¯s smile froze on her face: ¡°¡­¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Damn it, this woman is a demon!


    £¨Damn it, amon venting phrase in Shanghainese, akin to ¡®Damn¡¯.£©


    ¡°No¡­ Not at all~¡± Fu Miaoxue draped her arm around Du Lai, leaned her head on his shoulder, ¡°As long as I am with my boyfriend, even if we can¡¯t get through the game, I am happy~¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good then.¡± Bai Youwei nodded in seriousness, ¡°But my boyfriend and I will definitely get out. After all, we still have two unused puzzle pieces. Speaking of which, we had obtained these puzzle pieces from your boyfriend, didn¡¯t he tell you about it? He had traded a prop with me for the puzzle piece. Looking back at it, he was probably exchanging props to save you, right? Hmmm¡­ in a way, you indirectly saved my boyfriend and me~¡±


    Fu Miaoxue: ¡°¡­¡±


    Demon! Demon! Demon! Demon! Demon!¡­<div>


    Bai Youwei blinked, looked at her, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°¡­Nothing,¡± Fu Miaoxue quickly adjusted her smile, ced a peony on her head, and asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Look, it¡¯s a gift from my boyfriend. Isn¡¯t it beautiful?¡±


    Bai Youwei looked a bit confused, nced at the nearby flower bed, and said: ¡°Isn¡¯t it weird to put flowers like these in your hair? There may be corpses buried under these flowers.¡±


    Fu Miaoxue looked anxious upon hearing this, ¡°Really¡­?¡±<div>


    ¡°Look there,¡± Bai Youwei pointed to the bottom of the flower bed.


    Fu Miaoxue nced over and saw an armying in the mud beneath the dense and lush floral leaves!


    ¡°Ahhhhhhhh!!!¡±


    Fu Miaoxue screamed!


    She yanked off the peony from her head and ran frantically into the room, frightened out of her wits!


    ¡°Miaoxue!¡± Du Lai hastened to follow her into the room.


    Once the two had left, the expression on Bai Youwei¡¯s face instantly cooled down, she looked nkly at the arm.


    ¡°Stop pretending,e with me.¡±

 Chapter 539: 539: The Falling Leaves Return to their Roots

    Chapter 539: The Falling Leaves Return to their Roots


    Bai Youwei took the severed hand to the backyard kitchen, letting it bathe in therge water tank.


    The severed hand rolled around in the water tank, having a st.


    Last night, it was thrown by Bai Youwei to snatch some carcass, getting all muddy and dirty, but it was still very nimble.


    It seems that the Yin Qi of the corpse-moving woman could only harm yers, not affecting objects.


    ¡°If only it were a bitrger, it might have been able to snatch the carcass.¡± Bai Youwei sighed lightly as she looked at the severed hand, ¡°It¡¯s too small, not strong enough.¡±


    Shen Mo chuckled, ¡°If it wererger, you might have found it cumbersome.¡±


    Bai Youwei stared at him wide-eyed, ¡°No way, I likerger ones, the bigger the better.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Shen Mo moved his lips but didn¡¯t say another word.


    ¡°Let¡¯s call themter to go to the vige together,¡± Shen Mo said after a pause.


    Bai Youwei frowned, ¡°Maybe we should just go by ourselves. They¡¯ve been acting weird and I just scared Fu Miaoxue. Is it really okay to find them now?¡±


    Shen Moughed, ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll just go together.¡±<div>


    Lastly, thinking about Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue, he mused, ¡°Fu Miaoxue is like ady ¨C her manners and temperament ¨C but her speech is entirely vulgar.¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Constantly cursing, mainly at Du Lai, ¡°Your head is full of shit~¡±


    Bai Youwei nodded and added, ¡°Yes, and have you noticed their rtionship is rather interesting? Du Lai always seems a bit subservient and eager to please around Fu Miaoxue.¡±


    She still remembered when she first met Du Lai, he showed his strong teeth, smiled freely and arrogantly, and imed he only dealt with smart people.


    But that arrogance dissipated entirely around Fu Miaoxue.


    How should I put it, the old saying goes ¨C


    Every Jack has his Jill.


    ¡­


    At that moment, Fu Miaoxue was shivering in Du Lai¡¯s arms, both terrified and scared to death!


    Her courage was quite high among women, but she was truly afraid of dead bodies, ghosts, and body parts!


    ¡°I have to get out of this damn game! I can¡¯t wait another minute¡­ No, another second!¡± Fu Miaoxue sobbed in Du Lai¡¯s arms, ¡°It¡¯s too scary here!¡±


    Du Lai was helpless, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you would wait until nightfall?¡±


    ¡°We can find the things first and act as soon as it gets dark, okay?¡± she pleaded, ¡°Bai Youwei won¡¯t find out! She doesn¡¯t understand Min Opera, and the lyrics of that aria were off, even I just noticedst night!


    ¡®Oh heavens, I am a fragile lone actor, I hope to return to my roots, endure all hardships¡¯ See, the corpse-moving woman¡¯s goal is ¡®returning to roots,¡¯ not ¡®husband¡¯s remains¡¯!¡±


    Like hearing ¡°Twinkle, twinkle, little star¡± and automatically singing ¡°How I wonder what you are,¡± it had be habitual. Plus, it was rainy and everyone was on edge, so Fu Miaoxue didn¡¯t immediately realize the lyrics had changed.


    But now she had found the abnormality.


    And she had no intention of sharing this information with Bai Youwei.


    ¡°To return to one¡¯s roots, the root is where peoplee from, since she didn¡¯t want to be buried here, she could only be buried at the ce we discovered!¡± Fu Miaoxue implored Du Lai, ¡°We just need to find the charm, and we can give her a proper burial. Let¡¯s go¡­ the sooner we find the charm, the less scared I¡¯ll be!¡±


    After pondering, Du Lai finally nodded, ¡°Alright.¡±<div>

 Chapter 540: 540: This is the Token

    Chapter 540: This is the Token


    Fu Miaoxue and Du Lai went to the front courtyard parlour, the ce where the old schr had greeted them.


    Maybe because it was daytime, the paper people who used to sit in the parlour were gone.


    Despite the absence of the paper people, just the sight of those high-backed chairs was enough to send chills down Fu Miaoxue¡¯s spine. She did not dare to look any longer, and went directly to the rear of the parlour, pulling Du Lai along.


    This was the old schr¡¯s bedroom.


    The furnishings inside were much more extravagant than outside ¨C a golden washbasin, an intricately painted porcin bottle, a smooth and glossy white jade pillow, and a carved,plex vanity table¡­


    Fu Miaoxue walked over to a luxurious canopy bed and patted on the golden silk quilt that was on it.


    ¡°Look at this; the sheets and quilt are all embroidered with gold threads. What kind of person sleeps in such a bed? I don¡¯t think even an emperor would sleep in this, right?¡±


    As she spoke, she smiled and looked around the room.


    ¡°Only one kind of person would sleep in such a bed ¨C the dead. This room is prepared for the deceased. All these items are burial goods!¡±


    Du Lai walked over to the dressing table, pulled open the small drawers, which contained some finely craftedbs and hairpins that women use.


    They had seen this room when they had been wandering around the mansion before, but hadn¡¯t thought much of it at the time.<div>


    Firstly, the old schr had imed to have been an official for decades, so it was normal for his home to bevishly decorated.


    Secondly, perhaps the dressing table was used by the old schr¡¯s wife. The fact that they hadn¡¯t seen her didn¡¯t mean she didn¡¯t exist. And it was far-fetched to associate the sight of a woman¡¯s dressing table with the corpse bride.


    Looking at this room again, they finally realized that theyout and decoration were more simr to¡­ a woman¡¯s bedroom.


    And then there was the bed¡­


    A quilt embroidered with golden threads? Wouldn¡¯t that be ufortable toy on?


    If Fu Miaoxue¡¯s conjecture was correct, the room was a burial chamber, and the mansion was a tomb.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    They had been living inside a tomb all this time!


    This thought made Du Lai frown.


    ¡°Have you found the token?¡± Fu Miaoxue was searching around the room, ¡°I think it should be in this room.¡±


    Du Lai took out some woodenbs and hairpins from the small drawers on the dressing table, still unsure.


    ¡°Any of these items could be the token, but I think¡­ it should be something more special.¡±


    ¡°Shall we take them first?¡± Fu Miaoxue held a jade pendant and picked up the jade pillow from the bed, ¡°Maybe we can use all these things.¡±


    With a slight frown, Du Lai asked, ¡°But if the corpse bride was buried here, what¡¯s the deal with the old schr? And what about the two paper people? These questions remain unanswered¡­¡±


    ¡°Who cares what the answer is, as long as we can get out of here¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue looked around hesitantly, sighed, ¡°But you¡¯re right. To lure the corpse bride, we must find something more unique¡­ These bracelets, hairpins, sachets are all toomon.¡±


    They could only gather the things they suspected into their arms.


    They dared not waste any more time, worried that Bai Youwei and Shen Mo would notice, and also afraid that the old schr might suddenly appear.


    As they were leaving, Fu Miaoxue could not help but look back once more.


    This nce made her stop in her tracks.


    ¡°That seems¡­¡±<div>


    She hesitated, her gaze fixed on the long table in the center of the room. That was where the old schr had ced memorial tablets of his deceased parents.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Du Lai asked her.


    ¡°Just a moment¡­ wait for me.¡± Fu Miaoxue put down all the items she was holding and slowly walked towards the set of memorial tablets.


    She had been somewhat curious about them the night before, but she was too afraid of the paper people to scrutinize them.<div>


    But now¡­


    Fu Miaoxue reached out and gently moved the set of tablets aside.


    Behind them was an even smaller tablet.


    Fu Miaoxue picked it up, disbelieving yet excited, ¡°Found it¡­ The spirit te of the Corpse Bride!¡±


    She turned around and showed the spirit te to Du Lai, triumphantly.


    ¡°This is the token! Du Lai, we can pass the level now!¡±

 Chapter 541: 541: A Group of Old Women

    Chapter 541: A Group of Old Women


    Bai Youwei and Shen Mo were oblivious to what had happened in the mansion. They arrived in the vige, only to find a funeral underway at the house where the incident had urredst night.


    Lanterns hung in and around the house. People came and went to pay their respects, just like it had been at Lizheng¡¯s house.


    If the death toll kept mounting at the rate of one per night, soon every household in the vige would be holding a funeral.


    Following the name list, Shen Mo sought out women like Mrs.Li who were nameless and obscure.


    The men were paying their condolences while groups of women were sunning beans, washing clothes, or looking after their grandchildren.


    They were all blossoming teenagers when they got married. Now the oldest among them was over seventy and the youngest was over fifty.


    Even the vige women who were only in their fifties appeared worn out and gray-haired, hardly distinguishable from those in their sixties or seventies.


    Shen Mo inquired about Mrs. Li.


    None of the vige women knew anything.


    All of them revealed that they were not acquainted with Mrs. Li and had no interactions with her, only knowing that she was the wife Li Lai Zi had acquired from outside the vige.


    One of them remarked, ¡°Li Lai Zi was so poor, no matchmaker would work for his family!¡±<div>


    Another woman scoffed, ¡°Lazy and poor, yet he desires to buy a wife, just like a toad wishing to eat swan¡¯s meat!¡±


    ¡°Yet he finally did get one, didn¡¯t he? ¡± An old woman with a face full of wrinkles tutted, ¡°What an idiot, bringing trouble to the vige by kidnapping a woman from outside. You may consider him lucky anyway.¡±


    Someone else remarked disdainfully, ¡°Lucky? She did not bear him any children. Such a waste!¡±


    Old customs have it to scorn women who could not bear children.


    Bai Youwei looked at them, asking, ¡°Having spent so many years here in this vige, haven¡¯t you ever thought of going home?¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°Returning home?¡± The old women looked at each other and eventually shook their heads, ¡°What will we do after going back? Home is also poor, there¡¯s no surplus for a mouth with no use. Even if we return, we¡¯ll be driven back here.¡±


    Bai Youwei asked again, ¡°Did Mrs. Li ever go back home?¡±


    This time, the women exchanged nces and simultaneously fell silent.


    Bai Youwei said, ¡°This question can be answered with ¡®yes¡¯, ¡®no¡¯, or ¡®I don¡¯t know¡¯.


    You all said that you were unfamiliar with Mrs. Li, thus the appropriate answer should have been ¡®I don¡¯t know¡¯. But none of you uttered a word, which implies that the answer lies between ¡®yes¡¯ and ¡®no¡¯.


    If she ¡°didn¡¯t¡± go home, there¡¯s no need for you all to beat around the bush. Your silence most likely suggests that she was trying to return, but was stopped by you.¡±


    ¡°No, no!¡±


    ¡°Why would we do that? Youngdy, don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we are busy with our household chores every day, who would care if she wanted to go back home¡­¡±


    Bai Youwei tilted her head considering this, then said, ¡°Maybe there was no obstruction from you all, but your husbands stopped her.¡±


    The old women once more fell silent¡­


    After a while, the youngest old woman among them spoke, ¡°Can one be stopped forever? Youngdy, don¡¯t portray us as heartless. What future does a dishonored woman have by returning? It¡¯s better to settle down peacefully, having a son and a daughter is what counts most.¡±


    The other old women nodded in agreement.


    Bai Youwei asked, ¡°So, ording to you, Mrs. Liter willingly stayed in the vige?¡±<div>


    But the old women no longer paid her any attention, carrying on with their own tasks, sunning beans, washing clothes, looking after their grandchildren.


    Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t extract any useful information, signaling to Shen Mo with her eyes, they had no choice but to leave.


    Walking along the country road, Bai Youwei suddenlyughed.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Shen Mo asked her.<div>


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Bai Youwei looked up at him, the corners of her lips curled up slightly, ¡°I just realized that the information given by the old women in this vige is more useful than that by the old men. Do you remember the three questions we asked that elderly Liu when we visited the Li family¡¯s neighborst time?¡±

 Chapter 542 - 542 Why Not Go Home

    Chapter 542: Chapter 542 Why Not Go Home


    ¡ª¡ªYesterday they went to the neighbor of the Li Family, the Liu Family, to search for clues, asking three questions:


    1. How did Li Qianggui die?


    2. Why do vigers shut their doors tightly at night after the Li Family died out?


    3. Why didn¡¯t the Li Family have any children?


    Old Liu answered all these questions one by one, and his answers were very detailed, which Shen Mo remembered clearly.


    But what did old Madame Liu say at that time?


    It seemed like she chimed in with a few things¡­


    Bai Youwei squinted her eyes slowly and said, ¡°When we first met, the old woman said that the vige was too poor. Those who could leave had all left, leaving behind only the old people who could not move and the old bachelors who could not get married.


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Since the girls in the vige were all married to other viges, the vige bachelors could only buy wives. What about the bachelors who have no money? The old man mentioned thister on, saying that Li Lai was too poor to get married, which is actually hinting to us that there is something wrong with the roots of the Li Family.


    Later, when we asked how Li Lai died, the old man said a lot, do you remember what the olddy said? She said, the Li Family, they are pitiful people.


    The one who died was clearly Li Lai, yet she said Li is pitiful. This implies the Li Family probably suffered greatly under Li Lai¡¯s hand.


    And thest question is the most interesting.


    We asked why there was no child in the Li Family, the old man said thatdy Li was young, and giving birth hurt her body. However, what the olddy said at the time waspassionate¡­.too delicate.¡±


    ¡°Delicate¡­¡± Shen Mo pondered, ¡°Ordinary daughters of peasant families are not described as delicate.¡±


    Bai Youwei nodded slightly: ¡°ording to this clue, we can infer that everyone in the vigeughs at the fact that Li Lai can¡¯t get married, so he got annoyed and tricked a girl from outside the vige home. I guess Lady Li¡¯s original family might not be a wealthy and noble one, since it would probably have maidservants and other followers, making it difficult to get her. But she should be from a small wealthy family, not having to deal with much hardship since childhood, with a simple and naive character.¡±


    ¡°Young age, weak body, forced to give birth injuring her health, this is indeed a usible exnation.¡± Shen Mo thought for a moment, then added, ¡°It¡¯s also possible that Lady Li didn¡¯t want to give birth and deliberately damaged her own health. However, if that¡¯s the case, she certainly must have suffered a lot in the Li Family.¡±


    ¡°If it was so tough, why didn¡¯t she go home?¡± Bai Youwei was a bit puzzled, ¡°Even if she had lost her chastity, she wouldn¡¯t have not attempted to return home at all, would she?¡±


    Shen Mo said: ¡°Maybe her family values their reputation highly.¡±


    Bai Youwei shook her head: ¡°In ancient times, only the upper ss cared about such things. If ordinary people in rural areas were to follow these rules, they wouldn¡¯t be able to live their lives. In fact, even in the most conservative dynasties, it¡¯smon for widows to remarry and for men to divorce and remarry.¡±


    For example, everyone knows Arab women are conservative, covering their bodiespletely except for their eyes, but in fact, if you go to some poorer viges there, you¡¯ll find that the women need to work in the fields, they can¡¯t afford to dress like that. They¡¯re too busy figuring out how to subsist day by day to care about following those rules.


    Bai Youwei moved forward slowly in her wheelchair, carefully considering everything.


    ¡°Something that¡¯s preventable for a while can¡¯t be prevented for a lifetime¡­ Something must have happened to make Lady Li give up the thought of returning home¡­¡±


    She looked at the distant mansion of the old schr, suddenly stopped, and slowly widened her eyes.


    ¡°I understand now¡­ Why she couldn¡¯t go back¡­¡±


    Shen Mo also stopped, peering at the distant ancient mansion.


    They had never noticed before, but now, looking from afar, the mansion was situated much lower than the vige, with arge, naturally formed boulder standing tall in front of the main gate, making the mansion¡­ look like a tomb.


    ¡°What if¡­¡± Bai Youwei began softly, ¡°She had an elder or younger brother who had passed the imperial examination and became an officer?¡±

 Chapter 543: I’m So Evil

    Chapter 543: I¡¯m So Evil


    Once one embarks on an official career, the entire family moves up a social ss, thus, they cannot be judged by previous standards.


    Besides, in theplex world of officialdom, newly minted young officials must tread cautiously so as not to provide any ammunition for personal attacks.


    Miss Li lost her dignity by marrying a viger covered in sores, which would inevitably bring shame to her family. If she had any sense of familial honour, she would choose to stay and swallow this bitter pain¡­


    Shen Mo thought of another detail, as he looked at Bai Youwei, ¡°Li was murdered shortly after the Mid-Autumn Festival.¡±


    On the day of family reunion at the Mid-Autumn Festival, a woman realizes in a daze that time has flown by. That she has spent most of her life unknowingly with a viger covered in sores, and on seeing her white hair in the mirror, what would she think?¡­ What would she do?


    Bai Youwei sighed softly, ¡°In earlier years, Li could subdue Miss Li, because he was older and stronger. But as time passed¡­ Li turned into an old man, he grew older, and weaker. This was the perfect moment for Miss Li to take her revenge.¡±


    ¡°Although she was able to exact her revenge, it entirely destroyed her life,¡± said Shen Mo indifferently, ¡°She could never go back and had to wander around the vige, venting her anger and frustration on the vigers.¡±


    The puzzle, hadpletely been solved.


    ¡°I know how to pass the round.¡± Bai Youwei closed her eyes and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back and find that old schr.¡±


    ¡­


    It was a clear day, but there was no sign of the old schr, nor the two paper figures.


    Bai Youwei and Shen Mo searched around the house and found the old schr¡¯s bedroom.


    The ce had obviously been rummaged through. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t find anything extraordinary, yet she spent a long time sitting in the hall.


    She came to the central table, gently dusted it off, and said, ¡°Fu Miaoxue was quite clever, she took the most crucial thing.¡±


    Behind the spirit te, there was a noticeable dust-free spot, as if something had been ced there for a long time.


    Shen Mo furrowed his brows, looking suspicious, ¡°They found the clue, but didn¡¯t meet us in the vige, and they¡¯re not in this house now. It seems they intend to end our alliance.¡±


    ¡°Truly ruthless~¡± Bai Youweiughed, ¡°Just like a yboy, breaking up on a whim. However, terminating the alliance isn¡¯t their call to make.¡±


    Shen Mo looked outside, ¡°This ce isn¡¯t big, with a little time, finding them won¡¯t be hard. Should I go look for them?¡±


    ¡°Forget it~¡± Bai Youwei showed no concern. She carefully took down the spirit ques of the old schr¡¯s parents and said unhurriedly, ¡°¡­They will return sooner orter, there¡¯s no need to waste time looking for them.¡±


    Shen Mo looked at the spirit que in her hand, asked, ¡°Shall we take action tonight?¡±


    ¡°I hope it¡¯s tonight, but¡­¡± Bai Youwei hesitated for a few seconds, then said, ¡°But, I need to make sure I stay awake tonight.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Bai Youwei will surely sleep tonight.¡±


    In a dense forest far away, Fu Miaoxue was discussing her n with Du Lai.


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Her constitution is naturally weak, which bes even weaker in this game! She sleeps almost every night in the second half and can hardly stay up~~ But, the singing voice of the corpse moving woman affects someone every night, once Bai Youwei is affected, she¡¯s doomed!¡±


    Fu Miaoxue squinted her eyes, showing a hint of smugness.


    ¡°Just think about it, once she wakes up and finds the boyfriend that she killed herself, how would she feel? Shocked? Or devastated?


    Huh hu huh¡­ She¡¯s a cripple, how will she live without her boyfriend? Maybe she¡¯ll lose it and kill herself?¡±


    Fu Miaoxue couldn¡¯t help but cover her face with her hands, ¡°I can¡¯t stand it, I¡¯m so evil~ Hehehehe¡­¡±


    Afterughing for a while, seeing Du Lai quietly watching her, she immediately rolled her eyes and snorted:


    ¡°What, you think I¡¯ve been ying house in this game every day?¡±

 Chapter 544: You are really too selfish

    Chapter 544: You are really too selfish


    The game changed everyone.


    Fu Miaoxue still looked like the domineering and arrogantdy she used to be, but she was no longer just hisdy.


    She changed.


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Du Lai knew he had changed too.


    Perhaps because people are prone to change, they always prefer to pursue things that are eternal, such as a promise, a pact, orpanionship¡­


    Du Lai hugged Fu Miaoxue gently.


    Her body wasn¡¯t as soft as a living person¡¯s now, and her hair only smelled of stic.


    ¡°Once this game is over, let¡¯s head to the maze as soon as possible.¡± Du Lai said softly, ¡°The maze can upgrade everyone¡¯s stats, it should be able to turn you back.¡±


    ¡°What if it can¡¯t?¡± Fu Miaoxue asked.


    Du Lai loosened his embrace a bit, looked seriously at her and said: ¡°If it can¡¯t, we will find another way. If there¡¯s an item to revive a yer, there must be a way to turn a doll back into a human.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps there is, perhaps not.¡± Fu Miaoxue gave a lightugh, held Du Lai¡¯s hand, and said calmly, ¡°Du Lai, promise me something.¡±


    Du Lai raised his brows slightly.


    Fu Miaoxue said: ¡°Promise me, if¡­ if I die, don¡¯t save me again.¡±


    Du Lai stared at her.


    But Fu Miaoxue suddenlyughed, her doll¡¯s ss eyeballs revealed a hint of liveliness that only a living person would have.


    ¡°If I am killed by Bai Youwei, you can avenge me, after all, it shows your love for me~¡± She said with a grin, ¡°But never ever revive me again! Living like this, I¡¯d rather die! It¡¯s too frustrating!~¡±


    Du Lai¡¯s face was taut and he remained silent.


    She continued to whine: ¡°If I die again, don¡¯t save me, okay? Du Lai~~ You are the best to me~~~ Promise me~~~¡±


    Du Lai slowly took a deep breath¡­


    Then he asked her: ¡°Then what about me?¡±


    ¡°You?¡± Fu Miaoxue was slightly surprised, ¡°¡­You, of course, should live on with my love! Remember not to cheat~ otherwise, I won¡¯t let you go even if I be a ghost!¡±


    Du Lai forced a smile.


    He neither refused nor agreed, but only replied: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let you die.¡±


    ¡°How can you be so selfish?!¡± Fu Miaoxue looked upset, her eyes wide in anger, ¡°Because you love me, you won¡¯t let me die? You are really selfish!¡±


    ¡°Maybe dying together here isn¡¯t too bad.¡± Du Laiughed, ¡°Your n might not work.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t jinx it.¡± Fu Miaoxue became even more upset, ¡°I¡¯m doing all this for you, aren¡¯t I? Only if something happens to Bai Youwei, can we get her item and puzzle piece! Sigh, I wonder if she has realised it yet¡­¡±


    ¡°Most likely,¡± Du Lai looked out at the vige beyond the woods, ¡°But even if she realized it, she probably wouldn¡¯t know what¡¯s going on.¡±


    Plop.


    A droplet of waternded on Fu Miaoxue¡¯s cheek.


    She looked up at the moist leaves in the sky and said quietly: ¡°It¡¯s going to rain again.¡±


    As long as it rained, the corpse-moving woman would being soon.


    Du Lai stood up and pat the mud off his clothing, ¡°Let¡¯s go, it¡¯s time for us to get moving.¡±


    Fu Miaoxue picked up the Spirit te and looked at it.


    ¡ªThe spirit position of Liu Yanruo.


    If she wasn¡¯t wrong, this Liu Yanruo was the corpse-moving woman, Mrs. Li.


    Use the Spirit te to lead the way, bring Liu Yanruo back to that ¡°tomb¡±, and let the leaves return to their roots, then everything in this vige will truly end!


    ¡­Of course, timing is also important.


    They could only make a move when Bai Youwei and Shen Mo were asleep.


    As Fu Miaoxue thought about this, she slowed down her pace, a sense of unease started to grow in her heart.


    Hmmm, this doesn¡¯t look good¡­


    There was¡­ a w in this n.

 Chapter 545 - 545 Liu Yanruo (Paying debt! Additional updates for Lan Bingning)

    Chapter 545: Chapter 545 Liu Yanruo (Paying debt! Additional updates for Lan Bingning)


    Let there be loopholes, Bai Youwei might not even notice!


    At this moment, it¡¯s a contest of speed, and who can seize control first!


    Fu Miaoxue resolutely continued to move forward, eager to reap the fruits of herbor!


    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    A ~


    Completing a level in a game, getting rewards, collecting arge number of puzzles and tools, and then taking these puzzles and tools further into the maze, making her invincible, feeling ecstatic ~


    She took a few quick steps forward with an ted expression, looping her arm around Du Lai, her mood was excellent.


    ¡­


    The long-awaited Corpse Moving Woman appeared again in thete night.


    The old woman, her hair run down, pushed a dpidated cart, while singing an opera tune.


    The wrinkles on her face were as deep as gullies, the skin on her limbs was dry and kindled like dead wood, her gaze downcast, exceptionally slow in her movements, but leaving no footprints, only two deep wheel marks¡­


    Despite being mentally prepared, Fu Miaoxue was still terrified when she saw the scene again!


    She was reminded of the Corpse Moving Woman¡¯sughter from the previous night, reminiscent of her crawling like a spider, the more she thought about it, the more frightened she was, sending shivers down her spine!


    Seeing the Corpse Moving Woman approaching, Du Lai extended his hand towards Fu Miaoxue: ¡°Give me the Spirit te. I¡¯ll go.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ No!¡± Fu Miaoxue stared at the slowly moving figure in the rainy night, ¡°If we¡¯re pursued, I have an advantage over you. I¡¯m not scared of the Yin energy¡­¡±


    I¡¯m just afraid of ghosts, that¡¯s it.


    Fu Miaoxue again worked up her courage, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll lure her to the cemetery, you go ahead and wait for me.¡±


    Du Lai looked at her with furrowed brows: ¡°Are you sure you can do it alone?¡±


    ¡°Why not?!¡± Fu Miaoxue was quite annoyed, feeling that Du Lai was undermining the courage she had finally gathered.


    She said irritably: ¡°I¡¯m alone, she can¡¯t eat me or even harm me! What do you have to worry about?¡±


    Without waiting for Du Lai to dissuade her further, she clutched the Spirit te and rushed into the rain!


    ¡°Liu Yanruo!¡± Fu Miaoxue shouted at the old woman in the rain!


    The old woman was stunned.


    Her figure suddenly froze on the spot, staring nkly at Fu Miaoxue.


    Fu Miaoxue felt a surge of joy!


    This Spirit te really works!


    She held up the Spirit te, shouting even louder: ¡°Liu Yanruo!¡±


    This time, the old woman didn¡¯t hurl herself to attack but instead, she took half a step back in a daze!


    Fu Miaoxue was ecstatic, she held the Spirit te and shouted: ¡°Liu Yanruo! Liu Yanruo! Liu Yanruo!¡±


    With each shout, the old woman¡¯s form trembled, twisted and blurred, sometimes coalescing, sometimes dissipating.


    Fu Miaoxue watched anxiously, her heart full of anticipation.


    The mass of smoke continued to shrink and tremble until it became a smaller mass, vanished like a Ghost Fire, disappearingpletely!


    Just when Fu Miaoxue was puzzled, there was a rustling noise from the cart.


    ¡­The mat cover moved.


    Fu Miaoxue¡¯s heart skipped a beat, she couldn¡¯t help but take half a step back.


    Then she saw the Spirit te in her hands.


    She gritted her teeth, took a few more steps forward, and yelled at the remains under the mat: ¡°Liu Yanruo!¡±


    Whoosh!


    The rotten corpse suddenly sat up!


    Fu Miaoxue was so scared that she almost screamed!


    The female corpse turned its head with a creaking noise, its eyes glowing green, staring straight at her.


    For a moment, it seemed like Fu Miaoxue¡¯s throat was mute. She couldn¡¯t utter a single word, just stared at the zombie-like corpse.


    The female corpse stiffly raised both hands and lunged at Fu Miaoxue without any warning!


    Fu Miaoxue finally couldn¡¯t suppress her terror, and screamed hysterically!


    ¡°Ahhhhhhh!!!¡±


    She ran towards Schr¡¯s house with all her might!


    ¡°Miaoxue!¡± Du Lai chased after her! ¡°Throw the Spirit te to me!¡±


    Fu Miaoxue was crying and shrieking, but in her mind, she was crystal clear, wailing in front of her: ¡°I can¡¯t give it to you! Your body can¡¯t withstand her Yin energy!¡±


    Seeing that she had finally reached the courtyard gate, she immediately threw herself against the door!


    With a bang!


    Fu Miaoxue was knocked backwards!


    Ignoring her pain, she got up and was shocked, ¡°Wha¡­ what¡¯s going on?! Why is the door locked?!¡±

 Chapter 546: 546: Please Open the Door

    Chapter 546: Please Open the Door


    Fu Miaoxue rushed to the door once again!


    The door was bolted shut; she couldn¡¯t get in!


    What was going on?!


    The schr¡¯s house never bolted its doors, whether it was day or night. These doors had always been open!


    Why, at such a crucial time, was the door closed?!


    Fu Miaoxue had a sinking feeling in her heart.


    This was the slip-up she had feared. Even if Bai Youwei was asleep, even if Bai Youwei made preparations in advance, it would still cause trouble for her and Du Lai!


    But it didn¡¯t matter. For others, it might have been a thorny problem, but her boyfriend was strong! As long as he could climb over the wall, he could help open the door from the inside!


    Behind her, an awakened corpse was rushing towards her; its limbs were stiff, its eyes filled with ferociousness, and it let out harsh, raspyughter. It was slower than in its ghostly state. Fu Miaoxue could barely dodge, but her situation was bing increasingly dire.


    Du Lai sprinted from behind, gracefully climbing over the wall. Just as he was about to jump down to open the door, his body suddenly jerked violently!


    Then he fell backward off the wall!<div>


    ¡°Du Lai!¡± Fu Miaoxue screamed. Immediately stumbling, she almost got toppled over by the chasing female corpse, hastily steadying herself.


    Du Lai was unharmed.


    But when he tried to climb over the wall again, another weak electrical current surged through his body!


    It wasn¡¯t enough to harm him, but it could numb his joints, rendering him unable to exert strength!


    At this point, both of them finally realized that Bai Youwei was causing mischief!


    Looking up, they saw Bai Youwei¡¯s stuffed rabbit, which she always carried, now perched atop the wall, pacing back and forth like a patrolling guard.


    Then, Bai Youwei herself peeked over the wall, grinning at them both as if enjoying a show.


    The corpse was still relentlessly pursuing Fu Miaoxue.


    In her desperation, Fu Miaoxue shouted, ¡°Bai Youwei! Quickly open the door for us!¡±


    ¡°Why should I~¡± Bai Youwei asked with augh.


    ¡°What do you mean, why?¡± Fu Miaoxue dodged the corpse¡¯s attacks while pretending to be innocent, ¡°Didn¡¯t we form an alliance?!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I almost forgot.¡± Bai Youwei was nonchnt, ¡°Right, we did form an alliance~¡±


    ¡°Yes! So open the door quickly!¡± Fu Miaoxue was extremely anxious and was almost knocked over by the female corpse several times!


    Although being turned into a doll meant she wouldn¡¯t feel physically exhausted, she was wearing a cumbersome long dress and running on a rocky mountain path. Combating the female corpse for a long period had taken a toll on her!


    She hadn¡¯t expected this to happen!


    Why wasn¡¯t the corpse obeying her? Was her assumption wrong?!


    Du Lai, standing beneath the wall, shouted, ¡°Miaoxue! Throw the spirit tablet over here!¡±


    Fu Miaoxue tightly clutched the spirit tablet.


    She couldn¡¯t give it to Du Lai.<div>


    Du Lai¡¯s injured foot was still bruised. Every step he took caused him immense pain! If he were to get wounded by the female corpse again, it would be disastrous!


    However, if she got hurt, it wouldn¡¯t really matter. After all¡­ she was just a doll! Whether she was torn, rotten, or broken, it didn¡¯t matter at all!


    Fu Miaoxue gritted her teeth, using a natural boulder near the front door to shield herself while continuously dodging the attacks from the female corpse behind her.


    ¡°Miaoxue!¡± Seeing that she didn¡¯t respond, Du Lai ran over to grab the spirit tablet, ¡°Give it to me!¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om<div>


    The female corpse would only attack the holder of the spirit tablet!


    Fu Miaoxue clung onto it for dear life!


    During their quarrel the corpse caught up with them, and Fu Miaoxue swiftly pushed Du Lai away. The decayed, bark-like face was closing in, and a ghastly cold air assaulted her face!


    The female corpse sped Fu Miaoxue¡¯s neck; itughed in her face, ¡°Hahaha! Hahahaha!!!¡±


    Grinding his teeth, Du Lai threw something at the female corpse¡ª


    Upon seeing this, Fu Miaoxue screamed, ¡°That¡¯s yourst tool!!!¡±

 Chapter 547: 547: Bullying the Puppet

    Chapter 547: Bullying the Puppet


    The object hit the female corpse and then bounced off,nding on the ground!


    ¡ª It turned out to be a round, ck spinning top!


    The topnded and began to spin immediately.


    The female corpse subsequently let go of Fu Miaoxue and, as if out of control, ran towards the spinning top, running in circles in the direction of the spinning top¡¯s rotation!


    ¡°So that¡¯s it¡­¡± Bai Youwei, who was lying on top of the wall, looked at the spinning top, ¡°This prop seems to be able to limit the recipient¡¯s movement. How long does itst? Until the spinning top stops spinning? Ah¡­ if that¡¯s the case, Du Lai, you are at a disadvantage in this game. After all, the ground here is not even. The spinning top won¡¯t spin long before it falls, right?¡±


    As expected, the spinning top was slowing down!


    Just as Bai Youwei had said, the timing of using each prop was essential, and Du Lai, obviously, was driven to desperation!


    Having failed to pass the game and wasting a prop, Fu Miaoxue was furious. She shouted at Bai Youwei:


    ¡°Bai Youwei! Why don¡¯t you open the door?! This is a betrayal!!!¡±


    Bai Youwei admired her brazenness but didn¡¯t get angry. She casuallyughed, ¡°I¡¯m disabled, I can¡¯t open it.¡±


    Fu Miaoxue: ¡°Then get your boyfriend to open the door!¡±<div>


    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± Bai Youwei shook her head, ¡°He¡¯s supporting me down there. If he should go to open the door, I will fall.¡±


    Fu Miaoxue¡¯s eyes widened in shock, ¡°Are you going to stand by and watch us die?!¡±


    ¡°How could I?¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Don¡¯t make it sound so ruthless. I just want to see if the puppet will really die~¡±


    ¡°Demon!¡± Fu Miaoxue was furious, ¡°You¡¯re a demon! Bai Youwei! You¡¯re the most vicious woman in the whole world¡­ No! In the entire universe!!!¡±


    Du Lai looked at Bai Youwei, reminding her coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t forget, the Spirit te is in our hands, without it, you won¡¯t pass either.¡±


    Bai Youwei looked indifferent, ¡°We have jigsaw puzzles~¡±


    Du Lai sneered, ¡°You¡¯re willing to waste two puzzle pieces to go out in front of the pass item? Bai Youwei, who would believe such words?¡±


    Bai Youwei alsoughed, ¡°Yeah, no one would believe it, so let¡¯s wait until she can¡¯t hold on and then rescue her. After all, we only need to save the person holding the Spirit te~¡±


    Hearing this, Fu Miaoxue was both shocked and angry. She instinctively raised her hand to give the Spirit te to Du Lai!


    But when she saw the female corpse staggering not far away, and the top slowing down, her heart clenched! She tightly grasped the Spirit te again!


    ¡°Bitch!!!¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Fu Miaoxue suddenly woke up, ¡°Bai Youwei! You¡¯re a bitch! You deliberately set me up!¡±


    Once the Spirit te was given to Du Lai and Bai Youwei didn¡¯t open the door, there was no way out for Du Lai!


    Bai Youwei curled up her mouth, her smile full of yfulness, ¡°Fu Miaoxue, you¡¯ve yed so many test games, all just ying house? Quit talking such childish nonsense about being bitchy~¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue was choked.


    The top was about to stop!


    The female corpse wasing again!


    Fu Miaoxue almost crushed her teeth in anger. The ultimate anger turned into resentment! When had she ever been bullied like this in her life?!


    Furious!<div>


    Furious to death ahhhh!!!


    Fu Miaoxue frantically asked, ¡°What do you want before you will open the door?!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment and suggested in a negotiating tone, ¡°How about you meow like a cat?¡±


    Fu Miaoxue fell apart even more, crying, ¡°You bully people!!!¡±<div>


    The spinning top stopped, and the eerie female corpse lunged at them!


    Du Lai hugged Fu Miaoxue and rolled away to avoid the attack. He snatched the Spirit te from her arms and ran away!


    At the same time, he shouted, ¡°Miaoxue! Use the jigsaw puzzle to get out!¡±

 Chapter 548: You Swear

    Chapter 548: You Swear


    The female corpse chased after Du Lai!


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to save me! I don¡¯t want you to save me!¡± Fu Miaoxue cried hysterically, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m happy living like this?! Neither human nor ghost! I¡¯d rather die straight away! I don¡¯t want you to use the jigsaw to save me!!!¡±


    She looked up straight at Bai Youwei: ¡°Meow! Meow! Meow, meow, meow, meow, meow!!! Are you satisfied now?! Are you satisfied?!!¡±


    Bai Youweiy on the wall, propped on her elbow, and replied leisurely, ¡°Not satisfied~.¡±


    Fu Miaoxue was taken aback.


    Even a little stunned.


    It never crossed her mind that after making such a huge sacrifice, even giving up her dignity and self-esteem, Bai Youwei still refused to open the door!


    ¡°Bai Youwei! You¡¯re going too far!¡±


    Fu Miaoxue shook with anger, and racked her brain, wondering how to turn the situation around?!


    Du Lai nimbly climbed the towering rock in front of the gate. The female corpse couldn¡¯t get up for the time being and could only circle the rock. The crisis seemed to be temporarily resolved but was actually at a stalemate.


    They were supposed to have the upper hand!


    Why did it turn out like this?!


    Are they really going to use Du Lai¡¯sst jigsaw piece?


    No! She will not give up!


    At this critical moment, Bai Youwei said: ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll give you one more chance, thest one~


    You now swear that after I open the door, you will bow down to me. Anything I say, you will do, otherwise¡­ uh, otherwise you¡¯re a fool, an idiot, unable to pass the game, unable to level up in the maze, cheated on by your boyfriend every day, suffering while living, and punished after death.¡±


    Fu Miaoxue trembled all over.


    She felt humiliated!


    Bai Youwei asked her, ¡°So what? Do you agree?¡±


    Fu Miaoxue was indignant: ¡°You just now said you¡¯d open the door if I meowed!¡±


    Bai Youwei: ¡°But you see, your meowing doesn¡¯t sound like it should, it¡¯s heart-wrenching, like a ghost¡¯s cries; I meow much better than you~ Meow~¡±


    Fu Miaoxue: ¡°¡­¡±


    Du Lai: ¡°¡­¡±


    And Shen Mo, standing at the bottom of the wall: ¡°¡­¡±


    Elsewhere, the female corpse was chasing the tablet in Du Lai¡¯s hand, desperately trying to climb the rock.


    Her decaying corpse scratched and kicked aimlessly, stumbling, her eerieughter gradually fading, and a wisp of smoke began eerily to float from her body¡ª¡ª


    Fu Miaoxue was horrified, could it be that the phantom version of the corpse carrier ising out?!


    If it is it! Truly, nothing else in the entire game, save the door panel, could stop it!


    ¡°I promise!¡± Fu Miaoxue hurriedly looked at Bai Youwei, ¡°I promise! I agree to everything! Open the door quickly!¡±


    Bai Youwei unhurriedly said: ¡°Then make your vow.¡±


    Fu Miaoxue: ¡°I swear!¡±


    Bai Youwei: ¡°You have to recite it all for it to count, otherwise, what if the oath doesn¡¯t work?¡±


    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Curse it! Even if she recites the whole thing, it still might not work! Those words, other than to humiliate her, are still just to humiliate her! The purpose is simply, unequivocally to humiliate her!!!


    Fu Miaoxue wished she had wings to fly up and strangle Bai Youwei!


    But she couldn¡¯t.


    Forget the fact that she didn¡¯t have wings; even if she did and she flew up there, she¡¯d be shocked by Bai Youwei¡¯s rabbit!


    She swallowed her pride and said, ¡°I swear, after I entered, I would bow down to you! I would do whatever you say, otherwise, I¡¯d be an idiot! From then on, I won¡¯t pass the game! I won¡¯t level up in the maze! ¡ªIs that enough now?!!¡±


    Bai Youwei reminded her: ¡°You¡¯re still missing thest sentence.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t push people too far!¡± Fu Miaoxue roared, ¡°I¡¯d rather die here than ept my boyfriend cheating on me! Even just saying it out loud is uneptable!¡±


    Bai Youwei smiled lightly.


    Then grabbed the plush rabbit on the wall and threw it down¡ª¡ª


    The rabbitnded with a roll and then ran to a position two meters from the female corpse, releasing lightning!


    The female corpse was instantly forced back by the lightning, fell off the rocks!


    At the same time, the door opened!


    Bai Youwei on the wall said: ¡°Hurry up and get in~¡±

 Chapter 549: Dad, Mom

    Chapter 549: Dad, Mom


    Fu Miaoxue, Du Lai, and the stuffed bunny entered one by one.


    The door closed again.


    The pursuing female corpse collided head-on with the door, making a loud bang!


    Fu Miaoxue sighed with relief. When she looked back, she realized she was correct! There was indeed notch on the door of the schr¡¯s residence!


    But Bai Youwei had used a severed arm as a doortch!


    This demon!


    Fu Miaoxue cursed again in her heart, overwhelmed with grief!


    Shen Mo lifted Bai Youwei down from the wall and ced her on the wheelchair.


    Bai Youwei cheerfully said, ¡°All right~ Now that everyone is here, just follow me.¡±


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Fu Miaoxue, both frightened and resentful of Bai Youwei, asked anxiously, ¡°If you want the spirit te, just take it!¡±


    ¡°Oh, that thing¡­¡± Bai Youwei casually wheeled past the second gate, leisurely continuing forward. ¡°You can keep that spirit te for now.¡±


    Fu Miaoxue followed her, questioning uncertainly, ¡°Don¡¯t you need that to clear the level?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s not time yet.¡± Bai Youwei stopped at the entrance to the hall and motioned inside with her chin. ¡°Go on, you two. Bring the paper dolls out.¡±


    In the middle of the candle-lit hall, two vibrant paper dolls sat silently smiling.


    The thing Fu Miaoxue feared the most!


    Instinctively, she stepped back, inches away from hiding behind Du Lai!


    ¡°I refuse!¡±


    ¡°You just vowed.¡± Bai Youwei said in all seriousness, ¡°After entering the door, you¡¯re bound to obey me. You must do what I say, or there are dire consequences for breaking an oath¡­¡±


    Du Lai stepped forward, calmly observing her: ¡°Speak. What do you want us to do?¡±


    Bai Youwei pointed at the two paper dolls: ¡°Go, move them to the door so they can wee the child.¡±


    A shiver ran through Fu Miaoxue!


    She¡¯d rather move two pigs than paper dolls!


    Du Lai, however, had already left to perform the task. Expressionless, he embraced one with both hands¡ª


    And the paper doll wouldn¡¯t budge?!


    Du Lai frowned, tried again, no sess.


    The paper doll seemed to weigh a thousand pounds!


    Meanwhile, Shen Mo took the spirit tes of their parents from the table. He and Bai Youwei each held one.


    Du Lai felt the paper doll suddenly be lighter.


    He was taken aback and exchanged nces with Fu Miaoxue. They both immediately understood the secret¡ª


    The spirit tes were indeed the key.


    They hadn¡¯t taken the wrong spirit tes, they had just got the order wrong!


    The four of them returned to the door.


    The female corpse outsideughed manically. Scratching and pushing at the door and the wall, she seemed to sense something, pacing anxiously.


    The severed arm fell to the ground, and the door creaked open.


    The female corpse saw the spirit tes held by Bai Youwei and Shen Mo, then saw the paper dolls in Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue¡¯s hands.


    A wail suddenly sounded from her throat!


    Rushing forward again, her voice was a gentle and intive woman¡¯s:


    ¡°Daddy! ¡ª¡ª Mommy! ¡ª¡ª¡±


    The spirit tes ttered to the floor from Bai Youwei¡¯s and Shen Mo¡¯s hands.


    Du Lai¡¯s spirit te also fell to the floor with a thud.


    The paper dolls in their hands involuntarily fell away.


    As if they had a consciousness of their own, they clung tightly to the female corpse!


    This spectacle was incredibly horrific! It was like an old woman with white hair, but her voice was like a young girl, and her movements were the same, calling the paper dolls her parents, pulling up her braids, acting sweetly towards them¡­


    From her rotten, skeletal body, a blue light gradually seeped out, sparking and setting her, as well as the paper dolls, aze¡­


    The three of them slowly merged into one me.


    The paper dolls turned into ash.


    Only bones remained of the corpse.


    Three spirit tes quietlyy on the ground.


    Bai Youwei and the others were stunned. At that moment, the old schr appeared from somewhere nearby, picked up the spirit tes, and sighed, ¡°With the family reunited, I have finally fulfilled my parents¡¯ dying wish. Now, I can finally face them.¡±


    Having said that, he turned and entered the hall, the door closed with a m!


    ¡°Congrattions, you¡¯ve passed this game.¡±

 Chapter 550: 550: One Person, One Item

    Chapter 550: One Person, One Item


    ¡°Congrattions onpleting this game.¡±


    Before the Ghost Fire appeared, the voice of the Inspector had already echoed through the air.


    At the same time, the rain finally stopped.


    The ground trembled, and the scenery all around slowly descended. The ancient house sank continuously, just like an ancient tomb that has never been sealed in the deep mountains.


    Doors once shut tight were opened again, and the Ghost Fire Inspector drifted hauntingly out of the house. The interior scene had undergone a drastic change.


    It was no longer an ordinary hall but aplete tomb!


    The Ghost Fire said: ¡°When Liu Yanruo left home, her brother was studying abroad and was not aware of this bitter injustice. In the decades that followed, he enjoyed high government ranks and earthly wealth, but their parents could not find peace and died from depression. They had requested in their dreams that throughout his lifetime, he must find his younger sister, bring her home, and reunite the family.


    yers have achieved the mission goal, stopped the female ghost, and can now enter the tomb for reward calctions. Each person is free to choose a burial essory as a reward.¡±


    Bai Youwei sneered slightly.


    Using burial essories as reward items really was in line with Ghost Fire¡¯s characteristic image.<div>


    Upon hearing the slight sneer, the Inspector nced at Bai Youwei silently.


    Well¡­


    Being able toplete the game, she really was skilled. No wonder other Inspectors had such a headache dealing with her¡­ It seems being extra cautious was necessary indeed.


    The four followed Ghost Fire into the tomb.


    It was again the same meticulously decorated boudoir. What had changed was that the canopy bed was now a coffin. The visual field wasn¡¯t dark with oilmps lit all around, and everything was clearly visible.


    These so-called burial essories were the items used when alive and buried after dying.


    Bai Youwei curiously observed the tomb and discovered many new objects.


    Aside from some items for women¡¯s daily life, there were numerous underworld coins, gold and silver ingots, colorful bronze coins, and more¡­


    ¡°How do you define ¡®one¡¯ when ites to a burial essory?¡± Bai Youwei asked, ¡°For example, these ingots made of paper are all stacked together. So, does ¡®one¡¯ mean one ingot or the whole pile?¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Ghost Fire paused.


    Here ites¡­


    Here ites¡­


    She begun seeking loopholes!


    ¡°¡®One¡¯ usually refers to one individual unit, an absolutely single entity,¡± Ghost Fire answered cautiously. ¡°¡®One¡¯ means an indivisible item . Thus, one ingot can only mean one, not a pile.¡±


    Bai Youwei wandered around as if deep in thought, walked to the eight-section chest, and lightly patted, ¡°If I choose this chest? Will everything in the chest belong to me too? Or will it just be an empty chest?¡±


    The Ghost Fire became more cautious.


    Indeed, a troublesome yer. Even at this moment, she was still seeking ways to take advantage of the rules¡­


    If the things in the chest could be chosen together with the chest itself, wouldn¡¯t that mean they could pile other items in the chest and take everything in one go?


    ¡­Well, there¡¯s nothing to worry about, its game rules were the most thorough and secure. As long as it responded carefully, there wouldn¡¯t be any hitches.<div>


    The Ghost Fire said: ¡°A chest isposed of wood, nails, and locks. If a yer chooses a chest, they will get only the wood, nails, and lock and nothing else.¡±


    After a pause of two seconds, it added, ¡°The eight-section chest in this scene can be chosen, but it¡¯s not a reward item. Relevant information about the reward item will be avable after touching it. Please choose carefully. Once a reward item is touched, the system will bind it to the yer immediately and take effect. No changes can be made.¡±


    Bai Youwei was surprised, ¡°But without touching, we won¡¯t know the function of the item at all. Isn¡¯t this entirely relying on luck then?¡±


    Ghost Fire: ¡°Luck¡­is also part of strength. Now, please choose.¡±<div>

 Chapter 551: 551: Treating Players Equally

    Chapter 551: Treating yers Equally


    As soon as the Inspector finished speaking, Fu Miaoxue was the first to press her hand on a painting on the wall, dering, ¡°I want this one!¡±


    Soon, it seemed like she sensed the purpose of the prop. A look of excitement washed over her as she took down the painting and showed it to Du Lai ¡ª


    It was an ink painting, depicting a small house obscured by mountains. A towering pine tree stood beside the house, lush and green, with surrounding mist adding to the atmosphere of the scene.


    From a short distance away, Bai Youwei could not discern the function of the painting. However, judging from Fu Miaoxue¡¯s reaction, it seemed promising.


    When Fu Miaoxue noticed Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze, she instinctively stepped in front of Du Lai and huffed coldly, ¡°Hmph! This is mine!¡±


    Bai Youwei rolled her eyes, ¡°Childish.¡±


    Shen Mo nced around the room before finally setting his gaze on the coffin, asking, ¡°Can the coffin be opened?¡±


    Ghost Fire responded, ¡°Yes it can.¡±


    Shen Mo upturned the heavy coffin lid, revealing a female corpse adorned in brocade attire underneath a golden silk quilt, surrounded by countless jewels and jades.


    Shen Mo harbored no interest in these objects, but if he had to choose, he picked the longevity lock hanging around the corpse¡¯s neck.<div>


    It was made of silver and was quite small; one side was carved with goldfish and lotus flowers, while the other side was engraved with characters indicating long life and wealth. It was very refined.


    Bai Youwei asked, ¡°Did you get lucky?¡±


    Shen Mo smiled, ced the silver lock in her hand, and replied, ¡°Mmm, not bad.¡±


    [Miss Liu¡¯s Longevity Lock: Whoever wears this can offset some damage. It offsets 75% of the damage the first time, 50% the second time, and 25% the third time. After three uses, the prop bes void.]


    In other words, if one were to be stabbed with a knife and the wound was 10 cm deep, with the offset from the longevity lock, the wound would shrink to 2.5 cm.


    It¡¯s a shame that it can only offset a significant amount of damage the first time, half the second time and is practically negligible the third time.


    Nevertheless, as a whole, this prop was fairly practical.


    After walking a full circle in the tomb chamber, Du Lai finally picked up a hairpin.


    He frowned slightly; the reward he had chosen seemed somewhat mediocre, hence he didn¡¯t show the least bit of joy.


    Only Bai Youwei was left to make her selection.


    Picking a prop without understanding its specific function was indeed a test of luck.


    She pondered for a long time before pointing to an incense burner on the table and asked the Inspector, ¡°If I choose this, can you give me the incense that¡¯s inside as well?¡±


    The Ghost Fire flickered, its airy voice replied, ¡°The incense must be chosen separately.¡±


    Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say that earlier! I¡¯m the only one who hasn¡¯t picked yet, and now it¡¯s toote to ask for help from someone else!¡±


    Ghost Fire burned silently, shutting down any potential loophole.


    Bai Youwei furrowed her brow and asked, ¡°Odd? Why do I feel like you¡¯re singling me out? By your logic, when she chose that painting, she should¡¯ve had to take down the scroll! The painting and the scroll is two different things!¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Fu Miaoxue jumped, urgently saying, ¡°Bai Youwei! Just because your choice doesn¡¯t follow the rules doesn¡¯t mean you can drag me into it!¡±


    Bai Youwei red at her, ¡°Hey, have you forgotten the oath you swore? Watch your tone.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue quietly scooted behind Du Lai.<div>


    Bai Youwei looked at the Inspector again and questioned in clear annoyance, ¡°What kind of incense burner is it without the incense? Are you messing with me?!¡±


    ¡°The game treats all yers equally¡­¡± Ghost Fire hesitated, then exined again, ¡°The function of the incense burner and the incense are the same, but used together, they be more effective. yers can choose one or the other.¡±


    Bai Youwei¡¯s face remained expressionless, clearly unhappy.


    Shen Mo said to her, ¡°The difficulty of this game isn¡¯t too high and the props have limited effects. You should just pick something else.¡±<div>

 Chapter 552: 552: Here It Comes

    Chapter 552: Here It Comes


    The game Female Corpse Lottery might seem terrifying, butpared to hide and seek, its difficulty was far lower, and the benefit from the props correspondingly limited.


    Take for example the longevity lock Shen Mo obtained; at first nce, it seems useful, but upon closer consideration, it paled inparison to the frog¡¯s mud.


    The mud could instantly heal wounds nine times.


    The longevity lock could only reduce injury severity three times, and the third time¡¯s effect was practically negligible.


    The only slight advantage, probably, was that the injuries the longevity lock could reduce were not limited to physical wounds.


    Bai Youwei, facing the Inspector, scoffed again, ¡°And what if I choose the female corpse in the coffin? Are you going to strip away the jewels and clothes on her body before handing her over to me?¡±


    Ghost Fire hesitated, ¡°Technically¡­ that is correct.¡±


    Bai Youwei gave a coldugh, her eyes chillingly fixed on Ghost Fire.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Ghost Fire: ¡°¡­¡±


    For some reason, it took a small step back¡­<div>


    Remembering its divine status, it overcame its nervousness, moved forward again, letting its mes surge to demonstrate its aura.


    Bai Youwei stormed off towards the door with a stern face.


    Shen Mo stopped her, ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    Bai Youwei replied irritably, ¡°I¡¯m going out to cool off!¡±


    Without another word, she rolled away in her wheelchair.


    Shen Mo followed her out.


    Fu Miaoxue immediately sprang out from behind Du Lai, curiously watching the spectacle, ¡°Wow, they both left! Does this count as giving up the reward? Can we leave now?¡±


    Ghost Fire said, ¡°The game can only end after the reward distribution ispleted.¡±


    Fu Miaoxue pursed her lips, ¡°That¡¯s annoying. What if she never chooses a reward? Would we be stuck here forever?¡±


    Du Lai held her hand and gave her a reassuring look.


    ¡ªThere was no food or drink here, they couldn¡¯t stay long. Bai Youwei would have to return and choose her reward sooner orter.


    While pondering this, they suddenly heard voices outside. The buzzing chatter was fine and fragmented, unclear what was being said, but it was clear there was more than two people.


    At this moment, Bai Youwei and Shen Mo came back.


    And three more people had joined them!


    Tan Xiao! Chang Weicai! Pan Xiaoxin! Wearing pyjamas and slippers, they followed behind Bai Youwei with excited expressions!


    Fu Miaoxue and Du Lai were taken aback, their eyes widened with surprise!


    ¡°What kind of prop does she have?! How can she conjure live people?!¡± Fu Miaoxue clutching Du Lai¡¯s arm, eximed in disbelief, ¡°That old man! The guy who recited ancient texts on the first night?!¡±


    Bai Youwei ignored her, and instead walked straight up to Ghost Fire, questioning in a cold tone, ¡°Is it true that any yer who survives until the end of the game can choose a burial tribute, right?¡±


    Ghost Fire looked at her in horror, its blue mes shaking violently!<div>


    Here ites!


    Here ites!


    She was about to exploit a loophole again!


    ¡°If the Inspector doesn¡¯t answer, I¡¯ll take it as a yes!¡± Bai Youwei coldly swung her hand, ¡°Move everything.¡±<div>


    Tan Xiao rushed ahead and grabbed an incense burner!


    Chang Weicai picked up a stringed instrument!


    Pan Xiaoxin looked left to right, and grabbed a bronze mirror!


    No¡­¡± Ghost Fire shook fiercely! Like a torch in the wind, the me was chaotic!


    In the midst of the chaos, a severed hand unnoticed by everyone slipped into the coffin and swiped up a handful of jewels!


    And then sprang out of the coffin with a whoosh!


    With lightning speed, it darted out of the room! The precious jewels scattered all over the floor with a tter!


    ¡°No!!!¡± Ghost Fire finally roared and chased after it. But upon reaching the dollhouse, it encountered an invisible wall and could not get in no matter what!


    ¡°This is cheating!!!¡± Its hoarse roar echoed with indignation!


    Bai Youwei followed through the door, she too was a bit surprised. She looked towards the Inspector and said, ¡°You can¡¯t me me for this. I didn¡¯t instruct it to do this. If I did, I definitely wouldn¡¯t let it take just the gold and silver jewels.¡±

 Chapter 553: 553: End of the End

    Chapter 553: End of the End


    Ghost Fire is in pain!


    Lots of pain!


    It looks at Bai Youwei, then at Shen Mo, Tan Xiao, Chang Weicai, and Pan Xiaoxin who are following her.


    ¡°It¡¯s you!!!¡­¡­.¡±


    Before it could finish, the four shook their heads in unison.


    Tan Xiao shakes his head particrly quickly. His shabby hair swings back and forth, as if shaking off all responsibility: ¡°It¡¯s not us! That wasn¡¯t our hand!¡±


    Bai Youwei quickly recovers from her surprise and instead looks curiously at the Ghost Fire. ¡°It¡¯s strange¡­ they¡¯re just some jewelry, why such a big reaction? Will this get you punished? What kind of operating mechanism is there within you inspectors? Is there a reward and punishment system? Is therepetition among you? Are there different ranks among the inspectors?¡­¡±


    Ghost Fire is afraid of her probing questions!


    ¡°No!¡± It replied, ¡°Please do not ask questions unrted to the game¡­..¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± Bai Youwei suddenly gives a soft shout, pointing at the dollhouse door, ¡°The hand ising out!¡±<div>


    Ghost Fire shivers violently!


    Seeing the little white hand crawling quickly towards the vaults, it panics. ¡°Game rewards have been settled! Settled!¡±


    Shadows sh before everyone¡¯s eyes¡ª


    The scene changes, and they¡¯re back beside the road. Not far from them, their car is parked.


    The game is over.


    ¡­


    Within the massive diamond-shaped space, the pure white cube¡¯s light flickers on and off.


    Ghost Fire stands in front of the cube, burning quietly.


    A ball rolls past it.


    ¡°Oh! ~ It¡¯s rare to see you repairing the game!¡± The ball stops to join the fun, ¡°You look awful. Did you get robbed? Hahaha!¡±


    The core of its green-blue me is extremely pale, that¡¯s its ¡°expression¡±.


    Ghost Fire doesn¡¯t speak. The ball continues, ¡°There are fewer and fewer yerstely, the game is being activated less often, I¡¯m so bored. Even if I wanted to repair the game, I wouldn¡¯t have the opportunity!¡±


    Ghost Fire: ¡°¡­¡±


    The ball probably is really bored. It rolls around on the spot a few times and then talks to Ghost Fire again, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Don¡¯t be silent like a real ghost just because your image is set to be Ghost Fire~¡±


    Finally, Ghost Fire couldn¡¯t stand it any longer and earnestly told the ball, ¡°Your dollhouse¡­ has caused significant damage to my game! Now that you have nothing to do, you should thoroughly inspect the game instances you are responsible for to prevent simr errors from happening!¡±


    Ball: ¡°¡­¡±


    Two secondster, the ball responded reluctantly, ¡°How could you say it was my dollhouse¡­ It isn¡¯t my dollhouse anymore. And the dollhouse can¡¯t be used in the game, yers can¡¯t even enter, how could it have any impact?¡±


    Ghost Fire is agitated, ¡°But the items can go in! And yers cane out from inside!¡±


    It¡¯s rtively easy to understand why the yers cane out. The doll game always encourages yers to participate actively, so they wouldn¡¯t prevent yers from entering the game in game production rules, only from leaving the game!<div>


    As for the items being able to go in, the ball was confused and murmured, ¡°Whoever¡¯s item it is, go find them~~ It¡¯s got nothing to do with me.¡±


    Ghost Fire: ¡°But¡­¡±


    Before it can finish speaking, suddenly all the blocks in the space start to flicker!


    Soon, all the inspectors emerged from their respective game instances, rabbit-headed people,ic men, elders in gray robes¡­ they all gather together, as if they¡¯re weing a grand event!<div>


    The ball happily exims, ¡°Awesome! This is the hint that the maze progress is more than halfway!¡±


    The rabbit-headed people look around, the cube is gradually returning to normal.


    ¡°We can now start nning the Maze War.¡± It calmly says, ¡°More than 55% of the puzzle pieces have been activated. The preliminary rounds will start soon. Everyone please get ready.¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn

 Chapter 554: 554: The Arrow Maze

    Chapter 554: The Arrow Maze


    While Bai Youwei and her team were clearing the game, Su Man and Lu Yuwen were still trapped in the maze.


    This maze was divided into 10X10 grids, with each grid measuring 1.5-2 kilometres on average. They needed to go through all 100 grids to make an overall assessment and piece them together using deduction.


    After the grids were sessfully pieced together, the right path would naturally appear.


    All this, Lu Yuwen exined to Su Man.


    Su Man felt incredibly lucky!


    If she hadn¡¯t run into Lu Yuwen, she would definitely be stuck in the maze! Now all she had to do was follow these arrows, she could get out, then her left hand and right hand could get better, ah! ~ What a great situation!


    With this in mind, her pace quickened unknowingly, her mood lightened, the road ahead was even and bright, all problems vanished!


    ¡°Su Man!¡±


    She faintly heard someone calling her.


    Other than her and Lu Yuwen in the maze, there was only Zhang Ke, who was unounted for. The person calling her must be Lu Yuwen, right? ¡­Remembering Zhang Ke, Su Man started to worry. When she and Lu Yuwen returned to their fall site, the edges of the two maps were tightly joined together, but the rope was gone.<div>


    The rope didn¡¯t just disappear, it must have been Zhang Ke who climbed up at thest minute, took the rope and ran away!


    However, the map was so big, meeting by chance was likely no easy task.


    As long as she and Lu Yuwen found the exit first, then¡­


    ¡°Su Man!¡±


    The voice came again.


    What was Lu Yuwen calling her for again?


    Su Man tried to stop and take a look, but strangely, her feet¡­ why couldn¡¯t she stop?


    Wait a minute¡­


    It wasn¡¯t her feet that wouldn¡¯t stop, it felt like her brain did not want to stop¡­


    ¡°Su Man!¡± Lu Yuwen grabbed hold of Su Man, panting heavily, ¡°You¡¯re walking too fast!¡±


    Su Man finally stopped; she was a bit dazed, ¡°¡­Did you call me?¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Lu Yuwen was gasping for breath, ¡°I didn¡¯t just call you, I¡¯ve been chasing and calling you more than a dozen times!¡±


    Su Man looked at him, bewildered, ¡°I didn¡¯t hear it¡­¡±


    Lu Yuwen was catching his breath, it took a while for him to recover. Resting his hands on his knees, he said, ¡°When you¡¯re walking, don¡¯t look at the arrows, you will be influenced. My legs can¡¯t move as fast as yours, I may not be able to catch up next time.¡±


    His limp made it difficult for him to move around, particrly with his injured knee.


    Su Man came back to her senses, surprised, ¡°We¡­can¡¯t look at the arrows?¡±


    ¡°The big arrows are fine, but don¡¯t focus on the small arrows,¡± pointed Lu Yuwen towards a few figures on the side of the road, ¡°If you follow the arrows the whole time, you¡¯d end up like them, incessantly moving forward until you lose your sense of self and turn into puppets.¡±


    Su Man remembered her earlier confusion and was slightly scared, ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened¡­ I kept thinking, if I follow the arrows, I can get out, if I follow the arrows, I can get out¡­¡±


    Lu Yuwen sighed, ¡°Ah, Su Man, I¡¯ve never said that following the arrows would get you out.¡±<div>


    Su Man realized that indeed Lu Yuwen had never said so. He only mentioned figuring out the 100 grids but why did she start believing that following the arrows could lead her out while walking?


    She had been undercover for so long before but never had such thoughts. That¡¯s probably because she was fully focused on Lu Yuwen and those three thugs at that time. But now that she wanted to get out, she started noticing the arrows near the road inadvertently and was influenced by them.


    The more Su Man thought about it, the colder she felt at her back.


    She looked up at Lu Yuwen with seriousness, ¡°Thank goodness you called out to me, you saved my life. I will forever be grateful and ready to return the favour whenever you need me!¡±<div>

 Chapter 555: 555: Su Man and Lu Yuwen

    Chapter 555: Su Man and Lu Yuwen


    Lu Yuwen politely declined, ¡°You¡¯ve helped me quite a bit too.¡±


    Grateful to him, Su Man nced again at his kneecap and said, ¡°Let me carry you. I¡¯m strong and won¡¯t get tired.¡±


    ¡°No, no need!¡± Lu Yuwen¡¯s hand gesture became even more emphatic, ¡°I can walk on my own! You still have to carry the luggage, don¡¯t you? We¡­we¡¯re in no rush, we can take our time, see things more clearly this way!¡±


    ¡°You make a valid point.¡± Su Man considered his words seriously, ¡°But there are so many arrows all around; I can¡¯t help but be drawn to them. It¡¯s like the more you forbid me from thinking about elephants, the more I will think about elephants.¡±


    She spotted another small arrow in the bushes and promptly averted her gaze.


    At that moment, an idea popped into her mind¡ª


    ¡°Aha! I¡¯ve got it!¡± Su Man¡¯s eyes lit up as she said to Lu Yuwen, ¡°We can change the direction of these arrows! For instance, some of them point east, others west, and so on, in all cardinal directions. This way, the arrows won¡¯t be able to control me anymore!¡±


    Assuming that when all arrows point in the same direction, they will have the greatest influence on a yer, would they still have an impact if each arrow pointed differently?


    Unexpectedly, Su Man had a moment of inspiration. Exhrated, she rolled up her sleeves to get to work.


    Lu Yuwen stopped her, ¡°We can¡¯t disperse the direction of the arrows. We should keep moving.¡±<div>


    Slightly surprised, Su Man inquired, ¡°Why can¡¯t we disperse them?¡±


    Lu Yuwen contemted for a while, looked up at the sky which was still early, and thought exining to her wouldn¡¯t waste much time.


    ¡°How about this,¡± Lu Yuwen started, ¡°You just change the direction of one small arrow for now, and then I¡¯ll exin.¡±


    Skeptically, Su Man nced at him, walked to the side of the road, and turned around one of the small arrows on themppost so that it was pointing in the opposite direction.


    ¡°We should be able to change the direction. Don¡¯t you remember? You asked me to do this once before. After changing the direction of all the small arrows, the big arrow also changes¡­¡±


    Lu Yuwen chuckled to himself, held onto a tree branch acting as a crutch, and told her from the roadside, ¡°Be patient, you¡¯ll understand in a moment.¡±


    Confused, Su Man stared at the small arrow.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Just as Lu Yuwen mentioned, after a little while, the small arrow unexpectedly jerked!


    Stunned, Su Man¡¯s eyes widened as she saw the arrow automatically switch direction, turning back as it had before, returning to its original position!


    ¡°How could this be?!¡± Su Man was astonished, ¡°I was clearly able to change the direction before! Why did it flip back this time?¡±


    Lu Yuwen¡¯s mouth curved up slightly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t keep me in suspense,e on, tell me!¡± Su Man implored impatiently, her clear, bright eyes studying his, free of blemishes.


    She was always so straightforward, wearing her heart on her face.


    Lu Yuwen cleared his throat and proposed, ¡°Try changing the direction of a few other nearby arrows. You don¡¯t have to change many, four or five is enough.¡±


    Following his advice, Su Man altered the direction of the arrows under the streetlights, on the left, right, and in the bushes.


    ¡°Now what?¡± she turned her gaze back to Lu Yuwen, eagerly awaiting his answer.


    Lu Yuwen pointed to the arrows, ¡°Then, you just watch.¡±


    ¡°Just watch?¡± Su Man was again puzzled as she cast her nce back onto the arrows.


    After about three to five seconds, the small arrow on the streetlight shook lightly. Then, it changed direction, bing the same as the nearby arrows!<div>


    ¡°Ah!¡­ That¡¯s exactly how it happenedst time I changed the directions!¡± Su Man eximed immediately, ¡°As soon as the number of arrows changing direction increases, it affects the nearby arrows. So in the end, I didn¡¯t spend much time making all the arrows change their direction!¡±


    Lu Yuwen thought to himself, even so, you were really fast.


    From the changing patterns of the arrows, Su Man discerned a message, thoughtfullyprehending, ¡°I get it now. The arrows change ording to the state of the other arrows, so we can¡¯t make the arrows point in mutually exclusive directions.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Lu Yuwen nodded, shing a faint smile, adding, ¡°It¡¯s the same concept as people being swayed by majority opinion.¡±<div>

 Chapter 556: Echoing Others

    Chapter 556: Echoing Others


    ¡°Just echoing others?¡±


    Su Man blinked, just when she thought she understood, she found herself confused by Lu Yuwen¡¯s words.


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Lu Yuwen looked at a humanoid doll not far away and spoke gravely, ¡°The essence of echoing others is that the minority conforms to the majority. In order to adapt to the environment and integrate into society, each of us has, to a greater or lesser extent, echoed others, giving up our own thoughts and blindly following others, eventually walking on a path that seems right. The maze magnifies this effect, turning people into dolls who can¡¯t think or act on their own.¡±


    Su Man looked ahead as she listened to his words.


    She could almost imagine the panic that would ensue when the maze suddenly appeared.


    ¡ªPeople scrambling to find an exit, quickly spotting these arrows, banding together, following the arrows towards the exit¡­ increasing in numbers to a crowd¡­ Others would see this scene, invariably join the flow, thinking that the people leading the way knew where the exit was, filled with hope, yet, the result¡­


    Death urred without any warning.


    Su Man closed her eyes, unable to bear thinking about it further.


    However, Lu Yuwen beside her spoke again, ¡°However, there¡¯s something strange.¡±


    She opened her eyes and looked at him, ¡°What¡¯s strange?¡±


    Lu Yuwen said, ¡°Even if people followed these arrows, it¡¯s impossible that all of them were not conscious enough to see through this trap. Let¡¯s say there were ten thousand people here. With this scale, wasn¡¯t there a single person able to see the trap? Not even a one in ten thousand chance? That seems unlikely¡­¡±


    Su Man thought for a moment and said, ¡°The people who realized it was a trap must have left. Isn¡¯t it normal for them not to be in the maze?¡±


    Lu Yuwen still shook his head, ¡°Something¡¯s not right¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s not right?¡± Su Man didn¡¯t understand.


    Lu Yuwen patiently exined, ¡°Imagine the maze as a 10¡Á10 sliding puzzle. If someone found the exit by solving the puzzle and then passed it to you, what do you think the state of the puzzle would be?¡±


    Su Man was taken aback, then her eyes slowly widened as she seemed to understand.


    ¡°¡­Completed?¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡± Lu Yuwen furrowed his brow and continued, ¡°If someone had left following my method, the puzzle should now be solved. But, as you¡¯ve seen, during our journey thus far, we¡¯ve onlye across a maximum of three grid squares in a row, with almost all the other tiles in the wrong positions.¡±


    Stunned by this revtion, Su Man realized there was something off.


    ¡°Could it be¡­ that none of these people in the maze made it out alive? But even if they couldn¡¯t solve the entire puzzle, they should have solved at least part of it, right?¡±


    The current state of the maze showed no sign of someone having tried to solve it!


    ncing around, Lu Yuwen frowned and said, ¡°Either the exit doesn¡¯t require solving the map, or they encountered insurmountable difficulties while attempting to do so.¡±


    He then added, perhaps not wanting to worry Su Man, ¡°No matter what the situation, we will continue in our way. We will find out the truth sooner orter.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Su Man nodded.


    The two continued to walk for some distance until the edge, where they unexpectedly discovered anotherrge pit.


    ¡°Pit¡± was not exactly urate.


    The previous pit was smooth at the bottom, an empty space on the maze¡¯s map.


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The scene before them was more like a sunken terrain, the buildingspletely submerged, the ground level at the bottom of the pit was about a story lower than where Su Man was standing.


    Su Man quickly understood and said, ¡°The city¡¯s surface is a curved ne. When a lond plot is joined with a hignd plot, there will be a height difference. But this plot is really low, we should detour.¡±


    After saying this, she turned to look at Lu Yuwen, but was taken aback.


    For some reason, Lu Yuwen¡¯splexion had greatly deteriorated!

 Chapter 557: Dead Angle

    Chapter 557: Dead Angle


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Su Man asked.


    Lu Yuwen returned to his senses, staring at her, finding himself lost for words.


    Increasingly confused, Su Man stared at him, ¡°Are you not feeling well?¡±


    Cold sweat appeared on Lu Yuwen¡¯s forehead.


    A suspicion in his mind struck like a massive bell, making his brain buzz relentlessly. He was utterly dumbfounded. How could he express his thoughts?!


    ¡°Is your leg hurting again?¡± Su Man, naturally impatient, became even more agitated as he remained quiet. She asked repeatedly, ¡°What¡¯s bothering you exactly? What¡¯s going on? Say something, will you?¡±


    Lu Yuwen took a deep breath¡­


    ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ let¡¯s rest for a while.¡± He tried to sound as calm as possible. ¡°Having moved for a while, the wound indeed hurts a bit. Let¡¯s rest first. I also need to organize the map.¡±


    Su Man looked around, spotting a small supermarket nearby. She then helped Lu Yuwen walk towards it.


    As they made their way, she couldn¡¯t helpining, ¡°I¡¯ve told you I could carry you, but you refused steadfastly. See? Your wound has worsened again. You¡¯re too proud for your own good!¡±


    Lu Yuwen barely smiled, not disputing her im.


    Once at the supermarket, Su Man put down the luggage and efficiently cleared a space inside for them to rest. She then proactively gatheredbustible materials nearby to start a fire and boil some water.


    As soon as Su Man left, Lu Yuwen took out the map he had drawn from his bag.


    He had prepared 100 sheets of A4 paper, cut into squares, with the map drawn on one side and a sequence number on the other.


    Most of the sheets now held a piece of the map. ording to the n he and Su Man had, they would fill up the 100 grids on the map within two days at most. Then, the puzzle assembly process would begin.


    For Lu Yuwen, assembling a jigsaw puzzle, whether it¡¯s 10¡Á10 or 100¡Á100, wasn¡¯t an issue once he mastered the technique. The final step involved arranging the maze tiles in sequence to form a whole, from which the correct path would emerge.


    ¡ªThat was under ideal conditions.


    However, the current reality was¡­ he had overlooked the issue of differences in the horizon.


    Most of the map cells they encountered so far were all on the same level. Even if there was a difference, it was merely a step-like disparity. He hadn¡¯t anticipated that the terrain difference could be so pronounced.


    This implied that certain arrows at certain spots were destined to be unreachable. They were what was referred to as¡­ dead ends!


    For instance, on mountaintops, or underwater.


    The maze cells had always been in a state of disorder, most likely because someone inadvertently moved a piece into a dead end while assembling, hence preventing the entire puzzle from being correctly put together!


    He and Su Man¡­ might not be able to get out.


    They were trapped here.


    What should he do¡­


    Should he tell her?


    Outside, Su Man returned with an armful of firewood.


    Instead ofing in straight, she started a fire and set up a stove on the sidewalk outside the supermarket. ncing back into the supermarket, she noticed Lu Yuwen looking at her. She smiled at him.


    Lu Yuwen felt increasingly uneasy.


    He couldn¡¯t bring himself to speak.


    Su Man had put her utter trust in him, always believing that he could lead her out of the maze. But in reality¡­ he was helpless.


    He looked down at the map once again.


    Could it be that there really was no way out?


    ¡°Want some mixed congee for dinner?¡± Su Man had found some canned food in the supermarket and asked Lu Yuwen, ¡°We¡¯d get tired if we continued to eat biscuits and instant noodles, don¡¯t you think? There¡¯s canned mixed congee; want some?¡±


    Lu Yuwen nodded, ¡°Thank you¡­¡±


    Su Manughed again, ¡°I should thank you. Opening canned food is a bit tough for me; why don¡¯t you do it?¡±


    After the words were out, she stopped short.


    It was strange how she always consciously or unconsciously hid her hand¡¯s disability from friends and family but felt no psychological burden exining it to Lu Yuwen, a man she had only known for a few days. Why was that?


    Was it sympathy from shared adversity?


    Or¡­ because he was a ¡°stranger¡± she didn¡¯t quite know, it simply didn¡¯t matter?


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    During Su Man¡¯s moment of thought, Lu Yuwen received the can from her. With a casual tone, he asked: ¡°Su Man, why did you enter the maze?¡±

 Chapter 558: 558: Why Enter the Maze

    Chapter 558: Why Enter the Maze


    ¡­Why enter the maze?


    Su Man startled momentarily, gently holding her left hand without uttering a word.


    Lu Yuwen¡¯s gaze fell on her left hand, asking, ¡°How did you hurt your hand?¡±


    ¡°A game¡­¡± Su Man frowned lightly, ¡°I and some friends encountered a challenging game. She gave me her puzzle piece; otherwise, I would have not only lost a hand, but also lost my life.¡±


    ¡°Puzzle piece?¡± Lu Yuwen was taken aback, subconsciously looking at the map in his hand.


    Seeing his reaction, Su Man was taken aback for a moment too and hurried to exin, ¡°Not that kind of puzzle, it¡¯s that¡­huh? You don¡¯t know about the maze puzzles?¡±


    Lu Yuwen shook his head: ¡°What is a maze puzzle?¡±


    Su Man¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°You don¡¯t know about the maze puzzles?! As long as yers pass through the maze, they can enhance their physical constitutions and also receive puzzle pieces! Each maze can produce up to 9 puzzle pieces. Once all 9 puzzle pieces are obtained by the yers, the maze would disappear! Don¡¯t you know???¡±


    Lu Yuwen really didn¡¯t know, he shook his head again, ¡°All I know is not to get close to the white fog, where there is a maze that people can¡¯t get out of. How did you learn about this?¡±


    Su Man blurted out: ¡°We followed a rescue team, and almost everyone knew about this news.¡±<div>


    ¡°No wonder.¡± Lu Yuwen chuckled lightly, ¡°We didn¡¯t wait for the rescue team. Later, the city lost power and inte connection, and we lost contact with the outside world. We learned about the maze from the yers we encountered in the game.¡±


    Su Man was left speechless upon hearing this.


    Several of her family elders were military officials, and Li Li¡¯s family worked for the national research institute, so when the incident happened, they were categorized as key protection targets and were arranged to be evacuated in the first batch.


    Assuming that she was safely evacuated, she naturally presumed the same for others too.


    Assuming that she had received the news about the maze, she naturally presumed that everyone else, too, knew about it.


    But the truth is, a multitude of people didn¡¯t wait for the rescue and had to seek refuge on their own, gathering allies and partners on the way, and relying on the most primitive methods to exchange and disseminate information.


    Many are left dead or injured in the process; those who could hang on until now, like Lu Yuwen, are definitely few.


    Lu Yuwen didn¡¯t mind much about this particr point, asking Su Man instead: ¡°When you mentioned body enhancement earlier, what did you mean?¡±


    Su Man carefully responded, ¡°Um¡­ it¡¯s just a manner of speaking. Some say it¡¯s a promotion, some call it optimization, and some mention it as a kind of evolution. In general, various aspects of one¡¯s body be stronger, speed, power, endurance, and self-healing ability all seem to significantly improve, depending on each individual¡¯s physical characteristics.¡±


    Lu Yuwen understood, ¡°So¡­ you¡¯ve entered the maze before?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Su Man nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve been in the maze twice. This is my third time.¡±


    Having said that, she couldn¡¯t help but look gloomy, and softly said: ¡°Only with everyone¡¯s joint efforts could we get through the maze. Now that I¡¯m the only one left, I can¡¯t do anything¡­¡±


    Su Man looked up at Lu Yuwen and smiled, ¡°I really envy you guys, so smart, the maze game can¡¯t stump you.¡±


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not just about being smart¡­¡± Lu Yuwen stared at her, ¡°If you¡¯re left on your own, you¡¯ll quickly be disheartened, demoralized, devastated. But if you have friends, supporting each other, encouraging each other, you can persistently ovee difficulties, figure out ways to solve problems.


    Therefore, getting through the maze is not only credited to their strength, but your strength is also essential.¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Su Man stared at him nkly.


    After a moment, she grinned sheepishly, ¡°Thank you¡­ this is the first time I¡¯ve been¡­plimented like this¡­¡±

 Chapter 559: 559 Spend Some Time

    Chapter 559: Chapter 559 Spend Some Time


    Su Man felt embarrassed.


    Lu Yuwen also felt somewhat awkward. He was used to being alone, rarely opening up to others. When words of praise came out of his mouth, it unexpectedly seemed like sweet talk.


    If he continued, would it make him seem frivolous?


    Lu Yuwen averted his gaze, looked at the canned food in his hands, and said softly: ¡°Anyway¡­as long as we work together, we can definitely escape the maze.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Absolutely!¡± Su Man was full of vigor. She stood up and dered, ¡°I won¡¯t give up! I¡¯ll look around again. Maybe there are other useful things. We¡¯ll continue tomorrow!¡±


    Su Man turned to leave, full of energy.


    Watching her retreating figure, Lu Yuwen felt his spirits, only just revived, dissipate again. He was again despondent¡­


    That thing¡­he wasn¡¯t able to tell her.


    While she was full of expectations, telling her that they were trapped, that they would never be able to escape, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to say those words.


    Lu Yuwen irritably tugged at his hair.<div>


    What should he do?


    Even if he kept it from her, he couldn¡¯t conceal it for long! As soon as all 100 squares were explored and there was no next move, Su Man was bound to be suspicious!


    Unless he could find a solution to the dead-end problem before that.


    With this thought, Lu Yuwen paused.


    Looking at the can of eight-treasure porridge in his hand, his thoughts began to settle¡­


    Here they had food and water. If given more time, perhaps¡­perhaps he could find a solution.


    Lu Yuwen reached once more for the maps¡­


    ¡­


    After two more days, they had finallypleted the diagram for the 100 squares.


    Because thest dozen or so squares connect, presumably assembled by those before them, it saved them a lot of time.


    After they finished drawing all the squares, Lu Yuwen took only 22 minutes to assemble the 100 scattered squares into a map.


    Su Man was amazed, ¡°That¡¯s incredible¡­I wish I were that smart.¡±


    Lu Yuwen said with augh, ¡°This is actually quite slow. Some of the map drawings weren¡¯t very urate, after all, we¡¯re not professionals.¡±


    ¡°So next, do we just need to match this map to assemble the squares?¡± Su Man looked at him expectantly, shining with admiration.


    She had no resistance against such a clever man¡­or rather, against such a smart brain.


    Lu Yuwenughed and said, ¡°Next, we need to assemble it again.¡±


    Su Man froze, ¡°Assemble it again?¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lu Yuwen returned the map-drawing paper to its original position, ¡°Just now was just a test. Now we need to find the optimal solution, or in other words, the method to assemble the squares in the fewest steps.¡±


    Su Man nodded repeatedly, ¡°Right, we have to assemble the squares in reality. Each square is about 2 kilometers away. If we can find the optimal solution, we can save a lot of time.¡±<div>


    She stood up, telling Lu Yuwen, ¡°You focus on finding the optimal solution. I won¡¯t bother you. I¡¯ll take a walk outside.¡±


    Su Man thought of Lu Yuwen as a schr, and felt that such a clever person should be ¡°singly focused on their studies, oblivious to the outside world¡±.


    As for her, who couldn¡¯t solve the problem and couldn¡¯te up with any ideas, she took care of all the physicalbor.


    Finding food, scouting the environment, clearing roadblocks, she managed all of these tasks perfectly well without Lu Yuwen¡¯s assistance.<div>


    However, she didn¡¯t expect that Lu Yuwen would take two whole days to find the optimal solution and still not find it¡­


    Su Man hesitated.


    She wanted to ask him, but looking at Lu Yuwen furrowing his brows and facing those messy maps, she didn¡¯t dare to ask. She was worried that pushing him might stress him out, and even more interfere with his work in finding the optimal solution.


    Perhaps noticing Su Man¡¯s anxiousness, Lu Yuwen put away all the maps after one more day and told Su Man, ¡°Let¡¯s begin assembling.¡±

 Chapter 560: 560: Two Grids

    Chapter 560: Two Grids


    The map drawn by Lu Yuwen spanned from the Jiaolonghai Railway overpass in the east to Xuzhou Amusement Park in the west, Quanshan Forest Park in the south to Yangtun Station in the north¡ªthe whole area was divided into equal blocks of 100 squares.


    Eighteen connecting blocks were located at the southwest corner of the map, and Su Man suggested that they should start putting the puzzle together from these blocks.


    However, Lu Yuwen proposed that they should start from the northeast corner, where numerous machine factories, coal factories, fertilizer nts, and electrical machinery factories were scattered. This area was an industrial park, which made it easier to identify the blocks when looking for them because of their distinct features.


    It was easy to strategize on paper, but the execution was extremely challenging in reality.


    Lu Yuwen and Su Man spent an entire day only to piece together¡­ two blocks.


    It wasn¡¯t because they werezy, but rather every time they had to move a block, they had to return to the adjacent original block position, move the block just to create an empty slot, which allowed the target block to continue its movement.


    Just to urately ce the first block, they had to travel thirty kilometers!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Su Man quietly calcted the time. If they put together two blocks per day, then it would take a total of fifty days to put all 100 blocks together!


    Even if they subtracted the eighteen blocks which were already pieced together, it would still take at least forty days!


    Taking into ount the time already wasted in thebyrinth, wouldn¡¯t it be near to two months before they could get out?<div>


    This thought frightened Su Man.


    Two monthster, she had no idea what the world would look like. Would Yan and Zhu Shu still be in Shanghai? Where would she go to find them?


    Lu Yuwenforted her, saying that usually, the first few pieces of a 10¡Á10 puzzle game take the longest time because they have to travel the furthest. After they¡¯vepleted a portion, the speed will pick up.


    For example, afterpleting the peripheral 36 blocks, the map would be 8¡Á8, then after another 28 blocks, it would be 6¡Á6. As such, the map would be getting smaller, and assembling it would be increasingly easier.


    Su Man trusted him and calmly continued to piece together the blocks.


    The next day, their progress was¡ª


    Two blocks.


    The third day¡ª


    Still two blocks.


    ¡­


    Su Man started to feel anxious.


    Although she desperately wanted to keep moving the blocks without sleeping, Lu Yuwen was physically weaker than her. Already, ten hours of work per day was his limit.


    Once again, Lu Yuwen reassured her, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ve looked at the map, and ording to our progress, we should be able to assemble at least four blocks tomorrow.¡±


    Su Man mustered a smile.


    Four blocks, although the number had increased, but¡­


    However, having only moved ten blocks in four days, it wasn¡¯t exactly an optimistic speed.


    There were still 72 blocks left¡­


    ¡­


    The next day, Su Man and Lu Yuwen were busy from morning till night, and just as Lu Yuwen predicted, they managed to assemble four blocks.<div>


    As the sun set, they pitched their camp along the road.


    Lu Yuwen said to Su Man: ¡°We¡¯ll assemble another four blocks tomorrow. The initial speed will be slow, but don¡¯t worry too much. There is plenty of food and water here. It will be safer if we spend more time on this.¡±


    Su Man nodded and responded earnestly: ¡°Alright, I believe in you.¡±


    Lu Yuwen was slightly startled.<div>


    He didn¡¯t dare meet Su Man¡¯s gaze and looked away, mumbling, ¡°I¡¯ll go check the map again¡­¡±


    With that, he turned and went into the tent.


    ¡°I want to scout the road ahead,¡± said Su Man, who was sitting outside, speaking to him through the tent. ¡°That way, we can get a smoother start tomorrow. You should get some rest, don¡¯t tire yourself out.¡±


    There was no response from the tent.


    Su Man looked at the increasingly darkening sky, added a few more pieces of firewood to the fire, and then got up and left.


    She couldn¡¯t sit still anymore.


    The slow progress was making her anxious!


    She was naturally impatient, but now she had no choice but to calm down and follow Lu Yuwen¡¯s pace, step by step. It was so frustrating!


    What¡¯s more, their rtionship was not so familiar. Therefore, she couldn¡¯t treat him as she did her old teammates¡ªfreely urging him, questioning him, ming him! No matter how anxious she was inside, she had to swallow her feelings and empathize with his difficulties!


    Ah!


    Su Man walked about a hundred meters away, only to realize she had forgotten to take her dagger with her. Her anxiety morphed into vexation, and she had no choice but to go back the same way.


    Unexpectedly, shortly after turning back, she saw a dispute had arisen by the tent!


    <div>

 Chapter 561: 561: The Reason for Procrastination

    Chapter 561: The Reason for Procrastination


    It¡¯s Zhang Ke!


    In the many days that had passed, Su Man had almost forgotten about this guy! She had even thought that he might have been injured and died in some obscure corner!


    But it turned out, he suddenly reappeared!


    ¡°Hey!¡± Su Man quickened her pace and ran over, ¡°Bastard! Let him go!¡±


    Zhang Ke was still in his original attire, but now coated with mud and blood, his disheveled hair, haggard face made him look like a fugitive wandering in the wilderness, extremely wretched.


    At the moment, he grabbed Lu Yuwen¡¯s cor, pulling him in front of him while strangling Lu Yuwen¡¯s neck with his elbow. In his other hand, he held a knife, pressing it against Lu Yuwen¡¯s throat.


    He wasn¡¯t afraid of Su Man at all. He grimaced as he watched her run back, the point of the knife dug into the flesh, a bead of fresh blood spilling out, trickling down Lu Yuwen¡¯s handsome neck.


    Su Man frowned and stopped a few steps away from the bonfire.


    Zhang Ke lifted the knife slightly, but it was still against Lu Yuwen¡¯s neck.


    His gloomy eyes fixed on Su Man, he said, ¡°What are you nervous about? I¡¯m just chatting with my buddy here. I¡¯m a timid man, you know. If you start shouting and startle me, this knife might do something reckless¡­¡±<div>


    ¡°You want to kill him?¡± Su Man sneered, ¡°If you kill him, you can forget about ever getting out of here!¡±


    Zhang Ke¡¯s gaze became colder, his tone ambiguous, ¡°Do you think we can leave now? Heh¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Su Man stood her ground, calmly negotiating with Zhang Ke, ¡°Our goal is to get out of this maze. You can let him go. If you just want to vent your anger, let me make this clear to you: if you kill him now, you won¡¯t have a chance to escape either!¡±


    Zhang Ke watched her, a contemptuous smile on his face. ¡°¡­Idiot.¡±


    Su Man¡¯s face changed slightly, ¡°What did you say?!¡±


    ¡°I said, you¡¯re dumb!¡± Zhang Ke suddenly shouted, ¡°Do you think we¡¯re still trying to piece together a map?! Idiot! He¡¯s been leading you in circles these past few days! Don¡¯t you see?! He¡¯s just buying time!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Su Man froze, staring at Lu Yuwen in shock.


    Zhang Ke raised his arm, grabbing Lu Yuwen¡¯s hair roughly, forcing him to lift his head high, the cold de still pressed against his throat!


    ¡°Tell us why you were deliberately dying, hmm?¡± Zhang Ke said in Lu Yuwen¡¯s ear, his malicious gaze fixed on Su Man, ¡°Did you fancy this woman¡­ and that¡¯s why you didn¡¯t want to leave?¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Lu Yuwen couldn¡¯t speak.


    With gritted teeth, Su Man defiantly called out, ¡°Let him go! Puzzle-solving is always slow at first, and it¡¯s mentally exhausting! If you can¡¯t do it, don¡¯t assume someone else is stalling for time!¡±


    Zhang Keughed, full of mockery, ¡°Really a dumb woman¡­So easily fooled, it¡¯s no wonder that after several days, she doesn¡¯t doubt you. However, don¡¯t think of fooling me, understood?¡±


    The sharp de pressed tighter against Lu Yuwen, Zhang Ke asked quietly, ¡°Even at this point, you¡¯re still not willing to talk?¡­ Lu Yuwen, don¡¯t think I don¡¯t have the guts to do it.¡±


    Blood flowed down the shed wound.


    While it didn¡¯t reach the artery, the threat was clear.


    Lu Yuwen¡¯s throat bobbed, he managed to say, ¡°I¡¯ll tell¡­¡±


    ¡°Very good.¡± Zhang Ke curled his lips, loosening his grip and the de slightly, ¡°Tell us, why have you been stalling? Don¡¯t treat us like fools, if you dare lie, I¡¯ll skin you alive!¡±


    Finally, his gaze shifted to the stunned Su Man on the side, his smile cold, ¡°Let this stupid woman hear it too, how her trustworthypanion has been fooling her these past few days.¡±


    <div>

 Chapter 562: 562 Collaboration of Three People

    Chapter 562: Chapter 562 Coboration of Three People


    Su Man looked at Lu Yuwen, her eyes filled with confusion.


    After all these days¡­ had Lu Yuwen been deceiving her?


    Why?


    With a knife pressed against his throat, Lu Yuwen gasped, ¡°All these days¡­ I wasn¡¯t stalling. I was¡­ waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°Waiting for me?¡± Zhang Ke narrowed his eyes, pressing the knife against his skin. ¡°I warn you, don¡¯t try to fool me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± Lu Yuwen answered weakly.


    Blood was smeared around his neck, and his face bore bruises from being hit. His situation was dire, but his tone was calm.


    ¡°Zhang Ke, if you have been following us, you would have noticed that our slow pace is due to the need to make room for moving after every step. In essence, we are short-handed. If¡­ if you could join in, our efficiency would improve by at least double!¡±


    Zhang Ke scrutinized him suspiciously, ¡°Your reason, doesn¡¯t sound very convincing¡­¡±


    Lu Yuwen said: ¡°Suppose this ce is a 3¡Á3 puzzle, with grid cells marked from 1 to 8, and the 9th cell is the nk space. If my starting position is 8 and I want to move 8 to position 5, I would need to walk to 6, move down to 6, then diagonally walk to position 5, move right to 5, return to 8, move up, only then can I get 8 to position 5¡ª<div>


    Even though 8 and 5 are adjacent, my movement distance is not just one step, but at least three steps!


    What if the three of us stand in positions 5 and 6? You move position 6, then Su Man and I move position 5. While we¡¯re doing that, you move from position 6 to 8. At this point, position 8 has arrived at position 5!


    Do you understand now? The whole process only requires one step of movement on our part!¡±


    Zhang Ke furrowed his eyebrows, seemingly deep in thought.


    Lu Yuwen spoke again: ¡°If you join us,pleting the whole puzzle would take us at most six days! But if you continue hiding in the shadows, hoping to reap the benefits, then you¡¯ll have to wait at least a month to leave this ce! Zhang Ke, think about it. Do you want to coborate with us?¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Zhang Ke frowned without giving a response. His face, cast in the light of the fire, looked as if he was somewhat persuaded by Lu Yuwen¡¯s words.


    Suddenly, a cluster of mes flew into their sight!


    It was Su Man, kicking a burning log, sparks flew, and Zhang Ke hastily retreated!


    Taking the opportunity, Su Man grabbed Lu Yuwen and pulled him over!


    ¡°You?!¡­¡± Zhang Ke, without his hostage, red at them, ¡°You yed me?!!¡±


    Shielding Lu Yuwen behind her, Su Man retorted coldly: ¡°Even if we were to coborate, I wouldn¡¯t let Lu Yuwen be with you. Who knows what dirty tricks you might y!¡±


    Lu Yuwen said, ¡°Nobody is ying you, Zhang Ke. It¡¯s out of necessity that I suggested coboration, but under the current circumstances, we must join forces.¡±


    With a cynical look, Zhang Ke spat, ¡°We can team up, but I want to be paired with Lu Yuwen. Let the woman stay at the neighboring plot.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Su Man immediately refused.


    Zhang Ke red at them menacingly, ¡°You think I¡¯m a fool? Sending me alone to the nearby plot means keeping a distance of 2 kilometers between us! What if you guys escape after all the plots are assembled?!¡±


    ¡°You can tie me up with a rope.¡± Lu Yuwen suggested.


    Su Man immediately groaned, looking at Lu Yuwen, ¡°How could you¡­¡±


    Lu Yuwen squeezed her hand, giving her a quietly reassuring look. Turning to Zhang Ke, he said, ¡°Mr. Dongguo¡¯s rope should be in your possession now, right? As long as you stay alive, the rope can¡¯t be untied. You can rest assured, we certainly won¡¯t leave the maze before you.¡±


    <div>

 Chapter 563: 563: Missing a Piece

    Chapter 563: Missing a Piece


    ¡°Mr. Dongguo¡¯s Rope: Once a knot is tied, no one but the user can untie or damage the rope.


    Be aware, when the user dies, the item ceases to work.¡±


    This rope, originally belonged to Yang Zi. After Yang Zi¡¯s death, Zhang Ke, who used the rope, naturally became the ¡°user¡± of this item.


    Therefore, as long as Zhang Ke does not die, Lu Yuwen will never be able to free himself from the bondage of the rope!


    Lu Yuwen stood in front of Zhang Ke, letting Zhang Ke tightly bind his hands together.


    Su Man wanted to say something but stopped herself, and in the end remained silent.


    Zhang Ke nced at her, smiling insincerely, ¡°This is the best way, you guys can rest assured, and so can I.¡±


    ¡°Since you¡¯re relieved, you can leave now.¡± Lu Yuwen said calmly, ¡°With my hands tied, I am virtually disabled, so as long as I can leave thebyrinth, I will definitely find a way to bring you along.¡±


    Su Man stared at Zhang Ke coldly, ¡°If you go back on your word and don¡¯t untie the rope after we leave thebyrinth, I guarantee you¡¯ll die a horrible death.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Zhang Ke let out a sound of derision.<div>


    Despite his face showing disdain, he knew of Su Man¡¯s capabilities since he¡¯d been following them all this time. Thus, without saying anything, he turned and left, his figure gradually disappearing in the distance.


    A delicate bnce formed between the three of them.


    ¡°Will he keep his promise?¡± Su Man didn¡¯t feel relieved as she watched his figure depart. ¡°This kind of man can¡¯t be trusted, even if he cooperates with us, he will surely betray us in the end!¡±


    ¡°We have no choice¡­¡± Lu Yuwen sat on the ground, exhaling slowly.


    Blood was flowing from the wound on his neck, his cor soaking wet. He wanted to wipe it with his hand, but his hands were tied and he couldn¡¯t movefortably, so he gave up the thought.


    ¡°I forced him out not just because we were inefficient, but for another reason¡­¡± Lu Yuwen said.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Su Man took out some antiseptic and a bandage to treat his wound, and asked, ¡°What other reason?¡±


    Lu Yuwen remained silent for a moment, then said, ¡°There¡¯s something¡­ that only he can do. Neither of us can do it.¡±


    Su Man blinked, looking a bit puzzled, ¡°What is it?¡±


    Lu Yuwen looked up at her, ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡±


    His words halted.


    Su Man knitted her brows in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± Lu Yuwen hesitated, then lowered his head again, ¡°Never mind, you¡¯ll find out in a few days.¡±


    ¡°Why are you keeping me in suspense!¡± Su Man sighed in frustration.


    ¡­


    Zhang Ke might be a jerk, but he kept his word after the cooperation. The next day, as agreed, he started moving the blocks in the pre-arranged time, ce, and direction.


    By the time the sun went down in the evening, they hadpleted 10 blocks.


    At this pace, they doubled their progresspared to when Su Man and Lu Yuwen were working together.


    That evening, Zhang Ke received the new route from Lu Yuwen.<div>


    The third day, their efficiency was even higher,pleting 16 blocks!


    The fourth day, theypleted 22 blocks!


    Plus the 18 blocks they¡¯d originallypleted at the southwest corner of thebyrinth, they¡¯re 24 blocks away from the total of 100. Excluding the empty block, there¡¯re just 23 blocks left to go!


    Which means, if they speed up a little more, they can leave thebyrinth by tomorrow!<div>


    But when Zhang Ke went to Lu Yuwen again for the route, Lu Yuwen only marked two blocks on the paper.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the rest?¡± Zhang Ke raised his eyebrows at Lu Yuwen.


    Lu Yuwen handed the map over with his tied-up hands, he pointed out the area with difficulty and said, ¡°Once you go two more blocks, it¡¯ll connect to the 18 blocks at the southwest corner, but there¡¯s a block missing in this area¡­

 Chapter 564: 564: In the Water

    Chapter 564: In the Water


    Zhang Ke took the map, examined it carefully, then questioned Lu Yuwen with doubt:


    ¡°Missing a piece? Of the 100 parcels, 99 are there besides the empty space, so why do you say one is missing?¡±


    Su Man looked at the map puzzled too, the southwest corner of the region was Yunlong Lake, with 2 pure water areas and 6 half water halfnd, upying a total of 8 parcels.


    ¡°Which one is missing?¡± She asked.


    Lu Yuwen pointed to the map again, saying, ¡°It¡¯s in the water.¡±


    Zhang Ke and Su Man both froze.


    In the water¡­


    This meant that the arrows were also in the water.


    They needed to dive under the water to change the direction of the arrow, and then move the parcels!


    How deep do they need to dive? Unknown; how clear is the underwater visibility? Unknown; is it dangerous? Still unknown!<div>


    Zhang Ke, who had regained his senses, felt a surge of anger, grabbed Lu Yuwen by the cor, and said menacingly, ¡°You¡¯ve been nning to screw me over all along, haven¡¯t you?!¡±


    ¡°Let go!¡± Su Man grabbed Zhang Ke¡¯s wrist and pulled hard!


    Zhang Ke, strong and robust, was pulled off bnce by Su Man. He stumbled but managed to steady himself, his expression became even more fierce!


    ¡°If we have to go underwater, you guys go on your own! I won¡¯t go in!¡± he gritted his teeth and said.


    ¡°So I only gave you two parcels of the route.¡± Lu Yuwen was calm, ¡°The missing piece, shall we figure it out slowly?¡±


    ¡°Figure it out slowly?¡± Zhang Ke sneered and pointed at Su Man, ¡°Let her go down!¡±


    Su Man was stunned.


    Lu Yuwen spoke directly: ¡°She can¡¯t.¡±


    Su Man was surprised again, looking at Lu Yuwen with wide eyes, she didn¡¯t understand, why couldn¡¯t she?


    Did Lu Yuwen think she couldn¡¯t swim? Actually, her swimming ability was okay¡­


    ¡°Her hand is not functioning, she can¡¯t tie knots underwater.¡± Lu Yuwen said, ¡°The underwater visibility is limited, we find an arrow, then we need to find another arrow, this process can¡¯t be as fast as it is on the shore, when we find the next one, the previous arrow has already resumed its original direction, so, if we want to turn multiple arrows at the same time, we have to use certain methods, like tying them with ropes to fix the direction of the arrows.¡±


    Hearing this, Zhang Ke sneered, ¡°You¡¯ve even figured out the method, it seems like you¡¯ve long been waiting here for me. You can¡¯t go underwater because of your limp leg, she can¡¯t tie the rope with one hand, so who¡¯s left? Me! If I won¡¯t go, we¡¯ll just wait here together to die! Is that what you mean?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to go down, then don¡¯t go down! Why are you yelling?!¡± Su Man couldn¡¯t stand Zhang Ke¡¯s attitude and stood up to say, ¡°If you¡¯re so capable,e up with a solution! Comining does no good! If ites to that, I¡¯ll go into the water, if one hand can¡¯t tie the knot, I¡¯ll just wind it more times!¡±


    Zhang Ke looked at her sarcastically, ¡°Bind? Do you not know there¡¯s buoyancy underwater? Unless you tie it dead tight, no matter how many times you wind it, it¡¯lle loose!¡±


    Su Man red at him, ¡°Then what are you suggesting we should do?!¡±


    Zhang Ke gritted his teeth, brooded for a while, then he snorted, ¡°Let¡¯s check out the site tomorrow first!¡±


    After he finished speaking, he took the route map given by Lu Yuwen and turned to leave. Each step was deliberate, as if to vent his anger.


    After he left, Su Man finally couldn¡¯t help but ask Lu Yuwen, ¡°Is that the other reason you mentionedst time? Even without Zhang Ke, I could go into the water myself!¡±


    Lu Yuwen¡¯s face looked serious, ¡°Finding arrows underwater is not as easy as you think.¡±<div>


    He was stating the fact, but somehow, Su Man felt as if there was a raging fire burning inside her, she retorted, ¡°How difficult could it be? Do you think I can only handle easy tasks and not the challenging ones?!¡±


    Lu Yuwen was taken aback.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Su Man bit her lip and whispered, ¡°I know, you all think I¡¯m a fool who can only do things that don¡¯t require thinking.¡±


    Lu Yuwen opened his mouth, ¡°Su Man, I didn¡¯t mean that¡­¡±<div>


    Su Man lowered her head, murmuring, ¡°Forget it¡­I was just speaking off the top of my head.¡±


    She turned around and entered the tent.

 Chapter 565: 565: Encountering Such a Person

    Chapter 565: Encountering Such a Person


    Su Man knew she was wrong to have such an outburst.


    The timing was wrong, and so was the target.


    She shouldn¡¯t have lost her temper at Lu Yuwen, it could be that spending too much time in the maze had made her anxious,bined with concern for friends and missing her family¡­ These emotions piled up, leading to an untimely explosion.


    In retrospect, Lu Yuwen was entirely innocent. He was constantly thinking of a solution, but still had to deal withints from her and Zhang Ke.


    After calming herself a little, Su Man felt she should apologize to Lu Yuwen. But she was always obstinate and had never bowed her head to anyone, except for Bai Youwei.


    As she was thinking this, the curtain of the tent behind her was lifted, and Lu Yuwen walked in.


    ¡°Su Man, I am sorry about what just happened¡­¡±


    The man naturally began, apologizing to Su Man:


    ¡°The reason I spoke like that was not to doubt your abilities, but out of concern. I believe that if your friends and family were here, they would not want you to go into the water either because anyone who cares about you would not want to see you take any risks, even the slightest one.¡±


    Lu Yuwen sighed: ¡°Su Man, I am as concerned about your safety as your friends are.¡±<div>


    Upon hearing this, Su Man blushed slightly.


    His words were too sweet, making her almost shy¡­


    The strong-willed Su Man softened for the first time, stuttering: ¡°Actually, actually, I was also wrong, I¡­I lost my temper, earlier, I didn¡¯t mean to target you specifically¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, as long as we rify it, everything will be fine.¡± Lu Yuwen gently responded, ¡°Next, we just need to consider how to get out of the maze as soon as possible.¡±


    Su Man felt that what Lu Yuwen said was absolutely right.


    She immediately nodded in agreement.


    Lu Yuwen continued: ¡°Zhang Ke will definitely not volunteer to go into the water tomorrow, and so you might need to go down again.¡±


    Su Man nodded resolutely, ¡°With or without him doesn¡¯t matter, I can do it alone!¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I mean¡­¡± Lu Yuwenughed, exining, ¡°If Zhang Ke sees that you can change the direction of the arrow all by yourself, then he will not bother with the other arrows. So, after you go into the water tomorrow, you should first pretend to be unable to find the arrow, forcing him to go in. We can¡¯t let him reap the benefits without doing anything, understand?¡±


    Su Man couldn¡¯t help asking: ¡°What if Zhang Ke also can¡¯t find the arrow?¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°He will find it.¡± His eyes deepened in the dim light of the tent. ¡°He will find it. If you worry that he cannot do it alone, you can help him, but remember, you have to go into the water in the order I arranged, understand?¡±


    Su Man paused, then nodded and replied: ¡°Mmm, I understand.¡±


    Lu Yuwen showed his gentle smile again, ¡°Go to bed early, goodnight.¡±


    Su Man also smiled at him, ¡°Goodnight.¡±


    She felt a sense of contentment and peace. She thought to herself how fortunate she was to have met such a person in the maze.


    ¡­


    Early the next morning, when the sun was just right, Su Man and Lu Yuwen set off.


    So did Zhang Ke.


    They followed the nned route and quickly pieced together two pieces of the map, arriving at the edge of Yunlong Lake.<div>


    Frankly speaking, if it had not been for Lu Yuwen¡¯s prior exnation, neither Su Man nor Zhang Ke would have noticed anything amiss about theke¡¯s edge.


    This piece ofnd should have belonged to an old channel of the Yellow River, but somehow it had been moved here, and because the area was very low, four-fifths of it was submerged in the water of Yunlong Lake, at first nce it seemed like nothing more than a grassy slope on theke¡¯s edge.


    Su Man looked at the sparkling water and took a deep breath.


    Lu Yuwen reminded her, ¡°On the first trip, you don¡¯t have to do anything other than familiarize yourself with the depth of the water, and we will discuss everything else once you are back onshore.¡±<div>


    Su Man nodded, took off her shoes, and stepped barefoot into the water¡­

 Chapter 566: 566: Intentional

    Chapter 566: Intentional


    Two minutester, Su Man surfaced.


    Having consumed the mahi-mahi provided by Spring Bear, she could hold her breath for a long time. However, visibility underwater was terribly poor. No matter how long she could hold her breath, it was of no use since she had no idea where to look.


    Dejectedly, Su Man returned to shore and said to Lu Yuwen and Zhang Ke, ¡°The visibility underwater is extremely low. A simple stroke of my hand mixing the silt and dust into the water, making it murky, and I couldn¡¯t see a thing.¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Of course, you¡¯ll cloud up the water if you wade in.¡± Zhang Ke frowned, ¡°We should get a boat and go straight to the center of theke. Arrowheads are generally distributed in the center area of the plot!¡±


    Lu Yuwen shook his head, ¡°There may be no boat avable around here, and we are unsure about the depth in the center of theke, it¡¯s very risky to just plunge in.¡±


    Zhang Ke was dismissive, ¡°How do we know if there are no boats without looking? Searching along the shore like you guys, we might not find the arrowhead even by nightfall!¡±


    Although Su Man despised Zhang Ke, she had to admit his words made sense. She looked uncertainly at Lu Yuwen and asked, ¡°Should we¡­?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep trying here. It¡¯s safer.¡± Lu Yuwen insisted, with steady confidence, ¡°Su Man, please go underwater one more time. You don¡¯t need to hold your breath for too long this time, around one minute will do. Just feel the underwater situation nearby.¡±


    ¡°Lu Yuwen, are you out of your mind?¡± Zhang Ke was finally angered, ¡°What can be achieved in a minute? Aren¡¯t you willing to let this woman go underwater?!¡±


    Lu Yuwen watched theke surface, still calm, ¡°She and I are partners, and it¡¯s quite normal to worry about her facing dangerous situations underwater. Zhang Ke, if you¡¯re unhappy about it, you can figure out your own method. Anyway, I won¡¯t let Su Man take the risk.¡±<div>


    Zhang Ke sneered, ¡°Ame and a cripple, what a perfect match.¡±


    ¡°You!¡­¡± Su Man¡¯s eyebrows raised, her temper ring.


    Lu Yuwen held her back, shaking his head, ¡°Don¡¯t mind him, Su Man. Please go underwater again, this time at a different spot. We¡¯ll take it slow, safety is our top priority.¡±


    Su Man bit her lip and nodded.


    This wasn¡¯t the time for rash actions. The priority was to find the arrowhead.


    Su Man prepared to dive.


    Zhang Ke muttered under his breath, ¡°Two idiots.¡±


    Then he left.


    ¡­


    Su Man¡¯s second dive was still fruitless.


    When she emerged from the water, she couldn¡¯t help but say to Lu Yuwen, ¡°I think Zhang Ke¡¯s suggestion is not devoid of reason. Perhaps we should find a boat, row to the center of the field, and then go underwater to find the arrowhead¡­¡±


    Lu Yuwen handed her a bath towel, ¡°No rush, Zhang Ke will go find the boat.¡±


    Su Man took the towel, paused and asked, ¡°¡­Shouldn¡¯t we¡­help him?¡±


    Lu Yuwen shook his head, ¡°Zhang Ke does not fully trust us. It would be better for us to let him deal with this instead of making him paranoid. Even if we want to use a boat, we should let him suggest it. By proposing the solution himself, he will not only lower his guard but also fully cooperate. Now all we need is rest.¡±


    It¡¯s simr to apany meeting. If a person proposes a certain scheme, they will keep looking for supporting arguments to uphold their proposal¡¯s validity when facing others¡¯ skepticism ¨C it¡¯s a psychological defense mechanism.


    Su Man¡¯s eyes widened, looking at Lu Yuwen with both shock and admiration, ¡°Did you do it all on purpose?!¡±


    Lu Yuwen nced at her, gently smiled, but said nothing.


    Su Man started to get excited, ¡°Lu Yuwen! You¡¯re so clever!!!¡±


    Lu Yuwen felt awkward and replied shyly, ¡°It¡¯s just simple psychological knowledge, not much to do with being smart¡­¡±<div>


    Su Man was aware that she overreacted, but she was still excited and her eyes sparkled as she looked at Lu Yuwen, ¡°Even if it was just simple knowledge, I didn¡¯t think of it¡­ I wish I could be as clever as you.¡±


    After speaking, she lowered her head to look at her soaking wet clothes; her mood unknowingly declined:


    ¡°Lu Yuwen, if I hadn¡¯t met you, I would never have been able to get out of this maze alone.¡±


    <div>

 Chapter 567: 567: Not A One-Man Show

    Chapter 567: Not A One-Man Show


    Su Man was feeling some regret.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    When she had set out, she was filled with fervor, driven by zealousness, believing herself to be brave, strong, fearless!


    But now, she was feeling her own weakness and helplessness more acutely!


    Would she have been able to urately draw out the map if she hadn¡¯t encountered Lu Yuwen? Could she have pieced together the scattered plots ofnd? She feared she would have been confused by those misleading arrows and turned into a puppet before she even realised.


    Why was she always like this?


    Why couldn¡¯t she be as calm as Lu Yuwen and think things through clearly?


    A shadow fell over her as Lu Yuwen stepped in front of her.


    ¡°Su Man, if I hadn¡¯t met you, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to get out of thebyrinth either,¡± said Lu Yuwen.


    He wanted to pat her shoulder infort, but realized that his hands were tied, so he put them back down.


    Su Man mustered up some courage and forced a smile, ¡°Hmm, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m fine!¡±<div>


    It was just a moment of short-lived dejection.


    ¡°Be it the game, or thebyrinth, it¡¯s never a one-man job,¡± Yuwen said again.


    Su Man nodded in agreement.


    There was a small boat appearing on theke in the distance. As it got closer, they saw Zhang Ke on the boat, waving at them.


    Zhang Ke had indeed found a boat¡ª


    It was a pedal boat, amon sight in water parks, with four seats. The main propulsion came from pedaling, stirring the des, pushing water away. It also had a couple of oars.


    When Zhang Ke docked the pedal boat, Lu Yuwen said, ¡°Although you found a boat, sliding into the center of theke and diving into an unpredictable depth is still too risky¡­¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t we just tie a rope?¡± Zhang Ke interrupted impatiently, ¡°There¡¯s a rope on the other side of theke. Get onboard, I¡¯ll take you there.¡±


    Lu Yuwen stood still, his eyes scrutinizing the pedal boat, ¡°Are you sure the rope is long enough for us to dive to the bottom¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop nagging!¡± Zhang Ke frowned, ¡°If it¡¯s not long enough, just tie several ropes together, hurry up and get on board!¡±


    Su Man looked silently at Lu Yuwen.


    As he had predicted, after Zhang Ke proposed the n, he took the initiative to start resolving problems in the implementation process.


    Zhang Ke thought he had taken control, yet he was oblivious to the fact that everything was a result orchestrated by Lu Yuwen.


    The three of them got on the boat, went to the other side to fetch some hemp ropes, and then arrived at the center of the submergednd.


    Through the surface of the water, the forest beneath was barely visible. The boat asionally scraped against the treetops. The branches rubbing against the bottom of the boat produced a creaking sound.


    Su Man was the first to dive in.


    As she went under, Zhang Ke was continuously watching the surface of the water with conflicting emotions. He wanted to dive in for himself yet he was worried about being tricked.


    He had yed the game with Lu Yuwen before. He knew that he was not as innocent as he seemed, but was rather cunning! Otherwise, in the past, both Brother Xiao and Yang Zi wouldn¡¯t have been so cautious of Lu Yuwen.


    This time Su Man spent two minutes underwater.<div>


    For an average person, that was quite a long time.


    Zhang Ke frowned at her, ¡°Why did it take so long?¡±


    ¡°What is the situation under the water? Did you see the arrows?¡± Lu Yuwen asked.


    Su Man took a deep breath, looked at both of them, and said, ¡°There is good news and bad news¡ª<div>


    The good news is that many of the arrows are on the tree trunks, meaning we don¡¯t need to dive to the bottom. We can find the arrows by diving just over three meters.¡±


    The bad news is¡­ branches can entangle the rope; I got stuck when I wasing up and it took me a few seconds to free myself.¡±


    Under the water, every second of dy could be fatal.


    Su Man looked at Zhang Ke and seriously suggested, ¡°When you diveter, it¡¯s better not to tie a rope. Having a rope might actually be more dangerous.¡±

 Chapter 568: 568: Strike First

    Chapter 568: Strike First


    Zhang Ke refused without hesitation, his tone icy: ¡°I won¡¯t tie the rope. Who knows if you¡¯ll run away if I get into trouble? Just choose a gap between the trees when you get into the water.¡±


    Su Man wanted to persuade him, but the look in Lu Yuwen¡¯s eyes silenced her¡­


    Zhang Ke waspletely in control of the rhythm on the boat.


    He instructed Su Man to retrieve the arrows from the water;


    Lu Yuwen to prepare the short rope to bind the arrows;


    When Su Man returned, he told her to inform him of the exact location of the arrows.


    Su Man and Lu Yuwenplied obediently, following hismand to the letter.


    As the task of positioning the arrows required Zhang Ke to get into the water, somepromise was essential for cooperation.


    Zhang Ke understood this well.


    However, despite theplying attitudes of Su Man and Lu Yuwen, he still did not trust them. Before jumping into the water, he reced the ordinary hemp rope with Mr. Dongguo¡¯s rope.<div>


    One end was tied around his waist, and the other was knotted around Lu Yuwen¡¯s wrist.


    Lu Yuwen calmly suggested, ¡°It¡¯s better if you tie it to the boat. If something really happens, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be much help to you.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t she also here?¡± Zhang Ke sneered at Su Man, ¡°I believe she could abandon the boat, but she definitely won¡¯t abandon you.¡±


    Su Man gritted her teeth, seething internally.


    ¡°It seems you still don¡¯t trust us,¡± Lu Yuwen calmly responded, sitting on the boat with his tied hands resting on the back of the front seat. ¡°Even if I try to persuade you further, it would be seen as an excuse for escape. So, I will make only one request. Su Man must stay on the boat when you are in the water.¡±


    ¡°Are you afraid of dying?¡± Zhang Ke mocked, tightening the rope around his waist, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll untie you if we can get out of this damn ce.¡±


    After he finished speaking, he dove into the water.


    With a ssh, Zhang Ke submerged under the water.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Su Man, clearly annoyed, reluctantly watched the water surface before sitting down beside Lu Yuwen.


    She loathed cooperating with someone like Zhang Ke.


    He was selfish, ruthless, and would resort to any means to achieve his ends. He cruelly injured Lu Yuwen¡¯s knee to prevent him from escaping. Who knows what he might do once they escaped the maze!


    At this thought, she nced at Lu Yuwen.


    Lu Yuwen was calming himself in quiet meditation.


    His peaceful demeanor reminded Su Man of Yan Qingwen¡­ ah, how she longed for her teammates. She thirsted for their exit from thisbyrinth.


    Su Man prayed earnestly in her heart.


    ¡­


    As time passed, the weather was fair and sunny.


    Zhang Ke and Su Man took turns diving underwater ¨C one to bind arrows, the other to locate them.


    The short rope used for binding arrows was quickly diminishing on the boat.<div>


    After Zhang Ke had dived once again, Lu Yuwen told Su Man, ¡°Next time you look for arrows, try to find ones farther and deeper.¡±


    Su Man was taken aback, ¡°You mean¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, just as you thought.¡± Lu Yuwen nodded, ¡°Xiao and Yang Zi were both killed because of me. After leaving the maze, Zhang Ke will certainly not let me go, nor untie the rope. We must make the first move.¡±


    ¡°How dare he?!¡± Su Man¡¯s face darkened immediately.<div>


    Lu Yuwen found her expression amusing and exined, ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate him. Even though he can¡¯t defeat you physically, he still has two items.¡±


    Su Man asked, ¡°What items?¡±


    Lu Yuwen¡¯s smile faded as he replied, ¡°One is Mr. Dongguo¡¯s wolf, and the other is Mr. Dongguo¡¯s book, which was stolen from me. The former has strong attacking power, and thetter can negate the effectiveness of items. If you have any items, be careful.¡±


    Su Man became cautious.


    If things were as Lu Yuwen said, then this was indeed the best opportunity to kill Zhang Ke.


    She was confident in dealing with Zhang Ke, but not so sure about dealing with Zhang Ke armed with items. If Zhang Ke lived until they escaped the maze, neither her nor Lu Yuwen would survive!


    ¡°I know what to do.¡± Su Man finally nodded slowly.

 Chapter 569: 569: The Great Whirlpool

    Chapter 569: The Great Whirlpool


    Zhang Ke¡¯s presence cast a pallor of anxiety over Su Man and Lu Yuwen. It was as if they were perennially on edge, unable to rx.


    They set out once again to locate the arrowhead, and this time, per Lu Yuwen¡¯s suggestion, Su Man intentionally chose a spot deeper under the water.


    Zhang Ke returned to the boat for a break and asked Su Man where the next arrowhead was to be tied. Su Man pointed it out to him.


    ¡°From here, go down about three or four meters¡­¡±


    ¡°Is it three meters or four?¡± Zhang Ke challenged with a raised eyebrow, evidently dissatisfied. ¡°Did you leave your brain on the boat when you dove?¡±


    Without missing a beat, Su Man fired back: ¡°I did bring my brain with me! But not a ruler! How am I supposed to measure under the water? Or did you expect me to provide you an exact measurement to the centimeter?¡±


    Zhang Ke retorted, ¡°You¡¯re so fucking stupid. Can¡¯t you see where the rope is wet on your body? Isn¡¯t that a clear indication of how deep you dived?¡±


    With that, he got up to grab the rope on her.


    Su Man¡¯s heart started racing! She was already not good at pretending, now seeing Zhang Ke checking the rope, she became increasingly panicky!


    ¡°Why is your entire rope drenched?¡± Zhang Ke asked, holding and inspecting the wet rope.<div>


    Lu Yuwen provided a calm exnation: ¡°Every time she climbs aboard, the rope gets rolled up. So naturally even the dry parts would get wet.¡±


    Zhang Ke frowned but said nothing more.


    After briefly resting, he leapt into the water following the direction Su Man pointed out¡ª


    Su Man immediately stood up, gripping the railing to peer below.


    ¡°Will hee back?¡± she nervously watched the water¡¯s surface. ¡°I¡¯m not so sure now¡­ What if the arrowhead I pointed out wasn¡¯t deep enough? ¡­Or, if he thinks it¡¯s too deep, what if hees back halfway?¡±


    Zhang Ke was no fool. Regardless of whether he found the arrowhead or whether it was securely tied, he certainly would have saved enough time to hold his breath. After all, nothing was more vital than his own safety.


    Lu Yuwen said, ¡°When he went underwater to tie the arrowheads earlier, it took him an average of about 70 seconds each time. That¡¯s his safe limit, I suppose. If we presume his limit is 20 seconds more than that, it¡¯s one and a half minutes. I just have to jump off the boat within 70 seconds and let the rope wrap around the tree. His death would be inevitable.¡±


    Su Man¡¯s eyes widened in shock, ¡°What about you?!¡±


    Lu Yuwen gave a faint smile. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember? I can also hold my breath. Although I can¡¯t do it as long as you two, I assure staying underwater for 30 seconds should be no issue.¡±


    Su Man stood up, unable to hide her anxiety. ¡°No! It¡¯s too risky. What if ¡­¡±


    Before she could finish her thought, the boat jolted!


    Theke roiled as if some massive beast was stirring beneath the surface. Waves began top against the boat!


    Both of theirplexions transformed. They knew too well that this was a sign of the arrowhead changing direction!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Lu Yuwen immediately stood up, and with a sense of urgency, said to Su Man, ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you, but the most dangerous part of this n is not finding or tethering the arrowhead. It¡¯s when the arrowhead is changing its direction. The movement of thendmass will cause a massive underwater whirlpool! Zhang Ke has tied the rope around me, whether I jump into the water or not, I¡¯ll be sucked into the vortex! Su Man, remember! No matter what happens, you must stay aboard! Otherwise, all our efforts will be in vain!¡±


    ¡°Lu Yuwen!¡± Su Man reached for him; she didn¡¯t want him to make the plunge!


    But then a wave crashed against the boat! In an instant, the whole vessel tilted dangerously!


    She lost her bnce and had to grasp the railing. With helpless horror, she watched Lu Yuwen disappear into the water!


    The boat she was riding, like a frisbee being thrown, was lifted into the air before violently crashing back onto the surface of the water!


    Thrown by the impact, Su Man hit the railing and ckness threatened to envelop her vision!<div>


    Without a moment¡¯s respite, the boat started to retreat quickly, propelled by the water¡¯s current. It was a result of theke water pouring into the now vacant space created by the shiftingndmass!


    If Lu Yuwen was sucked into that vacancy by the whirlpool, death would be the only certainty!


    Steel determination shed across Su Man¡¯s face as she rolled overboard and plunged into the water.


    <div>

 Chapter 570: 570: Rapid Stream

    Chapter 570: Rapid Stream


    The water is rushing fast!


    The water level is dropping rapidly!


    Su Man couldn¡¯t control her own body. The turbulent flow swept her away, and with a bang, she smashed into arge tree!


    The massive impact almost shattered her back. If it weren¡¯t for her enhanced physique, she probably would have been knocked unconscious on the spot!


    She didn¡¯t dare to imagine what would happen if it were Lu Yuwen who was hit. Could he withstand the force?


    Now the only hope was that he had, as nned, used a rope to wrap around a branch. Otherwise, being swept into the open space, from a height of four to five stories, would be enough to kill him!


    Even if he was lucky enough not to die from the fall, the water would sweep him into a colossal pit nearly 4000 square meters in size. Even if Su Man wanted to save him, she wouldn¡¯t know where to find him!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Her only chance was now!


    But where was Lu Yuwen now?!


    The water level dropped rapidly. Su Man looked around and finally saw Lu Yuwen. He was tangled in a tree, the top half of his body emerged as the water level dropped.<div>


    ¡°Lu Yuwen!¡± Su Man shouted at him.


    Lu Yuwen was floating in the water, his life or death unknown. A bit farther away, there was another figure, being shaken ceaselessly by the water, and too showed no signs of life.


    Between the two of them was a long rope, hanging from a branch. The branch couldn¡¯t bear the weight of the two and could snap at any moment.


    Su Man gritted her teeth and let go. She started drifting with the water current, grabbing onto the rope between Lu Yuwen and Zhang Ke!


    In an instant, the branch carrying the weight of three people immediately broke!


    Su Man collided again with a tree trunk in the swift current. She grunted with pain, her left hand hooked around a branch while her right hand held tightly onto the rope. The immense pull nearly broke her hand bones!


    She intended to pull Lu Yuwen closer but her injured left hand gave out and let go. Under the force of the water, she and Lu Yuwen collided and were both swept away even farther!


    Within moments, they were swept more than a hundred meters away!


    Su Man felt searing pain all over her body.


    Under the rapid current, countless branches tore against her skin as if shed by a thousand swords. Her right hand gripped the rope so tightly, it felt as if it was about to rip apart.


    With all her strength, she swung her left hand around, trying to find something to hold on to in the water. Finally, when she collided with amppost, she managed to hook on to it!


    But at this point, they were already near the edge of the open space; the ferocious waves gushed downwards like a waterfall. Her entire body was in pain, her right hand appeared to be holding onto not a rope, but the edge of a de! It was tearing into her palm!


    Su Man gritted her teeth, tears streaming down her face, pain wracking her body, making her weep out loud.


    Using up herst bit of strength, she tried pulling Lu Yuwen to her side by themppost, all the while shouting his name: ¡°Lu Yuwen!¡­ Lu Yuwen!¡­¡±


    Lu Yuwen weakly opened his eyes and silently watched her.


    Submerged and surfacing, the water kept washing over his face, drowning his mouth and nose. His face was so pale it was frightening, it seemed like he could lose his life at any moment.


    Su Man shouted at him, ¡°Lu Yuwen! Wake up! When the water level drops a bit more, we¡¯ll be safe!¡±


    Indeed, the water level was dropping rapidly, but right now Su Man was not pulling one person, but two.


    Zhang Ke¡¯s body floated not far away. Each wave that hit his body brought a gravitational pull, equivalent to another round of torture on Su Man¡¯s right hand!<div>


    Lu Yuwen whispered hoarsely, ¡°Forget it, let go¡­


    Su Man clenched her teeth and shook her head desperately, her eyes red.


    Looking at her, Lu Yuwen somehow managed a weak smile and opened his mouth again: ¡°Su Man, remove¡­ remove my sses. They were just a prop¡­ the reason why I could tell the arrows in the maze were messed up¡­ now, I give it to you¡­ in the future, you will be very smart. You will never¡­ never have to envy others¡­¡±


    ¡°No! Don¡¯t!¡± Su Man sobbed, ¡°Lu Yuwen are you still a man or not! Stop talking like you¡¯ve given up! We will survive!!!¡±<div>


    A piece of driftwood floated in the fast current, suddenly hitting Lu Yuwen¡¯s shoulder, and his body instantly submerged underwater.


    ¡°Lu Yuwen!!!¡± Su Man shrieked, plunging herself into the water!

 Chapter 571: 571: All is Well

    Chapter 571: All is Well


    The night was serene, utterly tranquil.


    At the edge of the frigid, silentke, firewood crackled and campfires raged.


    Lu Yuwen opened his eyes and saw the stars filling the sky, momentarily finding himself in a daze.


    ¡­ Had he not died?


    Or had he died, entering another world?


    Lu Yuwen closed his eyes. The clear sensation of pain traveled throughout his body, his throat burning, his head heavy and foggy.


    Then, he heard soft sobbing.


    He opened his eyes, turning to see Su Man sitting not far off, her head deeply buried in her knees as if she were crying.


    ¡°Su Man¡­¡±


    Lu Yuwen tried to call her name, but his voice was hoarse when he opened his mouth.<div>


    With great effort, he picked up a stone at his side and threw it towards her, causing a disturbance.


    Su Man lifted her head, and seeing that Lu Yuwen was awake, she quickly wiped her tears and walked towards him.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake? Are you feeling better? Are you ufortable anywhere?¡±


    Lu Yuwen opened his mouth, ¡°Water¡­¡±


    ¡°Water?¡± Su Man said in confusion, ¡°You¡¯ve been soaked in water for so long, you still want to drink water?¡±


    Lu Yuwen couldn¡¯t help but feel both amused and frustrated, and could only look at her helplessly.


    Realizing her ridiculous reaction, Su Man awkwardly stood up and went to get Lu Yuwen some water.


    The cool, clear water slid down his throat, and Lu Yuwen¡¯s raspy voice gradually recovered.


    He looked at Su Man in front of him, then at the hastily treated wounds on his body, full of mixed feelings, ¡°How did I not die¡­.¡±


    In that situation, no matter how he thought about it, he should have been dead¡­


    Su Man was a little upset, ¡°What are you talking about dying? Of course it¡¯s because I saved you.¡±


    Lu Yuwen looked at her with a gentle, pleasing smile, ¡°But in that situation, you could have died too if you tried to save me¡­¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Su Man pursed her lips, her eyes focused on the burning bonfire, she murmured in response, ¡°Someone once told me, to keep going¡­ no matter what, you must persevere.¡±


    Perhaps, even the most desperate situations can turn around with just a little bit more perseverance.


    Lu Yuwen fell silent upon hearing this. After a while, he whispered, ¡°Yes¡­we should persevere.¡±


    ¡­


    The next day, they began piecing together thend blocks again.


    Without Zhang Ke¡¯s help, their efficiency decreased significantly, but with no threats from Zhang Ke, both of them felt rxed mentally and advanced smoothly.


    When thestnd block was inserted into the correct position, the arrows on the maze began to vibrate, like countless bees flying into the sky, densely packed, yet orderly!<div>


    The arrows, they were all pointing in one direction!


    Su Man and Lu Yuwen looked at each other.


    Both of them knew that this time, the ce the arrows pointed to, must be the real exit!


    After enduring so many long days and nights in the maze, now, they were finally about to leave!<div>


    The anticipation turned into reality right before their eyes, Su Man¡¯s heart was pounding, her excitement was beyond words.


    Carrying Lu Yuwen on her back, despite her physical and mental exhaustion, seeing the exit close at hand made her steps incredibly light, even quickening as she went¡ª


    Su Man stepped into the gate pointed to by the arrows!


    ¡°Congrattions to the yer for clearing Maze No. 6.¡±


    The long-lost voice rang in her ears, and Su Man was so excited that she almost shouted out loud!


    The familiar mechanical voice continued:


    ¡°The yer is the first to clear Maze No. 6 and can receive 3 pieces of the doll jigsaw.¡±


    ¡°yer¡¯s ranking for clearing this round of the game is, first. Now upgrading yer data¡­ Ding, the upgrade is finished.¡±


    ¡°Rewards have been calcted, yers are invited to continue the game, strive to clear more levels¡ª¡±


    As the voice ended, the white mist dissipated.


    Su Man was the first to unwrap the bandage on her left hand!


    The hand was smooth and white, the fingers slender and supple. Her hand waspletely healed!


    Unable to contain herself any longer, Su Man wept for joy! She held her own hand crying like a child.<div>


    Lu Yuwen just stood there, stunned, a short distance away.


    Overjoyed, Su Man ran over to him, ¡°Lu Yuwen, my hand is healed! See,pletely healed!¡±


    Lu Yuwen lowered his head to look at his own foot, ¡°My foot¡­it¡¯s healed too¡­¡±

 Chapter 572: 572: Wonderful

    Chapter 572: Wonderful


    Su Man froze, repeating his words in bewilderment, ¡°Your foot¡­ is healed?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Lu Yuwen gazed down at his own crippled foot, equally astounded.


    This foot of his was congenitally deformed. Although surgery made it functional enough for walking and everyday tasks, its limping gait was far from elegant.


    From a young age, every time school ended or sses were over, he was always thest one to leave the ssroom.


    He didn¡¯t want people to see him hobbling along.


    Who would have thought that this foot, limping for over twenty years, would be healed just because of a maze?


    Even though Su Man had said before that the maze could boost one¡¯s physical constitution, such a change was too¡­ too fantastical¡­


    Su Man, on the other hand, considered another point¨C


    The maze could not only heal recent injuries but even old ones!


    If Lu Yuwen¡¯s foot could be healed, wouldn¡¯t Bai Youwei¡¯s leg also be curable?!<div>


    With this thought, Su Man became even more excited, and she couldn¡¯t help hugging Lu Yuwen tightly, happily eximing: ¡°That¡¯s excellent! Lu Yuwen! That¡¯s great! Really great! ¡­¡±


    Lu Yuwen blushed slightly as she held him.


    Even though going through life and death together could indeed breed feelings, Su Man¡¯s enthusiasm still caught him off guard, leaving him a little flustered but also feeling warm inside; he didn¡¯t expect Su Man to care so much about him.


    Lu Yuwen hesitated before stretching out his arms and¡­ also hugging Su Man.


    Su Man suddenly pulled away from him, eximing excitedly: ¡°Quick, see how many puzzle pieces you¡¯ve got?¡±


    He was taken aback, opening his palm, which held two puzzle pieces.


    ¡°This thing¡­ is it a puzzle piece?¡± Lu Yuwen gently caressed the thin silver metal piece, trying to fit the two puzzle pieces together, but the grooves on each side couldn¡¯t snap into ce.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°I¡¯ve never got this many puzzle pieces before!¡± Su Man was overjoyed, ¡°Lu Yuwen, we are the first ones to pass this maze, so we got a total of 5 puzzle pieces! 5 pieces! We wouldn¡¯t be afraid of dying in the game even five times now!¡±


    Lu Yuwen couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°You, thinking about death so soon¡­¡±


    Su Man, holding the puzzle pieces,ughed. As sheughed, her eyes teared up; her nose stung, and she couldn¡¯t stop herself from crying.


    She wasughing and crying, unsure of exining her emotions.


    Lu Yuwen lightly patted her shoulder,forting her.


    Surrounding scene suddenly changed again, leaving only pure white and an overwhelminglyrge door wreathed in a white light.


    ¡°Maze war progress has exceeded 55%, please get ready for registration.¡±


    A baffling sentence popped out of nowhere.


    Lu Yuwen furrowed his brow questioningly and asked Su Man, ¡°What do we need to register for after passing the maze?¡±


    Su Man also looked puzzled, gently shaking her head: ¡°I don¡¯t know, nothing like this ever happened before after exiting the maze¡­¡±


    Lu Yuwen surveyed the surroundings once more, his gaze falling back to the glowing door.


    Besides the entrance, they had nowhere else to go.<div>


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, enter and see what¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Both shoulder by shoulder stepped through the door¡ª


    And were met with a blinding white light.<div>


    Su Man and Lu Yuwen instinctively closed their eyes. Once they adjusted to the light, they found themselves in a gigantic white room.


    Rather than a room, it might be more urate to call it a square given its vastness, even though it was closed off on all sides, including the endlessly tall ceiling.


    All was white.


    The floor, the walls, the ceiling, allposed of white blocks. The texture between metal and ss made it hard to describe.


    Scattered about the room were individuals standing alone, watching them warily.


    Su Man was shocked to discover that¡­ almost everyone here was a foreigner.

 Chapter 573: 573: Comrades

    Chapter 573: Comrades


    There were foreigners in the country, but after the world changed, everyone scattered, hiding and fleeing to various ces. Yet this ce had gathered so many foreigners.


    Su Man and Lu Yuwen remained silent on the surface, but their nerves were on edge simultaneously, alertly watching the people around them.


    Those people were also looking at them.


    However, no one came forward to talk. People grouped in threes and fours, forming small groups, discussing something in whispers.


    Su Man and Lu Yuwen continued forward and saw that this was not just a gathering of ¡°foreigners¡±, but a gathering of people from all over the world¡ª


    Various skin colors, various costumes, they also saw Asian faces.


    What was going on?


    Why was everyone gathered here? Was it for that so-called maze war?


    Just as they were puzzled, a white square nearby suddenly lit up. Three people entered from the light, just like Su Man and Lu Yuwen when they had first arrived, their eyes wide in surprise.


    These were three ck men. They looked around in surprise, asking, ¡°What is this ce? Hey, what¡¯s going on?!¡±<div>


    Though it seemed like they were speaking in English from lip movements, what Su Man and Lu Yuwen heard was strong, fluent Chinese!


    The two were once again taken aback and nced at each other.


    ¡°Su Man?!¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    A familiar male voice called from a distance.


    Su Man looked in the voice¡¯s direction, even more shocked. Was that Yan Qingwen?!


    Next to Yan Qingwen were Shen Mo, Bai Youwei, Tan Xiao, and others from the Shanghai Base evaluation team. All were people she knew!


    Su Man, overjoyed, immediately picked up the pace to greet them, ¡°Why are you all here?!¡±


    Yan Qingwen nced at Lu Yuwen standing behind Su Man and asked, ¡°Who is he?¡±


    ¡°Ah! I forgot to introduce us¡ª¡± Su Man pulled Lu Yuwen to the front and introduced him joyfully, ¡°This is Lu Yuwen, I met him in Maze No. 6. Lucky he was with me, or I certainly wouldn¡¯t have made it out!¡±


    Then, Su Man introduced herpanions to Lu Yuwen.


    ¡°This is Yan Qingwen, this is Shen Mo, this is¡­¡± When she introduced Bai Youwei, Su Man¡¯s eyes crinkled in a smile, she said to Lu Yuwen, ¡°This is Bai Youwei. See, I wasn¡¯t lying, right?¡±


    Lu Yuwen¡¯s gaze went directly to Bai Youwei¡¯s legs.


    He thought Su Man was justforting him, but it turned out to be true¡­ How could it be? Without even the basic ability to move, how could she pass through those bizarre games?


    Bai Youwei was sitting in a wheelchair, her expressionless face looking at the two, ¡°Hey, Su Man, has your new friend never seen a cripple before?¡±


    Su Man burst outughing, ¡°Hahaha¡­ Weiwei, don¡¯t misunderstand, actually, he used to be a littleme, so that¡¯s why he¡¯s staring at you like that!¡±


    Bai Youwei frowned at Lu Yuwen¡¯s leg.


    ¡°His leg has healed!¡± Su Man hastily told Bai Youwei, ¡°It turns out that the maze can heal any injury, even old ones can be cured! Weiwei, you¡¯ve entered the maze a few times, your legs must be getting better, right?!¡±


    Everyone looked at Bai Youwei.


    Shen Mo was also looking at her.<div>


    Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡±


    She had never mentioned this to Shen Mo, now that Su Manid it bare, it was a bit embarrassing.


    ¡°¡­Of course not!¡± Bai Youwei replied irritably, with a hint of embarrassment, ¡°He was onlyme, but I can¡¯t move at all, okay?! Are we evenparable?!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Su Man nodded understandingly, ¡°If you enter the maze once more, you will certainly recover!¡±<div>


    Bai Youwei made a face, saying disgruntledly, ¡°Now suddenly being brought to such a ce, where is there any maze? It¡¯s so annoying¡­¡±


    Su Man looked around in puzzlement. ¡°Yes, why are we suddenly brought here¡­¡±

 Chapter 574: 574: Another Acquaintance

    Chapter 574: Another Acquaintance


    Su Man nced around, noting that while there were many familiar faces, there were also many people missing.


    ¡°Where are Zhu Shu and Lun Ang?¡± She looked around, but didn¡¯t see them. ¡°Yu Yaqing and Li Li are also missing¡­¡±


    There was silence from Bai Youwei, her lips pursed shut.


    Yan Qingwen¡¯s face darkened.


    Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin were whispering to each other behind her¡­


    Unaware, Su Man continued scanning the crowd for familiar faces, ¡°Strange, Yan, isn¡¯t it true that Lun Ang and Zhu Shu are always with you? Why can¡¯t I see them?¡±


    Lu Yuwen noticed Yan Qingwen¡¯s troubled expression, and suspected that something had happened to the people Su Man mentioned.


    It wasn¡¯t hard to guess. After all, with the world as it is now, every single game or trip into a maze is a matter of life and death.


    Having spent so much time in the maze with Su Man, how could her friends on the outside always be safe?


    ¡°Since it¡¯s called the Maze War, only those who hold puzzle pieces are summoned here,¡± Lu Yuwen said to Su Man. ¡°The friends you named may not have any pieces.¡±<div>


    He tried to redirect her attention, so as not to let her go from the tion of escaping the maze to the painful reality of losing her friends.


    Su Man was confused for a moment.


    ¡ªZhu Shu and Yu Yaqing surely didn¡¯t have any puzzle pieces, Li Li used to have one, but he¡¯s in the research team, he probably had to hand it over¡­ As for the piece Lun Ang had, it might be held by Yan?


    Yan Qingwen took a serious look at Lu Yuwen and added, ¡°That¡¯s right. The only ones brought here are those who have puzzle pieces, even the ones that have been used.¡±


    ¡°Did you all hear that? The Maze War progression has reached 55%. Reserve yers please report to the registration area,¡± Lu Yuwen said.


    On the other side, Shen Mo nodded slightly, ¡°After we left the game, we received the registration notice. When we arrived, the system informed us that because some people are still upied in games or mazes, the preliminaries won¡¯t officially start until everyone is ounted for.¡±


    After a pause, he looked at Lu Yuwen and Su Man and said quietly, ¡°There hasn¡¯t been any new notification yet, which implies that there are other yers with puzzle pieces still in the game or maze.¡±


    Bai Youwei grumbled in frustration, ¡°I wonder how worried Master Chang will be with us suddenly gone¡­¡±


    Chang Weicai was the only one of the five of them without a puzzle piece.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Not far away, Fu Miaoxue said coldly, ¡°Maybe the old man¡¯s enjoying himself. He doesn¡¯t have to y games or go into a maze, unlike us, now. He¡¯s probably a lot morefortable than us~¡±


    Yes, Fu Miaoxue was there too.


    But Du Lai was not.


    Most of the puzzle pieces Du Lai had were exchanged with Bai Youwei. Thest remaining life-saving piece was also given to Fu Miaoxue.


    Shen Mo scanned the nearby area.


    Besides Fu Miaoxue, there was one more semi-familiar face amongst the crowd of Asians ¨C


    The White-gloved Man.


    The man was about 30, dressed in a grey trench coat, slightly open, revealing a light blue Oxford shirt underneath. He was slim and handsome.


    He was standing silently in the crowd. If it were not for the pair of white gloves that had caught Shen Mo¡¯s attention, he would have almost been unnoticed.


    Shen Mo quietly adverted his gaze.<div>


    With the mischievous Fu Miaoxue, the dangerous White-gloved Man, and the newly appeared Lu Yuwen, whose bottom line was still unknown¡­ This preliminarily fight seems like it won¡¯t be an easy one.


    There was anothermotion in the crowd.


    A new yer had emerged from the glowing cube.


    Shen Mo looked towards the disturbance and was surprised. It was another familiar face¡­<div>

 Chapter 575: 575: Welcome, Welcome

    Chapter 575: Wee, Wee


    These were two Asian men in their twenties, young but not naively so. Their battle gear silently announced their special professional identities. However, they were currently coated in grime and bloodstains, it was unclear what sort of game they had experienced before this.


    Upon their entrance, stunned expressions briefly shed across their faces before quickly returning to normal. They started walking towards us.


    There were no prompts or requests, but grouping was almost a natural human instinct. All the yers had unconsciously formed different camps based on skin color and clothing style.


    The men naturally approached towards the cluster of Asian yers.


    Once they noticed Shen Mo, they stopped in their tracks, stared this way, their faces filled with shock.


    Bai Youwei noticed them, and quietly posed a question to the Shen Mo at her side: ¡°Do you know them?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Shen Mo gave a slight nod. ¡°They were my subordinates.¡±


    The two men continued to stand in their ce, seemingly uncertain whether they should approach us or not.


    Only when Shen Mo signaled them did they finally walk over¡ªtheir faces could not hide their excitement¡ªas they choked out: ¡°Leader¡­¡±


    Shen Mo held up his hand to stop them, his voice calm: ¡°Call me Captain.¡±<div>


    ¡°Yes, Captain!¡± Both of the men responded with red-rimmed eyes.


    Shen mo introduced them to the others: ¡°This is Fang Yu and Ya Chaohui, former members of a special forces unit. We lost each other on the way to meet up with Professor Song.¡±


    Everyone shared their names in a brief exchange, and acquaintances were made.


    At that moment, the white walls all around them suddenly flickered.


    The walls began to disyrge amounts of text, as if on a liquid crystal screen. It was densely packed!


    Upon further inspection, it turned out to me a single sentence, tranted into variousnguages and arranged together¡ª


    ¡°Wee,¡±


    ¤è¤¦¤³¤½,¡±


    welkom,¡±


    Bienvenue,¡±


    Willkommen,¡±


    Graditevi,¡±


    Bienvenida,¡±


    ¡­¡±


    A cold mechanical voice echoed through the air:


    ¡°Number of pre-qualifiers for this game, 241 people;


    Number of activated puzzle pieces, 502;


    Progress, 56%;


    Conditions for initiating the war have been met. Opening the sign-up channel for the war, please continue the game and strive to clear the level¡ª¡±<div>


    Once the voice stopped talking, everyone was still puzzled.


    What preliminarypetition?


    What war?


    What sign-up channel?<div>


    No one knew what it all meant!


    As everyone was lost in confusion, the walls underwent another change. The heavy blocks of text vanished, reced with the image of the Rabbit-head Inspector.


    ¡°Wee, everyone.¡±


    In the image, the Rabbit-head Inspector courteously said:


    ¡°This preliminary round, will be moderated by me exining the rules.


    I believe you have all heard that if you collect all the puzzle pieces, you may clear all the games.


    However, with the mazes located all over the world, it is unrealistic for one person to collect all the maze puzzle pieces.


    So, for the sake of fairness, when the activation ratio of maze puzzle pieces surpasses 55%, the system will lock up the rest of the maps and initiate the Maze War.


    You will, through the Maze War, achieve your collecting goal by plundering the puzzle pieces of others. After iming victory, you will also win the opportunity to unlock new mazes.


    However, please note¡ª


    One, once a yer signs up, they may not withdraw midway.


    Two, if a participant forfeits the race, their puzzle pieces will be collected immediately.¡±


    Once these words were uttered, everyone was shocked.<div>


    Every person¡¯s puzzle pieces were hard-earned. Now the Inspector was saying that if they didn¡¯t sign up, those hard-earned pieces would be taken back?!N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°If you have no intention of collecting all the puzzle pieces, then what is the point of keeping them?¡± the rabbit-headed figure said with a slight smile. ¡°Everyone, there¡¯s more, the sign up roles for thepetition are divided into ¡®King¡¯ and ¡®Subjects¡¯. If you don¡¯t want to take part in a brutal war, and yet don¡¯t want to give up your puzzle pieces, I suggest that you sign up under the role of ¡®Subject.''¡±

 Chapter 576: King or Subject

    Chapter 576: King or Subject


    ¡°Vassals who fail in the plundering war will not be puppets but will lose puzzle pieces;


    Vassals who win in the plundering war will not get rewards, all the spoils are handed over to the King, and the King has the right to distribute rewards.


    When a vassal holds no puzzle pieces, the vassal is demoted to amoner and leaves the battlefield.


    ¡­ ¡±


    With the Inspector¡¯s exnation, the wall became illuminated once again with texts, disying theplicated rules one by one before everyone¡¯s eyes¡ª


    When you say it¡¯splicated, it¡¯s actually not, it¡¯s nothing more than the system letting a group of yers ughter each other.


    But to say it¡¯s simple, it¡¯s not simple, because it involves two different identities:


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The King, and the vassal.


    The Inspector asked everyone with a smile, ¡°So¡­ do you choose to be the King, or the vassal? Or do you choose to quit the war andpletely give up the chance toplete the puzzle? You have 10 hours to consider it.¡±


    After speaking, the figure of the Inspector disappeared, leaving only the text of the rules on the wall.


    Almost immediately, some people started to back out.


    Su Man was one of them.


    Not long ago, she was excited about acquiring three puzzle pieces, but now she just felt like she was holding a hot potato!


    ¡°I can¡¯t, I can¡¯t do it¡­¡± Su Man regretted ruthlessly, ¡°I can¡¯t do it¡­¡±


    She knew very well her capabilities, if she were to enter the game with herrades, she might be able to y a role, but if she were to enter the game alone, ying games of wits and strategy, she wouldn¡¯t stand a chance!


    Lu Yuwenforted her: ¡°If you give up, the puzzle pieces will be recycled, you might as well choose to be a vassal. This way, even if you lose the game, there¡¯s no danger, you will just lose one puzzle piece.¡±


    ¡°But who will be the King?¡± Su Man asked anxiously as she looked at herpanions.


    Vassals must rely on a King for survival.


    A Yan Qingwen thought for a while, then looked at Shen Mo and Bai Youwei, ¡°King or vassal, what have you two decided?¡±


    Bai Youwei calmly replied, ¡°The king has the right to distribute, can recruit vassals, punish vassals, definitely choosing to be the King~¡±


    ¡°But the risk of being the King is high.¡± Yan Qingwen analyzed calmly, ¡°If a vassal loses the game, they only lose the puzzle piece, but if the King loses the game, they lose their life. This means that the King must maintain a winning streak in the war game in order to collect all the puzzle pieces.¡±


    ¡°The higher the risk, the higer the reward.¡± Bai Youwei said calmly, showing no intention of changing her mind, ¡°The King can recruit vassals, get the vassals¡¯ spoils, freely distribute rewards, and can demote vassals tomoners. With so many privileges, it¡¯s normal for the risk to be a little higher.¡±


    ¡°Our original intention was to collect puzzle pieces, if we choose to be vassals, that would amount to voluntarily handing over our rewards, what¡¯s the point in that?¡±


    Yan Qingwen thought for a while, then turned his head to Shen Mo: ¡°What about you?¡±


    Shen Mo replied lightly: ¡°I also choose to be the King.¡±


    Yan Qingwen raised his lips slightly: ¡°Not worried about internalpetition?¡±


    Shen Mo shook his head indifferently, ¡°The King has one chance to surrender. This small detail is obviously designed to promote teamwork.


    Internalpetition can be resolved through surrender, but if there is only one King, the risk is too concentrated, which is even more disadvantageous.¡±


    Once Bai Youwei fails, the remaining vassals will be a headless dragon, and they will have to rely on other Kings.¡±


    Yan Qingwen looked at Bai Youwei, then at Shen Mo: ¡°So¡­ it¡¯s like you two have to maintain a winning streak, or you could die.¡±


    Bai Youweizily propped her chin and asked him: ¡°After all this babble, which side do you choose?¡±¡±


    ¡°Me¡­¡± Yan Qingwen smiled, ¡°I choose to be the King too.¡±


    Bai Youweiughed: ¡°What, aren¡¯t you afraid of dying?¡±


    ¡°Afraid, of course I am.¡± Yan Qingwen¡¯s smile faded, ¡°It¡¯s just that,pared to dying, there are worse things to fear.¡±

 Chapter 577: Four Kings

    Chapter 577: Four Kings


    Fears of a life leading nowhere, fear of making wrong choices, fear of not giving it your all, resulting in lifelong regrets, and an eventual death of frustration.


    Compared to these torments, what is death, really?


    Fu Miaoxue craned her neck to see them in discussion, and couldn¡¯t help but interrupt, ¡°Hey hey hey! There are already three of you Kings! Even though a King gets one chance to surrender, no one knows when they¡¯ll meet an ally. You might end up dead before you even meet each other!¡±


    Abyrinth war, from one King to another.


    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The chances of meeting allies in the game are not high.


    Yan Qingwen nced at the crowd in the distance.


    They were discussing in hushed tones too; although they tried to hide their anxiety, the tension was clear to see.


    Those who could make it here had naturally gone through many games and mazes. Everyone knew what this game ¨C the so-called ¡®War¡¯ ¨C meant.


    Yan Qingwen said slowly, ¡°There are a total of 241 people here; assuming that there are 10 people per game, that¡¯s 24 games. If two people per game progress, that¡¯s 24 going down to 12, then 12 to 6, then 6 to 3, and finally we¡¯ll have the champion from thest 3 groups.


    Of course, the exact rules aren¡¯t clear right now. But if we go by this progression, a King needs to lead their subjects to win four games in a row for ultimate victory. On the other hand, if teams are divided, the likelihood of victory might increase if they meet an ally and surrender, thus consolidating their forces. I guess that¡¯s what everyone else is deliberating too: whether to split their teams to gain the biggest advantage.¡±


    ¡°Wow ¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue blinked, ¡°Going by your logic, if we can gather more Kings¡­ umm¡­ let say 12! As long as we meet an ally, we surrender, surrender, and surrender. Winning will be a breeze!¡±


    ¡°How is that supposed to be easy?¡± Bai Youwei resting her cheek on her hand grumbled, ¡°The total number of people doesn¡¯t change, the more Kings there are, the fewer subjects there are tomand. In in terms, that means less help in the game. If other Kings have seven helpers, but you only have one, how are you ying this game? You¡¯d definitely be battered severely.¡±


    Fu Miaoxue pouted unhappily, ¡°It¡¯s so bothersome; it¡¯s a problem whether there are too few or too many Kings. Du Lai isn¡¯t here either. I don¡¯t want to y anymore~ I¡¯ll opt to be a subject, you all carry on!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Bai Youwei squinted her eyes, thought of something and gave a smile:


    ¡°Are you sure about signing up to be a subject? Ah~ I remember the rules mentioned that a King can recruit subjects. But that¡¯s only if you have spare puzzle pieces. You only have one puzzle piece; even if you want to recruit Du Lai, you probably can¡¯t~¡±


    Fu Miaoxue¡¯s eyes sparkled, she immediately responded: ¡°I¡¯ll sign up to be a King! A King! A King! No take-backs!¡±


    What¡¯s there to fear with just a single puzzle piece? As long as she wins one round, wouldn¡¯t she be able to recruit Du Lai?


    Since Su Man didn¡¯t know Fu Miaoxue and found this veiled woman quite strange, she couldn¡¯t help butment, ¡°In this case, there will be four Kings¡­¡±


    Lu Yuwen looked at this group of people, all of them strangers. The only person he could really talk to was Su Man.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be a subject,¡± Lu Yuwen stated, ¡°I¡¯m not really interested in collecting puzzle pieces, but I also don¡¯t want to be demoted to amoner, so I¡¯ll choose to be a subject.¡±


    He looked at Su Man and asked, ¡°Which King will you choose? I don¡¯t know these people. Whichever one you choose, I¡¯ll follow.¡±


    After hesitating, Su Man chose to go with Yan Qingwen after ncing between him and Bai Youwei.


    Zhu Shu and Lun Ang were not around, so she couldn¡¯t just let Yan Qingwen fight alone.


    Shen Mo¡¯s former subordinates, Fang Yu and Ya Chaohui, naturally continued to follow Shen Mo.


    Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin followed Bai Youwei.


    Fu Miaoxue was amused, ¡°Only two subjects and even a child, hahaha!¡±


    ¡°Crazy,¡± Bai Youwei rolled her eyes, ¡°I have puzzle pieces to recruit subjects. You don¡¯t even have a single extra puzzle piece, yet you still find it amusing. You¡¯re really optimistic.¡±


    Fu Miaoxue bit her lip, ¡°¡­Just you wait! My puzzle pieces will exceed yours one day!¡±

 Chapter 578: 578: The Composition of Spoils of War

    Chapter 578: The Composition of Spoils of War


    Bai Youwei didn¡¯t want to argue with her, waving her hand and saying, ¡°You should first worry about saving your own life~¡±


    The Inspector had given them 10 hours to consider, which was too precious to waste on a war of words. Bai Youwei ignored Fu Miaoxue, concentrating on the rules disyed on the white wall and carefully pondering them.


    Yan Qingwen also fully utilized her time. After briefly discussing with Su Man and Lu Yuwen, the three of them left the team and walked towards the distant crowd, apparently intending to gather information.


    The two members of the base assessment team were discussing in low voices, still hesitating; should they choose to pledge allegiance to a king here, or form their own king¡¯s team?


    Several other unfamiliar Asian faces were huddled in small groups, discussing in hushed tones.


    Everyone was trying to find a way to increase their chances of survival within these 10 hours.


    Fu Miaoxue stood alone in the corner, watching everyone bustling around. She felt somewhat bewildered¡­


    ¡­


    Tan Xiao squatted against the wall, idly scratching his hair in boredom.


    His hair had grown quite long. It was no longer the fashionable ¡°granny grey¡±, but was half white and half ck.<div>


    He was prepared for this. Taking a red sports headband out of his pocket, hefortably put it on. It covered his ck roots and revealed his white hair tips. After standing up and shaking out his oversized T-shirt and pping off the dust from his ripped jeans, he still felt like a trendy, cool young man~


    Pity nobody was there to appreciate it.


    To his left, Shen Mo was talking to the two new guys;


    To his right, Bai Youwei was staring at the rules on the wall, remaining silent.


    Even Pan Xiaoxin had something to do, taking notes on a small notebook beside Bai Youwei.


    Tan Xiao thought for a moment, then leaned over to Bai Youwei and asked, ¡°Weiwei¡­ Are we really going to separate from Brother Mo?¡±


    The several of them had always been together. Without Shen Mo, Tan Xiao felt uneasy.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Bai Youwei was looking at the game rules, her tone a little lonely, ¡°There¡¯s no choice. We need to have at least two kings. That¡¯s the only way we stand a chance in thebyrinth war.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ I know, you just said that.¡± Tan Xiao scratched his head, ¡°If we only have one king, we¡¯d have to win many games in a row to win. If we lose once, there¡¯s no room for mistake. But if there are three kings and one loses, there are still two. Also, we can surrender to each other during the game. Is that the idea?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just one of the reasons we¡¯re splitting up¡­ there¡¯s another one¡­¡±


    Bai Youwei pointed to a line in the rules, ¡°Take a good look at this rule.¡±


    Tan Xiao got a headache when he saw such dense exnatory text. He never even read the instruction manuals for appliances. But since Bai Youwei asked him to read, he had no choice but to go ahead and read it.


    The rule read¡ª


    The war game itself provides no rewards, but the winning king can acquire spoils of war.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The spoils of war consist of two parts:


    The first part, all puzzle pieces and items of the enemy king;


    The second part, every subject of the enemy must contribute a puzzle piece.


    Tan Xiao finished reading.


    But he was still confused, not understanding how this rted to them splitting up?<div>


    ¡°Do you know why the ancient kings loved to wage war?¡± Bai Youwei looked at the rows of characters, her expression cold, ¡°¡­Because war is the most efficient way to amass wealth.


    If two kings went to war once, they could bring back 2 spoils of war. If they went to war twice, they could bring back 4 spoils of war, and if they went to war thrice, they could bring back 6 spoils of war. But if there was just one king, he would have only amassed 3 spoils of war by then¡­


    With the exponential umtion of spoils of war, the advantage will be greater and greater. The puzzle pieces can be used to recruit more subjects, and the items will increase the team¡¯s survival rate. The games to follow will be easier.


    So do you understand now? If there¡¯s only one king, theter the game, the more difficult it will be!¡±<div>


    At this point, Bai Youwei paused, murmuring to herself in a low voice: ¡°Of course¡­ the risks are high¡­especially in the early stages of the game with no umtion. It¡¯s easy for everyone to get wiped out.¡±

 Chapter 579: 579: Never Give Up Rights

    Chapter 579: Never Give Up Rights


    Even after careful consideration, even after making the resolution, the thoughts of separation still make me uneasy.


    It¡¯s not about how much she trusts Shen Mo or how much Shen Mo feelsfortable with her. But after the two of them discussed, they found they had to break up¡­


    Without separating, even if they manage to win at the beginning of the game, it wouldn¡¯t change the trend of them being at a disadvantage.


    So, they must separate.


    Bai Youwei sighed in silence.


    Looking around, she noticed that Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin were staring at her in a daze.


    Pan Xiaoxin hesitated to ask, ¡°Sister Weiwei, we still have Brother Yan, right?¡±


    Tan Xiao also whispered, ¡°Sure, Brother Yan has a king on his side. Wouldn¡¯t it be all right if we work with him? It¡¯s far better than our separation¡­¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Bai Youwei listened and frowned, ¡°Can they be the same? If Shen Mo¡¯s the King, when he runs into me in the game, he¡¯d certainly surrender to me. Try asking Yan Qingwen to surrender you all? We would be ripped off by him without knowing how the bargaining would end up!¡±


    It¡¯s not that Yan Qingwen was not good, it¡¯s just that their friendships with him were not so profound that he would willingly give up the Maze War!<div>


    Pan Xiaoxin and Tan Xiao should be clear about this, why would they still raise such points?


    Bai Youwei pondered a bit and she soon figured it out.


    Pan Xiaoxin and Tan Xiao did not have such a strong desire to piece together the puzzle, even maybe, they did not truly understand the significance of piecing the puzzle, therefore, they naturally chose a more conservative method.


    Understanding this, Bai Youwei felt a bit stunned.


    ¡­Did she make assumptions too easily?


    Perhaps nobody is willing to risk anything for the puzzle and it would be morefortable to stay in the dollhouse, right?


    Gathering all the puzzle pieces was initially the goal of only a few people¡­ More people just wanted to survive, then to live one day after another.


    As for the questions about the truths of the world, the meaning of life, the value of existence¡­ These grand issues are not cared about by everyone.


    Bai Youwei was deep in thought.


    Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin look at each other, oblivious to her feelings.


    After a while, she finally said, ¡°You guys can surrender¡­ There¡¯s no penalty for not entering the game, just your puzzles would be taken away¡­¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t do that!¡± Tan Xiao got extremely agitated all of a sudden, ¡°Good buddies should be loyal to each other, ready to protect each other no matter what! How can we surrender now?! The rumor of it would make a bad effect in future!¡±


    Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­.¡±


    Having been with him for this long, she still could not figure out Tan Xiao¡¯s way of thinking.


    The actual puzzle doesn¡¯t interest him, but the intangible virtues such as loyalty somehow make him animated?


    What¡¯s there to be animated about¡­


    Really¡­


    Pan Xiaoxin is way more practical than Tan Xiao, he answered, ¡°I won¡¯t surrender either. I¡¯m young, if I participate as amoner, maybe they¡¯ll underestimate me, and we can take the opportunity.¡±


    Tan Xiao rubbed his head with a smile, ¡°Not bad, Xiaoxin! You even know about taking opportunities!¡±<div>


    Pan Xiaoxin was struggling to prevent Tan Xiao from rubbing his head, ¡°Even if we lose¡­ that¡¯s okay, we would just bemoners. But we can¡¯t surrender now, Sister Weiwei will definitely need support in the game¡­¡±


    Tan Xiao praised him again, ¡°Great! Your deeds of loyalty look just like me when I was young and adventurous!¡±


    Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t helpughing and her gloomy mood faded away.


    Maybe she was the narrow-minded one. Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin did not have much interest in the puzzle, but they had their reasons to exist in this game.<div>


    Bai Youweiughed and said, ¡°Well then, let¡¯s bring together all of the tools and puzzles, see how we should arrange them.¡±


    The three of them brought out all different tools and puzzles, scattered all around.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Tan Xiao eximed in surprise.


    Pan Xiaoxin was holding a tool, his face changed.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Bai Youwei looked at them, her gaze fell on the bronze mirror in Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s hand.


    She reached out and took the bronze mirror, frowning immediately.


    All these tools¡­


    All, have malfunctioned.

 Chapter 580: 580: Invalid Prop

    Chapter 580: Invalid Prop


    [Miss Liu¡¯s bronze mirror: ineffective]


    [Miss Liu¡¯s incense burner: ineffective]


    These were the props obtained in the game of ¡®Fair Fortune¡¯. After the game ended, they received an enrollment notification and were subsequently transported here, so the props hadn¡¯t had time to be stored in the doll house and were all still held in hand.


    Despite the hurry at the time, Bai Youwei could confirm that the props obtained by Teacher Cheng, Tan Xiao, and Pan Xiaoxin were effective.


    Because if they noticed the ¡°ineffective¡± message the moment they touched the prop, they would surely put the prop down and choose another reward prop.


    But they didn¡¯t do so.


    That is, the props became ineffective after leaving the game.


    Bai Youwei frowned, cing the box of incense she had chosen in the game in her hand.


    [Miss Liu¡¯s aromatherapy: enhances some props, must be used with Miss Liu¡¯s incense burner.]


    Her prop was still effective, but Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s props were all ineffective. She guessed that the pipa that Teacher Cheng got also suffered the same fate.<div>


    ¡°Should we ask Teacher Cheng?¡± Pan Xiaoxin quietly asked.


    Bai Youwei frowned and shook her head, ¡°Opening the doll house in this ce is too conspicuous, and we came directly here after exiting the game, Teacher Cheng is not inside the doll house.¡±


    Shen Mo, not far away, saw that they seemed to have some problems, so he walked over and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡­¡± Bai Youwei put away the prop, feeling a bit ufortable inside, ¡°The props they took from the ¡®Fair Fortune¡¯ game turned invalid.¡±


    They initially thought they had scored a huge bargain, but it turned out to be nothing.


    The feeling was like being fooled.


    Thinking about how triumphant they were at that time, it felt even more aggrieved¡­


    Shen Mo picked up the bronze mirror and looked at it, saying: ¡°After all, Tan Xiao and Xiaoxin did not directly participate in the game. It seems that yers who join halfway through are deemed invalid in the system¡¯s judgment, so they can¡¯t obtain rewards.¡±


    His voice paused, and he pondered, ¡°Since it¡¯s invalid¡­ and it doesn¡¯t restrict entry into the game, then perhaps it won¡¯t restrict exiting either? Next time you find an opportunity, try to see if you can get everyone out of the game, and then go back.¡±


    Bai Youwei thought about his idea, and she felt enlightened.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°Indeed¡­ the yers in the game are not allowed to leave the instance, but if they are considered invalid yers unrecognised by the game system, then what reason does the system have to not let them leave?¡±


    As long as this is used properly, doesn¡¯t it mean that in future games, they would have several invisible helpers?


    It truly adheres to the old adage! When God closes a door, He always opens a window!


    Bai Youwei¡¯s mood waspletely healed by Shen Mo!


    Her mood brightened, and she cheerily asked him, ¡°How¡¯s your progress over there?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve recruited five subjects.¡± Shen Mo nced at his subordinates and said indifferently, ¡°Fang Yu and Ya Chahui, as well as three individuals who were alone. I just had a chat with them, and there shouldn¡¯t be any issues.¡±


    There shouldn¡¯t be any problems, meaning those three individuals who were alone really were alone, not some schemers, or spies.


    It wasn¡¯t surprising that people who were alone approached Shen Mo. In such a situation, everyone is a stranger, but if they see two people dressed inbat suits among those following Shen Mo, they would undoubtedly feel that Shen Mo was trustworthy.


    Subjects pledging allegiance to a King would usually choose someone they feel assured with.<div>


    On the other hand, Yan Qingwen also seemed to have some gains and was leading a few people back.


    From over two hundred people, from severalrge racial groups, they slowly subdivided into various small groups.


    Everyone was nervously making preparations.


    Bai Youwei nced around, seeing Fu Miaoxue in the corner.<div>


    She was still all by herself.

 Chapter 581: 581 Doctor

    Chapter 581: Chapter 581 Doctor


    Fu Miaoxue was dressed in a ck dress, her head wrapped in ack veil, and her entire person was covered from head to toe, even her hands were d in ck embroidered gloves. It can be said, not a single inch of her skin could be seen.


    Such attire was too striking, so nobody spoke to her.


    And she, assumming an air of importance, didn¡¯t seem to be actively seeking to form a team.


    Noticing Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze, Fu Miaoxue red at her through the ck veil, and then walked off in a huff.


    Bai Youwei dismissed it with a casual twitch of her mouth.


    Shen Mo also saw Fu Miaoxue as she walked away, speaking lightly, ¡°If she were a citizen, she could be recruited, but sadly she¡¯s a king.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to recruit her, keeping her near would be like having a ticking time bomb,¡± Bai Youweiughed, ¡°Such a bothersome individual is better left to cause trouble for others.¡±


    Shen Mo quirked his lips slightly, ¡°So you deliberately lured her to sign up as a king?¡±


    ¡°Others don¡¯t understand her, and will surely find her to be a thorn in their side, but I understand her¡­¡± Bai Youwei squinted her eyes, looking towards the departing Fu Miaoxue, ¡°She is like a paper tiger, often frightening others.¡±


    Having such a person serve as a king would both suppress other kings and pose no threat to Bai Youwei ¨C why wouldn¡¯t Bai Youwei be pleased with this?<div>


    Compared to Fu Miaoxue, Shen Mo was more interested in the actions of the gentleman in the white gloves.


    In a short time, several people had already gathered around the gentleman in white gloves, suggesting he was also one of the kings.


    Yan Qingwen walked over with an unhappy expression; behind him were Su Man and Lu Yuwen.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Bai Youwei tilted her head and asked curiously, ¡°Where are the citizens you just recruited?¡±


    ¡°Over there.¡± Yan Qingwen pointed in a certain direction with a unhappy expression, gesturing for Bai Youwei and Shen Mo to look in that direction.


    There was a crowd of people over there.


    In the middle of the crowd stood a man wearing a white coat, likely in his forties. He looked gentle, carrying a kind smile. His demeanor and appearance werepletely non-threatening, and easily evoked a sense of familiarity.


    However, the presence of such a benevolent face at the Maze War pre-selection sign-up venue felt bizarre.


    ¡°That guy, nicknamed ¡®Doctor¡¯, has already recruited sixteen citizens.¡± Yan Qingwen said with a frown, his tone exuding a hint of frigidity, ¡°The other teams have only recruited about four to five citizens each. He is the only one who has exceeded ten. The people we had just recruited were also attracted over.¡±


    ¡°Could he be someone who specialises in psychology?¡± Bai Youwei murmured suspiciously as she looked over at the man in the distance, ¡°I wonder if we will encounter him in the uing games.¡±


    Shen Mo said indifferently, ¡°It would not be surprising if someone selected by the system possesses some extraordinary abilities.¡±


    Yan Qingwen frowned, ¡°We still have plenty of time, let¡¯s continue observing. We mustn¡¯t overlook even those unassuming yers. They could potentially end up being our opponents in the uing games.¡±


    As the saying goes, knowing the enemy and knowing oneself are the keys to victory.


    Their strategy for the remaining time was to interact with as many yers as possible.


    That was Yan Qingwen¡¯s approach, and the same went for Shen Mo.


    Time slowly passed amidst these cautious observations and probes¡­


    When the ten hours of deliberation came to an end, the image of the Rabbit Inspector appeared once again on the wall ¨C


    ¡°I¡¯m d to see you all again.


    After ten hours of deep thought, I am confident that all of you have made your decisions¡­¡±<div>


    The rabbit-headed figure took a turn, smiling.


    ¡°However, before each of you announces your decision, I have an announcement to make.¡±


    Everyone looked at it, confused.


    It then spoke, word by word, ¡°Thispetition is a preliminary round. All registered yers are required to enter the arena. Those who triumph are sessfully registered.¡±<div>

 Chapter 582: 582: Preliminary Competition Rules

    Chapter 582: Preliminary Competition Rules


    The rules of the preliminary match are as follows:


    First, all registered yers enter the field for the game;


    Second, winning the game means sessful registration.


    Third, losing the game means failed registration.


    The King will be demoted to subject if they lose, and the subject will be demoted tomoner if they lose.


    In other words, registration is not ¡°free¡±, but only achievable through victory in the game, granting eligibility for the Maze War.


    One cannot simply be a king or subject by will, if lost, an identity downgrade awaits.


    Fortunately, whether you are a king or a subject, losing a game does not pose a risk to your life.


    This fact slightly reassured Bai Youwei.


    If it were a matter of life and death, she would rather have Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin forfeit and bemoners directly, because it¡¯s worrying when these two act alone.<div>


    Two beams of light appeared in the massive white space.


    In one beam of light, the shadow of a sword appeared, while a crown emerged in the other.


    ¡°Please make your final choice.¡±


    The Inspector¡¯s voice was gentle and polite, yet also full of anticipation.


    ¡°King yers, please choose the Crown;


    Subject yers, please choose the Sword.


    Please take with you your props and puzzles too, as the preliminary matched willmence immediately once all yers have made their selections.¡±


    The entire room filled with the chatter of 241 people, a constant buzz of voices.


    Bai Youwei pulled Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin aside and whispered, ¡°The Inspector didn¡¯t specify the details of the preliminary match game. Perhaps everyone will participate in arge-scale game together, or perhaps it will be divided into groups.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    I lean towards thetter. In games withrge numbers of yers, it¡¯s too easy for opportunist behavior to ur. If the system genuinely wants to confer the titles of kings and subjects, it should separate these hundreds of yers into distinct matches, but this would probably mean we won¡¯t be in the same game.¡±


    ¡°You two have never experienced solo games before. Listen to me now: no matter what situation you encounter in the game, your first move is to find someone to team up with! Choose the strongest yer to team up with! If you can¡¯t tell who¡¯s the strongest, use this&mdash;¡±


    Bai Youwei handed each of them four puzzle pieces.


    ¡°These four puzzle pieces, along with those you already have on you, make five. That¡¯s a pretty substantial number among the subjects. Any king with ambition will find ways to win you over in order to get the puzzle pieces in your hands. The king will strive to secure victory with you. Do you understand?¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin nodded with a serious look on her face.


    Tan Xiao listened attentively as well.


    Shen Mo came over, taking Miss Liu¡¯s longevity lock and putting it around Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s neck.


    Bai Youwei was slightly taken aback and asked him, ¡°And what about you?¡±


    ¡°My mud can still be used twice,¡± Shen Mo said calmly, ¡°Xiaoxin doesn¡¯t have any healing props. It¡¯s safer for her to wear this.¡±


    Bai Youwei nodded, then reiterated her point to the two, ¡°Be smart. Use your props when you need to. You both still have the Lucky Question Card and the Snowke. If you lose, all your props will belong to someone else!¡±<div>


    ¡°Understood!¡± Tan Xiao immediately replied, ¡°Even if we lose, we¡¯ll use up all the props before that happens. Otherwise, we would be strengthening our enemies! Don¡¯t worry, Weiwei, I get this! It¡¯s like when we used to fight for territory with big brother. We¡¯d take all we could, and smash the rest. We¡¯d never let those bastards profit!¡±


    Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡±


    So that¡¯s how you developed your underworld vibe?


    ¡°Look over there.¡± Shen Mo said.<div>


    They looked over and saw that the light ring of the crown was densely packed with people, while the light ring of the sword only had a few scattered around.


    Tan Xiao was stunned: ¡°Wow¡­ so many Kings?¡±

 Chapter 583: 583: The Preliminary Competition Begins

    Chapter 583: The Preliminary Competition Begins


    Shen Mo said indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s not hard to understand. If the King loses, he can continue the game as a subject. But if a subject loses, he bes amoner, losing the right to y the game. In other words, those who apply for the position of King have an additional way out.¡±


    King loses ¨C bes a subject ¨C continues the game.


    Subject loses ¨C bes amoner ¨C leaves the game.


    ¡°But the King will die in the officialbyrinth war.¡± Pan Xiaoxin, though young, was very cautious, he frowned, ¡°Even if the subjects lose in the war, they only lose a puzzle piece. Whichever way you look at it, choosing to be a subject seems safer, right?¡±


    The King has a chance to surrender.¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°Most of the people here are solo yers, or duos, very few are teams of three or more. These yersck the conditions topete for king. For them, surrendering to anyone is the same.¡±


    Tan Xiao hesitated, ¡°Then¡­ should we apply to be the king too?¡±


    Bai Youwei¡¯s mouth twitched, ¡°In case the two of you win and be kings, I¡¯ll have to worry about whether you¡¯ll surrender in the official game.¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin grabbed Tan Xiao¡¯s arm and said seriously, ¡°Brother Xiao, if we be the King, it¡¯ll be very troublesome. If we lose, we will die. If we surrender, we will be subjects to others, and the hope of winning¡­ isn¡¯t too high.¡±


    Tan Xiao scratched his head, ¡°Then let us choose to be subjects¡­¡±


    Bai Youwei turned to Shen Mo and handed him some puzzle pieces, ¡°Do the subjects you just recruited need these?¡±<div>


    She remembered that two of the recruits were Shen Mo¡¯s former subordinates, they have a close rtionship, and it wouldn¡¯t hurt to pay a little more attention to them.


    Shen Mo reached out and pulled out a piece from them and put it into his pocket, ¡°I¡¯ll keep a puzzle piece. If they pass the preselection game, I can still give them puzzle piecester.¡±


    Bai Youwei pondered and then nodded slightly, ¡°That¡¯s okay, by then we can give each of them a piece, plus their own puzzles, to ensure they don¡¯t bemoners in the game even if they lose.¡±


    Since they are being recruited, of course they need some benefits.


    Giving them puzzle pieces is just the first step, if they want these yers to be loyal in the game, they will probably have to distribute props to the subjects in theter stages of the battle game.


    Shen Mo asked her, ¡°Do you have anything else for me?¡±


    Bai Youwei was slightly stunned.


    He doesn¡¯t need puzzle pieces, he has enough props, so what hasn¡¯t she given him yet?


    She lowered her head and rummaged through her own bag¨C A dart gun, flower seeds, friend invitation card, Snowke, hairpin, Miss Liu¡¯s perfume¡­


    The more she rummaged, the more disgusted she became.


    Over this long period of time, she had unwittingly umted so much ¡°junk¡±.


    Bai Youwei¡¯s face turned a bit unpleasant.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    A shadow fell in front of her, Shen Mo leaning over, his hand on the arm of his wheelchair. He stared into her eyes, silent for a moment, then gently kissed her lips and said in a low voice:


    ¡°Be careful in the game.¡±


    Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡±


    Her face slowly turned red¡­


    ¡°You¡­you too, be careful¡­¡± She stuttered in reply, her face turning even redder.


    Damn it, why was she stammering? So annoying!


    Shen Mo smiled, kissed her again, then squeezed her little hand, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±<div>


    From a distance, people watched the two of them approach, casting sidelong nces, but it was only a few quick looks before their attention was redirected.


    At this moment, everyone was more interested in the uing game.


    The Crown halo was filled with yers, and in contrast, the crowd under the Sword halo appeared pathetically few.


    The Rabbit-headed Inspector announced calmly:<div>


    ¡°A total of 241 yers,


    5 people forfeit,


    197 people applied for King,


    39 people applied for subject.


    So, the preselection game¡­ begins.¡±

 Chapter 584: 584: Red, Yellow, Blue

    Chapter 584: Red, Yellow, Blue


    ¡°Ding! Wee to the Doll Game!¡±


    ¡°The theme of this game is ¡®Red, Yellow, Blue¡¯, a non-conventional game, the win or lose scenario will be determined by the supervising Inspector¨C¡±


    As the white light shone, the familiar voice echoed, and at least this time it didn¡¯t repeat the part about turning into a doll again.


    Before Bai Youwei could see what was in front of her, she first felt the chill under her feet, then realized, dazedly, that she was on a beach.


    The icy sea water was washing over her feet.


    Her socks and shoes soaked, Bai Youwei knitted her brows and rolled her wheelchair towards the shore.


    She wouldn¡¯t want to be drowned by the sea before figuring out the game.


    Pushing the wheels sunk deep into the sand was challenging. When she finally moved a little further away from the sea, she saw a blond man not far away staring at her.


    Bai Youwei looked back at him.


    Oddly, the man¡¯s eyeballs were red.<div>


    Seeing Bai Youwei getting closer, the blond man ran away in a panic.


    When he turned to run, Bai Youwei saw a number printed on his back: 17.


    The conspicuous red number stood out on his white shirt. It didn¡¯t look like a decoration on clothes. Could this be a number in the game? Maybe each yer has one?n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    With this nagging suspicion, Bai Youwei stopped and sought a secluded spot to check if she had a number as well.


    When she turned her head, she saw a ¡°11¡± printed near the shoulder on her right sleeve.


    Seems that the each yer¡¯s number was ced at a different location.


    Bai Youwei frowned in slight annoyance.


    If the number was on her back, it would be easier to conceal, for her long hair and the chairback of her wheelchair would shield it from view.


    But if the number was on her sleeve, it¡¯d be rather hard to hide.


    At that moment, there was a peal of bells in the distance.


    It sounded like a call to gather people.


    Perhaps these numbers weren¡¯t significant, so she should first head towards the bells.


    But if these numbers were important¡­


    Hercency at this moment might lead her into a predicament.


    After much consideration, Bai Youwei decided to disregard the bells temporarily, cover the number first, and then deal with the rest.


    She found a cinder block on the beach, hid behind it, took off her dress, and turned it inside out before putting it on again¨C


    The inside-out dress looked odd, but only upon close inspection would the anomaly be evident.


    Bai Youwei inspected it repeatedly to be certain that the number couldn¡¯t be seen before she confidently emerged from behind the cinder block.


    The bell was still tolling.<div>


    She leaned on the stone wall as she slowly moved back to her wheelchair, wheezed a breath, and then rolled her wheelchair in the direction of the bells¡­


    ¡­


    This ce appeared to be a man-made ind. The deeper she went, the fewer nts there were, and the road became smoother.


    There were no obstacles for Bai Youwei¡¯s wheelchair and it moved faster and faster. As she approached the center, she found that it was almost a huge, incredibly t square.<div>


    And in the middle of the square, many yers had gathered.


    The yers were vigntly watching each other. Some of them had red eyes, some had yellow eyes, while others had blue eyes.


    Red, yellow, and blue.


    Bai Youwei roughly understood why the blond man had run away.


    He must have been scared by the color of her eyes, even to the extent of viewing her as a monster in the game.


    There was also a small house in the middle of the square.


    A sphere rolled out from the house¨C


    This time it wasn¡¯t Jin Qiu, nor was it a ss sphere, but a solid stone sphere.


    ¡°Hello everyone! I am the Inspector of this game, Wee to the Doll Game!¡±


    The sphere rolled happily on the ground, with three different colored eyes carved on its surface. As it rolled, those three colored eyes took turns appearing in everyone¡¯s field of vision¡ªred, yellow, and blue.

 Chapter 585: Guest X

    Chapter 585: Guest X


    ¡°Everyone, you¡¯ve all noticed, haven¡¯t you? This game has to do with your eyes~¡±


    The sphere said cheerfully, then sprang onto a small house.


    The small house was cylindrical, and its roof was shaped like an inverted bowl, perfectly supporting this huge stone ball.


    It revolved on the rooftop, making a squeaking noise while saying:


    ¡°On this ind, there are 30 residents, which is to say, all of you¡ªRed Eyes, Yellow Eyes, Blue Eyes. The game will only end once everyone has the same eye color.


    In other words, the requirement to clear this game is for there to be only one remaining eye color!¡±


    Out of red, yellow, and blue, only one color can survive!


    The atmosphere instantly tensed up. People with different eye colors began sizing each other up, on guard, confronting each other.


    The sphere said unhurriedly, ¡°Hey~ what kind of looks are those? Hey hey hey, violence is forbidden~ Absolutely no violence. If discovered, the vitors will be immediately eliminated!¡±


    Among the crowd, a muscr ck man spat out in annoyance.


    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    His body brimming with muscles, his advantage was quite obvious, but unfortunately, the Inspector didn¡¯t give him a chance to leverage it.


    ¡°You all see this small house?¡± The Inspector hopped twice on the roof, ¡°Well~ All you have to do ise in and vote every 8 hours. The 5 yers with the highest number of votes will be eliminated.


    After five rounds of voting, there will be 5 yers remaining. If these 5 yers have the same eye color, then congrattions~ You¡¯ve won the game and gained the qualification to join!


    But if the colors aren¡¯t the same among the five¡­ then you lose. Only the X-guest could win the game! ~Ah, did I forget to introduce the X-guest to you?¡±


    The sphere hit the ground with a bang, quickly rolled in a circle around the house.


    ¡°The X-guest is not a resident of the ind, so his eye color is fake! He¡¯s hiding among you all as we speak!¡±


    Everyone was taken aback and began looking more nervously at one another.


    The sphereughed heartily in triumph. ¡°How could the X-guest be found so easily? They could be disguised as Red Eyes, Yellow Eyes, or even Blue Eyes! ~


    If you can eliminate the X-guest, regardless of the color of the remaining yers¡¯ eyes, all of you will win the game!¡±


    Bai Youwei listened quietly.


    The rules soundedplicated, but really, all she needed to grasp were two key points.


    The first, if the yers all have the same eye color, they can pass.


    The second, if the X-guest is eliminated, they can pass.


    Either condition can be met to pass.


    A tall woman in the crowd asked, ¡°What is the specific manner of voting? Who counts the votes? If there is a tie in the number of votes, how would it be resolved?¡±


    ¡°Wow~ good question.¡± The sphere chuckled and exined, ¡°The way to vote is just as I¡¯ve described earlier, in this small house. Only one person may enter at a time, everyone must vote, and no one may abstain! When voting, use the numbers on each of you as the voting codes!¡±


    Once these words were spoken, many people in the crowd¡¯s expressions significantly changed as they suddenly realized they had numbers on them!


    Some on the cor, some on the leg, some on the heel, and some on the hat!


    All were in ces not easily noticed by oneself!


    They attempted to cover their numbers with their hands, but it was toote. Some people had already noticed their numbers! The clever ones had already noted it down!


    The sphere¡¯s voice deepened as it emphasized again:


    ¡°Absolutely no violence allowed~ and no skipping voting too! Don¡¯t think you can take this lightly just because it¡¯s a preliminarypetition, otherwise, you¡¯ll definitely regret it!¡±

 Chapter 586 - 586 What is Your Dream (Added more for an emotionless fairy)

    Chapter 586: Chapter 586 What is Your Dream (Added more for an emotionless fairy)


    Regret?


    What could there be to regret about?


    Losing the game does not mean losing one¡¯s life. In that respect, this game is a hundred times gentler than those out there.


    Bai Youwei believes that some were forced, like ducks to the water, to participate in these preliminaries.


    It was just like Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin, who, despite having a puzzle, showed little interest in snatching other¡¯s puzzles. If they lost, they would simply withdraw from the ¡°Labyrinth War¡±. There was nothing to lose.


    As forpleting the puzzle, making all the dolls¡¯ games disappear, someone else will do such world-saving things. After all, tall people will hold up the sky when it falls.


    Seemingly discerning Bai Youwei¡¯s thoughts, the Inspector asked the crowd leisurely:


    ¡°Hmm, odd¡­ Why does it seem like no one here is enthusiastic? Do you believe that it doesn¡¯t matter if you lose?¡±


    Everyone silently watched the ball, their nerves taut, no one bothered answering.


    The ball wobbled, moving as if shaking its head.


    ¡°This won¡¯t do! A game without apetitive spirit is boring! Uninteresting! Meaningless! Are you all intending to forfeit the fruits of victory so easily? Are you indifferent to how the world might change? Once youplete the puzzle, anything could possibly happen~¡±


    Immediately, someone in the crowd asked, ¡°Afterpleting the puzzle, wouldn¡¯t all the games disappear? What else could happen?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± The ball asked curiously, ¡°Who told you thatpleting the puzzle would make all the games disappear?¡±


    The crowd responded, ¡°The inspector from the preliminaries said so!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡± The ball shook its head again, ¡°As an inspector, how could I provide wrong information? Think again, what exactly did the inspector say?¡±


    With a frown, Bai Youwei tried to recall.


    Indeed, it was the rabbit-headed man who said that, but he actually began with, ¡°You should have heard¡­¡±


    You should have heard¡­


    Complete the puzzle, and all games will disappear, was only a ¡°rumor¡±.


    After thinking it over, she voiced out, ¡°I know someone who once obtained a special object that allowed him to ask the inspector any question. He asked how to make the dolls¡¯ games disappear, and the inspector replied that he needed toplete the puzzle.¡±


    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The ball chuckled ominously, and mystically affirmed, ¡°Afterpleting the puzzle, anything could happen, including the disappearance of the dolls¡¯ games~¡±


    Bai Youwei¡¯s expression shifted, ¡°Anything¡­ What does that mean?¡±


    The ball rotated on its own, shaking its tricolored eye totem, ¡°Oh my, you¡¯re all so dense! The Labyrinth War categorizes you into kings and subjects for a reason! What is a king? A king does whatever he or she desires. If you want the games to disappear, sure thing! If you want the games to continue, you certainly can!¡±


    It rolled up to a shorthaired woman and asked her, ¡°You, what is your wish?¡±


    Caught off guard, the woman blurted out involuntarily.


    ¡°Just say anything,e on~¡± The ball urged.


    With a hint of hesitation, the woman said, ¡°I¡­ I want my family toe back to life.¡±


    ¡°Possible!¡± The ball replied briskly, ¡°A king can do whatever he or she desires!¡±


    It then rolled over to a broad bearded man, asking, ¡°And you? What is your dream?¡±


    The bearded man answered solemnly, ¡°I want my nation to be the greatest! All those damned whites should drop dead!¡±


    ¡°Ha, ha, ha! Sure, sure!¡± The ballughed joyfully, ¡°A king can do anything they wish!¡±


    Next, the ball rolled up to Bai Youwei, ¡°What about you? Let¡¯s hear your dream!¡±


    Stuffed with malice, it asked, ¡°Do you want the game to disappear? Wish for your family toe back from the dead? Want the world to revert to its original state, like nothing ever happened, and you are still the forgotten, immobile, diaper-bound, stockpiler of countless sleeping pills, yet too frightened to take one, wretch?¡±


    Bai Youwei bit her lower lip tightly.

 Chapter 587: The Persistence of Circle

    Chapter 587: The Persistence of Circle


    She didn¡¯t respond.


    Globeughed heartily, ¡°The king who wins the war can do anything he wants!¡±


    ¡ª¡ªNot just anything, such immense authority is akin to being a creator-like being!


    If they wish for someone to live, they will live!


    If they desire someone to die, they will die!


    Whether it be destroying the world or granting eternal life, it all rests within the thoughts of the king!


    By then, who would care whether the doll game exists or not?


    Bai Youwei discovered that the expressions of those around her had changed. Their breaths grew heavy and their eyes shone brightly, as if ame, they were disying a strong desire to win the game!


    The globe had sessfully kindled the prologue of this preliminarypetition, instilling fighting spirit in every yer!


    Bai Youwei silently observed the crowd.


    This was going to be a chaotic battle, she had to find allies fast.


    Unfortunately, out of the 30 people, she only recognized Shen Mo¡¯s two subordinates, one named Fang Yu and the other¡­ something Hui.


    The situation wasn¡¯t looking great, in a game involving a voting system, without allies, you are almost guaranteed to lose.


    Bai Youwei furrowed her brow, considering an opportunity to make contact with those two.


    At that moment, the globe hopped back onto the roof of the cylindrical building, its tone full of pride and arrogance:


    ¡°The game begins now, please return here for the first round of voting in 8 hours. Now, you may all go rest in your own rooms. There will be food and water in the room, along with a map of this ind.¡±


    As soon as the sphere finished speaking, more than a dozen people rushed into the surrounding woods!


    They were all yers who hadn¡¯t have time to conceal their number tags. After hearing the rules, they were impatient to find cover.


    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Shen Mo¡¯s two subordinates hurried away as well. One of them nced at Bai Youwei before leaving. Hispanion urged him, ¡°Hurry! There might be new clues in the room!¡±


    Without any more hesitation, he left with hispanion.


    Bai Youwei didn¡¯t move from her spot, her brow slightly furrowed.


    They trusted Shen Mo, but not necessarily her. Plus, there was a good chance that the color of their eyes was different from hers, that they were from different camps, making it even less necessary for them to strike up a conversation with her.


    They had blue eyes¡­


    Then her eyes should be either red or yellow.


    When yer 17, a foreign man, saw her, he looked terrified. At the time, he didn¡¯t know the rules of the game. So what eye color would make a person feel such fear?


    It definitely can¡¯t be blue eyes. That¡¯s not umon abroad~


    Bai Youwei mused.


    She knew that some religious devotees believe red eyes to be a symbol of the devil.


    Following this line of thought, her eyes were likely red.


    Of course, yellow was also a possibility¡­ what if yer 17 was just a panicky person by nature? It seems she needs to find another way to verify this.


    By this time, there were few yers left on the za. Bai Youwei also proceeded into the woods in her wheelchair, searching for her room.


    A small circr path was paved with stone bricks in the forest.


    Bai Youwei felt that the sphere¡¯s entricities were incredibly apparent.


    It had a preference for anything round. With the cylindrical house in the center, the za was round, the surrounding woods were round, the stone path in the woods was round. If she wasn¡¯t mistaken, the sand beach beyond the woods was also likely round, forming arge circle, the entire game map.


    Not far from where she had set off, Bai Youwei saw a small cylindrical building simr in appearance to the voting house in the za. It was rounder with a sliding door and no windows.


    Approaching it, she saw this ugly building actually had a facial recognition system that kept her from entering unless it identified her face.

 Chapter 588: Xu Fanghe

    Chapter 588: Xu Fanghe


    The LCD screen on the door disys a name: James Collier.


    It seems, yers can¡¯t freely choose their rooms here, but instead are allocated by the system to designated rooms for rest.


    Bai Youwei turned her wheelchair doubtfully, continuing forward to find a ce to rest, she felt strange about this design. Is every house different?


    If they are all the same, then it shouldn¡¯t matter in which house anyone stays, should it?


    She continues to search, finding seven or eight cylindrical small houses along the circr brick road. Some had already been upied, some remained empty, and on every door, there was a name in differentnguages such as English, Russian, French, Spanish¡­ all varieties.


    Finally, she saw a Chinese name: Xu Fanghe.


    This person¡¯s name ¡­ why does it sound so strange?


    After pondering a bit, Bai Youwei realized, this probably is a Japanese name, isn¡¯t it?


    Just as she was thinking this, she heard a young man¡¯s voice in the distance:


    ¡°Dr. Xu Fanghe, your room is this way, please follow me¡­ It¡¯s wonderful that we can y in the same game as you, and in the same camp. With Dr. Xu around, I believe we can surely pass this test ¡­¡±


    A woman¡¯s voice then asked, ¡°Dr. Xu Fanghe, in your opinion, what should we do next?¡±


    The conversation abruptly stopped when they saw Bai Youwei¡¯s figure.


    Bai Youwei looked at them.


    Two men and one woman.


    The leading man was the middle-aged man known as ¡°Doctor¡±, and the other young man and woman, a man wearing sses, the woman wearing a scarf, were his recruits.


    All three of them had yellow eyes.


    Quickly making up her mind, Bai Youwei greeted them with a smile, ¡°Great, I also have yellow eyes. Can I join your team?¡±


    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The woman stared at her, dumbfounded.


    The man, however, frowned and counter-questioned, ¡°Who told you it was yellow?¡±


    Bai Youwei blinked her eyes and replied without a second thought, ¡°A man I met on the road earlier, named James Collier, he said my eyes are yellow. What¡¯s the problem? Did he lie to me? So, what color are my eyes?¡±


    She looked small and weak which seemed to make her innocent act quite convincing.


    Dr. Xu Fanghe spoke gently and said, ¡°Your eyes are indeed yellow. We n to unite all the yers with yellow eyes. Join us in a while.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Bai Youwei nodded seriously, ¡°I will find my room first and thene to help. We must work together, or else the Blue Eyes and Red Eyes will eliminate us.¡±


    The doctor smiled and nodded, ¡°Yes, unity is crucial in this game. Only when we unite as one can we find a way out.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Bai Youwei nodded vigorously once again.


    After bidding farewell to the three, she wheeled away. Once she was at a distance, she turned around for a nce.


    The dense nting in the woods obscured the gray cylindrical small house.


    She was sure they would not refuse her.


    If she possesses yellow eyes, she undeniably adds power to their team; if she has red eyes, even better, not only can she help the Yellow Eyes Camp get one more vote, but she can also take a vote away from the Red Eyes Camp.


    Therefore, at least in the first round, both the Yellow Eyes Camp and the Red Eyes Camp would not eliminate her.


    Thinking about it, Bai Youwei suddenly paused.


    No¡­


    The point of the game isn¡¯t color but number.


    Without knowing the number of the opposing team, how to choose when voting?


    Is it a blind selection???

 Chapter 589: 589: Just Missing You

    Chapter 589: Just Missing You


    The game had just started, there were too many questions, and it was hard to tackle them all at once. Bai Youwei had to temporarily put her doubts aside and find her room first.


    The next house was her rest room, with the name ¡°Bai Youwei¡± disyed on the liquid crystal disy screen on the door.


    Unexpectedly, she and Xu Fanghe had be ¡°neighbors¡±.


    Bai Youwei wheeled herself to the sliding door. The spherical detector above the door scanned her face, and then with a click, the lock of the sliding door opened.


    Inside was a pure white room, arranged simrly to a standard hotel single room, with a big bed. An independent bathroom was on one side, and on the other side, there was an open kitchen.


    When she opened the fridge, it was filled with food.


    In terms of Chinese food, there were buns, dumplings and meal boxes; for western food, there were pasta, pizza and sd. Regardless of taste, there was plenty of food tost for the next two days.


    Bai Youwei also inspected the bathroom and bathing room, surprisingly, there were no mirrors.


    She soon understood why: this was the first hurdle set by the game for the yers, which didn¡¯t allow them to see the colour of their own eyes.


    For instance, the ss sliding door at the entrance was designed to be frosted, not allowing any reflection.<div>


    Curious, Bai Youwei wanted to find a bug in the game, so she turned on the tap¨C


    A gurgling liquid flowed out.


    It was milky white with a slight scent. It seemed¡­ to be milk?


    There was a slight twitch at the corner of Bai Youwei¡¯s mouth.


    No way¡­


    Did that mean she could only quench her thirst with milk for the next two days?


    Bai Youwei went back to the kitchen and turned on the tap there¨C


    As expected, it was milk again!


    Moreover, it was thicker than the milk in the bathroom!


    Bai Youwei wondered if bringing back some seawater from the nearby sea could help reflect the color of her eyes?


    Such an obvious w was probably patched up by the game in another way, right? She should focus on the game.


    Bai Youwei let out a slight sigh, lying down on the bed to rest.


    There was still some time before the voting. Presumably, people from the three camps were all figuring out ways to form alliances, right?


    Not forming alliances was not an option. In the circumstances of being unaware of the codes, randomly choosing could easily harm members of their own camp, so they must gather their own people and use the process of elimination to figure out the codes of the other two camps.


    Those who exposed their codes today would be the top targets of everyone else.


    Bai Youwei remembered Shen Mo¡¯s two subordinates. They were Blue Eyes. She wondered if they could survive the first round of voting¡­


    Should she ask them for their code? That way, when voting, she could avoid their codes and prevent any idental harm.


    But would they be willing to tell her?


    With different factions, many simple matters becameplicated¡­<div>


    Bai Youwei was somewhat annoyed.


    These kinds of rtionships were the most awkward. They weren¡¯t exactly close, but they weren¡¯t distant either. She couldn¡¯t wholeheartedly help them, nor could she standby and watch them die. It was tough.


    No matter what, she had to find an opportunity to contact them privately.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    After resting for a while in her room, Bai Youwei got back onto her wheelchair, ready to head outside and find the two of them to gauge their attitudes.<div>


    To her surprise, as soon as she exited the room, she saw the woman with the scarf from the Doctor¡¯s side poking and prying around.


    She was probably worried about Bai Youwei interacting with the Red Eyes.


    While guessing what was going on, Bai Youwei raised her hand and waved to the woman, asking, ¡°Are you looking for me?¡±


    The woman in the scarf shook herself out of her thoughts and looked solemnly at Bai Youwei: ¡°The Doctor called us over¡­ let¡¯s go, almost everyone has gathered.¡±


    ¡°That fast?¡± Bai Youwei feigned surprise.


    The woman in the scarf gave her a disgusted look and said, ¡°That¡¯s because the Yellow Eyes had noticed us forming a team, they took the initiative toe over, of course they would be faster than us notifying everyone individually. Let¡¯s go, you¡¯re the only one missing.¡±

 Chapter 590: 590: Choosing the Number

    Chapter 590: Choosing the Number


    ¡°Alright, alright~¡± Bai Youwei had a positive attitude and seemed very enthusiastic.


    Though enthusiastic, her speed remained slow.


    On the road, she tried to squeeze information out of the woman with the scarf while idling, but the woman was tight-lipped and didn¡¯t talk much.


    Perhaps Xu Fanghe had warned her about something privately¡­N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Bai Youwei made various assumptions in her mind and thought of all possibilities. Before she knew it, she had arrived at Xu Fanghe¡¯s residence.


    A few individuals with yellow eyes gathered together. When they saw the woman with the scarf and Bai Youweiing, they all looked at them and quickly looked away.


    Bai Youwei found it amusing.


    She was used to people¡¯s curious or inquisitive gazes, but these people just nced at her and hurriedly diverted their eyes.


    If no one had instructed them, she did not believe they would have such a reaction.


    Wouldn¡¯t they find it strange to encounter a cripple in the game? Isn¡¯t a pretty girl in a wheelchair deserving of more than just a nce?<div>


    They didn¡¯t even take an extra moment to look.


    Bai Youwei silently curled her lip, convinced that something fishy was going on.


    Most likely, Xu Fanghe had instructed them beforehand to avoid making too much eye contact with her, especially not to stare at her eyes, to prevent arousing her suspicion.


    This Japanese doctor was indeed meticulous, but by attempting to be crafty, he had inadvertently alerted Bai Youwei that something was amiss.


    Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but think: Is this the extent of his skills? If he could recruit so many subjects, he must have some other means, right?


    All yers have now arrived.


    Xu Fanghe, ever the gentleman, spoke, ¡°I presume everyone is clear about the rules of the game. We are currentlycking clues about the X guest, so all we can do now is try to avoid being eliminated. However¡­ the current situation is not in our favor.¡±


    Xu Fanghe looked around, continuing, ¡°There are only 9 of us with yellow eyes. It seems that the distribution of red, yellow, and blue eyes is not even.¡±


    Bai Youwei listened and pondered.


    Out of the 30 yers, there were 9 with yellow eyes. Removing herself as an imposter, only 8 remained. So it was easy to deduce: the total number of red and blue eyes was 22.


    If these 22 votes all went to those with yellow eyes, just one round of voting would lead to the defeat of the yellow eyes.


    Of course, this scenario was unlikely to ur. After all, most yers¡¯ numbers were confidential at this stage.


    Unless red eyes and blue eyes formed an alliance, and exchanged numbers openly in the first round? It was improbable.


    The conclusion Xu Fanghe came to was not much different from Bai Youwei¡¯s.


    ¡°If 21 votes want to eliminate 5 people, each person will need an average of 4 votes, but since it¡¯s only the first round, I believe more people are observing, and it¡¯s unlikely red eyes and blue eyes would ally and ovep their votes this early.¡±


    ¡°We need to at least eliminate three yers in this round while the two sides are not united.¡±


    He slowly analyzed the situation with everyone, calm and steady, almost unconsciously instilling trust.


    ¡°Only by reducing the number of people lost each roundpared to the others can we gain the advantage. Currently, we have a total of 9 votes, so we will distribute them as 3+3+3 when voting¡­¡±


    ¡°Dr. Xu Fanghe.¡± A worried voice said, ¡°Will three votes be too little? From what I see, wouldn¡¯t it be more prudent to divide them as 5+4?¡±<div>


    A young man next to the doctor retorted displeasedly, ¡°Dr. Xu Fanghe arranged it this way for a reason! If you don¡¯t understand, don¡¯t recklessly suggest a n!¡±


    ¡°Not at all, it¡¯s my fault for not exining clearly to everyone,¡± Xu Fanghe exined gently. ¡°Our numbers are few, if we only manage to eliminate two of them, our disadvantage will be even greater in the next round, so even if 5+4 is more secure, it is meaningless to us¡­¡±


    Another person asked, ¡°Then¡­ which numbers should we vote for?¡±


    <div>

 Chapter 591: 591: Is She Cold-blooded?

    Chapter 591: Is She Cold-blooded?


    ¡°Vote for Number 8!¡± someone suddenly proposed, ¡°I saw it, the short-haired woman has an 8 on her shoe! She is Blue Eyes!¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°We can also vote for Number 27! I saw it too, Number 27 is Red Eyes!¡± another person said.


    The bespectacled man next to the doctor said, ¡°We need to vote for at least three people in the first round; we¡¯re still short of one, who should we vote for?¡±


    ording to the game rules, five people must be eliminated in each round. If they only eliminate two outsiders, then the remaining three spots will likely be filled by Yellow Eyes¡¯s group. They only have nine people (including Bai Youwei who is posing as a yellow eye). If they eliminate three people, there will only be six left. That means, in the second round of voting, they¡¯ll only have six votes to manipte. With such a small number of votes, aeback would be impossible!


    So in the first round, they must try to eliminate three people from the outsiders!


    ¡°About the numbers, I would like to discuss something with all of you¡­¡± Xu Fanghe spoke slowly, ¡°The numbers we decide to vote for should definitely avoid our own people¡¯s numbers. However, since we all just met, if I ask you to reveal your own numbers, everyone would probably hesitate. So, I have an idea¡­¡±


    Dr. Xu Fanghe took out a piece of paper and a pen.


    ¡°I¡¯ve written neen numbers on this paper. There are nine of us, each person will cross out two numbers. The remaining numbers will be those we vote for this round. Everyone, what do you think?¡±


    People murmured amongst themselves, nodding in agreement.


    ¡°Dr. Xu Fanghe¡¯s method is very good.¡±<div>


    ¡°Yes, this way we don¡¯t have to reveal our own numbers.¡±


    The bespectacled man boasted, ¡°I told you before, following Dr. Xu Fanghe is always the right decision. The doctor isn¡¯t like those who only think about winning! He truly cares about everyone!¡±


    Xu Fanghe modestly waved his hand, responding lightly, ¡°Victory gained by sacrificingpanions is meaningless. Everyone who made it to the preliminary game must have already seen much ugliness and evil. However, what did we gain?


    The ugly will only be uglier, and the evil will only be more evil. If the Doll game is the Heavenly Punishment for the world, we need to embrace a heart of benevolence if we want salvation.


    My friends, selfish brutal actions are never a sustainable n. If necessary, I am willing to sacrifice myself and distribute the puzzle pieces and tools among you all, to provide you with a chance to live. In this way, my life will also have meaning¡­¡±


    Everyone was touched by his words and showed sympathetic expressions.


    Long and drawn-out life-or-death experiences in the game, with the continuous mental pressure, usually create two types of people:


    One, those whose humanity has been worn away by the game rules, turning into cold-blooded killing machines;


    The other, those who struggle to escape but do not know how to change their current situation. These people might have some abilities, but their spirits are weak and they are easily manipted.


    The woman with the scarf had teary eyes as she earnestly said, ¡°Dr. Xu Fanghe! Please lead us forward!¡±


    Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡±


    She silently observed the eight people around her, at least six of them looked touched.


    ¡­What was going on? Was she especially cold-blooded? Why wasn¡¯t she touched at all, only feeling that the other party was putting on a show?


    However, she was slightly moved when Xu Fanghe said he wanted to distribute the puzzle pieces and tools to everyone¡­ Because she simply didn¡¯t believe that such self-sacrificing and dedicated people would end up in the Maze War preliminary contest!


    He must have killed many people, right?


    Bai Youwei watched as Xu Fanghe, surrounded by people, continued.


    He made two marks on the paper with the pen, then passed on the paper with the numbers¡ª

 Chapter 592: 592: What color are the eyes?

    Chapter 592: What color are the eyes?


    By the time Bai Youwei received it, six numbers had already been crossed out on the paper.


    Neen numbers were lined up vertically, 1-5 at the top, 10-18 in the middle, and 24-27 at the bottom.


    Bai Youwei¡¯s number 11 was crossed out, and since everyone had to cross out two numbers, the previous people might also cross out the numbers of the people after them.


    Bai Youwei casually crossed off number 1 and number 17, then passed the paper to the next person.


    After one round, number 2 was the only one left uncrossed, so the final three numbers they were going to vote for were 2, 8, and 27.


    Once the numbers were determined, everyone heaved a sigh of relief. The fact that the first step went smoothly and cautiously seemed like a good omen.


    Everyone stayed with Dr. Xu Fanghe, continuing the discussion about the possible scenarios of the game, nning to go together to the kiosk in the za to vote when it was time.


    Not long after, they heard amotion.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    People looked at each other, filled with curiosity and confusion, looking in the direction of the noise. However, the woods were too dense to see what was happening.


    Dr. Xu Fanghe proposed: ¡°The game rules do not allow violence. Let¡¯s go and take a look together.¡±<div>


    Everyone nodded in agreement.


    Walking along the semi-circr brick road, they quickly found the source of the conflict. The people with Red Eyes and Blue Eyes were arguing.


    It appeared that everyone had found their teams in a very short time and had selected their leaders.


    The leader of the Blue Eyes Camp was a burly ck man.


    The leader of the Red Eyes Camp was a short-haired woman with an androgynous style.


    Both parties were very assertive.


    The ck man was harshly scolding a man in a suit: ¡°You fool! You¡¯ve been fooled by that woman! You¡¯re a Blue Eye!¡±


    The short-haired woman retorted coldly: ¡°What, jealous that our team has more people, trying to poach from us? Allen, think carefully, if you were a Blue Eye, would we have included you in our team from the start?¡±


    ¡°Bullshit! It¡¯s your Red Eyes who are conning him together!¡± The ck man grumbled angrily, wishing he could go up and give the man in the suit a beating, but was restrained by the game rules.


    ¡°Dramatic, keep performing!¡± The short-haired woman sneered, ¡°You certainly act the part, it¡¯s a pity you¡¯re not an actor with that talent.¡±


    ¡°You damned woman¡­¡± The ck man nearly burst a vein in anger, wanting to attack, but hispanions held him back.


    Annoyed, the ck man¡¯s friend yelled at the man in the suit: ¡°Won¡¯t youe over here?! How can there be such a stupid yer in the preliminary round! Couldn¡¯t you tell they were making fun of you?!¡±


    The man in the suit looked distraught, ncing left and right, growing increasingly confused.


    Finally, he turned to the short-haired woman and asked in a tense voice, ¡°Are my eyes¡­ are they red?¡±


    The short-haired woman nodded calmly, ¡°Yes, your eyes are red.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re blue! Damn it!¡± The ck man noticed Xu Fanghe approaching with his group, pointed at them and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, ask them! What¡¯s the point of asking the Red Eyes? They¡¯re just messing with you!!!¡±


    The man in the suit gritted his teeth, looked towards Xu Fanghe and asked again, ¡°You tell me! What color are my eyes?!¡±


    Xu Fanghe hesitated momentarily, then looked at the ck man. He paused for two seconds before telling the man in the suit, ¡°Your eyes¡­ are blue.¡±


    ¡°Did you hear that? They¡¯re blue!¡± The ck man shouted.<div>


    The short-haired womanughed out loud, ¡°You sneaky ck man! You sure know how to y! Knowing that this old man wouldn¡¯t dare to offend you, you deliberately had Allen ask him. How could he possibly tell the truth?¡±


    After a bout of mockery, she turned to the man in the suit and said, ¡°Allen, really think about it. Why didn¡¯t he answer you immediately? Why did he pause for a few seconds, even looking at that damned ck man before responding?¡±

 Chapter 593: 593: The Disordered Colors

    Chapter 593: Chapter 593: The Disordered Colors


    The ck man and the short-haired woman both made valid points, causing the man in the suit to once again feel conflicted. He held his head in his hands, his face a picture of intense struggle!


    Bai Youwei, witnessing all of this, was taken aback. She thought Xu Fanghe was cunning to an extreme.


    Without offending any parties, he skillfully used dy and eye contact to mislead the man in the suit!


    After all, he did give the real answer ¨C blue!


    Whether the man in the suit believed it or not, was none of his business!


    And Xu Fanghe¡¯s actions were easy to understand. The more chaotic the situation, the more advantageous it would be to those with the fewer numbers. The Yellow Eyes. It would be best if the people from the Blue Eyes Camp could hate the Red Eyes so much as to turn all their votes on them!


    ¡°Bastard!¡± The ck man gnashed his teeth, staring at the man in the suit with fury. ¡°Now both the Blue Eyes Camp and the Yellow Eyes are saying your eyes are blue. Even then, are you still not willing to believe it?!¡±


    ¡°Of course, he can¡¯t believe it.¡± The short-haired woman interrupted contemptuously before the man in the suit could answer, ¡°We, Red Eyes, are the majority in number. You two teams, with fewer members, are clearly nning to team up. It¡¯s only natural that you breathe through the same nostril.¡±


    ¡°Filthy woman!¡± The ck man cursed angrily, ¡°I am definitely going to decapitate you!¡±


    Hispanion held him back, subtly pointing in Bai Youwei¡¯s direction and whispering something in his ear.<div>


    The ck muscr man paused, looked towards Bai Youwei, and his face instantly rxed from the anger it previously held.


    Noticing the ck man¡¯s change in mood, the short-haired woman also suspiciously turned to look and grew pale when she saw Bai Youwei standing with Xu Fanghe¡¯s team.


    The short-haired woman led a team of Red Eyes over and bluntly stood in front of Bai Youwei, looking down at her from an elevated position: ¡°Hey, what¡¯s the deal with you? You¡¯re clearly a Red Eye, so why are you here?¡±


    Bai Youwei looked puzzled. ¡°¡­Are you talking about me?¡­ I¡¯m a Red Eye?¡±


    The ck man from afar bellowed withughter: ¡°Yo! They ¡®borrowed¡¯ a Blue Eye from us. Now, they can¡¯t wait to dig around the Yellow Eyes? Isn¡¯t that a little too greedy?!¡±


    Xu Fanghe, who was calm and collected, said to Bai Youwei: ¡°Even if I tell you now that you¡¯re a Yellow Eye, I doubt you¡¯ll believe me. Why not ask the people from the Blue Eyes Camp?¡±


    ¡°Ask them? Those liars!¡± The short-haired woman scowled at Xu Fanghe. ¡°After failing to steal from us, they¡¯re grudging us. They¡¯d love to see us Red Eyes lose a member!¡±


    ¡°So, what do you think we should do?¡± Xu Fanghe¡¯s tone was congenial. ¡°I said she¡¯s a Yellow Eye, you say she¡¯s a Red Eye. There¡¯s no result from this argument. Why not let her decide for herself?¡±


    The bespectacled man next to Xu Fanghe could not help but speak up: ¡°You are so wicked! After deceiving the Blue Eyes, you now want to deceive our Yellow Eyes! Hey! That guy¡­ n, was it? Your eyes are blue! Dr. Xu Fanghe never lies to anyone! You¡¯ve been tricked by that woman!¡±


    The man in the suit looked this way, confusion written all over his face.


    The tall short-haired woman grinded her teeth in irritation. If the stalemate continued, it was possible that not only would they fail to win Bai Youwei over, but the man in the suit might also start to waver.


    She was still hesitating, but then Bai Youwei suddenly spoke, saying, ¡°May I ask the people from the Blue Eyes Camp?¡±


    Xu Fanghe still responded with an unruffled smile: ¡°Of course, you can.¡±


    The ck muscr man observed with a look of anticipation.


    However, Bai Youwei didn¡¯t turn to him, but directed her gaze towards the two men wearing battle uniforms from the Blue Eyes team and earnestly asked,


    ¡°What color are my eyes?¡±


    These two men, Fang Yu and Ya Chaohui, were Shen Mo¡¯s former subordinates and members of the special task force.


    Ya Chaohui lowered his head, his expression hard to decipher.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Fang Yu answered: ¡°Your eyes¡­are Yellow.¡±<div>

 Chapter 594: 594: Voting Has Begun

    Chapter 594: Chapter 594: Voting Has Begun


    Bai Youwei watched the two of them silently.


    The silent atmosphere seemed contagious, it was so quiet around that you could hear a pin drop. Everyone was looking at Bai Youwei, waiting for her reaction.


    Perhaps it was Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze that made Fang Yu ufortable, he turned his face away and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask others.¡±


    Bai Youwei seemed to snap back to reality, clutching her chest in mock horror, and giving a smile:


    ¡°You scared me! I almost thought I was one of the Red Eyes! Thank you guys!¡±


    She returned to Xu Fanghe¡¯s side, let out a long sigh of relief, and started muttering to herself: ¡°I knew it, I¡¯m certain I have Yellow Eyes¡­ the vote is just about to begin. Suddenly telling me that I am a Red Eye, there must be something fishy¡­¡±


    On Xu Fanghe¡¯s side, the bespectacled man and the woman with the scarf swapped nces.


    The woman with the scarf said to Bai Youwei: ¡°Let¡¯s go, these people are up to no good. It¡¯s not necessary to continue listening to their nonsense.¡±


    Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°Yes, let¡¯s all go, they are starting to argue fiercely and loudly, it¡¯s quite scary~¡±


    Xu Fanghe slowly said: ¡°The game forbids us from using violence, perhaps it also took this into consideration¡­¡±<div>


    The chaos was interrupted, everyone returned to their own rooms to wait for the moment of voting.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡­


    Ya Chaohui went to Fang Yu¡¯s room and couldn¡¯t resist asking him, ¡°Why did you just say her eyes are yellow?¡±


    ¡°You agreed too, didn¡¯t you?¡± Fang Yu replied with a frown, ¡°Yellow Eyes clearly wanted to see the Red Team make a fool of themselves. The Red Team took one of our people and lost another, they really didn¡¯t gain anything. We can¡¯t just give them another person, can we?¡±


    Ya Chaohui looked troubled, ¡°I know¡­ it¡¯s just, her rtionship with Commissioner Shen¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal.¡± Fang Yu dismissed, ¡°This is just a prelim match anyway, she won¡¯t die if she loses. Maybe the Commissioner will even thank us for getting her eliminated early, so she won¡¯t have to participate in those brutalpetitionster on.¡±


    Ya Chaohui sighed, nodding, ¡°Ah, you¡¯re right. I just feel¡­ guilty about deceiving her.¡±


    ¡°So what do you propose we do?¡± Fang Yu was clearly displeased, ¡°Tell her she¡¯s a Red Eye and let the Red Team be 13 strong, and then there¡¯s Yellow Eyes, he¡¯ll definitely take issue with it!¡­ I¡¯m not afraid of him, but you need to understand, he has both of our numbers.¡±


    When deciding who to vote for, all the members of the Blue Eyes Camp had shared their own numbers with the leading African American, to avoid friendly fire during the voting.


    Ya Chaohui stopped talking and just sighed.


    ¡­


    Approximately 8 hours after the start of the preliminary rounds, around 10 am, the sun had half-set on the horizon, and the sea was bathed in a fiery hue of the sundown.


    Bai Youwei heard the tolling of bells.


    It was the signal to start the first round of voting.


    She calmly and unhurriedly wheeled herself towards the square. As it was inconvenient for her to move around, she was naturallyst to arrive.


    When she arrived at the square, the short-haired woman had just emerged from the voting room.


    It seemed she was still holding a grudge over Bai Youwei wrongly joining their faction. As she walked past her, she cursed, calling her a ¡°dumbass¡±.


    ¡°Hey~¡± Bai Youwei reached out and grabbed her arm, smiling and asking, ¡°Just now, were you cursing me?¡±


    With a deliberate emphasis on the word ¡°me¡± in her tone, a veiled threat lingered.<div>


    The short-haired woman looked at her with a weird expression.


    Finally, she shook off Bai Youwei¡¯s hand and walked back into Red Eyes¡¯ group with a grim expression.


    Bai Youwei shrugged it off with a smile, rolled her wheelchair into the voting room¡ª


    The sensor door opened before her and closed once she was inside. The small cylindrical space was now filled with only her presence.<div>


    In front of her was a disy screen showing thirty numbered options from 1 to 30.


    ording to Xu Fanghe¡¯s instructions, she was supposed to cast her vote for Number 2.


    But strangely enough, all the numbers were grayed out and unselectable, except for Number 1 and Number 9.

 Chapter 595: 595: Yellow Eyes becomes severe (Added more for this quite dumb~)

    Chapter 595: Chapter 595: Yellow Eyes bes severe (Added more for this quite dumb~)


    Is this damn thing broken?


    Bai Youwei knocked mildly annoyed on the screen, causing a knocking sound.


    When pressing the number 9 key, a prompt pops up:


    [Confirm Vote? ¡ª¡ª9]


    Bai Youwei stared at the line of text, slowly realizing¡­


    The other numbers are not selectable, very likely because the vote count for 1 and 9 is equal now. To avoid a tied ranking situation in the case of only one vote left, yers have to choose from these two numbers.


    Bai Youwei thought for a while.


    Earlier, Xu Fanghe presented neen numbers for them to eliminate. Among these numbers, 9 was not included, but 1 was, suggesting a high probability that the Yellow Eyes yer is number 9.


    So, should she pick 9 now?


    After weighing her options, Bai Youwei eventually chose to press the number 1 key and confirmed her selection.<div>


    She didn¡¯t want a vast difference in numbers between the Red, Yellow, and Blue-eyed yers. Gradual attrition is what could force the X guest to reveal themselves¡­


    As Bai Youwei stepped out of the voting hut, everyone outside turned to look at her.


    Thest person has cast their vote. This signified that the voting results were about to be announced.


    The stone ball on the roof rotated once, with the child¡¯s voice ringing out clear and bright, exuding an enthusiastic joy¡ª


    ¡°We are now announcing the elimination numbers and vote counts for the first round!¡±


    ¡°Number 1, four votes.¡±


    ¡°Number 8, six votes.¡±


    ¡°Number 18, four votes.¡±


    ¡°Number 19, five votes.¡±


    ¡°Number 27, six votes.¡±


    As the Inspector called out the numbers, figures on the field vanished one after another.


    Two individuals had disappeared from both the Red Eyes and the Blue Eyes teams, while the Yellow Eyes team had lost just one.


    The team numbers were as follows:


    Red Eyes: 10 (including 1 Blue Eye),


    Yellow Eyes: 8 (including 1 Red Eye),


    Blue Eyes: 7.


    The Red Eyes still held a slight advantage in terms of numbers.


    The crowd hummed with spection:


    ¡°The votes were very concentrated¡­¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om<div>


    ¡°Those people might not have hidden their numbers properly, they got seen by others¡­¡±


    ¡°If your number is seen, of course you¡¯re likely to be targeted. It seems that at least two teams had vote ovep, that¡¯s why the votes areparatively concentrated.¡±


    ¡°The next round probably won¡¯t be the same as this, right? The numbers that were seen were basically all eliminated this round¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±<div>


    The stone ball announced cheerfully: ¡°The first round of voting has ended! Everyone can go back to their rooms to rest now. The second round of voting will take ce in 8 hours! Don¡¯t oversleep~¡±


    Bai Youwei scoffed inwardly.


    In a ce like this, how could anyone possibly oversleep? Not being able to sleep would be the real deal.


    The twenty-five people scattered.


    People didn¡¯t return to their rooms, instead, they all spontaneously gathered at their leader¡¯s residence to discuss the strategy for the next round of voting.


    The Yellow Eyes team was no exception.


    The atmosphere was tense, as their situation was the most severe.


    By the correct color count, the Yellow Eyes team only had seven people. They were the smallest team of the three!


    ¡°It seems that¡­ we have to form an alliance with the Blue Eyes team¡­¡± Dr. Xu Fanghe looked around at everyone, analyzing carefully, ¡°Their situation isn¡¯t optimistic either, so they shouldn¡¯t reject us. Only by forming an alliance with them can our vote exceed the Red Eyes.¡±


    Everyone exchanged nces, all remained silent.


    The game has a total of five rounds of voting, leaving thest 5 people with the same color to pass. Yet, they were only in the first round and their numbers had been dwindled down to 7. There are still 4 more rounds of voting¡­ If their number decreases in the next round, they might actually lose.


    ¡°Everyone, rx.¡± Xu Fanghe¡¯s smile remained gentle, reassuring everyone, ¡°Trust me, in the second round, not a single Yellow Eye will be eliminated.¡±


    <div>

 Chapter 596: 596: Find the Red Eye

    Chapter 596: Chapter 596: Find the Red Eye


    Next, Xu Fanghe took out another piece of paper and ording to the original method, he let everyone choose the numbers to be eliminated in the second round.


    ¡°The number 2 we chose in thest round wasn¡¯t eliminated, so this round, number 2 counts as one, and there are two other numbers. Everyone should choose, please.¡±


    With his calm demeanor, he wrote a string of numbers on the paper, crossed out two of them, and then passed the paper to the man in sses standing beside him.


    ¡°Here are eighteen numbers, we have eight people, each crossing out two numbers. In the end, there will be two numbers left. These, then plus number 2, are the numbers for the next round of votes.¡±


    As he said this, as if suddenly recalling something, he looked at Bai Youwei, ¡°Right, at thest vote, which number did you choose? Why wasn¡¯t number 2 eliminated?¡±


    Bai Youwei replied, ¡°When I went into that room, I found out only number 1 and number 9 could be selected, so I chose number 1.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­I see.¡± Xu Fanghe nodded slowly, ¡°It seems the order of voting is crucial as well. If you vote toote, you might lose the chance. In the second round of voting, all of you should try to go earlier.¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The others agreed and nodded.


    The voting paper was passed around the room and by the time it reached Bai Youwei, most of the numbers on it had already been crossed out.


    The numbers written by Xu Fanghe were still vertically lined just likest time, with 3-7 on the top, 10-17 in the middle, and 21-25 at the bottom.<div>


    Four numbers were left uncrossed: 7, 11, 23, and 25.


    Bai Youwei crossed out her own number 11 and then crossed out number 7.


    She thought for a moment, and asked, ¡°In thest round, we had nine members and we voted for three numbers, three votes each. But now, we only have eight, how can we vote for three numbers? 3+3+2? Two votes seem to be insufficient for eliminating a member, unless there are ovepping votes.¡±


    After she said this, the others also realized and looked toward Xu Fanghe.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Dr. Xu Fanghe, what are we to do?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we do 4+4? Concentrate the votes more and increase the chance of elimination.¡±


    Xu Fanghe smiled and shook his head, ¡°No need to worry, these three numbers will ultimately be selected by the guy with Blue Eyes.¡±


    Bai Youwei looked somewhat puzzled.


    Xu Fanghe continued, ¡°We have 8 votes, Blue Eyes have 7 votes, a total of 15 votes. If we can eliminate more than three Red Eyes in the next round, we can gain a tremendous advantage. Theoretically, if we follow my method, eliminating three Red Eyes should not be a problem.¡±


    Everyone became excited when they heard this!


    There are ten Red Eyes in total right now, eliminate three and there will only be seven left! The numerical advantage would disappear in an instant!


    The bespectacled man looked at Xu Fanghe excitedly, his fervor clear, ¡°Dr. Xu Fanghe! Whatever you need us to do, just give the word!¡±


    Thedy with the scarf also had an expression of utmost devotion, bowing to Xu Fanghe, ¡°Doctor, please lead us moving forward!¡±


    The others felt that the man and woman were somewhat exaggerated, but they also praised Xu Fanghe one after another. Speaking a few words of ttery wouldn¡¯t cost them anything. As long as it didn¡¯t harm their self-interest, they were willing to grovel and tter.


    Xu Fanghe slowly shared his method:


    ¡°I will give these three numbers to Blue Eyes, and at the same time, Blue Eyes will give us three filtered numbers, totaling six numbers.¡±


    ¡°Then, we will cross out those of Yellow Eyes, and they will cross out the ones of Blue Eyes. The remaining numbers will naturally be Red Eyes.¡±


    ¡°If we¡¯re lucky, all six numbers will belong to Red Eyes. Of course, this likelihood isn¡¯t great, but with this method, we can easily find two to five Red Eyes¡¯ numbers.¡±


    <div>

 Chapter 597: 597: Exchange Numbers

    Chapter 597: Chapter 597: Exchange Numbers


    Once Xu Fanghe finished speaking, everyone concurred, considering it the most secure method.


    Even though scratching off the numbers would reveal their own, they were exposing them while Blue Eyes were also doing the same ¨C it had the semnce of an equal exchange.


    Unless they were extremely unlucky: Blue Eyes gave all Yellow Eyes¡¯ numbers, causing them to wipe off three numbers.


    However, this probability was minutely small.


    Bai Youwei quietly listened to these people¡¯s discussions.


    As a Red Eyes, she certainly did not wish for Red Eyes to be sandwiched from both sides.


    The reason she voted for the 1st yer in thest round was that she did not want a significant disparity in the number of people. Imagine, if Red Eyes, relying on their numerical advantage, easily wiped out Yellow Eyes and Blue Eyes, but the X-person happened to be among the Red Eyes, what then?


    That would be the worst-case scenario.


    ¡ªIn the same team, order would break down, trust would shatter, and the person who controlled the discourse could effortlessly crush the remaining yers!


    Yes, it would be the three leading figures controlling the narrative.<div>


    Amongst these three, there must be one person who is the X-person!


    Because, in this game, if the X-person wants to win, they must exhibit an extreme need to control, to ensure they survive each round of voting. Going with the flow or blindly following the vote, would absolutely not work.


    Xu Fanghe could be the X-person, Blue Eyes¡¯ boss could be the X-person, as well as the boss¡¯s whitepanion, and the short-haired woman in the Red Eyes team¡­


    Bai Youwei remembered very clearly, the Inspector¡¯s exact words were:


    ¡°After five rounds of voting, there will be only five yers left. If the eye colours of these five yers are the same, then congrattions~ You have won the game, gaining entry qualifications!


    But if the eye colours of the five yers differ¡­ You have lost, and only the X-person will be the winner!¡±


    Therefore, rushing to eliminate other colours now is not wise. It is imperative to find out who the X-person is.


    Bai Youwei lowered her eyelids, leisurely touching the plush rabbit in her embrace. It¡¯s such a shame that violence cannot be used¡­


    Otherwise, she would have electrocuted them one by one, sooner orter she could have found the X-person, why bother using so much brainpower?


    ¡­


    After some discussion, Xu Fanghe, along with the spectacle-wearing man, went out to negotiate cooperation with the Blue Eyes, while the woman with the scarf was assigned to watch over the Red Eyes, preventing them from making any unusual moves.


    Bai Youwei had no tasks. She idled, ying with the rabbit.


    She couldn¡¯t possibly have a task since she was a Red Eyes. Subconsciously, the Yellow Eyes would always guard against her.


    About an hourter, Xu Fanghe returned with the spectacle guy.


    And he brought back three numbers:


    17, 22, and 26.


    Immediately, someone¡¯splexion changed and stuttered, ¡°Dr. Xu Fanghe, I ¡­ my number is 22 ¡­¡±


    Xu Fanghe crossed out 22, then asked others, ¡°Are the remaining two numbers any of yours?¡±


    Everyone looked at each other, no one spoke.<div>


    Xu Fanghe folded the paper and handed it to the specs guy, ¡°In that case, we can confirm that 17 and 26 are Red Eyes. Hand this over to the other side.¡±


    The specs guy nodded, meticulously put the paper into his pocket, and then left under the darkening sky.


    When he returned, he brought back a new set of numbers:


    17, 23, and 26.<div>


    Xu Fanghe decided conclusively, ¡°For the second round of voting, we vote for these three numbers.¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Bai Youwei silently nced at him.


    The three numbers provided by Yellow Eyes were ¡°2, 23, 25¡±. 2 and 25 were both crossed out, which meant that, both these numbers were Blue Eyes.

 Chapter 598: 598: The Second Round of Voting

    Chapter 598: Chapter 598: The Second Round of Voting


    ¡°The arrangement for the second round of voting was straightforward.


    Xu Fanghe figured that, if Red Eyes voted for two people, they would distribute their 10 votes as 5+5; with three individuals, it would be a 4+3+3 division.


    However, the Red team would probably consider the possibility of a Yellow and Blue alliance. The 4+3+3 distribution doesn¡¯t have an advantage in terms of individual vote count, so Red Eyes should proceed with a 5+5 approach.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The Yellow and Blue Eyes had a total of 15 votes, which they could also divide as 5+5+5, enabling them to eliminate at least three Red Eyes individuals. As for the unavoidable sacrifices of the two remaining members, they didn¡¯t need to think about them just yet.


    ¡­


    In the middle of the night with the moon shining brightly, everyone gathered in the za well before the summoning bell rang.


    Red Eyes, 10 in total.


    Yellow Eyes, 8 in total.


    Blue Eyes, 7 in total.


    The Stone Ball Inspector roamed leisurely on the rooftop, his tone light and cheerful: ¡°The second round of voting is now underway~ Line up, line up, go into the booth one by one to cast your vote~¡±<div>


    Everyone, with different expressions, entered the booth one by one to vote.


    The whole process was quiet and silent without a single word uttered¡­


    After Bai Youwei entered, she discovered the numbers of those eliminated in the previous round had been dimmed, leaving 25 numbers avable for selection.


    The number of votes each number received wasn¡¯t visible.


    She thought for a moment and pressed number 2.


    ¡­


    All votes were cast.


    The Stone Ball was excited, its rotation speed even faster, churning out a loud whooshing sound.


    ¡°Ah! This is my favorite part!~ Now we will announce the numbers and vote counts of the second round¡¯s elimination!¡±


    ¡°Number 2, 4 votes.¡±


    ¡°Number 12, 4 votes.¡±


    ¡°Number 22, 5 votes.¡±


    ¡°Number 23, 4 votes.¡±


    ¡°Number 26, 5 votes.¡±


    As soon as number 22 was called, his face turned pale, he looked at Xu Fanghe in disbelief: ¡°Dr. Xu Fanghe¡­ why? Wasn¡¯t my number crossed off¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, his bodypletely disappeared into thin air!


    Gone with him was also a Yellow Eyes woman with a silk scarf!


    Xu Fanghe abruptly turned to look at the gangster!


    This was not what he had anticipated!<div>


    Based on his calction, the vote counts of the five eliminated people should either be 5+5+5+5+5 or 5+5+5+4+3. But why were the numbers now so chaotic?!


    Not only the Red Eyes did not vote using the 5+5 method, but the Blue Eyes didn¡¯t either!


    Numbers 17, 23, 26 nned to be voted off, but now, only 23 and 26 had been eliminated!


    Where were the 5 votes for number 17?<div>


    Could those 5 votes for number 22 be the ones that were supposed to be allocated to number 17?


    Had those Blue Eyes individuals lost their minds?! Instead of voting for the Red Eyes, they voted for their own, Yellow Eyes!!!


    Fury choked him. The normally genteel Dr. Xu Fanghe looked gloomy for the first time.


    He walked over to the gangster with a somber expression, his calm tone revealing no sign of anger or joy:


    ¡°You and your people, it seems you didn¡¯t vote ording to our agreed n.¡±


    The gangster sneered at Xu Fanghe, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid? I know very well what the oue will be if we vote ording to your n. Sure, that¡¯s right! If we could coborate to eliminate three Red Eyes, it would severely undermine them. But what about the remaining two spots? If those two spots all fall on us, Blue Eyes, the greatest winners will be you! Yellow Eyes! Will you continue to cooperate with us then?¡±


    If they had voted ording to Xu Fanghe¡¯s request, the situation might have been as follows:


    Red Eyes: from 10 people to 7 after eliminating 3.


    Yellow Eyes: from 8 people remains 8 with zero elimination.


    Blue Eyes: from 7 people to 5 after eliminating 2.


    The gangster¡¯s mouth curled up into mockingly cold smile as he lightly patted Dr. Xu Fanghe¡¯s shoulder:


    ¡°Previously, we were the team with the fewest numbers, so of necessity, we had to ept your offer for cooperation. But now¡­ it¡¯s you with the least people. You¡¯ll have to obey me in the next round of voting, you understand?¡±


    <div>

 Chapter 599: Unspeakable Suffering

    Chapter 599: Chapter 599: Unspeakable Suffering


    The current situation is:


    There are 10 Red Eyes, with 2 eliminated, it drops to 8.


    There are 8 Yellow Eyes, with 2 eliminated, it drops to 6.


    There are 7 Blue Eyes, with 1 eliminated, it drops to 6.


    By the looks of it, Yellow Eyes and Blue Eyes seem to have equal numbers, but in reality, there is a big difference.


    Out of the 6 Yellow Eyes, one is Bai Youwei, meaning there are actually only 5 Yellow Eyes!


    Although the Blue Eyes are also down to 6, there¡¯s still one Blue Eyes member in the Red team, so the real situation looks like this:


    8 Red Eyes.


    5 Yellow Eyes.


    7 Blue Eyes.


    After his alliance with Xu Fanghe, the ck brother subtly changed the vote count, immediately gaining an upper hand!


    The Yellow Eyes, now with only 5 survivors, cannot afford any more losses, they have to make the best of the situation and work with him. Against a Red team of 8, a difference of one vote is nothing to fear!


    Moreover, after joining forces with Xu Fanghe, the ck brother controls 12 votes, and has every confidence in defeating the Red team!


    The brother didn¡¯t just screw over Xu Fanghe once, he screwed him over so hard that Xu Fanghe was left speechless.


    The righteous sses Man burst out, ¡°How could you have broken your promise?! How are we supposed to cooperate with you now?!!¡±


    The ck brother burst intoughter, as if he had heard some joke.


    His whitepanion also smirked, saying, ¡°Of course, you can choose not to cooperate with us, but considering your current numbers, without our cooperation, what waves do you think you can make? Hahahaha¡­¡±


    The two howled withughter.


    Xu Fanghe¡¯s face was as cold as ice.


    But he didn¡¯t lose his temper. Instead, he spoke up loudly after a period of silence: ¡°Given how things are, of course, we have no choice but to cooperate with you! However, I hope you understand this ¨C


    Traitors will eventually be punished by, Heaven, Punishment!¡±


    Thest two words were said firmly and with weight, almost like a curse.


    The ck brother looked at him as if he was an idiot, then turned to hispanion andughed, ¡°Did weugh him into some kind of stupor? He¡¯s got serious issues!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, back to sleep.¡± hispanion sighed dismissively, ¡°Just seeking save his pride by trying to get thest word in, let¡¯s just ignore them¡­¡±


    The Blue Eyes left.


    The Yellow Eyes followed suit.


    The Red Eyes, having enjoyed the show, also finally left.


    Stoneball watched these yers leave, still spinning around on the rooftop feeling unsatisfied, talking to himself:


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the ¡®Doctor¡¯, whom many Inspectors had high hopes for? ¡­ It seems that he is nothing special, and that Bai Youwei, who has been silent all this time, hmm¡­ who will win? Who will win?¡­ this feeling of suspense is really great, so good~ so good~¡±


    ¡­


    The ck brother and hispanion returned to their resting room.


    He took out a notebook and quickly wrote down a series of numbers, then passed a note to hispanion: ¡°Pass this note to the doctor, let him take down the numbers of the Yellow Eyes, then return the note to me. In the next round of voting, we have to eliminate three of the Red team yers.¡±


    Thepanion took the note, hesitated and said, ¡°Should we wait until tomorrow morning? They¡¯re probably still pretty heated right now¡­¡±


    The ck brother snorted disdainfully, ¡°Know this, people¡¯s prejudices are like moving a mountain, no matter how much you work at it, you¡¯ll never fully seed. They see that I¡¯m ck and big, and think I¡¯m easy to fool, that all I have are muscles and no brains, haha, but to me, they¡¯re all a bunch of clowns! Stupid andughable!¡±


    His whitepanion insisted, nodding in agreement: ¡°These guys are indeed fools. They should consider this, the game values fairness the most. How could it assign someone who¡¯s strong in a physical sense to a game where violence is prohibited? Every yer who gets into this game has a lot of strategical thinking.¡±


    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Not necessarily, I see plenty of fools!¡± The ck guy waved, ¡°Go ahead, no matter how angry he is, he will agree to cooperate, unless he doesn¡¯t want to win.¡±


    The whitepanion took two steps outside, then looked back hesitantly, ¡°About that thing he said, Heavenly Punishment¡­¡±


    The ck brother snorted: ¡°Just a trick to intimidate us.¡±


    ¡­

 Chapter 600: The Suspect (Added for kklin)

    Chapter 600: Chapter 600: The Suspect (Added for kklin)


    Xu Fanghe quickly received a note sent by the thugs.


    There were six numbers written on the note this time: 3, 4, 5, 17, 29, 30


    As usual, Xu Fanghe asked everyone for their opinion. After finding out that there was a person corresponding to number three, he crossed out the number three. Then, after pausing for half a second, he crossed out 29 and 30, as well.


    Everyone looked confused.


    Xu Fanghe calmly replied: ¡°Just a smokescreen.¡±


    He added, ¡°There are still several hours left before the third round of voting. Everyone, go back and get some rest.¡±


    Someone hesitated and didn¡¯t want to leave, expressing their worry to Xu Fanghe: ¡°Dr. Xu Fanghe, if we lose more members in the third round of voting, then¡­¡±


    There were only five people left with Yellow Eyes. If they lose more members, even if they make it to thest round of voting, there¡¯s no way they can win the game!


    That¡¯s because the condition for clearing is that, after five rounds of voting, the eye color of the survivors should be consistent.


    If there are only five people left after five rounds, how can they ensure the consistency of eye color if there are not enough Yellow Eyes?


    Xu Fanghe, who was sitting on his knees with his eyes closed, calmly replied: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll handle this. You all go back first.¡±


    Seeing no other choice, everyone reluctantly left.


    Bai Youwei also wheeled away in her wheelchair. As she left, she heard two men speaking in hushed voices:


    ¡°No idea what he¡¯s up to¡­ If he says he¡¯ll handle it, he should let us all know how he ns to do it¡­¡±


    ¡°I think he¡¯s out of options, right? He promised that none of the Yellow Eyes would be eliminated in thest round, but what happened? We lost two more people!¡±


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°What should we do¡­ If we lose another one, we¡¯re sure to lose¡­¡±


    ¡°We were yed by Blue Eyes, and all that talk about Heavenly Punishment¡­ really¡­¡±


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t have let him lead in the first ce¡­¡±


    The two men walked further away, discussing and sighing as they went.


    Bai Youwei watched them for a while, before slowly wheeling away¡­


    ¡­


    At the front door of the cylindrical house, just as she prepared to open the door, a figure emerged from behind the house.


    Bai Youwei immediately looked around.


    No one was following, and the surroundings were eerily quiet.


    She opened the door and waved towards the figure behind the house: ¡°Come in.¡±


    The person who arrived was the leader of the Red Eyes, that short-haired woman.


    ¡°Their nned voting numbers this time are 4, 5, 17. The numbers crossed out by Xu Fanghe are 3, 29, and 30. I suspect his number is either 28, 29, or 30.¡±


    As Bai Youwei spoke, she tore off a piece of paper and quickly wrote down all the numbers she had just mentioned.


    The short-haired woman shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s not 30; 30 is a Red Eye.¡±


    Bai Youwei crossed out 30 and made a special circle around 28 and 29, ¡°In the previous two instances when Xu Fanghe listed the numbers, he never went beyond 27. I suspect his number is in between 28 and 29. We should try to vote out these two numbers in the next round.¡±


    Looking suspiciously at her, the short-haired woman asked, ¡°Are you really sure that Xu Fanghe is the X guest?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Bai Youwei responded candidly, ¡°If it¡¯s not him, then it must be the thug. There is no third option.¡±


    The short-haired woman was even more puzzled, ¡°Why have you never suspected me? And why did you tell me your number?¡±


    When the short-haired woman had called Bai Youwei a ¡°Fool¡±, Bai Youwei seized her wrist and asked if she was calling her ¡°me¡± stupid. She emphasized the word ¡°me¡± and wrote ¡°11¡± on the short-haired woman¡¯s arm.


    Bai Youwei answered, ¡°Because I¡¯ve tested you, and you¡¯re not the X guest.¡±


    ¡°You tested me?¡± The short-haired woman knitted her brows in recollection, ¡°¡­When?¡±


    Bai Youwei smiled gently, ¡°Last night. I told you that I suspected the thug was the X guest. You said it didn¡¯t seem like him, that his white partner seemed more like the X guest.


    If you were the X guest and found out I was suspecting the wrong target, you should have reinforced my mistake, not tried to correct me. So, you¡¯re definitely not the X guest.¡±

 Chapter 601: 601: Risk

    Chapter 601: Chapter 601: Risk


    The short-haired woman was rendered speechless as she hadn¡¯t expected her ws to be so easily spotted. She stubbornly asked, ¡°But still, determining that I am not a mole based on this is rather arbitrary, right? It¡¯s possible I¡¯ve been pretending!¡±


    ¡°Your demeanor then was so natural; it didn¡¯t seem feigned at all.¡± Bai Youwei remarked calmly, ¡°And of course, there¡¯s always the unlikely chance that my judgement might be wrong. If so, I fully ept my loss.¡±


    In such a game, nothing is won without risk. Every move made is a calcted probe, each step fraught with chance and probability.


    The actions made by Bai Youwei were simply attempts to increase her own chances of winning.


    ¡°There¡¯s another thing.¡± Bai Youwei continued, ¡°By actively recruiting Blue Eyes to your team, it shows that you¡¯re impulsive and risk-taking. Red Eyes, from the outset, had the numerical advantage. However, despite this, you sought to increase this advantage even further with the intention of determining victory or defeat as quickly as possible. Such a course of action is pointless for a mole. That¡¯s because, no matter the final color of the yers, as long as they live until the 5th round, they¡¯re the winner.¡±


    The short-haired woman challenged, ¡°So what about Doctor? Isn¡¯t it the same since you were invited into Yellow Eyes Team? Why would you still be suspicious of him?!¡±


    Bai Youwei smirked slightly, ¡°It¡¯s not the same. I wasn¡¯t invited; rather, I voluntarily joined their ranks.¡±


    The short-haired woman: ¡°¡­¡±


    She fell silent, speechless in the face of Bai Youwei¡¯s exnation.


    ¡°By the way,¡± Bai Youwei spoke again, ¡°How did you vote in thest round? The numbers don¡¯t match up.¡±<div>


    ¡°In thest round we voted for number 2- three votes, number 12- four votes, number 16- three votes,¡± the short-haired woman exined, ¡°We predicted that Yellow and Blue would form an alliance, and with total votes as 5+5+5, they could at least eliminate 3 of our members. Our 10 votes, whether distributed as 5+5 or 4+3+3, could only guarantee two ranks among the top five vote recipients. Hence, we chose thetter option, gambling on luck. However, we didn¡¯t expect that they wouldn¡¯t use the 5+5+5 voting method.¡±


    Bai Youwei mused, ¡°So, number 22 really was voted out by them¡­¡±


    The short-haired woman inquired, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Bai Youwei replied, ¡°Number 22 represents Yellow Eyes, a number that we had already crossed out. Blue Eyes¡¯ choice to do this gives off the impression of a deliberate attempt at maintaining numerical bnce.¡±


    The numbers which Yellow and Blue decided to vote out this round were 4, 5, 17, all of whom were Red Eyes.


    If Red Eyes also eliminated 1 person from both Yellow and Blue teams, the situation would look like this:


    Red Eyes: 8 people, after eliminating 3, bes 5 (including one Blue Eyes).


    Yellow Eyes: 6 people, after eliminating 1, bes 5 (including one Red Eyes).


    Blue Eyes: 6 people, after eliminating 1, bes 5.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    All three teams would have exactly the same number of members.


    Alternatively, it could be Red: 5, Yellow: 6, Blue: 4, or Red: 5, Yellow: 4, Blue: 6.


    This would depend on what number Red Eyes team finally voted out.


    ¡°Are we sure about voting for 28 and 29?¡± the short-haired woman turned to ask Bai Youwei.


    Bai Youwei creased her brows and pondered for a while.


    If correct, the mole would be eliminated, and the remaining 15 yers would win the game.


    If incorrect¡­


    If incorrect, then only 4 of Yellow Eyes, 5 of Red Eyes, and 6 of Blue Eyes would remain.


    By then, Blue Eyes would stand unopposed and undoubtedly target Red Eyes for the next elimination. Even if Red and Yellow teamed up, it would be near impossible to avoid losing at least one member. And once they lost one member, leaving Red Eyes with just 4 people, Red Eyes would also lose the chance of victory like Yellow Eyes!


    And an even worse case!<div>


    That would be, after the round of voting, none of the three teams fulfilled the condition ¡°remaining 5 members with the same eye color¡±!


    In short, if she didn¡¯t win in the next voting round, she would certainly lose in the round after that!


    Gain is always apanied by risk ¨C it¡¯s unavoidable.


    Bai Youwei shut her eyes in frustration and said, ¡°Let¡¯s discuss this again tomorrow. If everything goes as nned, vote for 28 and 29.¡±<div>

 Chapter 602: 602: The Large Black Moth

    Chapter 602: Chapter 602: The Large ck Moth


    Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t surprised. She¡¯d merely spoken to deter herself from changing her mind at thest minute, but she hadn¡¯t anticipated¡­the real scenario.


    At nine-thirty in the morning, half an hour before the third round of voting, everyone gathered early in the square.


    Initially, a ck member from the Blue Eyes camp suddenly copsed. His Caucasianpanion rushed forward, shouting his name, while curious onlookers surrounded them.


    The muscr ck many sprawled on the square with the white sunlight shining on his ashen face.


    Anxiety spread amongst the crowd like a gue. Remembering Xu Fanghe¡¯sments about ¡°Heavenly Punishment¡± the previous night, everyone instinctively looked towards him.


    Then, the ck man on the ground suddenly twitched and everyone recoiled in fright.


    Immediately after!


    The ck man¡¯s throat began to undte frically, as if something were trying to w its way out!


    ¨CHis cheeks bulged and his lips stretched apart as a big, fluffy ck moth crawled out of his mouth!


    Everyone retreated in shock!<div>


    Even the Caucasianpanion of the ck man stepped back in horror, staring at his fallen friend.


    But it wasn¡¯t over!


    After the first moth emerged, another appeared, followed by a third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh¡­countless!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The ck man¡¯s body was quickly covered inrge, fluffy moths!


    Hispanion, unable to bear it, ripped off his shirt and flung it at the moths!


    A swarm of moths then scattered into the air, disappearing instantly, leaving nothing but a shriveled corpse.


    ¡°It¡¯s you!!!¡± the Caucasian man red at Xu Fanghe, ¡°You did this!¡±


    ¡°How could it have been me?¡± Xu Fanghe stood unmoved, his voice devoid of emotion. ¡°This is Heavenly Punishment. Betrayers and schemers will inevitably face divine retribution.¡±


    The Caucasian man turned his gaze towards the sphere poised above them, furiously shouting, ¡°Isn¡¯t the Inspector going to do anything about this?! Violence is forbidden in the game! Anyone who harms others in the game should be immediately eliminated!!!¡±


    ¡°Violence?¡± Xu Fanghe finally showed emotion, the corners of his mouth curving slightly into a smirk. ¡°I¡¯d like to know, I never even touched him¡­ could that be considered violence?¡±


    Sphere: ¡°¡­¡±


    How troublesome¡­


    Always dealing with these yers who exploit the game¡¯s loopholes.


    This was inevitable. Precisely because the majority of the system¡¯s rules were too rigid, there was a need for an Inspector, to supervise every game, provide a more ¡°humanized¡± interpretation of the rules, and timely patch any loopholes and bugs.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t count.¡± The sphere responded in a neutral tone, ¡°In this game, only physical altercations and direct attacks that aim to physically harm others are prohibited. This current situation, erm¡­ it doesn¡¯t fall within the vition of game rules.¡±


    ¡°This is unfair!¡± The Caucasian man cried out in indignation.


    The sphere audibly huffed, ¡°Where is the unfairness? You could also arrange a simr death! Make someonemit suicide! Or fall into the sea, die from food poisoning, suffer a heart attack, whatever works. Being bitten to death by bugs also counts. If you can make it happen, the game will judge it as an idental death! Hmph~ In essence, you¡¯re just not capable enough. Instead, you me my game for being unfair!¡±


    The sphere squarely washed its hands of any responsibility: ¡°My game can¡¯t be unfair!¡±


    A chill settled over everyone.<div>


    It was not possible for these ck moths to spawn out of nowhere. It was clear that Xu Fanghe was responsible, likely possessing a powerful tool, and yet they were helpless to do anything about it!


    Even Bai Youwei, after deep contemtion, couldn¡¯t determine which of her own tools could challenge Xu Fanghe.


    None of her tools were strong enough to kill him instantly, while the stronger tools were off-limits, as using them would vite the game rules.


    Xu Fanghe then reached into his pocket, withdrew a piece of paper, and handed it to the Caucasian man saying, ¡°In this round, please vote ording to the new number. Thank you for your cooperation.¡±<div>

 Chapter 603: 603 What Will Happen

    Chapter 603: Chapter 603 What Will Happen


    The white man gritted his teeth in hatred, but he had no choice but to ept the piece of paper, lowering his head toward Xu Fanghe.


    The man with sses was extremely excited: ¡°Dr. Xu¡¯s contributions are immeasurable! The Creator God punishes the demon with the Sword of Justice, and shines the light of love and kindness upon thend! We will win! We will win!!!¡±


    His fanaticism failed to resonate with the rest. As they looked at Xu Fanghe now, they felt only coldness, eeriness, and hairs raising on end.


    The ck man was the tallest and strongest among them, yet he was killed by Xu Fanghe in such a mysterious way.


    The so-called Heavenly Punishment is just a prop, but what makes it terrifying is¡ª


    They don¡¯t know what kind of prop it is, how it works, how many more times it can be used, and when it will be used next!


    With a smile, Xu Fanghe turned around and amiably said to Yellow Eyes, ¡°There¡¯s a slight change in this round of voting. We need to add another number on top of the original three, and then vote in a 3+3+3+2 format¡­¡±


    3+3+3+2.


    Bai Youwei slightly furrowed her brows. Was Xu Fanghe nning to eliminate four people at once?


    Indeed, someone instantly voiced her question: ¡°Are we eliminating four people at once? But aren¡¯t two votes a bit risky¡­?¡±<div>


    Before Xu Fanghe could respond, the man with the sses immediately chastised the questioner with dissatisfaction: ¡°Doctor Xu has his reasons for doing this! We just have to follow his orders!¡±


    The person who asked the question mumbled to themselves, cautiously nced at Xu Fanghe, and fell silent.


    Perhaps they were a little wary of Xu Fanghe.


    Dr. Xu smiled and said gently: ¡°Two votes are indeed a bit less, but I have another n in mind. You go ahead and vote as I instructed¡­¡±


    Then, Dr. Xu told them how to vote, assigning specific numbers to each person.


    Although his demeanor seemed amiable and friendly, his desire for control was obviously strong. Not only did he strictly assign numbers, but he also paid great attention to the voting order.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    When it was Bai Youwei¡¯s turn, Xu Fanghe said: ¡°You, vote for number 5.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Bai Youwei readily agreed.


    The stone ball was spinning on the ceiling, impatiently urging: ¡°Are you guys done yet? Done yet? It¡¯s time already~ Time for the third round of voting! Line up to vote~¡±


    People gradually entered the voting booth.


    First, it was Blue Eyes, then Yellow Eyes, and then Red Eyes.


    Smiling amiably, Xu Fanghe asked everyone, ¡°Did you all vote as I asked?¡±


    Blue Eyes clenched their teeth in resentment.


    Yellow Eyes admitted sheepishly.


    One Red Eye exited the voting booth while another one went in.


    Seeing that almost everyone had finished voting, Xu Fanghe said to one person, ¡°Please wait a moment¡­¡±


    Just about to go in to vote, Red Eyes paused, looking at Xu Fanghe with a mix of confusion and fear.


    Xu Fanghe spoke, ¡°Actually¡­ I really despise self-destruction. Wouldn¡¯t it be better if we all worked together? Aiming at each other only brings tragedy and regret. I sincerely hope that you will ept my suggestion and vote for number 25 once you go inside. Let¡¯s end this game as soon as possible.¡±


    After hearing this, the white man¡¯s face turned pale. He was number 25!<div>


    After the ck man got killed, was he the next unlucky one?!


    A short-haired woman couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and confronted him, ¡°Why should we listen to you?!¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Xu Fanghe looked at them confused, ¡°Don¡¯t you understand? I¡¯m trying to save you all! I can¡¯t just stand by and watch you be nests for bugs. Is a war quota more important than your own life? If you lose, you¡¯re just amoner, but if we continue, who knows¡­ what will happen next?¡±


    <div>

 Chapter 604: 604: Vote as Required

    Chapter 604: Chapter 604: Vote as Required


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him!¡± The short-haired girl stood firm, talking to herpanion about to vote. ¡°Stick to the original n! He¡¯s just afraid we¡¯ll vote him out!¡±


    Red Eyes hesitated between options.


    ¡°What a pity¡­¡± Xu Fanghe sighed softly, looking at them with regret. ¡°It seems, to prevent further conflict, I have to rely on the Heavenly Punishment¡­¡±


    At the mention of the words ¡°Heavenly Punishment¡±, everyone¡¯s faces changed! They were reminded of those moths just earlier!


    Nobody wanted to die that way!


    Even turning into a doll would be better than being hollowed out by a swarm of bugs!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The Red Eyes looked very hesitant, obviously vaciting.


    All that Bai Youwei could think of at this moment was: despicable.


    ¡ª Using an advantage that others didn¡¯t have to control the votes in the game, such behavior was truly despicable.


    Although she had done simr things before, bearing the feeling of being manipted now that the roles had switched was really ufortable.<div>


    Xu Fanghe looked at the four Red Eyes who had not yet voted, and said rxedly:


    ¡°We could have coexisted peacefully. The game only requires us to vote, not to fight to the death, so why bother?¡­ Let¡¯s put an end to all of this. Battles will only lead to hurt. I¡¯m saying this for the good of everyone¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s deceiving you!¡± The short-haired girl red viciously at Xu Fanghe. ¡°Stick to the original n! As long as we eliminate him, we can definitely win!¡±


    ¡°¡­Win?¡± Xu Fanghe slowly smiled. ¡°Is winning so important? If so, think about it yourselves¡­ abandon the obsession with victory and defeat, vote with me for No. 25, or stubbornly pursue victory or defeat, facing the Heavenly Punishment at sunrise tomorrow?¡±


    Here, he paused, his gaze slowly sweeping over the four faces of the Red Eyes¡ª


    ¡°I¡­ remember your faces.¡±


    His words sent shivers down one¡¯s spine!


    ¡°Damn it!¡± The short-haired girl was about to lose her mind. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him! Don¡¯t listen to him!!! No matter who you vote for, he won¡¯t know!!!¡±


    ¡°I will know.¡± Xu Fanghe shook his head, smiling. ¡°Right now, No. 25 has two votes. If, when the Inspector announces the votes, No. 25 doesn¡¯t have six votes, then it means that one of you four certainly didn¡¯t do as I said.¡±


    The short-haired girl questioned herpanions: ¡°Are you really going to do as he says?! He¡¯s just trying to scare you! He¡­¡±


    ¡°I say¡­¡± the sphere on the roof became impatient, ¡°are you voting or not? Can you hurry up?¡±


    Urged on, the Red Eyes lowered their heads and hurried into the voting booth.


    One after another, they entered to vote, until everyone had done so.


    The stone sphere started spinning again.


    As it rumbled, spinning and turning, it announced merrily¡ª


    ¡°Now announcing the eliminated votes for the third round!¡±


    ¡°No. 4, 3 votes.¡±


    ¡°No. 5, 2 votes.¡±


    ¡°No. 17, 3 votes.¡±<div>


    ¡°No. 25, 6 votes.¡±


    ¡°No. 28, 4 votes.¡±


    At the announcement of 6 votes for No. 25, Bai Youwei closed her eyes in regret. Her n had beenpletely disrupted.


    The yers around her were disappearing one after another.<div>


    3 of the Red Eyes disappeared.


    2 of the Blue Eyes disappeared.


    Yellow Eyes remained intact.


    The people left: 5 Red Eyes (including 1 Blue Eye), 6 Yellow Eyes (including 1 Red Eye), 3 Blue Eyes.


    But ording to Bai Youwei¡¯s n, thest four votes from the Red Eyes should have been for No. 29! Along with her own vote, the eliminated numbers should have been: 4, 17, 25, 28, 29.


    But how could anyone have known that Xu Fanghe was going to stop those four people midway and openly bribe them?


    The Inspector was only watching themotion, not intervening at all!


    If the votes were continuously controlled by Xu Fanghe, there would be no point in ying the game!


    Just as she was bing increasingly frustrated, Xu Fanghe slowly walked up to her, looking down at her from above, squinting his eyes and asking:


    ¡°May I ask¡­ why didn¡¯t you follow my request when you voted just now?¡±

 Chapter 605: 605: The Breaking Point (Adding more for Chen Hui)

    Chapter 605: Chapter 605: The Breaking Point (Adding more for Chen Hui)


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Yellow Eyes cast their vote before Red Eyes, with Bai Youwei casting her vote early.


    ording to the agreement she made with the short-haired woman, they were to concentrate their votes on the numbers 28 and 29, predicting that one of these would be Xu Fanghe¡¯s number.


    Unfortunately, she could not foretell the future.


    After casting her vote for number 29, she didn¡¯t expect Xu Fanghe would call out to the one voting for Red Eyes and utter such a threatening statement.


    As a result, the four votes that should have gone to number 29 all went to number 25 instead.


    The situation now was:


    Five Red Eyes (including one Blue Eye),


    Six Yellow Eyes (including one Red Eye),


    Three Blue Eyes.


    In terms of actual colors, there were five Red Eyes, five Yellow Eyes, and four Blue Eyes.<div>


    The Blue Eyes group which only had four members was certain to be demoted tomoners. With no chance of winning, they were even less likely to confront Xu Fanghe.


    If Xu Fanghe could just eliminate one more Red Eye, he would have a near guaranteed victory!


    Now, facing Xu Fanghe¡¯s interrogation, Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but wonder, was he going to target Red Eyes next?


    Dr. Xu Fanghe stared at Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes as he asked, ¡°Why does number five only have two votes?¡±


    ¡°Yes, why indeed?¡± Bai Youwei replied coolly, ¡°I cast my vote, maybe others didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You voted, huh¡­¡± Xu Fanghe¡¯s mouth curved into a slight smile, but his eyes were as cold as a snake¡¯s. ¡°Little girl, children who don¡¯t tell the truth, also receive Heavenly Punishment.¡±


    ¡°Heavenly Punishment?¡± Bai Youwei blinked her eyes, ¡°But didn¡¯t you just say that Heavenly Punishment would onlye at sunrise tomorrow? It¡¯s only 10 in the morning now, and there are still two rounds of voting before tomorrow¡¯s sunrise. By the time Heavenly Punishmentes, the game will have long been over, won¡¯t it?¡±


    Xu Fanghe: ¡°¡­¡±


    His smile froze at the corner of his mouth. Slowly bending down, he whispered in Bai Youwei¡¯s ear,


    ¡°Before that¡­ I can still eliminate you, because¡­ I know your number¡­ is 11.¡±


    Bai Youwei¡¯s eyebrows slightly furrowed, almost imperceptibly.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± She held his gaze bravely, ¡°What a coincidence, I also know your number¡­ it¡¯s 29.¡±


    Xu Fanghe was slightly taken aback, then a hint of scornfulughter shed in his eyes, ¡°Oh¡­ so my number is 29, is it? We can try it in the next round.¡±


    Bai Youwei smiled, ¡°Sure, let¡¯s try it in the next round.¡±


    Xu Fanghe¡¯s gaze became icy cold.


    He stood straight up, leading the Yellow Eyes away. The rivalry between both sides was nowid bare.


    The short-haired woman came up to Bai Youwei, worriedly asking, ¡°What should we do in the next round? He surely will not let us off. If we lose another one, we will surely lose.¡±


    Bai Youwei, furrowing her eyebrows in thought, looked in the direction of the Blue Eyes.


    Only three were left.<div>


    Luckily, both Fang Yu and Ya Chaohui were still there, along with a slightly chubby, curly-haired man.


    Bai Youwei remarked, ¡°If we work together, Red and Blue add up to 9 votes, while Yellow Eyes only has 5 votes¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no chance of coboration,¡± Fang Yu interrupted her coldly, ¡°No matter how seamlessly we n now, by the time the fourth round of votinges, he will manipte the vote results again. If we don¡¯t vote ording to his requirements, we would be regarded as challenging Heavenly Punishment. I know you Red Eyes want to win, but we won¡¯t risk our lives to help you.¡±


    Ya Chaohui gave an awkward, apologetic smile, ¡°We¡¯re really sorry, but we can¡¯t take such a risk¡­¡±<div>


    With an apologetic bow, he took Fang Yu and the other curly-haired man and left.


    Only those with Red Eyes were left in the square.


    The short-haired woman gave a helpless sigh, ¡°This won¡¯t work unless we find the truth about ¡°Heavenly Punishment¡± and diffuse the threat in the remaining seven hours. Otherwise, they won¡¯t coborate with us. Yellow Eyes is definitely on alert against us, and time is so short. What do we do¡­¡±


    Watching the direction Fang Yu and Ya Chaohui had gone, Bai Youwei coolly responded, ¡°Searching for the truth would be too strenuous, I have a simpler method¡­¡±

 Chapter 606: 606: Guess the Number

    Chapter 606: Chapter 606: Guess the Number


    The short-haired woman blurted out, ¡°What method?¡±


    Bai Youwei pondered for a moment, then gave a light smile, ¡°I think I better talk to them again. If I use that method¡­it would be quite embarrassing.¡±


    Short-haired woman: ¡°¡­¡±


    She had thought herself clever enough, but after entering the game, she still felt overwhelmed. It was as if everyone else was driving a sports car, while she was only riding a small motorbike.


    It was then that Bai Youwei said: ¡°Blue Eyes is now leaderless and poses no threat. In the next voting round, Yellow Eyes will most certainly go all out against us. There are five slots to be eliminated every time, no matter how hard we try, it¡¯s impossible to upy all five. In other words, at least two or three of us in this group will be eliminated.¡±


    The short-haired woman¡¯s expression grew grave, ¡°That means we won¡¯t be able to fulfill the final condition of having the same eye color among the five survivors unless we can identify the X guest.¡±


    Bai Youwei gently shook her head: ¡°The clear conditions may seem to allow an either-or choice, but in reality there¡¯s only one ¡ª eliminate the X guest. If we cannot eliminate the X Guest, it wouldn¡¯t matter how many of us are left in the end. There¡¯s no way we could have uniform eye color because the X guest¡¯s eye color is fake.¡±


    ¡°Could the Doctor be the X Guest?¡± the short-haired woman asked, ¡°Last time you said that Xu Fanghe¡¯s number was either 28 or 29. As number 28 was eliminated in the third round, should we vote number 29 next round? How certain are you?¡±


    Bai Youwei furrowed her brows. She was originally 80 percent sure, but reflecting on Xu Fanghe¡¯s reaction just now, something didn¡¯t feel quite right.


    The reason she guessed Xu Fanghe¡¯s number to be 29 was that he avoided numbers 28, 29, and 30 in both his numerical sections, and since 28 was already eliminated and 30 belonged to Red Eyes, only 29 was left. Only 29, really?<div>


    Did she miss something?


    The number selection Xu Fanghe provided the first time:


    1-5, 10-18, 24-27.


    The number selection Xu Fanghe provided the second time:


    3-7, 10-17, 21-25.


    Both sectionscked 8, 9, 19, 20, 28, 29, 30.


    Of these, 8, 19, and 28 had already been eliminated, 30 was Red Eyes, so Xu Fanghe¡¯s number must be among 9, 20, 29.


    No matter how you look at it, number 29 is highly suspected.


    When the mob boss let Xu Fanghe pick from numbers, Xu Fanghe, without consulting anyone, crossed out 29 and 30.


    Crossing out 30 was to spread smoke ¨C what about crossing out 29?


    He clearly had a strong desire to protect this number!


    ¡­Of course, if she looked back at all those chaotic numbers, 9 and 20 also seemed suspicious.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Just to be safe, let¡¯s have each of us giving two votes for numbers 9, 20, and 29,¡± Bai Youwei suggested.


    The short-haired woman¡¯s expression darkened as she nced at herrades unconsciously.


    The previous round of voting, these so-called rades¡¯ hadn¡¯t voted ording to the n.


    One of them raised his hand, confessing, ¡°Although I also want to win, my life is more important. I don¡¯t want to deal with the ¡®Heavenly Punishment¡¯. So, during the voting round, if the doctor is still threatening us, I may not vote ording to your xn, sorry.¡±


    Another person also raised his hand, ¡°Same here.¡±


    The others followed suit, dering they wouldn¡¯t vote ording to Bai Youwei¡¯s request.


    The short-haired woman¡¯s expression grew even darker.<div>


    They were said to berades, but were merely strangers who gathered together due to the same eye color. Between them, there was neither understanding nor basic trust to speak of.


    How could they ever win the game like this?

 Chapter 607: 607: Lets Analyze

    Chapter 607: Chapter 607: Let¡¯s Analyze


    Bai Youwei looked at them incredulously, ¡°Are you serious¡­ I thought yers who could enter the preliminaries would have some understanding of the game and the props. Do you really think that the game system would give yers a prop that can be used without any restrictions?¡±


    Everyone exchanged nces.


    Of course not.


    The game system values fairness the most. The harder the game, the more powerful the rewards, and the more powerful the rewards, the more demanding the conditions to use them are!


    Usually, use is limited by number of times, or time, or otherwise restricted to certain targets.


    One way or another, yers are never allowed to use props recklessly.


    As for the so-called ¡°Heavenly Punishment¡±, Bai Youwei waspletely unfazed, saying clearly:


    ¡°If the prop in his hand really is that powerful, why would he need to wait until the voting stage? Since the Inspector can¡¯t determine that he¡¯s cheated, he could easily kill us all, then win the game with Yellow Eyes~


    He didn¡¯t do that ¨C why not? Because his prop is limited, he couldn¡¯t do it.¡±


    A simple principle, understandable to everyone. It was only due to the horrifying scene of those giant ck moths crawling out of people¡¯s bodies that left such a strong impression in their minds! Fear affected their judgment!<div>


    One of the men frowned, saying gravely, ¡°You¡¯re not wrong, but¡­ I still don¡¯t want to take the risk. No one can be sure that the ¡®Heavenly Punishment¡¯ won¡¯t befall them.¡±


    After the man finished speaking, another two or three people with Red Eyes nodded in agreement.


    For a moment, even the short-haired woman who was in the lead was hesitant.


    Bai Youwei looked at them coldly.


    This wasn¡¯t cowardice, but a conservative choice after aprehensive evaluation of the risk and reward ¨C also known as conservatism.


    Usually, once there¡¯s one such person in the group, a second will appear, then a third¡­ a fourth¡­ eventually influencing the majority¡¯s decision.


    Bai Youwei sighed silently in her heart.


    ¨C Not havingpatiblepanions in the game felt like a chef without a suitable knife, unable to make the best use of her abilities~


    ¡°I¡¯ll brief you onest time.¡±


    She carefully chose her words, before speaking again.


    ¡°The second round of voting was at 2 o¡¯clock in the morning, Xu Fanghe was betrayed by ckie, and then they didn¡¯t see each other again. By the time the third round of voting came around, which was around 9:30 in the morning, ckie was in trouble. From that, at least two pieces of information about the prop can be inferred.¡±


    The short-haired woman was a bit confused, wasn¡¯t this something everyone knew? How did it reveal two pieces of information?


    The others also looked at Bai Youwei puzzled.


    ¡°What are the two pieces of information?¡±


    Bai Youwei lowered her eyes, continuing, ¡°Firstly, this prop can only afflict one person at a time.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ckie and his white friend have always been the leaders of the Blue Eyes, yet Xu Fanghe only killed one of them, then eliminated the white man by voting. Did he suddenly have a change of heart? No, the most likely possibility is that his prop can only target one person at a time.


    Therefore, there is no reason to worry too much. If Xu Fanghe is going to act today, his target will certainly be me¡ªyou all will be safe.¡±


    After saying this, everyone¡¯s faces visibly rxed.


    Indeed, as Bai Youwei had said, if Xu Fanghe¡¯s prop is so powerful, he certainly wouldn¡¯t use it carelessly. Even if he were to use it, he would target prominent leaders like Bai Youwei or the short-haired woman.<div>


    The short-haired woman asked Bai Youwei, ¡°What¡¯s the second piece of information?¡±


    ¡°Time,¡± Bai Youwei calmly replied, ¡°Moths don¡¯t just appear out of thin air. From egg torva, then from pupa to moth, the entire process takes time. This also perfectly exins why ckie wasn¡¯t attacked until the next day.


    Put simply, if Xu Fanghe wants me dead by the next round of voting, he needs to act against me now. This brings us to the third piece of information¡ª


    How did he attack ckie?¡±<div>

 Chapter 608: 608: Rejected Again

    Chapter 608: Chapter 608: Rejected Again


    ¡°The third piece of information is my personal clue,¡± Bai Youwei continued. ¡°Although after the second round of voting, the two didn¡¯t meet again, in fact, Xu Fanghe and the gangster had two indirect encounters.¡±


    The man with Red Eyes stared at her nkly.


    Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t interested in creating suspense and gave the answer directly:


    ¡°The first time was when the gangster wrote down the vote count on a piece of paper and sent it over.


    The second time was when Xu Fanghe crossed out Yellow Eyes¡¯ number and returned the paper.


    I guess it was at that time that Xu Fanghe pinned the insect egg in the paper. When the gangster opened the paper to see the number, his skin came in contact with the insect egg. The egg entered his body, hatched into Poisonous moths after a few hours, and became the ¡®Heavenly Punishment¡¯ that Xu Fanghe mentioned.¡±


    Bai Youwei raised a finger and gently shook it:


    ¡°Based on the above, to avoid this so-called ¡®Heavenly Punishment¡¯, we just need to keep our distance from Xu Fanghe.


    Before the next vote, it¡¯s best for each of us to stay in our rooms, keep the doors and windows closed, and avoid contact with anyone or anything suspicious to prevent facing the ¡®Heavenly Punishment.¡¯


    Therefore, you can vote without worries in the next round, there¡¯s no need to fear him.¡±<div>


    After she finished, everyone looked a bit dazed.


    So¡­


    Is it that simple¡­?


    We just need to stay away from Xu Fanghe?


    After Bai Youwei¡¯s thorough exnation, their previous fear of Xu Fanghe suddenly seemed so ridiculous.


    ¡°So, he¡¯s not that special after all,¡± someone murmured. ¡°Just a trickster.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± said another one, with a determined look. ¡°In the next round, we¡¯llpletely get rid of him!¡±


    The short-haired woman looked at Bai Youwei, then looked at herpanions and seized the moment: ¡°Xu Fanghe is probably the culprit ¡®X¡¯. As long as we vote him out in the next round, we can win this preliminary game and also share in the loser¡¯s props and puzzle pieces!¡±


    Props, and puzzle pieces!


    Of the 30 yers in the game, only 5 will remain in the end. The victorious five will be able to split the props and puzzle pieces of the 25 losers!


    For a moment, the atmosphere suddenly lifted, and everyone had a rxed smile on their faces.


    Bai Youwei still wore an expression of indifference.


    Such things are like magic tricks. When you can¡¯t see through them, they seem fascinating, as does the magician. But once you understand the key, it bes so boring, just like that¡­


    ¡°If there are no questions, everyone should go back and rest,¡± Bai Youwei suggested casually. ¡°Remember, don¡¯t have contact with anyone.¡±


    All agreed.


    The short-haired woman was about to leave when Bai Youwei stopped her: ¡°Stay for a moment.¡±


    The short-haired woman asked, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Come with me to talk to the people from the Blue Eyes group,¡± Bai Youwei said. ¡°We need to gather some votes.¡±


    ¡­<div>


    Bai Youwei took the short-haired woman to find Fang Yu and Ya Chaohui.


    Although they had refused her earlier, she still wanted to try again to exin the situation, maybe they would reconsider their decision.


    The man with Red Eyes had initially declined cooperation as well, but now he had been persuaded by her.


    Bai Youwei didn¡¯t see it as a big deal. As long as she exined the situation to the two of them, and added in Shen Mo¡¯s personal rtionship, they could surely secure some votes.<div>


    First, she and the short-haired woman went to Ya Chaohui¡¯s room. There was no one there.


    Then they went to Fang Yu¡¯s room. They could faintly hear people talking inside.


    After knocking on the door, they heard Fang Yu¡¯s stern voice from inside: ¡°Who is it?!¡±


    Bai Youwei was slightly taken aback. She hadn¡¯t expected him to be so alert. She furrowed her brow and tentatively said: ¡°About the next round of voting, I¡¯d like to talk to you. Can you open the door?¡±


    There was no response from inside.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The short-haired woman leaned in to listen, then shook her head at Bai Youwei. In a low voice, she said: ¡°There are people inside¡­¡±


    And quite a few.

 Chapter 609: 609: Who is the X guest?

    Chapter 609: Chapter 609: Who is the X guest?


    A sense of foreboding bubbled up within Bai Youwei.


    As expected, Fang Yu¡¯s voice rang out again a momentter: ¡°You can go. We¡¯ve decided to withdraw from this game. We won¡¯t help with your voting.¡±


    ¡°Withdraw from the game?¡± Bai Youwei calmly asked from outside the door, ¡°You mean willingly getting eliminated? Well, if that¡¯s the case, you might as well give us a few votes before you go~


    The game forbids all violence, so as long you guys beat each other up after the voting ends, you can safely leave the game without worrying about retaliation from the doctor. When we win the game and receive the reward, we can share some of it with you. It¡¯s a deal you won¡¯t lose out on~¡±


    The room went silent.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Bai Youwei leisurely continued, ¡°What¡¯s there to hesitate about? Cast your votes with us, you are assured a share of the puzzle pieces and props after the game¡¯s over. If you¡¯re worried about being retaliated against, have a good brawl to get eliminated. You won¡¯t lose anything by doing so¡­¡±


    The short-haired woman also chipped in, ¡°The doctor might be the undercover imposter. If both sides cooperate and eliminate him, we would win the game.¡±


    Fang Yu eventually responded. His voice was firm and cold, ¡°You should leave. There¡¯s no need to say more or to look for the others with blue eyes. We already know who the imposter is.¡±


    The short-haired woman frowned, ¡°What do you mean by that?!¡±


    No one spoke inside the room.<div>


    She forcefully knocked against the door again, but it remained quiet inside.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Bai Youwei said, expressionless, ¡°We¡¯re toote.¡±


    ¡°Toote?¡± The short-haired woman nced in puzzlement at the door. ¡°Do you mean¡­they¡¯re in there as well?¡±


    Had Yellow Eyes started soliciting votes too?


    With this thought in mind, the short-haired woman couldn¡¯t resist a cynicalment, ¡°And to think they were so imperious with their ¡®Heavenly Punishment¡¯ threats. Turns out they also have to rely on votes to win the game.¡±


    Bai Youwei remained silent, silently wheeling her wheelchair away.


    The short-haired woman watched the closed door and Bai Youwei¡¯s retreating figure, reluctantly following behind. Her mood was foul.


    ¡°Without the votes from the Blue Eyes, the next round of voting will be very precarious¡­¡± The short-haired woman let out a sigh of disappointment, ¡°Perhaps both of us will be voted out.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about you, but¡­ I definitely won¡¯t be voted out,¡± Bai Youwei said.


    The short-haired woman shot her a nce, growing increasingly puzzled by her unwavering confidence¡­


    ¡­


    Inside Fang Yu¡¯s room, both Blue Eyes and Yellow Eyes had congregated together, packing the small room full.


    Xu Fanghe calmly exined to Fang Yu, a piece of paper in front of him:


    ¡°Whenever I give you a series of numbers, I intentionally divide them into three sections, arranged vertically. This way, people will naturally focus on the top, middle, or bottom section when they look at the numbers. And Bai Youwei always¡­ puts her focus on the middle section, which suggests that her number is in the middle¡­ around the 10-14 range.¡±


    Using a pen, he circled the numbers on the piece of paper and continued:


    ¡°During the second number selection, she confidently crossed out number 11, and then number 7, so there is a high probability of it being 11.¡±.


    With a gentle gaze, Xu Fanghe looked at everyone and spoke with a smile, ¡°Based on my observations, there is no doubt that Bai Youwei is the undercover imposter. Although weck the numbers on the Blue Eyes¡¯ side, as long we eliminate her this round, regardless of how many remain, we and you all are certain to emerge victorious.


    I have said it before, there is no future in infighting. Only by working together in unison, can we achieve true mutual victory.¡±


    Ya Chaohui couldn¡¯t hold back his question, ¡°Are you sure she¡¯s the undercover imposter?¡­ How did you observe ande to this conclusion?¡±<div>

 Chapter 610: 610: Eliminate Number 11 (Extra for hhghguig)

    Chapter 610: Chapter 610: Eliminate Number 11 (Extra for hhghguig)


    Xu Fanghe squints slightly, looking towards Ya Chaohui, ¡°If she isn¡¯t, who do you think among us¡­ might be?¡±


    Ya Chaohui frowns but doesn¡¯t answer.


    He¡¯s very careful and cautious about judging anyone or any situation. No matter what¡¯sid out before him, it¡¯s all about the evidence.


    Dr. Xu Fanghe smiles, asking Ya Chaohui, ¡°Have you ever suspected me?¡±


    Ya Chaohui responds stiffly, ¡°I consider everyone to be suspicious.¡±


    Fang Yu tugs at him, his eyes warning him to watch his words.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Dr. Xu Fanghe doesn¡¯t mind, his smile remaining warm and friendly.


    No one truly believes he¡¯s friendly. Although they agreed to work together, the mutual caution and wariness didn¡¯t lessen.


    ¡°As you said, indeed, everyone here is suspicious, but in my opinion, she is the most dubious. Do you know why?¡± Dr. Xu Fanghe asks.


    Ya Chaohui thinks for a moment, but still shakes his head.<div>


    Xu Fanghe answers, ¡°Because X-guest¡¯s purpose is most evident in her.¡±


    ¡°The purpose of¡­ X-guest?¡± Ya Chaohui furrows his brows, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Xu Fanghe chuckles, ¡°If I were X-guest, what do you think I¡¯d do right now? Do I need to lobby you guys for votes?


    ¡­No, I don¡¯t need to at all, because as long as Red Eyes and Yellow Eyes eliminate just one more person, I win.


    But what am I doing now?


    I¡¯m doing everything possible to ensure that the five Yellow Eyes survive to thest round, because if there¡¯s one less Yellow Eye, I lose! So under no circumstance can I let a Yellow Eye be eliminated!¡±


    He taps lightly on the number 11 on the paper with his pen, continuing, ¡°In contrast, for X-guest, it would be ideal to get an even distribution of eliminations among the three eye colors. Because once there are less than five of each eye color in round four, everyone loses hope, they be suspicious of each other and everyone bes cautious. At this time, X-guest¡¯s chances of winning will rise drastically.¡±


    Putting down his pen, Xu Fanghe looks at the people in the room, repeating, ¡°In the next round, voting for #11, we will win. If you¡¯re unwilling, I don¡¯t mind taking some measures¡­ because, I¡¯m truly doing this for everyone¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡­


    When evening falls and reaches six o¡¯clock, it¡¯s voting time again.


    Bai Youwei arrives earlier than anyone else.


    Sitting in her wheelchair, she waits quietly outside the door, ready to be the first one to vote when timees.


    As time approaches, the yers gather in the square again, five Yellow Eyes, five Red Eyes, and four Blue Eyes.


    They look at Bai Youwei as if they are looking at a dead person.


    Because they know, Bai Youwei will be out in this round of voting.


    The ball spins around cheerfully a few times, encouraging, ¡°Come on,e on! Come in and vote!¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Before Bai Youwei went in, she turns her head to nce at everyone, a hint of an elusive smile on her face, mysteriously eerie.


    Before anyone gets a clear look, she rolls into the room in her wheelchair¡­


    ¡­<div>


    Inside the voting booth, only 14 numbers remain on the screen.


    Originally, it should¡¯ve been 15, but after the gangster¡¯s death, his number has also be unselectable in grey.


    Bai Youwei doesn¡¯t vote immediately.


    She opens the Dollhouse, takes out the fluffy rabbit which has been charged for several hours, grabs it and ces it on the inclined screen ¡ª right on the #11 spot.<div>


    The rabbit perfectly blocks the number 11.


    ¡°Stay here, don¡¯t move an inch.¡± Bai Youwei instructs it, ¡°If someone touches you, pushes you, does anything to you, you know what to do, right?¡±


    The fluffy rabbit: ¡°¡­¡±

 Chapter 611: Blind Investment

    Chapter 611: Chapter 611: Blind Investment


    Bai Youwei emerged from the voting booth.


    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Her wheelchair was parked outside the booth, and she seemed to suddenly remember something, letting out a high-pitched ¡°Oh my!¡±


    All thirteen people outside stared at her, puzzled.


    ¡°Oh no! I think I¡¯ve forgotten something!¡± She brought a finger to her chin, pretending to be deep in thought, ¡°What was it¡­ Ah! I remember now, I left my prop inside!¡±


    Everyone else: ¡°¡­¡±


    Bai Youwei gave everyone a slight smile: ¡°But to prevent dying everyone¡¯s voting time, I won¡¯t go in and retrieve it. No need for anyone to fetch it for me either. My prop is a bit special. If anyone else touches it, it¡¯ll trigger a Thunderstorm Electroshock. Sorry for the inconvenience~¡±


    Everyone else once again: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Xu Fanghe kept his face serious, silent, seemingly considering whether Bai Youwei¡¯s words were true or false.


    The Inspector on the roof curiously peered out halfway from the sphere, asking Bai Youwei, ¡°Did you really leave your prop inside?¡±


    ¡°Yes~¡± Bai Youwei tilted her head and smiled, ¡°I identally left my prop inside. That doesn¡¯t vite the game rules, does it? Even if someone gets half roasted from setting off the prop effects, it has nothing to do with me, does it? After all, I did warn them~¡±


    Sphere lowered its voice: ¡°All forms of violence are prohibited in this game¡­¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything.¡± Bai Youwei spread her hands, ¡°I¡¯m not capable of doing much damage, anyway~¡±


    Sphere: ¡°¡­¡±


    Sigh¡­


    Another one¡­


    This was supposed to be a mystery game involving intelligence, but these yers turned it into a violent mess. Sigh, how frustrating.


    The sphere rolled back.


    In the crowd, Xu Fanghe asked, ¡°I¡¯m curious, would there be a prop in the game that disrupts the bnce like this?¡±


    As soon as he opened his mouth, others looked skeptical too, as if Bai Youwei was just bluffing.


    ¡°Compared to props that can incubate moths inside someone¡¯s body, mine is far less potent~¡± Bai Youwei humbly said, ¡°Moreover, using it has many restrictions. Although it can roast someone to perfection in one shot, it¡¯s very inconvenient if the battery runs out. It¡¯s so hard to find a ce to recharge these days~¡±


    Dr. Xu Fanghe cracked a smile, ¡°So¡­ your prop may not have enough battery left, is that it?¡±


    Bai Youwei tilted her head to size him up, her lips curved in a smile, ¡°You can try it if you want. If you¡¯re worried about the risk, you can always ask someone else to¨C you¡¯ve got so many followers after all. Losing one or two shouldn¡¯t matter, should it, Dr. Xu Fanghe?¡±


    Xu Fanghe didn¡¯t say anything.


    No one else said anything either.


    As Bai Youwei rolled her wheelchair, she spoke in a rxed manner, ¡°The game only requires us to vote. It doesn¡¯t ask us to put our lives on the line. So why must we attempt to outdo each other? Confrontation only leads to tragedy and regret. I¡¯m saying all this for everyone¡¯s welfare¡­¡±


    Xu Fanghe¡¯s expression grew increasingly grim.


    It was pure mockery. Those words were exactly what he had said during thest round of voting.


    Bai Youwei returned to Red Eyes¡¯ group.


    Those who needed to vote, no matter how they felt, had to go cast their votes.


    Everyone who came out after voting cast aplicated nce at Bai Youwei.


    The bespectacled man kept asking: ¡°Did anyone vote for number 11? Did you? Did anyone vote for number 11?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I couldn¡¯t vote for number 11, so I randomly voted for number 16.¡±


    ¡°Damn! I¡¯m number 16! What the hell were you thinking?!¡±


    ¡°Well, did you vote for number 11 then? How the hell else was I supposed to vote?!¡±


    ¡°I voted for number 13! Didn¡¯t the Doctor say that the X guest¡¯s number is between 10-14¡­¡±


    ¡­


    The voting¡­ It was a total mess.

 Chapter 612: Announcement of the Fourth Round

    Chapter 612: Chapter 612: Announcement of the Fourth Round


    It was the turn of the short-haired girl to vote.


    Before entering, she rubbed her hands together, a little excited, curious to know how Bai Youwei¡¯s prop had intimidated these people.


    The door opened, she walked in, all she saw was a fluffy rabbit squatting on the disy screen filled with numbers.


    Isn¡¯t this the rabbit that Bai Youwei always cradles in her arms? So, this thing was her prop!


    The short-haired girl marveled, looking more closely at the rabbit.


    Fluffy¡­


    Round¡­


    So adorable, she wanted to touch it.


    The rabbit looked up at her, its ck-bean-like eyes unwavering.


    The short-haired girl clutched her chest, her heart was melting.


    She couldn¡¯t resist it!


    She really wanted to reach out and touch it!


    However, as soon as she stretched out her hand, she heard the crackling sound of an electric current!


    A ring of purplish-blue light encased the fluffy rabbit, all its fur bristled. Its body radiated a dazzling light that pulsed slightly, as if the slightest touch by the short-haired girl would trigger an explosion!


    ¡°Hehe, just kidding.¡± The short-haired girlughed awkwardly, quickly directing her outstretched hand towards number 29!


    But there was no response.


    She paused, noticing that the number 29 button was unselectable, grayed out.


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    On the whole disy, only numbers 9, 16, and 20 were lit, and the rest were all unselectable.


    Here we go again.


    Payment order issue causing a tie in the results, the final vote could only be cast for numbers 9, 16, and 20.


    The short-haired girl furrowed her brows slightly.


    ording to their n, numbers 9, 20, and 29 each have 2 votes, and her vote should have gone to number 29. But she hadn¡¯t expected that she wouldn¡¯t be able to select 29.


    But number 20 was also within the target range.


    After thinking for a moment, the short-haired girl pressed number 20.


    She walked out of the voting booth, and at the same time, the results of the fourth round of voting were unveiled.


    The Inspector walked around on the rooftop, announcing loudly:


    ¡°Now to announce the fourth round elimination numbers and the vote counts!¡±


    ¡°Number 9, 2 votes.¡±


    ¡°Number 13, 3 votes.¡±


    ¡°Number 16, 2 votes.¡±


    ¡°Number 20, 3 votes.¡±


    ¡°Number 30, 3 votes.¡±


    When the number 20 was called out, Xu Fanghe¡¯s expression froze. He suddenly looked at Bai Youwei, ¡°Why the¡­¡±


    Before his words trailed off, his body had disappeared!


    The bespectacled man, desperately grieved, lunged towards Xu Fanghe¡¯s spot, finding only empty air!


    He knelt down at the spot where Xu Fanghe had disappeared, wailing inconsbly, ¡°Dr. Xu Fanghe!!! How could you leave us! Without your guidance and help, what shall we do! What shall we do!!!¡±


    Bai Youwei was also slightly surprised, so Xu Fanghe¡¯s number was 20.


    So, since he¡¯s now eliminated, should the game be over?


    The Inspector loudly announced, ¡°The fifth round of voting will take ce in 8 hours! Which will also be the final vote!


    Since there are only 9 people left, you only need to vote out 4 people in the next round!


    The remaining 5 will sessfully register for the ¡®Maze war¡¯ tournament!


    The victory is just a step away, dear X-challenger~


    The rest of you should also try hard. If the X-challenger wins, all of you will be demoted, every single one of you will be demoted!¡±


    The short-haired girl was shocked, asking Bai Youwei, ¡°What happened? Isn¡¯t Xu Fanghe the X-challenger?¡±


    Bai Youwei furrowed her brows, she too didn¡¯t expect this oue. If Xu Fanghe wasn¡¯t the X-challenger, then who was?


    The spectacled man shouted at her in hatred, ¡°It¡¯s you!!! You¡¯re the X-challenger! In order to win this game, you stopped at nothing to eliminate Dr. Xu Fanghe! Originally, the doctor would have led us all to victory! But you¡¯ve ruined everything! You¡¯re the X-challenger!!!¡±


    Everyone stared at Bai Youwei in shock.


    And in a split second ¡ª


    She became the public enemy!

 Chapter 613: The Doubting Person

    Chapter 613: Chapter 613: The Doubting Person


    Nighttime.


    The surroundings are eerily silent, as still as a stagnant pool.


    Besides the pale moonlight and the uniform stone bricks around me, there¡¯s nothing but the ink-colored shadow beneath my feet.


    Bai Youwei stood alone in the square, propping up her chin, silently pondering about the voting.


    Xu Fanghe¡¯s elimination was within her calctions, but the fact that Xu Fanghe wasn¡¯t the X Guest did surprise her.


    There are still nine people on the field.


    In Red Eyes, there¡¯s the short-haired woman and a pale-skinned man, along with herself.


    In Yellow Eyes, there are the three follower doctors led by the bespectacled man.


    In Blue Eyes, there¡¯s Fang Yu and Ya Chaohui, along with a man in a suit who always thinks he¡¯s a part of Red Eyes.


    3:3:3, nine people in total.


    Either five people win, or only the X Guest wins.


    Who is the X Guest after all? Having to go through round after round of voting, and remain until the end, doesn¡¯t it seem like the criteria for the X Guest to clear the game is stricter than anyone else¡¯s?


    Well¡­ not exactly.


    On the surface, it seems hard, but on closer thought, the X Guest, like the rest of the yers, is also vying for thest five spots.


    The only difference is, they have to find out who the X Guest is, whereas the X Guest doesn¡¯t have to do anything¡­


    Footsteps sounded from behind. Bai Youwei turned her head and saw the short-haired woman slowly walking over from a distance.


    The sound of her boots scraping against the stone b was dull, reflecting her current mood.


    The short-haired woman stopped about ten steps away from Bai Youwei and asked, ¡°Are you¡­ really, the X Guest?¡±


    Bai Youwei looked at her curiously and counter-asked, ¡°Do you think I am?¡±


    The short-haired woman hesitated and replied, ¡°Not¡­ really?¡±


    Bai Youwei chuckled, ¡°You can remove the ¡®really¡¯.¡±


    The short-haired woman let out a sigh of relief, then walked over and said, ¡°You can stillugh about it. Everyone thinks you¡¯re the X Guest, and the real X Guest is still hiding, probably delighting in this.¡±


    As she spoke, she sighed again and nced up at the moon, ¡°Ah¡­ this damned game, inventing all sorts of ways to drive people mad.¡±


    Bai Youwei tilted her head and regarded her, ¡°Do you believe me?¡±


    ¡°I guess¡­¡± the short-haired woman¡¯s tone was uncertain.


    Bai Youwei just smiled without anyment.


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The short-haired woman looked down at her, fell into silence for a moment, then repeated her answer, ¡°I do.¡±


    This time, there was no ¡°guess¡±.


    ¡°What¡¯s your reasoning?¡± Bai Youwei asked her with a smile, ¡°Which of my actions orments made you think I am not?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a feeling¡­¡± the short-haired woman said, ¡°Sometimes gut instincts are more reliable than your brain. When I can¡¯t figure things out, I trust my instincts.¡±


    With a deeper smile tugging at the corners of Bai Youwei¡¯s mouth, she asked, ¡°Then, what does your gut say about who the X Guest is among those who are left?¡±


    This question gave the short-haired woman a headache.


    ¡°This damn game¡­¡± she muttered, then added with a gloomy tone, ¡°Aside from the two of us, I suspect the remaining seven.¡±


    Bai Youwei said, ¡°I don¡¯t have any leads either. Why don¡¯t we talk about it and discuss our suspicions. Maybe we cane up with some new ideas.¡±


    The short-haired woman thought for a bit and agreed, ¡°Alright. Should I go first?¡±


    Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Even though I have suspicions about everyone, there are two who I¡¯m most suspicious of,¡± the short-haired woman said, ¡°The first one is that thin, dark-skinned man from the Blue Eyes team. He wearsbat gear and has a square face¡­¡±


    ¡°Fang Yu.¡± Bai Youwei chipped in, ¡°That man¡¯s name is Fang Yu.¡±


    The short-haired woman snorted, ¡°Fang Yu? No wonder he has such a square face¡­ Isn¡¯t he just weird? When we tried to align with Blue Eyes, his attitude was so bad.¡±


    ¡°His bad attitude was probably due to Xu Fanghe¡¯sments¡­¡± Bai Youwei responded.


    The short-haired woman shook her head, ¡°Even if that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s another possibility. For instance, if he is the X Guest, of course, he¡¯d love to join hands with Xu Fanghe against you!¡±

 Chapter 614: 614: Nervous and Jumpy

    Chapter 614: Chapter 614: Nervous and Jumpy


    Bai Youwei had considered this as well.


    In the game, it¡¯s easier to gravitate towards yers you¡¯re familiar with, even when you¡¯ve only met once, and when you¡¯re looking to form an alliance or a team, it¡¯smon to prioritize those yers.


    However, it seemed as if Fang Yu and Ya Chaohui never had the intention to ally with her from the very beginning.


    In the beginning of the game, when the mobster held a leading position in the Blue Eyes¡¯ team, Fang Yu refused to interact with her in order to avoid making the mobster suspicious. This excuse was somewhat reasonable¡­


    But what if Fang Yu was ¡®X¡¯? What would he have considered then?


    Bai Youwei ponders for a moment, and then asks the short-haired woman, ¡°Who¡¯s the other one?¡±


    The short-haired woman purses her lips and whispers, ¡°Number 14.¡±


    ¡°Number 14?¡± Bai Youwei is taken aback, but quickly realizes that the short-haired woman is referring to the blue-eyed man in the Red Eyes¡¯ team, who is actually the gentleman who was tricked into joining their team.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you find him suspicious?¡± the short-haired woman frowns, ¡°He¡¯s in the same situation as you, being part of a team that doesn¡¯t match his eye color. Our team has always avoided voting for him during each voting round to take advantage of his vote, but coincidentally, or perhaps intended, the Blue Eyes¡¯ team also hasn¡¯t voted for him!¡±


    Bai Youwei understands, ¡°So you¡¯re saying, he intentionally revealed his number to the Blue team, which means neither team would vote for him, thus increasing his chances of survival.¡±<div>


    ¡°Exactly!¡± the short-haired woman nods vigorously, ¡°If he¡¯s ¡®X¡¯, everything would make sense! He¡¯s afraid of being eliminated early, so he¡¯s set up two safety measures.¡±


    Bai Youwei bargains, ¡°It does seem usible¡­¡±


    The short-haired woman asks, ¡°Who are your suspects?¡±


    Bai Youwei thinks to herself, the people I suspected are already out of the game.


    The mobster is gone, and Xu Fanghe got disqualified.


    ¡°I still think that¡­ ¡®X¡¯ should be someone who takes the initiative in the game. Otherwise, waiting passively for others to vote is no different from gambling on luck.¡± Bai Youwei propped her chin thoughtfully and spoke slowly, ¡°Number 14 is suspicious, but he¡¯s mostly relying on luck in theter stages. ¡®X¡¯ needs to not only avoid being voted off but also guide other yers to vote for other numbers. Only then, can ¡®X¡¯ guarantee to survive till thest round¡­¡±


    The short-haired woman gives a embarrassed smile, ¡°Who you¡¯re describing is the Doctor, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Bai Youweiughs lightly, ¡°Indeed.¡±


    But the Doctor is already out, and the game isn¡¯t over yet.


    With no leads, the two women fall into a synchronized silence.


    After a while, Bai Youwei asks, ¡°Why does everyone call Xu Fanghe ¡®Doctor¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he a doctor?¡± the short-haired woman casually replies, ¡°He wears a whiteb coat. He looks like a doctor, and remembering names is too troublesome. So, we just call him ¡®Doctor¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Really¡­¡± Bai Youwei replies quietly, ¡°I actually thought he didn¡¯t look like a doctor. He doesn¡¯t have that aura¡­¡±


    ¡°What kind of aura?¡± the short-haired womanughs, ¡°the smell of disinfectant? After so long since the world has ended, even if there was a smell it would have long disappeared!¡±


    Finally, she cannot help butment sarcastically, ¡°But his team is full of sick people. It¡¯s good to have a doctor around to cure them. They¡¯re all fucking insane! Especially that highly myopic guy, mumbling all day. He¡¯s not lightly afflicted!¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Bai Youwei chuckles and nods, ¡°Those guys are really odd.¡±


    While being part of the Yellow Eyes¡¯ team, she was often on the verge ofughing while watching the scarf woman and the sses man worship Xu Fanghe every day.


    Jokes aside, after a thought, the short-haired woman notes, ¡°The Yellow Eyes¡¯ team was always under the control of the Doctor. Now that he¡¯s out, they¡¯repletely disorganized, without anyone controlling the votes. This is also an opportunity¡­ The next voting round will eliminate four people. Without anyone to manipte the game, even by simply guessing, there¡¯s a 44% chance of winning.¡±


    <div>

 Chapter 615: 615: Manipulating (Additional update for no progress)

    Chapter 615: Chapter 615: Manipting (Additional update for no progress)


    Bai Youwei mused on the interesting choice of words the short-haired woman used. ¡°You mentioned maniption¡­¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the truth?¡± The short-haired woman shrugged helplessly. ¡°Those Yellow Eyes, utterly controlled. It¡¯s unbelievable. This is the preliminary round, yet so many clueless people have appeared.¡±


    After saying this, she continued thoughtfully: ¡°But, I once heard a concept that humans have an innate nature to role-y. For instance, when dealing with a doctor, one might unconsciously put themselves in the position of the patient¡ªthe inherently weak and dependent role¡ªhardly rejecting the doctor¡¯s requirements.¡±


    Bai Youwei said indifferently: ¡°In this world, everyone is naturally ying various roles. In fact, some can only be that role. Few can be their true selves.¡±


    The short-haired woman nodded with a sigh, ¡°Yes, for someone to be their true self is truly a blessing¡­¡±


    Seeming to have fallen into her own thoughts, she paused for a moment before abruptly ending the conversation-n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, time to go back and rest.¡±


    The short-haired woman gently patted Bai Youwei¡¯s shoulder, and teased:


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to crawl out of bed for the vote in the middle of the night, don¡¯t oversleep.¡±


    Bai Youwei asked, ¡°Have you decided who you¡¯re voting for?¡±<div>


    The short-haired woman was taken aback. ¡°Have you decided?¡±


    ¡°Mhmm.¡± Bai Youwei nodded.


    The short-haired woman¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me sooner!¡±


    ¡°It just came to me.¡± She said lightly, pulling out the short-haired woman¡¯s hand and writing a number in her palm¡­


    ¡­


    Two in the morning.


    It was voting time again.


    The nine of them gathered in the za, Bai Youwei still the first to arrive.


    When the others saw her standing at the door of the voting booth, they showed disdain, thinking Bai Youwei was underhanded.


    Her bunny waspletely blocking her number, making it impossible for them to vote even if they wanted to!


    The most annoying part was that the Inspector didn¡¯t even bother to stop this tant cheating!


    If they can¡¯t eliminate the X guest, they lose regardless; they might as well vote randomly!


    Almost everyone had this kind of thinking.


    After Bai Youwei left, the short-haired woman was the second to vote.


    Then it was the turn of the white-skinned man with Red Eyes.


    Followed by the man in the suit with the number 14.


    When it was Ya Chaohui¡¯s turn, the man in sses asked him to wait. ¡°Wait a moment¡­I, I have something to say to both of you.¡±


    Ya Chaohui and Fang Yu looked at each other, both puzzled.


    The two followed the man in sses aside and asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±<div>


    The man in sses fumbled with the frames, stammering, ¡°Well¡­I was thinking¡­ as everyone already knows, the X guest¡­ is the woman in the wheelchair. If we just eliminate her, the rest of us can win this game¡­¡±


    Ya Chaohui shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s impossible, we can¡¯t even touch her number.¡±


    Fang Yu frowned, ¡°Tell us your n. You wouldn¡¯t have asked us over if you hadn¡¯t found a way, right?¡±


    Ya Chaohui looked at Fang Yu, ¡°Let it go, Fang Yu, if she wants to win, let her win¡­¡±<div>


    ¡°I want to win.¡± Fang Yu said.


    Ya Chaohui was taken aback, ¡°You¡­what are you saying? She and Officer Shen¡­¡±


    ¡°I want to win.¡±


    Fang Yu repeated.


    He remained stern, with a determined look: ¡°The world is already like this, where is there room for any officer? All this time, did he help us? Did he look for us? Did he save us?! Chaohui, I want to save everyone! The teammates who died in the game! I want to save them! Only by bing the King can I achieve this, do you understand?!¡±


    Ya Chaohui looked at Fang Yu nkly and said nothing.


    Fang Yu didn¡¯t pay him any more attention, instead continuing to question the man in sses, ¡°Tell me, what¡¯s your method?¡±


    The man in sses grinned pleasingly, pulling out a white porcin cup from his pocket, ¡°It¡¯s simple¡­ Block your hand with an instor, swiftly brush off the rabbit and press number 11 as fast as possible¡­¡±

 Chapter 616: 616: The Final Round of Voting

    Chapter 616: Chapter 616: The Final Round of Voting


    The porcin cup isn¡¯t big, just an ordinary drinking cup, taken from the resting room.


    The bespectacled man exined quietly, ¡°Although I came up with the method, it¡¯s not something anyone can do¡­ It requires someone with exceptional skills to dodge the electric shock quickly after pressing the voting button¡­ As you can see, only the cream of the crop can do it¡­¡±


    Fang Yu nced at him irritably, ¡°Stop with the hypocriticalpliments, we don¡¯t need it! Just tell us what to do!¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°How to do it¡­¡± The bespectacled man chuckled, his voice getting lower, ¡°It¡¯s simple. If you¡¯re quick enough, you can press number 11 before the device reacts. They said it would trigger the Thunderstorm Electroshock, but who knows if it¡¯s true or not? It might be a bluff. Will the electric shock be as powerful as she said? What would happen if we throw a heavy object from a distance?¡­ No matter what, we have effortlessly survived until the final round, we shouldn¡¯t give up now. With just two votes, we can eliminate her. Let¡¯s win this game together.¡±


    Ya Chaohui held Fang Yu back, once again trying to persuade him, ¡°We¡¯re still not certain if she¡¯s the X-guest¡­¡±


    ¡°If not her, who can it be?!¡± Fang Yu said through gritted teeth, ¡°She¡¯s obviously a member of the Red Eyes, but she blended in among the Yellow Eyes, and survived so many voting rounds unscathed, it doesn¡¯t add up! Wasn¡¯t the Doctor eliminated because of her arrangement? The X-guest is most likely her, if not, then it¡¯s the man in the suit!¡±


    The bespectacled man immediately said: ¡°Sir, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve already discussed with the members of the Yellow Eyes, they will unanimously vote the gentleman out, including the short-haireddy from the Red Eyes Team, who is also very suspicious¡­ In short, in thest round, as long as we eliminate the four most suspicious people, we can certainly win.¡±


    Fang Yu frowned: ¡°In that case, do we have enough votes? We are only two here, add you and the two Yellow Eyes, that¡¯s only five votes in total, how can we eliminate four people?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± The bespectacled manughed, ¡°To put it precisely, we have seven votes.¡±


    ¡°Seven votes?¡± Both Ya Chaohui and Fang Yu looked surprised.<div>


    The bespectacled man said, ¡°Yes. Apart from the short-haired woman and the man in the wheelchair, I¡¯ve tried to approach everyone else, and as expected, everyone is already dissatisfied with those two women. So in this vote, as long as we work together, we can definitely eliminate the X-guest.¡±


    Fang Yu still frowned, pondering.


    Ya Chaohui was also quite hesitant. The game itself is apetition, there¡¯s no need for courtesy. Although Bai Youwei and Shen Mo are on their side, it would be better if he and Fang Yu win.


    However, the hierarchical rtionship was deeply rooted in him, and attacking his ¡°allies¡± in the game felt inappropriate.


    ¡°Fang Yu, with the captain¡¯s ability, we can definitely make it to the end. Since we¡¯ve agreed to be his subjects¡­¡±


    The bespectacled man interrupted him with a twinkling gaze, ¡°I hate to break it to you, but the games in the Doll World are unpredictable. The strong may not actually be strong and the weak may not actually be weak. Maybe when we win and get out, your captain has already been demoted to a subject? Shouldn¡¯t we consider for ourselves? Like me, I¡¯m also a subject, but the Doctor is gone just like that, what can I do? In the end, don¡¯t we have to rely on ourselves?¡±


    Fang Yu shot him a cold look, ¡°You¡¯re right. Instead of waiting for someone to save us, it¡¯s better to save ourselves.¡±


    Ya Chaohui wanted to persuade him again, but he heard the Inspector urging loudly:


    ¡°Hey! Those who haven¡¯t voted yet, are you nning on forfeiting your votes? Forfeiting your votes is equivalent to voluntarily getting eliminated~¡±


    The ball on the roof was impatiently rolling around.


    Everyone was also looking at them.


    Ya Chaohui sighed heavily and stepped into the voting booth.

 Chapter 617: 617: Ya Chaohuis Choice

    Chapter 617: Chapter 617: Ya Chaohui¡¯s Choice


    In the voting booth, the disy screen was showing only 8 digits. Number 11 was was obscured by the rabbit and couldn¡¯t be seen.


    Ya Chaohui stood in front of the screen, his expression perplexed. He never expected that he and Fang Yu would be pitted against Bai Youwei in the game.


    Bai Youwei and Shen Mo seemed to have a deep rtionship, and they originally wanted to side with Shen Mo. But now, they were going against Bai Youwei, and no matter how he thought about it, it didn¡¯t feel right.


    However¡­


    The man with the sses was also right ¨C this was a game, and games were meant to determine a winner and loser. There was no need to consider personal rtionships.


    If only Bai Youwei was not the X guest¡­


    His gaze swept over each number.


    Bai Youwei was not the only one with doubts. Wasn¡¯t the suit-wearing man with the blue eyes also suspicious? After so many rounds of voting, the suited man should have realised that his eye colour was actually blue, yet he insisted on staying in the Red Eyes Team. Why was that?


    As Ya Chaohui considered this, the more he thought, the more he found the man in the suit suspicious.


    Rather than saying he found the suited man suspicious, it was more urate to say he hoped the suited man was suspicious. Because if the suited man was the X guest, then the game could end harmoniously!<div>


    There would be no need to target Bai Youwei, no need to feel guilty towards Mr Shen, and there would be no need to persuade Fang Yu anymore.


    Ya Chaohui held his breath and ced a vote for number 14.


    ¡­


    The only people left who hadn¡¯t voted were the man with the sses and Fang Yu.


    When sses guy saw Ya Chaohuie out unscathed, he knew he must not have chosen number 11. He couldn¡¯t help but show disdain on his face.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    How did such a cautious and hesitant man even enter the preliminary contest?


    The man with the sses gave a contemptuous nce, and then turned to look at Fang Yu.


    Compared to Ya Chaohui, he preferred the expression on Fang Yu¡¯s face ¨C determination, toughness, and an unyielding obsession to achieve one¡¯s goal!


    It was quite pleasing to the eye¡­


    sses guy curled the corner of his mouth and said, ¡°My turn? I will vote for number 11.¡±


    His voice was not low, and Bai Youwei along with the short-haired woman both heard him and looked over, their expressions unusual.


    ¡°Did you see her look?¡± sses guy lowered his voice and said in Fang Yu¡¯s ear, ¡°She is nervous that her toy rabbit will be exposed¡­ She must be the X guest.¡±


    Fang Yu¡¯s face was tense.


    The man with sses chuckled, held the porcin cup in his hand for everyone to see, then walked into the voting booth.


    The plush rabbit was still on the disy screen, motionless. Anytime someone approached, it would generate electrical sparks, always appearing ready to attack.


    sses guy chuckled softly.


    He would never be foolish enough to use himself as the experiment.


    Now that things had progressed this far, it didn¡¯t matter who got eliminated, because¡­ the winner would definitely be him.


    If he had to choose someone, it might as well be that short-haired woman. She was as fierce as a man, it would be better if she was eliminated sooner so that he wouldn¡¯t have to encounter her again.<div>


    The short-haired woman¡­ she should be number 3 or 7, right?


    The sses guy pondered for a while, pressed the digit 7, then turned around and left the voting booth¡ª


    Just as he was about to exit, his right hand dove into the porcin cup, while his left hand tightly gripped his right hand. He walked out of the booth slowly, appearing to be enduring pain.


    The people in the za watched him.<div>


    sses guy scanned the crowd, and finally, he smiled towards Fang Yu and eximed:


    ¡°I¡¯m fine! Just as we thought, the rabbit¡¯s electric charge is limited, it can¡¯t electrocute anyone to death!¡±


    Bai Youwei slightly furrowed her brows, a sense of foreboding rising in her heart.


    sses guy dramatically walked up to Fang Yu, shook his hand, and handed the porcin cup to Fang Yu saying, ¡°As long as you move quickly, you¡¯ll be fine¡­ Getting shocked really isn¡¯tfortable, my hand is still numb.¡±

 Chapter 618: 618 Fang Yus Choice

    Chapter 618: Chapter 618 Fang Yu¡¯s Choice


    Fang Yu took the porcin cup, nced at Bai Youwei in silence, then walked towards the voting cabin.


    Bai Youwei called out to stop him: ¡°Fang Yu!¡±


    Fang Yu didn¡¯t stop.


    Bai Youwei¡¯s face finally changed, warning him urgently: ¡°Fang Yu! Would you rather believe him than me? Even if you disdain to cooperate with a disabled person, there¡¯s no need to be stupid enough to be used, is there?¡±


    Fang Yu finally stopped.


    He stood at the door of the voting cabin, back to everyone.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Even the globe on the roof looked curiously at these two, wondering whether Fang Yu would waver because of Bai Youwei¡¯s words.


    Bai Youwei was really angry.


    She was never a patient person to begin with, and now seeing Fang Yu want to vote for her number 11 made her even more furious¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Let me tell you! My rabbit either stuns people or electrocutes them to death! It can never be gentle enough to only numb one hand! The man with the sses is obviously using you, can¡¯t you see that? Don¡¯t think that because you were subordinates to Shen Mo, I will let you go! If you dare to touch the rabbit, bear the consequences!¡±<div>


    Fang Yu sneered, slowly turned around, staring at Bai Youwei.


    ¡°I remember that you chose ¡®King¡¯ when you signed up, right?¡± Fang Yu asked.


    Bai Youwei frowned, ¡°So what?¡±


    ¡°If the King loses, he can continue to fight as a subject, but if the subject loses¡­he can only be amoner, forever losing the chance to make it to the end.¡± He spoke slowly, with increasingly cold eyes, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t want to lose, so¡­I will have to trouble you to lose.¡±


    Bai Youwei opened her eyes wide, ¡°Fang Yu¡­Fang Yu! I warn you!¡­¡±


    Before she finished speaking, Fang Yu had already entered the voting cabin.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Bai Youwei cursed angrily, wheeling her chair towards the cabin, ¡°Fang Yu! I¡¯m not joking with you! If you dare¡­¡±


    Boom!!!


    The cabin shook violently! Even the globe on the roof swayed, eximing, ¡°Is this the upgraded effect? It¡¯s amazing¡­¡±


    Looking at the stunned yers in front of him, the globe couldn¡¯t help but wonder. Bai Youwei had warned them several times, so why did they still look so surprised?


    Ya Chaohui was the first to rush forward, banging his fist on the door!


    He smelled the burnt smell leaking from inside and shook uncontrobly!


    The Inspector said leisurely: ¡°Why the panic? I am opening the door for you now, opening the door¡­.and then the voting results will be announced¡­.¡±


    The door opened, and the burnt smell became even stronger.


    A person was lying on the ground, his whole body burned ck, unrecognizable!


    Ya Chaohui looked at hispanion in disbelief, his mind nk, his legs gave way, he knelt on the ground, his trembling hands nowhere to rest.


    He wanted to help Fang Yu, but he didn¡¯t know if he should touch him¡­


    The man¡¯s skin and clothes were all burnt ck together, like coal dust, and small ck fragments fell off with a slightest touch.


    Ya Chaohui¡¯s throat was sore, gasping for breath, unable to speak, andrge tears fell from his red eyes!<div>


    Who would have thought¡­


    Who would have thought that after oveing many difficulties, his teammate did not die in the game, but died¡­died at the hands of a woman!


    The rabbit on the ground moved its ears, jumped onto Bai Youwei¡¯s legs.


    Ya Chaohui¡¯s gaze followed.<div>


    The rabbit was lying in Bai Youwei¡¯s arms.


    She was the root of all evil, she was also the murderer!


    Bai Youwei killed Fang Yu!


    Ya Chaohui breathed heavily, as if his blood was flowing backwards, his vision became dark under the surging emotions! He was about to pass out!


    The man in sses came in and saw this scene, he burst intoughter!


    ¡°He voted! He really voted! Hahaha! He voted number 11! I won!!!¡±

 Chapter 619: 619: The Biggest Winner

    Chapter 619: Chapter 619: The Biggest Winner


    The man in ssesughed wildly.


    Ya Chaohui was furious. He forced himself to rise, intending to teach the man a lesson.


    The short-haired woman blocked his path, saying, ¡°Violence is forbidden in the game. If you want to beat him up, wait until the game is settled!¡±


    Ya Chaohui¡¯s eyes were bloodshot as he red at the man in sses.


    The man in sses, however, didn¡¯t care. Heughed loudly as he stepped out of the voting booth, insolently urging the Inspector, ¡°Hurry up and announce the results! Let these stupid ones disappear and give their tools and puzzles to me! All of them belong to me!¡±


    Ya Chaohui felt even more furious, his teeth gritted, ¡°So you are the traitor! You used us!¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t using you guys pretty standard?¡± The man in sses didn¡¯t stopughing, ¡°What do you think this ce is? It¡¯s a game of puppets! Did you think it¡¯s a mutual aid society?! If I don¡¯t use you, how can I win the game?! Ah, and that dumb doctor, what augh thinking he¡¯d save the world hahaha¡­¡±


    ¡°If you call him a fool, don¡¯t you see that you are one too?¡± Bai Youwei rolled her wheelchair forward slowly, her tone ice-cold, ¡°If you weren¡¯t, why would you follow his every word and suck up to him? You two are cut from the same cloth.¡±


    Hearing this, the man in sses turned to Bai Youwei, adjusted his sses and sneered, ¡°You might not understand if I tell you. I was treating him, got it?¡±


    Bai Youwei narrowed her eyes, ¡°Oh¡­ treating him?¡±<div>


    ¡°Exactly, curing the doctor¡¯s ailment.¡±


    The man in sses smirked arrogantly.


    ¡°He likes to y the doctor, so I pretended to be a patient. He enjoys controlling people, so I pretended to be under his control. Whatever he wanted his patients to turn into, I would pretend to be. Blindly following, mindlessly trusting, unduly ttering ¨C that¡¯s what he wants to see! I satisfied all his psychological needs and in turn, he gave me everything I desired! Just like a doctor pays more care for his patient, the more dependent the patient bes on the doctor, and the more dependent the patients are, the more obligated the doctor bes towards them! Do you see? He naturally looks after me! Protects me! Because¡ªI am his precious patient!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, you bunch of fools! Do you understand now? Human rtionships are about reciprocal influence and interaction! While a doctor can control his patients, patients can also control their doctors! I am the puppeteer of this game, I am the grand winner!¡±


    Bai Youwei looked at him with cold indifferent eyes, her voice t, ¡°Given that emotional rtionships are about mutual influence and interaction, won¡¯t patients find it hard to survive once they¡¯ve lost their doctors¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you joking? I¡¯ve already won!¡± The man in ssesughed arrogantly, ¡°I¡¯ve won! Hurry up and announce the voting results!¡±


    Bai Youwei closed her eyes, not saying another word.


    The Inspector nced at Bai Youwei, the man in sses, and the others, then finally announced:


    ¡°Now I¡¯ll announce the numbers and votes from the fifth elimination round!¡±


    ¡°Number 6, 1 vote.¡±


    ¡°Number 7, 1 vote.¡±


    ¡°Number 14, 2 votes.¡±


    ¡°Number 24, 2 votes.¡±


    ¡°Number 29, 2 votes.¡±


    The man in sses looked stunned, questioning whether he had heard wrong, ¡°How¡­ how could this be? Where is number 11? Why isn¡¯t number 11 here! Didn¡¯t he press number 11 earlier?!¡±


    After a moment of silence, the ball said, ¡°He did press it.¡±


    ¡°Then why isn¡¯t it there?! Number 11 should at least have 1 vote! And what about you all! What happened? Why didn¡¯t you vote as I instructed you?!¡±


    The man in sses was thrown into confusion, scanning each face of the participants, ¡°Who voted for number 29?! Who?!!¡±


    Bai Youwei looked at him calmly, ¡°Well, of course¡­ that¡¯s what I told them to do.¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om<div>

 Chapter 620: 620: You Talk Too Much

    Chapter 620: Chapter 620: You Talk Too Much


    ¡°Why?!¡± The man with sses couldn¡¯t ept it, he grabbed a Yellow Eye and asked, ¡°Who did you vote for? Why did you listen to her?! Did you figure out I was the X Guest from the beginning?! No¡­ No! It¡¯s impossible!!!¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The Yellow Eye slipped his arm out of the man¡¯s grasp, responding irritably, ¡°We didn¡¯t figure it out, but she promised us that if we voted her way, win or lose, we would all get tools.¡±


    The man with sses widened his eyes, ¡°Can¡­ can it be done like this?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Another Yellow Eye said, ¡°If she really is the X Guest, we¡¯re doomed anyway. Since number 11 was blocked by the Rabbit and couldn¡¯t vote, we might as well listen to her, even if we were to lose, we could still get tools.¡±


    Even if demoted tomoners, tools are still a very important asset. Unless dolls disappearpletely from the world, tools would lose their value.


    The man with sses didn¡¯t expect that he would be defeated by such a small detail.


    He roared with unbearable fury, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid she will renege?!¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯t go back on her word.¡± Short-haired girl stepped forward, ¡°We got the Inspector as our witness. As long as we eliminate the real X Guest in the final round of voting, regardless of winning or losing, we could split tools.¡±


    That means, apart from number 29, the people who were eliminated, numbers 6, 7, 14, and 24, would only lose puzzles, but not tools, and they could even share tools with the winner!


    Such a huge temptation, no one could resist.<div>


    The short-haired girl looked towards Ya Chaohui, bit her lip, and added, ¡°We tried to contact you and your partner, but you locked yourselves away, refusing anymunication.¡±


    Ya Chaohui¡¯s head was low, his face gray, he couldn¡¯t speak a word.


    The man with sses refused to give up, pointed at the corpse in the room and argued, ¡°Even so! This shouldn¡¯t be the result! He had just voted, why it doesn¡¯t count?! Is the Inspector deliberately covering up?!¡±


    ¡°Hey, how can you talk nonsense?¡± The spectating ball quickly interjected, ¡°He did vote, but his vote was invalid. Didn¡¯t you notice that numbers 6 and 7 were tied? I mentioned that in this round only four people would be eliminated, so he should have chosen one from numbers 6 and 7 to vote for. But who would know, he pressed the invalid number 11, and now, well, all five have to be eliminated.¡±


    ¡°Tied¡­ votes?¡­ Invalid?¡± The man with sses stumbled a half step backward, looking dismayed, ¡°How¡­ how could this happen.¡±


    Bai Youwei looked at him emotionlessly, speaking in a light tone, ¡°I guessed you would vote for number 7, so I had everyone take the first four spots during the initial voting. Counting your vote for number 7, that leaves five in total. But the final round is limited to eliminating four people, which means the remaining two people who haven¡¯t voted could only choose from those with one vote.¡±


    ¡°What if they both voted for number 11?¡± The man with the sses stubbornly gritted his teeth, ¡°If they both voted for 11, then your vote count is 2! Even if I lost, you would lose with me!¡±


    ¡°In theory, yes, but, practically, it¡¯s impossible.¡± Bai Youwei gently patted the rabbit in her arms, ¡°Do you think, after the Thunder Effect was used once, anyone would be foolish enough to press number 11 again?¡±


    The man with sses was taken aback.


    Once someone presses number 11, it will trigger Thunderstorm Electroshock! Seeing a living person turned to charred remains, who would dare to press 11 again? Are they an idiot?!


    ¡°Even¡­ even if it¡¯s like this¡­ why did you all¡­¡± he tried with all his might to find a reason, unable to face his defeat.


    The ball finally lost patience, ¡°You talk too much! I¡¯m going to start the rewards calction now!¡±


    The man with sses suddenly disappeared into thin air.

 Chapter 621: 621 Different Preliminaries

    Chapter 621: Chapter 621 Different Preliminaries


    There were seven people remaining on the field.


    Because they had agreed to distribute their props among those who lost, Number 6, 7, 14, and 24¡ª who should have been eliminated¡ªwere still in the game.


    The Inspector announced, ¡°The winners of this game are three people, Number 3, 11, and 15. They have respectively,


    Eliminated 25 people.


    Killed two people.


    Received 42 puzzle pieces to distribute.


    Received 38 props to distribute.


    We now proceed to the rewards distribution¡ª¡±


    As he finished speaking, a dazzling orb of light appeared in front of each person.


    The orb was gently floating and held within it puzzle pieces and props. All they had to do was extend their hands to obtain them easily.<div>


    In Bai Youwei¡¯s orb, there were 14 puzzle pieces and 6 props.


    She couldn¡¯t help but sigh. She had been collecting for so long and had only managed to amass 23 puzzle pieces. But now, in just one game, she had received 14 more. It truly lived up to the name ¨C a skirmish of the preliminarypetition.


    Everyone else also looked relieved.


    For the four who were eliminated, while they lost their puzzle pieces, they were able to keep their own props and even received new ones. This was undoubtedly the best oue.


    Only Ya Chaohui looked dejected with no color of joy on his face.


    Above them, the stone sphere on the roof made a full turn, the eye patterns on its body disappearing one by one. After the eliminated four got their props, they too vanished one by one.


    Only the winning trio was left in the square: Red Eyes Bai Youwei, Blue Eyes Ya Chaohui, and a white person with Yellow Eyes.


    ording to thepetition rules, there should¡¯ve been five winners, but now there were only three.


    The sphere was somewhat dissatisfied with this, but no matter what, this game had ended sessfully and its harvest was quite bountiful. Rolling joyfully, it said to everyone:


    ¡°Congrattions to you all for winning this game! With your victory, the official beginnings of the Labyrinth War¡ª


    This will be a protracted contest where the King needs to vigorously expand his territory and the subjects need to choose a proficient sovereign; it¡¯s only through their unanimity that victory can be achieved in the end.


    The detailed rules will be introduced by the other Inspectors once you return to the Rest Hall.


    You now have three minutes of preparation time. This is a special privilege granted to the winners~¡±


    Three minutes of preparation time.


    Since they now held so many puzzle pieces and props, those who intended to hide their strength obviously could not return to the Rest Hall immediately.


    The white man with Yellow Eyes got a long twig among his props. It was hard to conceal, so he hurriedly ran to roll in the woods, returning dirt-streaked and with dried leaves in his hair. Holding the twig in his hand this way, it no longer stood out.


    Ya Chaohui¡¯s props were all quite small; he casually put them in his pocket, and some he carried on hand. Fang Yu¡¯s death had hit him hard, and it seemed he was not quite himself: his mind seemingly not in the game.


    Seeing him like this made Bai Youwei ufortable.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Although they were two insignificant people, almost strangers, but¡­under these circumstances, it was hard not to care.<div>


    Moreover, until now, she had used her rabbit only as a deterrent, never to kill, unless it was to fight against the game¡¯s monsters.


    This was the first time¡­she had doomed someone.


    Bai Youwei nced at Ya Chaohui, growing more irritable. She entered the voting cabin alone, opened her Doll House, and dumped all her puzzle pieces and props inside. When she emerged, she carried in her arms only her rabbit.


    In the square, a giant square exit appeared, shimmering with pure white light.<div>


    The Inspector had disappeared.


    One after another, the three of them walked into the square exit, stepping into the white light. When they opened their eyes again, they were back in that enormously vast white room.


    This ce, it turned out, was called the Rest Hall.

 Chapter 622: 622: Rest Hall

    Chapter 622: Chapter 622: Rest Hall


    In the rest area, a scattering of people were gathered, around seventy to eighty in total.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    It seemed that the preliminary contest was not yet over; some yers were still in the game and hadn¡¯t emerged.


    Bai Youwei scanned the room from her wheelchair, searching for familiar faces.


    She didn¡¯t see Shen Mo, nor Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin, but she did spot Dr. Xu Fanghe in a corner, his expression gloomy.


    The king had been demoted to amoner, lost the puzzle and props, and had no more followers by his side.


    The man with sses was nowhere to be seen, probably because he was demoted to amoner and thus banished from this space.


    ¡°Weiwei.¡±


    Someone called out to her from not too far away.


    Bai Youwei turned her head and saw Yan Qingwen and Lu Yuwen walk towards her.


    Yan Qingwen asked, ¡°Did you win?¡±<div>


    ¡°Yes.¡± Bai Youwei nodded, then asked them, ¡°Where¡¯s Su Man?¡±


    Yan Qingwen gently shook his head: ¡°It seems that the preliminary contest assigns games based on each person¡¯s traits; Su Man wasn¡¯t with us.¡±


    Obviously, Su Man was the type to use force.


    Yan Qingwen asked Bai Youwei, ¡°What about Shen Mo and Tan Xiao? Are they still in the game?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen them; they must be still in the game,¡± Bai Youwei replied with a worried look, ¡°Xiaoxin has note out either.¡±


    ¡°Xiaoxin¡¯s situation is special, he probably won¡¯t be assigned a difficult game,¡± Yan Qingwen reassured her.


    Bai Youwei sighed softly: ¡°I hope so¡­¡±


    She originally thought that losing the game just meant bing amoner, but after going through a round, she realized that some people would stop at nothing to ensure a win.


    She was quite worried about Tan Xiao and Xiaoxin.


    Naturally, she was worried about Shen Mo too. If the games were truly assigned based on individual attributes, was it a case of the strong against the strong, the weak against the weak? Who would Shen Mo meet as an opponent?


    Just then, she heard Lu Yuwenment: ¡°ording to the Inspector in the game just now, apart from selecting the qualified kings andmoners, the preliminary contest also aims to familiarize us with thepetition system. The realpetition will have simr confrontational games. Did the Inspector in your game reveal anything about the War?¡±


    Bai Youwei hesitated for a moment before replying: ¡°I encountered a ball that told me a King needs to expand his territory. I¡¯m still not clear about this point, but when everyone is present, the Rabbit-headed Inspector will surely provide an exnation.¡±


    This piece of information was only given to the winners. Considering Yan Qingwen and Lu Yuwen also got the message, it appeared they had won their games too.


    ¡°What were your preliminary games like? Did you encounter anyone special?¡± Bai Youwei asked. ¡°Those people might be our opponents in future.¡±


    ¡°If we¡¯re talking about special, then everyone is special ¡ª the man in the prison uniform, the woman pushing a baby stroller, the priest in ck robes¡­¡± Yan Qingwen nced around and said casually, ¡°All these people, including me and Lu Yuwen, were trapped on a deste ind, and the game could perhaps be considered a puzzle survival game. Out of the 22 participants, five small boats were hidden on the ind, and each boat could hold only one person. Whoever made it to a boat and left the ind won the game. In the end, only four people made it.¡±


    Even though there were five boats, only four were winners. It seemed certain that somebody met a tragic end in the game.


    Not a game goes without casualties.


    Lu Yuwen said, ¡°There was a British man called Wird who was a bit of an oddity. He was always talking to thin air, probably has some special item¡­¡±


    Bai Youwei made a mental note of this for future reference, just in case they crossed paths.<div>


    Just as the three of them were exchanging information, another yell came over¡ª


    ¡°Hey! So this is where you are!¡±


    Bai Youwei looked up to see the short-haired woman from the game bounding over toward her.


    <div>

 Chapter 623: 623 Asarina

    Chapter 623: Chapter 623 Asarina


    The short-haired woman had previously coborated with Bai Youwei in the game, so she was very friendly towards her. She walked over with a smile, confidently extending her hand:


    ¡°Let¡¯s reintroduce ourselves. I am Asarina, from Thand, previously a King, now demoted to amoner. If you¡¯re recruiting, consider me!¡±


    Bai Youwei shook her hand, giving a brief self-introduction: ¡°Bai Youwei, Chinese.¡±


    The short-haired woman then looked at Yan Qingwen and Lu Yuwen.


    ¡°Are these two your friends?¡± She reached out her right hand, saying cheerfully, ¡°Guys, if you¡¯re recruiting, consider me too. I may not have a particr talent, but I¡¯m well-rounded and know a bit about everything.¡±


    Yan Qingwen shook her hand, checking her out and asked, ¡°A man?¡±


    The short-haired woman looked surprised, eximing, ¡°You can tell?¡±


    Bai Youwei was even more surprised, ¡°A man?¡±


    Yan Qingwen said indifferently, ¡°The Adam¡¯s apple, broader shoulder, hip bones, andrge shoes.¡±


    There was a pause, then he added, ¡°Big shoes as well.¡±<div>


    With him pointing out these details, Bai Youwei took another look at the short-haired woman and noticed that she was right. Earlier, Bai Youwei had just thought the woman was dressed in a masculine way, taller than average females with a rather neutral voice, but it turned out she was a he¡­


    The short-haired woman, looking somewhat embarrassed, exined, ¡°I have had a surgery; now, I am a woman!¡±


    Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze unconsciously fell to her chest and she was puzzled, ¡°Is this the result of the surgery?¡±


    ¡°Sex reassignment surgery doesn¡¯t just happen overnight!¡± The other party exined somewhat exasperated, ¡°It takes at least three operations to be consideredplete! Just finished the top part, haven¡¯t had time for the rest. ¡­Damn it, there¡¯s no ce to do surgery now.¡±


    Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­Oh.¡±


    Anyway, she felt sympathy for her situation.


    A tall man in the distance beckoned to the short-haired woman, ¡°Brother Jiwang! Come quickly! ¡­¡±


    The short-haired woman frowned, responding unhappily, ¡°I¡¯ve said it a hundred times! Don¡¯t call me by my old name!¡±


    She gave an awkward smile to Bai Youwei and the others, ¡°Sigh, that¡¯s my younger brother, probably got himself into trouble again. I need to sort it out. I¡¯ll catch up with you guyster.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s chatter.¡±


    ¡°Remember to consider me when you¡¯re recruiting subjects.¡± Asarina reiterated before she left.


    Watching her walking away and engaging in an animated conversation with the man who called her name, Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but feel a twinge of envy.


    Asarina and herpanions were all safe.


    After observing for a while, Bai Youwei turned her attention back to Yan Qingwen, asking, ¡°What do you think of her? Is she useful?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s okay.¡± Yan Qingwen gave a slight nod, ¡°I¡¯m not sure about her ability, but it seems like she has a good sense of team cooperation.¡±


    Lu Yuwen was observing the crowd around them and said in a deep voice, ¡°More than half of the yers are already out.¡±


    While they were talking, the number of people in the lounge had risen to over 150. However¡­ Su Man, Tan Xiao, Pan Xiaoxin, and Shen Mo still hadn¡¯t emerged.


    ¡­


    On the dazzling round stage, a Clown in a colorful outfit bowed to the audience.<div>


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen! Wee to Happy Chaos Field!¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Despite the overly short chubby body and rounded head, he stood on stage, looking like a plump pumpkin.


    Just a simple bow and he tumbled over in an ungainly manner.


    The Clown struggled to sit up, his painted face berating the silent audience:<div>


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t youughing?!! I was hrious! My expressions were so amusing! Why aren¡¯t youughing?!! Those who don¡¯tugh will be eliminated!!!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, dry and sparseughter erupted from the audience seats: ¡°Ha¡­ haha¡­¡±


    Tan Xiao snuck over to Shen Mo, whispering: ¡°I couldn¡¯t find Sister Weiwei, but I saw Su Man, she¡¯s in the second row¡­¡±

 Chapter 624: 624: Happy Chaos Field 1

    Chapter 624: Chapter 624: Happy Chaos Field 1


    The clown, hearingughter, finally expressed satisfaction.


    It stood up straight with its plump pumpkin-like body, raised its short thin arms, adjusted the ruffled neckband around its neck, then spoke joyfully:


    ¡°Wee, wee! ~ Wee to the Happy Chaos Field, this is the Brawl Stage, I am the Inspector of this field, and I will exin the rules of the game ¨C ¡±


    The clown raised its right hand and snapped its fingers.


    Boom!


    Five spotlights from above casted down beams of light, each illuminating a chair high up on the stage!


    The chairs were all bright red with a velvet texture, with gold trim and multi-colored gems on the top and armrests. They were extraordinarily luxurious and silently indicated the exceptional status of those who sat on them.


    The clown¡¯s sausage-shaped mouth in bright red peeled open, revealing a row of neatly polished teeth. He smiled and said, ¡°This is the War King¡¯s Throne! Out of all the 30 participants, only 5 winners will get a seat!


    The rules are very simple. As long as youe to this stage, you can happily brawl at will. The winner gets points, the loser loses points! The first yer to reach the passing score can take the War King¡¯s seat!¡±


    Boom!<div>


    He snapped his fingers again!


    A circle of vertical holographic projections lit up around the stage, each showing a half-body image of a yer and their score. All 30 holographic projections showed each yer with 0 points.


    In the audience, a yer raised his hand and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the passing score?¡±


    ¡°30 points,¡± the clown replied with a smile, ¡°The full score is 50 points, the passing score is 30 points. Absolutely fair.¡±


    ¡°How many points can you get for winning a match?¡± Another question came from the audience.


    ¡°If 30 points can get you a seat, what¡¯s the point of setting a full score of 50?¡±


    ¡°Does the brawl have specific rules? Can we use props?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Is there a time limit?¡±


    ¡°How many times do I have to win in order to pass?¡±


    More and more people started asking questions, causing an uproar.


    The clown raised both hands, palms down, pressing downwards. ¡°Silence¨C¡±


    Its voice was as if amplified by a super high-powered sound system, deafeningly loud!


    The whole field was stunned.


    Some people had to cover their ears directly, in so much pain they had to squat under their seats!


    The clown saw this, toned down his voice, and said, ¡°Oh dear, oh dear? It seems like some of you are not in great shape. Have you only ever been through a maze once? This could be problematic during the brawl¡­ ¡±


    No one spoke.


    Even if they wanted to, at this moment they were too scared to speak out.


    The clown continued, ¡°No need to rush, before the official round begins, I will exin all the rules in detail! Now listen to me¨C


    One day during a sr eclipse, I didn¡¯t see the sun. Do you know why?¡±<div>


    The entire ce fell silent.


    Everyone looked at the clown on stage in bewilderment, as his words seemed out of context.


    The clown tiptoed and executed aical twirling move: ¡°Because of the sr eclipse! I was busy eating all day, of course I couldn¡¯t see the sun! Hahahaha!¡±


    The crowd: ¡°¡­¡±<div>


    What the hell is going on¡­


    The Inspector standing on the empty stage wasughing loudly, leaving the yers puzzled.


    Suddenly,ughter broke out from the audience, ¡°Hahaha, sr eclipse!!!¡±


    Shen Mo silently watched Tan Xiao, who was beside him,ughing uncontrobly.


    ¡°I¡¯m dying ofughter hahaha¡­hups¡­¡± Tan Xiao wasughing so hard he was almost in tears, ¡°Too funny hahaha! Sr eclipse¡­eating all day hahaha¡­¡±


    Everyone turned to look at Tan Xiao.


    It was then that Su Man noticed a familiar face. She quickly switched seats to sit next to Shen Mo and Tan Xiao.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    But before she could start a conversation with them, a spotlight suddenly shone on Tan Xiao!


    Tan Xiao was stunned.


    The clown on stage pointed at him and said, ¡°The Happy Chaos Field should be as joyful as this! You, the manughing heartily, pleasee on stage to demonstrate the brawl, and assist me in exining the rules to everyone!¡±

 Chapter 625: Happy Chaos Field 2

    Chapter 625: Chapter 625: Happy Chaos Field 2


    Tan Xiao ran his fingers through his hair, walking onto the stage with a somewhat dazed expression.


    The Clown stood in the center of the stage, waving at him: ¡°Come on over to me~ this way, sir.¡±


    Tan Xiao obediently walked over.


    The Clown said, ¡°Now, hit me.¡±


    Tan Xiao: ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°Please, hit me!¡± The Clown raised his massive smiling face, drawing in closer, ¡°Go on, stretch out your fist and give me a good punch! This is a special situation. Even if you attack the Inspector, you won¡¯t be punished!¡±


    Tan Xiao lifted his fist with hesitation.


    The Clown before his eyes was too short, Tan Xiao looked here and there, unsure of how to make his move.


    The Clown urged, ¡°Hit me! Hit me! Anywhere you like!¡±


    ¡°If you insist¡­¡± Tan Xiao squinted his eyes and concentrated. ¡°Then I¡­aha!¡±


    Hended a punch directly on the Clown¡¯s head!


    The Clown¡¯s head was instantaneouslyunched into the air!


    Tan Xiao jumped back, ¡°Heck! I didn¡¯t even use my full strength!¡±


    The spectators, shocked to their core, all rose from their seats.


    To their surprise, a long spring connected the Clown¡¯s body to the flying head. The round and plump body was dragged forward about seven or eight meters and started rolling on the stage. It looked like a ball bouncing on the ground, the round head stretched and shrunk with the spring!


    It, however, wasn¡¯t a ball. After a two or three rotations, it finally came to a halt. The Clowny there, motionless.


    Just as everyone was still in shock and confusion, a giant glowing number ¡¯10¡¯ appeared above the Clown¡¯s body¡ª


    Next, the ¡¯10¡¯ changed into a ¡®9¡¯,


    Then an ¡®8¡¯,


    And a countdown began 7, 6, 5, 4¡­


    Until it finally reached ¡®0¡¯!


    Ding!


    The points disyed on Tan Xiao¡¯s holographic projection changed to 1 point!


    The Clown immediately got up, his spring-neck contracting. The Clownughed, ¡°How was it? How was it? Isn¡¯t it very direct and clear?¡±


    His body wobbled for a few seconds before finally steadying itself. His tone still fired up, ¡°As long as the opponent is knocked down and can¡¯t get up within 10 seconds, you win a round and are awarded 1 point!¡±


    The audience was dumbfounded.


    ¡­It¡¯s only one point.


    Tan Xiao curiously asked, ¡°One point for winning one opponent, so doesn¡¯t it mean we have to defeat 30 people to umte passing points?!¡±


    What does consecutive 30 wins even mean?


    Just the physical exhaustion alone could kill someone!


    The Clownughed, ¡°Yes, yes, one point for winning one opponent, but losing one game doesn¡¯t necessarily mean losing one point.


    yers with 0 points will not lose points if they lose,


    yers with up to 10 points will lose 1 point,


    yers with up to 20 points will lose 5 points,


    yers with up to 30 points will lose 10 points,


    yers with up to 50 points will lose 20 points!¡±


    The higher the score, the higher the deduction if you lose, and the greater the risk is.


    The audience was left stunned. This sort of exploitative fighting was just as brutal as diatorial games!


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    If they never score passing points, are they supposed to keep fighting in this chaos forever? Will they never get to leave?!


    ¡°This game has no time limit, it ends when everyone¡¯s happy!¡± The Clown waved his stubby arms at the participants. ¡°Why so glum, folks? Laugh! Be happy! ¡ª¡ª


    A sewer was trying to solve a difficult math problem. After thinking for a long time without finding a solution, it said in frustration ¡®I can¡¯t figure it out!¡¯ And then it got blocked!¡±


    The audience was all rendered speechless.


    This Inspector really enjoyed making peopleugh, although his methods were¡­ quite, awkward.


    Tan Xiao: ¡°Hahaha the sewer got blocked!¡±


    The Audience: ¡°¡­¡±


    He¡¯s actuallyughing at this crap???


    The Clown was highly satisfied with Tan Xiao¡¯s response, he waved his tiny stout hand and Tan Xiao¡¯s score was boosted by another 5 points, it now read 6 points!


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen! Please don¡¯t forget, this is the Happy Chaos Field ¡ª Happy chaos, happy chaos¡­ scoring points for chaos, and happiness will earn you points too.¡±


    The Clown squinted his eyes as he spoke, his smile widening with each word.


    ¡°The Inspector has a special authority to award additional points, minimum 1 point, maximum 5 points. How to go about it, I believe you all understand, right?


    Now¡­ let the games begin.¡±

 Chapter 626: Happy Chaos Field 3

    Chapter 626: Chapter 626: Happy Chaos Field 3


    Upon hearing the Inspector announce the start of the game, Tan Xiao sauntered towards the exit of the stage.


    However, just after a couple of steps, the Clown mysteriously uttered from behind him, ¡°Sir, leaving now would result in a deduction of points¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Tan Xiao turned around, looking perplexed, ¡°But I¡¯m not ready for the brawl yet, shouldn¡¯t you let me warm up or something first?¡±


    The Clown wore a gleeful smile, ¡°Nah nah~ One can only leave the stage after losing. If you step down now, it¡¯d be equivalent to admitting defeat voluntarily, resulting in a deduction of 1 point.¡±


    ¡°So, you mean¡­ I have to brawl with someone before I can leave, right?¡± Tan Xiao asked, sort of understanding, sort of not.


    The Clown, however, disregarded him and faced the audience again, beaming invitingly, ¡°Are there any gentlemen ordies who wish to have a 1v1 brawl with our friend here?¡±


    ¡°For real¡­¡± Tan Xiao muttered.


    Fighting was his strength, but this was too sudden. He hadn¡¯t adjusted his mental state and there wasn¡¯t even a brick lying around nearby¡­


    ¡­


    In the audience, Su Man anxiously asked Shen Mo, ¡°Can Tan Xiao handle a fight?¡±


    Shen Mo responded, brows knitted slightly, ¡°Depends on the opponent.¡±


    If it¡¯s any of those few people shaken by the voice to the point of squatting under their chairs, Tan Xiao could definitely handle them. After all, there¡¯s a difference in physical ability between those who have been through the maze twice and those who have been through once.


    But if it¡¯s a professional¡­ or rather more professional boxer, martial artist, he¡¯s unsure if Tan Xiao can handle it.


    In the meantime, the Clown on the stage continued to chatter about the rules:


    ¡°Happy Chaos Field has no time limit, no restrictions on methods, no restrictions on attempts. As long as an opponent is knocked down and stays down for more than 10 seconds, a point can be earned. It¡¯s that easy, doesn¡¯t anyone want to give it a try?


    No one? Are you all worried about something? Worried that if you win points, you won¡¯t be able to leave?


    Ah~ That¡¯s for fairness! The winner stays in the Brawl Stage, epting challenges from the next yer until they are defeated¡­ Even so, defeat only means deducting a few points, which is still pretty worthwhile~


    What? Can props be used, you ask? Of course! But all offensive props are prohibited! After all, this is the Brawl Arena and we are assessing everyone¡¯s inherent abilities¡­


    Eh? What kind of props count as offensive? You don¡¯t need to worry about that. All offensive props will naturally be void when on stage!


    Alright, you guys have asked so many questions, doesn¡¯t someone want to participate in the brawl now?


    ¡­Why is no oneing forward?


    If there¡¯s no brawl in the Brawl Arena for more than 60 minutes, a forced lottery brawl will be triggered, and that¡¯s not good¡­


    Because you can¡¯t predict the kind of opponent you¡¯ll end up with.¡±


    The Clown¡¯s final words finally had an effect.


    Many in the audience stirred.


    Among them, a burly man stood out. With a stature over 2 meters tall, a face full of scars, abundant tattoos and an intimidating presence, he was exceptionally eye-catching! Moreover, his right hand was reced by a metal iron hook, creating an extremely creepy appearance!


    Seeing this, other audience members resumed their seats, staring uneasily at the burly man.


    No one wanted to be this man¡¯s opponent.


    Only Shen Mo stood up and walked towards the stage.


    Su Man¡¯s heart thumped in apprehension as she chased after him, asking uncertainly, ¡°You¡¯re going too?!¡±


    Shen Mo cast gaze at the burly man, tone calm, ¡°Tan Xiao is no match for him.¡±


    In therge crowd, only two were heading towards the stage. The man quickly noticed someone else was approaching alongside him.


    The burly man looked towards Shen Mo, his lips curling into a strange, cold smirk, as if mocking Shen Mo¡¯s audacity.


    Unfazed, Shen Mo quickened his pace. Just on the verge of reaching the stage, he lunged forward, leaping onto the stage!


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    A secondter, the burly man too, arrived at the Brawl Stage!


    With a loud thud! His massive body stood before the Clown like a Giant!

 Chapter 627: Happy Chaos Field 4

    Chapter 627: Chapter 627: Happy Chaos Field 4


    ¡°Wow¡­¡± The Clown looked up, staring at the towering ¡°Giant¡± in front of him. ¡°Hey! I know you. You¡¯re Jefferson, the one who killed the Cyclops Monster. You know you¡¯re famous, right?¡±


    The Clown chuckled, circling around the other man. ¡°Dear me¡­ Just look at this size, look at these muscles, no wonder some Inspectors fancy you. But hold your horses, someone arrived before you. Although there aren¡¯t many rules in the Brawl Arena, it doesn¡¯t allow multiple adversaries.¡±


    The man known as Jefferson nced disdainfully at Shen Mo in the distance, then stepped off the stage without saying a word.


    He had an incredibly arrogant aura, as if everyone else was nothing but ants beneath him, not even worthy of a second nce.


    Tan Xiao sidled up to Shen Mo, curiously watching the retreating ¡°Giant.¡± He whispered, ¡°He¡¯s been on the steroids, hasn¡¯t he?¡±


    Shen Mo frowned and punched Tan Xiao on the shoulder. ¡°Down,¡± he said.


    Tan Xiao held his shoulder, looking at Shen Mo in shock.


    A few secondster, he finally caught on and quickly sprawled on the ground!


    ¡°Ah! Ow, ow, ow¡­ I can¡¯t move!¡±


    It was obviously fake, but the system epted it, disying arge number ¡°10¡± above Tan Xiao.


    The countdown began!


    The number dropped from 10 to 0, and the scores changed ¨C Tan Xiao¡¯s score dropped from 6 to 5, while Shen Mo¡¯s score rose from 0 to 1.


    ¡°Perfect!¡± The Clown cheered. ¡°You have all given us a perfect demonstration! Now, the loser please step down, and the winner remains to continue the brawl! If there¡¯s no brawl within 60 minutes, a random draw will initiate!¡±


    They didn¡¯t need to wait for 60 minutes.


    Because Jefferson, who had just left, returned to the stage¨C


    Everyone held their breath, believing that Shen Mo was definitely doomed! Facing such a huge monster, who could cope without weapons?


    Especially, the Brawl Arena prohibits the use of attack items!


    Was there any hope of victory?!


    Tan Xiao stayed near the edge of the stage, watching the battle. He didn¡¯t want to leave, worried about Shen Mo¡¯s safety.


    As the Clown dered the start of the brawl, Jefferson charged at Shen Mo like a giant bear!


    Shen Mo sidestepped to avoid him, but his opponent was surprisingly swift! With his left hand grabbing onto Shen Mo¡¯s shoulder, his right-hand hook swiped directly at Shen Mo¡¯s face!


    Tan Xiao widened his eyes; his heart sank. ¡°Boss!¡±


    At the critical moment, Jefferson let out an angry roar! He let go of Shen Mo with his left hand, allowing him to fall, and his hook swung through the air, hitting nothing!


    The spectators were baffled.


    ¡°What happened? He had Shen Mo pinned. Why would he just let go?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, why did he suddenly let go?¡±


    ¡°Did he deliberately let Shen Mo off?¡±


    ¡­


    Su Man listened to theirments, while never taking her eyes off the stage.


    She understood.


    Jefferson didn¡¯t go easy on Shen Mo; instead, Shen Mo hadnded a hit on the joints between his index and middle fingers, forcing him to loosen his grip!


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    If you hit certain joints and pressure points during a fight, you could gain the upper hand. She had learned it too, but her uracy wasn¡¯t nearly as good as Shen Mo¡¯s.


    The ¡°Giant¡± of a man quickly went from being the attacker to getting attacked.


    Shen Mo controlled the battle with every move. Although due to the other¡¯s resilient skin and flesh, he didn¡¯t inflict significant injury, the situation had decidedly improved. His victory seemed only a matter of time!


    ¡°Go Boss!¡± Tan Xiao cheered for Shen Mo. ¡°Take that, gori! You¡¯re going down!!!¡±


    Under Shen Mo¡¯s onught, Jefferson crashed to the ground!


    A countdown appeared above his body.


    Shen Mo, mildly sweaty but unscathed.


    Tan Xiao was so excited he nearly whistled!


    But in the audience, Su Man turned pale with fright. She stood up and yelled, ¡°Be careful!¡±


    Suddenly, the hook in the strong man¡¯s right hand, like the Clown¡¯s head, extended out. With a swish, it ripped through Shen Mo¡¯s abdomen!

 Chapter 628: Happy Chaos Field 5

    Chapter 628: Chapter 628: Happy Chaos Field 5


    The situation took a sudden turn for the worse!


    One moment, Shen Mo was on top of the world, the next he was on the ground, his abdomen pierced by an iron hook. Blood gushed out from him and the hook linked to a nearly two-meter-long thin iron chain was firmly locked around Jefferson¡¯s right arm!


    A countdown appeared above Shen Mo.


    ¡°Mo bro!!!¡± Tan Xiao, supporting his own arm, wanted to rush onto the stage.


    But the Brawl Stage was blocked by an invisible wall, Tan Xiao couldn¡¯t go up at all!


    The Clown Inspector was stillughing: ¡°Not to worry, not to worry~ The stage can only amodate two yers at a time, if you want to up, you need to wait for the countdown to end¡­¡±


    ¡°This is cheating!¡± Su Man on the grandstands shouted, ¡°I thought offensive items weren¡¯t allowed?! Why can he use it?!!¡±


    The Clown leered towards the audience, ¡°This isn¡¯t a prop, it¡¯s actually part of his body.¡±


    Su Man was dumbstruck, ¡°How is that possible?!¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s who he is¡­¡± someone in the audience muttered, ¡°I thought he looked familiar, now it alles back to me, he¡¯s the death row inmate Jefferson, who used to be aborer. Because he vited operation regtions, his right hand was crushed by a machine, andter he installed a hook on his right arm¡­which he used to stab to death more than a dozen workers in the factory¡­he should¡¯ve been given a death sentence, but he escaped during the arrest, supposedly to Mexico, it was a big news for a while¡­¡±


    Another person grumbled: ¡°Damn it, with a monster like him on stage, how are we supposed to score?!¡±


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Hey! Look at the stage!¡±


    The situation on the stage changed once more!


    Shen Mo, whose countdown was nearing its end, slowly got up, one hand covering his bloody wound, the other gripping the iron hook!


    The audience gasped!


    ¡°What kind of person is this guy?!¡±


    ¡°He must have passed through the maze at least twice, right? How else could he get up with such injuries?!¡±


    ¡°¡­But even if he gets up, in his state, he¡¯s no match for Jefferson.¡±


    A buzz went around the audience, Su Man¡¯s mind was in a whirl, she abandoned her seat, ran to the stage, and stood by Tan Xiao.


    On the stage, Shen Mo was painstakingly pulling the iron hook out from his flesh.


    Just from watching, Su Man felt her teeth grow soft, the motion had to be slow, steady, otherwise the hook would cause the wound to tear again! It could severely damage his internal organs!


    Jefferson on the other hand, apparently, wasn¡¯t nning on giving Shen Mo this opportunity.


    He lifted his right arm and yanked hard on the chain! He pulled Shen Mo directly in front of him and threw a punch at Shen Mo¡¯s abdominal wound!


    Everyone gasped!


    Su Man¡¯s face turned pale!


    But the scene they were expecting did not unfold, Shen Mo grabbed the iron hook and leapt up! He stepped on his opponent¡¯s shoulder and used the thin iron chain to cinch tight around the monster¡¯s neck!


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    The thin iron chain wound around twice, squeezed tight!


    Shen Mo jumped off his back, leveraging his weight and gravity to pull the massive figure down to the ground! With a thud, Jefferson turned horizontal, and a countdown began for him!


    The entire sequence unfolded in a fluid motion, stunning everyone present!


    Someone unable to hide their shock eximed: ¡°I thought he was injured?!¡±


    ¡°He must have used some life-saving tool!¡±


    On stage, Jefferson¡¯s face turned beet red, still struggling mightily, attempting to roll on the floor to break free from Shen Mo¡¯s chokehold.


    But Shen Mo was far nimbler than him, his struggle was futile! Instead, the iron chain grew tighter! It bit deeper! Blood finally gushed out! ¡ª¡ª


    Jefferson¡¯s head separated from his body.


    The countdown began.


    10, 9, 8, 7¡­..3, 2, 1¡­..

 Chapter 629: 629: Happy Chaos Field 6

    Chapter 629: Chapter 629: Happy Chaos Field 6


    ¡­0.


    The countdown ends.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Shen Mo¡¯s points change to 2, while Jefferson¡¯s score and semi-portrait projection disappear.


    Shen Mo stands on the stage, ncing at the soil in his hand, his brow slightly furrowed.


    The soil, after multiple uses, has changed from its original ck-gray to current gray-white, and feels like a lump of dough in his hand. He has onest chance to use it.


    However¡­


    He looks up, his long and thin eyes slightly squinted as they face the ring lights and gaze towards the audience.


    ¡ª¡ªIf he wins this battle, he would be dividing the items from the other 25 people, and perhaps, there might be some with healing functions.


    ¡°That was amazing!¡± Tan Xiao excitedly shouted from below the stage, ¡°Boss, you were absolutely terrific! Let¡¯s see who dares toe up next¡­¡±


    Before he finishes his sentence, a tall and skinny man jumps onto the stage!<div>


    Tan Xiao: ¡°???¡±


    The skinny tall man doesn¡¯t say a word, nor does he give any form of introduction, he simply raises his fist and swings it directly at Shen Mo!


    Tan Xiao is shocked and blurts out, ¡°What is happening? Is he seeking revenge?!!¡±


    Su Man calmly replies, ¡°He¡¯s not here for revenge¡­ These yers know that Mo just had a tough fight with that big guy, and he¡¯s injured, his physical strength also significantly depleted, so this is their best chance to score points.¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Tan Xiao res at the tall skinny man on the stage, cursing, ¡°What a dirty trick! What kind of hero is this?!¡±


    ¡°A hero?¡± The man sneers as he continues to attack Shen Mo, ¡°I didn¡¯t sign up for the Maze War to y a hero!¡±


    With that, his attacks grow fiercer and quicker! His punches are extremely fast, as if he is a professional boxer!


    Shen Mo dodges repeatedly, taking several steps back. He then lifts the iron hooks he had just used and throws them!


    The man doesn¡¯t dodge in time and the fist he was throwing out gets caught in the hook!


    Immediately, his wrist is tangled in the chain, his face changes drastically as he hastily halts his attack, trying to untangle the iron chain around his hand. But Shen Mo pulls him towards himself by the chain and swings a punch¡ª¡ª


    Boom!


    Right on his face!


    The guy falls instantly!


    Shen Mo¡¯s punch is strong and fierce, leaving the tall skinny man with spinning vision. It takes him about seven to eight seconds to gather his strength and attempt to rise, but he stumbles again and falls to the ground, unable to get up!


    At this moment, Shen Mo¡¯s score changes to 3 points, while the score of the tall skinny man remains the same.


    ¡°My goodness, that was awesome!¡± Tan Xiao exims, ¡°To take him out with a single punch! It is such a pity that Wei did not witness this first-hand¡­¡±


    Su Man is also astounded.


    She knew Shen Mo was capable but she never expected him to be this capable! One punch? One punch to takedown a man who has been through the Maze?


    At this moment, the tall skinny man on the stage stands up and walks down, his face gloomy.<div>


    Tan Xiao and Su Man are even more shocked, he could not get up just a moment ago, how are able to walk as soon as the countdown ended?


    On the stage, Shen Mo calmlyments, ¡°He knew he couldn¡¯t beat me, so he chose to stay down, both to preserve his strength and to wait for other yers to further deplete my strength before reentering the Brawl Arena. At that time, it would be easier for him to win. As for now¡­ It wouldn¡¯t matter anyway since he wouldn¡¯t lose any points from the zero on scoreboard.¡±


    Tan Xiao and Su Man thene to a deep realization.


    Before another two minutes pass, another manes onto the stage. Although not as massive as Jefferson, he was nevertheless a big guy.<div>


    Tan Xiao shouts from below the stage, ¡°How is there another one?!¡±


    Su Man racked her brain and reasoned, ¡°Perhaps he knows that Mo just had a round with that big guy, and another round with the skinny tall guy just before this, the two rounds of Brawl must¡¯ve taken a considerable toll on his strength. So at this moment, he has the best chance to score points.¡±

 Chapter 630: 630: Happy Chaos Field 7

    Chapter 630: Chapter 630: Happy Chaos Field 7


    Two minutester, the man was defeated, leaving his points unchanged.


    Shen Mo¡¯s score was 4.


    He was still 26 points short of the passing score of 30 points.


    Tan Xiao and Su Man thought there should be a little respite at this point, but to their surprise, another challenger stepped out from the audience less than a minuteter.


    Tan Xiao marveled, ¡°That¡¯s harsh, they¡¯re nning to use on-rotation battles¡­¡±


    Su Man analyzed, ¡°They think Shen Mo must be worn out after fighting three consecutive matches. So they believe this is the moment¡­¡±


    ¡°The best chance to score!¡± Tan Xiao finished her sentence. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t state the obvious. I got it!¡±


    Su Man: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡­


    The yer who climbed onto the stage this time was KO¡¯ed by Shen Mo in less than three minutes.<div>


    More challengers followed, but each was knocked out within minutes by Shen Mo.


    Of course, Shen Mo¡¯s skill aside, the main reason was that those who came forward to challenge him were just testing the waters, not giving their all.


    After all, if they lose at zero points, they wouldn¡¯t lose any points anyway. So why risk a direct confrontation with Shen Mo?


    The most likely oue: earn 1 point for victory, yet also deplete considerable energy, even get injured, then be defeated by the next challenger, and lose points! All the effort for nothing!


    So, they couldn¡¯t afford to rush, had to take it slow~


    The Brawl Stage was gradually turning into a tug-of-war dominated by Shen Mo.


    The points umted more and more, and the twenty-odd yers showed no sign of backing down.


    They were clearly from different countries and of different races, but they had an astonishing tacit understanding on one thing¡ªthe strategy of exhausting Shen Mo!


    Just like a pack of wolves facing a lion, they bit him turn by turn. Even the mightiest lion would eventually run out of energy under a relentless attack!


    However¡­


    They didn¡¯t know what Shen Mo¡¯s limit was.


    Unconsciously, seven or eight rounds of brawlter, Shen Mo¡¯s score had increased to 12!


    If the yer¡¯s score is within 10, they lose 1 point if they lose.


    For scores between 10-19, the losing yer would lose 5 points.


    Meaning, whoever could beat Shen Mo now would get 5 points in one fell swoop!


    Facing this, they¡¯re even more unwilling to back down! Some yers who¡¯ve already taken the stage once were even eager to go up again!


    In their minds, they harbored a glimmer of hope: he¡¯s already fought more than a dozen battles, he must be tired now, right? Surely he¡¯s worn out, right? He¡¯s at his limit, right?


    However, they still lost!


    Shen Mo was still standing on the Brawl Stage, calm andposed. He had taken Jefferson¡¯s hook, which had turned into the most powerful weapon in the field.<div>


    In the audience, some muttered impatiently, ¡°Has he used some special prop? How else could he maintain this pace?¡±


    ¡°No, he is tired,¡± replied someone, ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice? Initially, he only took 1 minute to beat someone. It gradually increased to 2 minutes, then 3 minutes¡­ Thest fight took him a full 7 minutes! He¡¯s reached his limit, just holding on and pretending to be rxed to fool us all!¡±


    A man with a thick mustache stood up, unwilling to admit defeat, ¡°I¡¯ll go give it another try!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going again? You¡¯ve already lost twice!¡±<div>


    ¡°Maybe I can win this time! Who wouldn¡¯t want 5 points?!¡± The mustachioed man strode towards the stage.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    In the back of the stands, a mutedughter resonated.


    Everyone turned their gaze to that direction, where a robust-looking Russian man, around forty years old, with a scruffy beard, was sprawled out. His crossed legs were resting on the back of the chair, and his boots were spreading a horrible smell.


    This guy had been sleeping in the back row since the beginning of the game. He hadn¡¯t participated in any of the brawls!


    Someone asked him, ¡°Hey! Beardo, what are youughing at?!¡±


    ¡°Laughing at you idiots¡­¡± the bearded manzily nced at the stage, ¡°Just wait and see, they¡¯re still going to lose.¡±

 Chapter 631: Happy Chaos Field 8

    Chapter 631: Chapter 631: Happy Chaos Field 8


    ¡°You¡¯re so sure? Maybe he will win. After all, the Asian man has already yed more than a dozen matches. He¡¯s almost out of energy!¡± Someone in the crowd retorted.


    To make his statement more convincing, he added, ¡°In thest brawl, it took him 7 minutes to defeat his opponent!¡±


    ¡°He took 7 minutes, not because he¡¯s tired, but because he was adjusting his pace.¡±


    The burly man with the beard lowered his leg, slowly sat up, and watching the stage, he continued,


    ¡°Just like marathon runners¡­ when they realize the race is still far from over, they consciously adjust their pace to avoid burning their energy out too quickly. The slower pace of the runner is not because he can¡¯t run, but a way of preserving his strength. Understand?¡±


    ¡°Hmph, you talk as if you know everything, why don¡¯t you go and try?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± The burly man chuckled,zilyying back and closing his eyes, ¡°I need to rest¡­ While they rest on the stage, I rest offstage. I¡¯ll regain my energy and then go up¡­¡±


    Hearing his words, the crowd became annoyed.


    He actually referred to Shen Mo¡¯s match on the stage as ¡°rest¡±! Wasn¡¯t this an indirect insult, implying all of them to be weaklings?!


    Everyone continued watching the game, and as the burly man predicted, Shen Mo seemed to be dragging his feet more and more.


    It took 8 minutes for the match to end.


    Shen Mo¡¯s score became 14.


    He beckoned towards Su Man below the stage, ¡°Su Man,e up.¡±


    Startled, Su Man used one hand to support herself and flipped onto the stage, ¡°¡­ Mo, you¡­ are you going to fight me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m tired.¡± Shen Mo casually said, ¡°Just hit me.¡±


    Su Man: ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    She raised her fist and hesitantly¡­ touched Shen Mo¡¯s arm.


    Shen Moid down on the spot, staring calmly at the countdown numbers appearing above him.


    Su Man: ¡°¡­¡±


    After ten seconds, Shen Mo¡¯s score dropped to 9 and Su Man gained 5 points.


    With the change in scores, Su Man heard faint sighs from below the stage¡­


    Shen Mo also heard it, a faint smile ying on his lips. He jumped agilely off the stage, leaving the thin metal chain on the hook for Su Man before walking away. It could be used as a whip.


    Now his score dropped from 14 to 9.


    ¡ª yers with less than 10 points will deduct 1 point.


    That meant, after a great effort to defeat him, they would only get 1 point, which makes it unworthy.


    After Su Man reced Shen Mo on the stage, more yers came up to challenge.


    Perhaps due to underestimation, or the effectiveness of the chain, Su Man won two rounds in a row and eventually lost to a bald man in the third.


    When Su Man stepped down, she let out a sigh of relief.


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Fortunately, her score was less than 10 points. Otherwise, instantly losing 5 points would¡¯ve been a waste of the 5 points Shen Mo gave her.


    Overall, the situation isn¡¯t bad. Shen Mo had 9 points, Tan Xiao had 5, and Su Man had 6.


    Shen Mo led Tan Xiao and Su Man toward the seating area.


    Tan Xiao happily followed, not bothering to ask why.


    Looking backward to the fierce fights on the stage, Su Man forgot to ask, ¡°Where are we going? Don¡¯t we need to stay and watch?¡±


    Watching these people¡¯s moves, would also help in understanding their possible tactics.


    Bai Youwei, Yan Qingwen, Lu Yuwen were no longer by her side, and Su Man felt that even if she wasn¡¯t adept, she should consider all possible situations and oues¡­


    Shen Mo ahead casually responded, ¡°No hurry, the game has no time limit. Follow me first.¡±


    ¡­


    Shen Mo walked around the seating area, finding the burly man sound asleep in thest row.


    He led Tan Xiao and Su Man over, sat down next to the burly man, calmly asking him, ¡°Want to cooperate?¡±


    The burly man opened his eyelids to look at him.


    ¡°You noticed too, right? The trap in this game.¡± Shen Mo gave a slight smile, ¡°So you¡¯ve been waiting here¡­ for the right opportunity?¡±

 Chapter 632: Happy Chaos Field 9

    Chapter 632: Chapter 632: Happy Chaos Field 9


    The bearded man pondered Shen Mo for a bit before slowly raising himself to a seated position. He rummaged through his tangled brown curls and muttered:


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell what you¡¯re on about¡­ I am lying here, just wanting to wait until everyone else bes weary before going onto the stage. Anyway, if I go up there now, I¡¯m just handing out points to others¡­¡±


    His voice was low, yet robust and powerful, with a sharp hint of alcohol odor.


    That smell made Su Man screw up her face in displeasure. Of course, there was also the virtually unendurable body odor emanating from him as if he hadn¡¯t bathed for months.


    ¡°You want to wait till everyone¡¯s tired¡­¡± Shen Mo smiled wryly. ¡°There are 30 yers in the field. Some will be tired, while others recuperate after rest; you¡¯ll never wait out till everyone is tired. Besides, don¡¯t forget that there¡¯s no food or water here; the longer we drag, the more disadvantageous for us and the higher the chances of someone else iming the War King¡¯s position first.¡±


    The bearded man knitted his eyebrows, ¡°Such a hassle¡­ So what should we do? Just so you¡¯re aware, I won¡¯t get involved in anything that isn¡¯t profitable. Don¡¯t waste your breath.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simple.¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°When I go on stage, you don¡¯t. When you¡¯re on stage, I hold back.¡±


    The bearded man was taken aback for a moment before slowly narrowing his eyes. His gaze on Shen Mo was full of intrigue.


    Shen Mo said: ¡°Toppling a person is not the difficult part, the challenge is in maintaining that position. High points mean high risk; once you fall, all previous efforts go to waste. The most dangerous times in this game are when you score up to 29. To avoid having their ces taken and to secure the 10 points, every jackal, tiger, and leopard may show up.¡±


    At his words, the bearded man burst outughing: ¡°Now you¡¯re being modest, hmm? From what I see, your stamina seems good, having defeated Jefferson and even scored so much. Even if there are ten more games, you should do well, no?¡±


    Shen Mo thought carefully before nodding faintly: ¡°Yes.¡±


    The bearded man: ¡°¡­¡±


    You could be a bit more modest, you know, young man?


    ¡°However¡­¡± Shen Mo¡¯s tone changed before he continued, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to see you on that stage when I score up to 29.¡±


    That statement pleased the bearded man, lightening his mood and changing his perception of Shen Mo for the better.


    ¡°Understood, you¡¯re afraid you can¡¯t beat me then.¡± The bearded man loftily twirled his beard showing his satisfaction.


    Shen Mo didn¡¯t respond directly but merely nced towards the stage and calmly stated: ¡°Though there are 30 gamers here, in reality, only two or three of them can be considered worthy opponents. As long as these few don¡¯t make their moves, I think it should be easy to secure passing points.¡±


    ¡°What if they do make their moves?¡± queried the bearded man, narrowing his eyes.


    Shen Mo responded neutrally: ¡°There are five spots for the victors.¡±


    Even though there are five ces, why engage in shing egos? Joining forces is always betterpared to bothing out worse after a fierce battle, and then having the spoils seized by some nobodies.


    ¡°Presumably, you wouldn¡¯t want to see me on the stage when you reach 29 points either,¡± Shen Mo said, fixing him with an appraising gaze.


    The bearded man burst out into heartyughter, ¡°You¡¯ve found me out, have you?¡±


    Hisugh was too robust and so hearty that it drew quite a few nces in his direction.


    The bearded man didn¡¯t seem to care. Still chuckling, he spoke to Shen Mo, ¡°But have you considered, even if you don¡¯te up, there are others who will. Don¡¯t assume the gamers here have no skills because you had an easy time earlier. That¡¯s because their scores were low, which is why they weren¡¯t giving everything they had. But to keep a winning streak of 30 matches, once the scores go up, is impossible.¡±


    ¡°Which is why we need to cooperate,¡± Shen Mo exined, ¡°Every time when the score reaches 19 or 29, I and mypanion will go on the stage to divert your scores. You can take this chance to rest, recuperate ande back when you¡¯re ready.¡±

 Chapter 635: Happy Chaos Field 12

    Chapter 635: Chapter 635: Happy Chaos Field 12


    Shen Mo really did go to find that young boy.


    The boy was more straightforward than the bearded man, agreeing almost immediately, perhaps because he had no other way out.


    The five gathered together, formally agreeing to cooperate, taking turns introducing themselves.


    The young boy¡¯s name was Lucas, an American, 18 years old.


    The bearded man was named Leonid, a Russian, 37 years old.


    Tan Xiao was surprised: ¡°Uncle, you look like you¡¯re 50!¡±


    The bearded man red at him: ¡°You look like you¡¯re 5!¡±


    Tan Xiao was taken aback, touching his own face: ¡°¡­Is it because I have some baby fat?¡±


    The bearded man was stunned: ¡°¡­¡±


    Is it really okay to coborate with someone like this?


    Lucas, unfamiliar with them and not in the mood for joking, asked Shen Mo carefully, ¡°Utilizing this strategy, we can indeed get plenty of rest and drastically reduce risk, but after getting enough points to pass, yourpanions still won¡¯t have enough points to pass. What do you n to do?¡±


    Tan Xiao and Su Man were only helping to hold the points temporarily, which did not mean that Lucas and Leonid were willing to simply give their points to them.


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Shen Mo replied: ¡°After passing, I will continue to stay on stage, yers with 30-50 points, if they lose, will be deducted 20 points in one fell swoop.¡±


    ¡°Brother Mo!¡± Tan Xiao eximed, his eyes wide in shock.


    Even Su Man was surprised, turning to look at Shen Mo: ¡°Brother Mo, Tan Xiao and I will try to get points, we won¡¯t hold everyone back.¡±


    ¡°No, your points can¡¯t be too high.¡± Shen Mo calmly responded, ¡°Your points should remain in the 0-9 range to facilitate receiving points from Leonid and Lucas. Once they both ascend to the War King position, we¡¯ll then figure out how to umte points.¡±


    Ultimately, the focus of Shen Mo¡¯s n was to elevate yers who could potentially be strong opponents to the War King position first. This way, he could secure more opportunities for Tan Xiao and Su Man.


    Leonid raised an eyebrow at Shen Mo¡¯s words, his thick beard trembling withughter: ¡°That¡¯s quite ambitious, aiming for 50 points¡­¡±


    Shen Mo said: ¡°We don¡¯t need 50 points, 30 is enough.¡±


    Leonid: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°The intention of this rule may be to encourage yers to form alliances. It¡¯s just that no one has noticed it yet.¡± Shen Mo added.


    ¡°Even if they realize¡­ not everyone would carry it out.¡± Lucas stared solemnly at the yers in the front rows, ¡°It¡¯s not so easy to form an alliance with a group of strangers.¡±


    The only reason the five of them could form an alliance is because Shen Mo had an overwhelming advantage. Once Shen Mo made some concessions, driven by benefits, there was no reason for Leonid and Lucas not to cooperate.


    The five of them continued to discuss for a while.


    By now, there had already been several intermittent brawls on the stage.


    Some people had bepletely consumed by the fight, battling with each other as if they were avenging personal grudges. They didn¡¯t care about their injuries or their points.


    Especially some yers who had spent years in fighting arenas, who had a short temper by nature. Once their anger exploded they often lost control. Not everyone could remain calm in the rage-filled Brawl Arena.


    The clown on the stage was almostughing hysterically, ¡°Fight! Fight! Thest man standing will be crowned the War King!¡±


    Some were bleeding, some were injured, and some even tried to cooperate¡ª


    One deliberately conceded points, while the other kept winning, but the winner ended up breaking their word. They refused to share the points with their partner, causing the two to be enemies, fighting against each other on the stage!


    The facts proved that it was impossible to achieve cooperation without trust.


    Leonid, itching to get in on the action, said excitedly from below the stage, ¡°It¡¯s so lively up there, maybe it¡¯s time for me to join¡­¡±

 Chapter 633: 633: Happy Chaos Field 10

    Chapter 633: Chapter 633: Happy Chaos Field 10


    ¡°Are thepanions you¡¯re talking about, these two?¡± The bearded man looked at Tan Xiao and Su Man, chuckling, ¡°This girl, she can hold her own in a fight, but this guy¡­ looks like a dolt, don¡¯t he? With such weak teammates, can they keep your points safe?¡±


    Tan Xiao¡¯s eyes widened in dissatisfaction, and as he was about to retort, Shen Mo interjected: ¡°Consider the rules, your points, they could at least keep half of them.¡±


    yers with up to 10 points will lose 1,


    yers with up to 20 points will lose 5,


    yers with up to 30 points will lose 10,


    yers with up to 50 points will lose 20.


    Let¡¯s not mention the rule for 50 points for now, think about 29 points. If you pretend to lose to Tan Xiao and transfer 10 points, along with Tan Xiao¡¯s original 5 points, that would be 15 points in total. Even if Tan Xiao loses the next round, he would only lose 5 points.


    Listening to Shen Mo¡¯s exnation, the bearded man asked, puzzled, ¡°So, will the remaining 5 points be returned to me?¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡± Shen Mo nodded slightly, ¡°If it¡¯s 5 points, the best time to return them to you would be when you umte 25 points. That way, you could pass immediately and secure the position of the War King.¡±


    The bearded man considered this.<div>


    This n was clearly all benefit and no harm to him. Not only did it ensure his safety when he had a high score, but it also greatly reduced the risk of losing points. And the only condition for the coboration was, when Shen Mo went on stage, he couldn¡¯t act against him.


    Of course, when he was on the stage, Shen Mo couldn¡¯t act against him either.


    This situation was win-win.


    If the two of them fought to the death in the Brawl Arena, they would only benefit the rest of the rabbits¡¯ spawn.


    After some deliberation, the bearded man nodded in agreement, ¡°You better keep your promise. If you take away my points and don¡¯t give them back, you need to realize there will be consequences.¡±


    Shen Mo responded with a faint smile: ¡°Same goes for you.¡±


    At this moment, a mor came from the front row of the spectator seats. They looked over to see a yer on the stage taking a severe beating and even after the countdown had ended, he refused to leave the stage. It seemed like he had been provoked to the point of fury and started shouting:


    ¡°Let¡¯s go again! One more round! You bastard, I wasn¡¯t ready yet! Do you think I can¡¯t beat you?¡±


    The victory went to a slightly tan boy who seemed to be only seventeen or eighteen, very young. He stood on the stage looking quite nonchnt: ¡°Old man, can¡¯t you see that you¡¯re making a fool of yourself?¡±


    The other party was even more infuriated and stormed over: ¡°You little¡­!¡±


    The Clown Inspector waddled in between the two, and with a chuckle, stopped them: ¡°No, no, no~ Only the winning yer can stay on the stage, the losing yer needs to go down~ Go down~¡±


    ¡°Just wait and see!¡± The yer angrily exited the stage.


    Other yers nearby discussed amongst themselves: ¡°That kid throws some fast punches.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, not only fast, his angles are quite cunning too¡­¡±


    Maybe due to some hesitation, no one immediately jumped on the stage to challenge. After all, the game had no time limit, so everyone had plenty of time to think.


    Shen Mo watched the boy on the stage, deep in thought: ¡°He¡¯s a promising one, agile.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see him take the stage earlier,¡± Su Man remarked.


    Tan Xiao immediately responded: ¡°That¡¯s just because our Brother Mo is formidable. The boy was too scared toe out. Now, with all the small fry on stage, it¡¯s a good opportunity for him to earn points! Once Brother Mo takes the stage, he won¡¯t have a chance!¡±


    Su Man¡¯s face was filled with an awkward expression.<div>


    Although she admired Shen Mo, she really couldn¡¯t get used to such bootlicking tone.


    Shen Mo slowly said while looking at the stage: ¡°He¡¯s dexterous, has great explosive power, and knows how to find opportunities¡­ This boy might interfere with our ns.¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°He¡¯s just a pesky little brat.¡± The bearded manzily threw his leg over the other one, and once again closed his eyes to rest, ¡°Skinny arms, skinny legs, looks like he doesn¡¯t have much endurance, might win two or three rounds at most¡­¡±


    Shen Mo said: ¡°There are five spots, we are just missing one.¡±<div>


    The bearded man suddenly opened his eyes: ¡°You want to work with him as well?¡±

 Chapter 634: 634: Happy Chaos Field 11

    Chapter 634: Chapter 634: Happy Chaos Field 11


    Shen Mo nodded, ¡°When a person is exhausted, the most frightening thing is to face an opponent with explosive strength and speed. If we can¡¯t win him over, it will be difficult to deal with himter.¡±


    ¡°Then we should get rid of him in the arena! It¡¯s a quick solution!¡± The bearded man impatiently said, ¡°Cooperating with that kid, who knows if he¡¯ll betray us? What if he takes the points and doesn¡¯t repay them? I appreciate your goodwill to help our teammates pass, so I¡¯m willing to cooperate with you. But why should I trust that brat?¡±


    Shen Mo listened calmly and finally spoke up, ¡°If possible, I would not only seek allies but as many as possible. This game¡¯s mechanism is designed to exhaust all yer¡¯s endurance. To win, we must break the cycle.¡±


    The bearded man frowned, ¡°¡­Break, the cycle?¡±


    Shen Mo looked towards the stage and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you think that this game¡¯s rules are very unfriendly to winners? After winning, you can¡¯t leave the stage. umting higher points brings more risks. Once you lose¡­ the winning yer will repeat this process¡ª


    You can¡¯t leave the stage, continually increasing your points. Once your score reaches nearly 30, you risk losing points. The loser leaves, the winner continues¡­¡±


    ¡°And what if we win?¡± the bearded man disagreed, ¡°Maybe we will.¡±


    ¡°The chance is slim,¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°The longer the gamests, the more endurance it consumes. So everyone tends to challenge high-scoring yers at the end, because the cost-effectiveness of beating a yer and gaining 1 point is not the same as beating a yer and gaining 5 or 10 points.


    Also, yers in the audience seats can recover their strength, but there is no rest for those on the stage. As the score goes up, yers on stage will get exhausted¡­ If the boy understands this, he should concede in the next round.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, someone in the front row of the audience stood up and walked towards the stage.<div>


    The bearded man chuckled coldly, ¡°If he ns to conserve his strength by sacrificing 1 point, he is too naive. Not many fools can make it into this preliminaries.¡±


    The two on stage started fighting!


    As Shen Mo had predicted, the young boy was more cautious than before, constantly retreating, purely on defense.


    His opponent, however, was aggressive!


    The boy looked grave, after dodging he rolled on the ground, intending toy down and wait for the countdown.


    Even though he had already yielded, his opponent didn¡¯t let up! He grabbed the boy¡¯s arm and flipped him over!


    Snap¡ª


    A crisp sound of a bone breaking echoed in the air.


    The boy screamed in pain!


    The bearded man, as if he had expected this, nonchntly said, ¡°See? Sometimes you can¡¯t lose even if you want to. If he¡¯s fast with his punches, others would want to break his hand. In this way, even if we meet himter, we won¡¯t fear him. Also, we can easily win points. It¡¯s killing two birds with one stone.¡±


    Shen Mo watched as the boy, now injured, left the stage, feeling a little regretful.


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s brutal?¡± The bearded manughed carelessly, ¡°If they weren¡¯t able to gain points from him, they might not only break his hand but take his life as well.¡±


    Su Man hesitated before looking at Shen Mo, ¡°If his hand is really broken, do we¡­still need to cooperate with him?¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°Don¡¯t judge too quickly, let¡¯s watch a little longer.¡± Shen Mo looked towards the figure in the distance.


    Everyone watched curiously to see the defeated boy take out a handkerchief from his pocket to tightly wrap his injured ce. A few secondster, when he unwrapped it, his arm was unharmed?!


    ¡°A prop!¡± Tan Xiao eximed excitedly, ¡°What a useful prop!¡±


    ¡°Those who can make it into these preliminaries are never simple,¡± Shen Mo said with a light smile, looking at the bearded man, ¡°Hecks endurance, and could really use the opportunity to cooperate.¡±


    The bearded man grumbled, ¡°Do as you please.¡±


    <div>

 Chapter 636: 636: Happy Chaos Field 13

    Chapter 636: Chapter 636: Happy Chaos Field 13


    The burly Russian man took the stage and immediately swept his opponent, winning three rounds in a row.


    He was in the heat of the moment, but after three rounds, no one dared to go on stage again.


    Everyone was not stupid, the person on stage was clearly a tough opponent, why would they voluntarily contribute points?


    Leonid waited for about a quarter of an hour on the stage with no challengers, he was somewhat dispirited.


    ¡°No one ising up, now what¡¯s the game n?¡± He asked Shen Mo in the audience.


    Lucas said, ¡°Worst case scenario, we bide our time. After 60 minutes, we¡¯ll initiate a lottery battle and randomly draw.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too time-consuming.¡± Shen Mo frowned, looking at Tan Xiao and Su Man, ¡°You two take turns up there, give your points to Leonid.¡±


    For others, they may not be willing, but Tan Xiao and Su Man trusted Shen Mo, so they didn¡¯t question him. They nodded in agreement.


    The two took turns going up, repeatedly losing, their points quickly depleted, Leonid¡¯s score turned from 3 points to 14 points.


    At this point, Tan Xiao and Su Man¡¯s points both became zero, but without Shen Mo saying stop, they kept going up to give away points.<div>


    Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, they pushed Leonid¡¯s score up in this way, pushing it to 21, 22, 23¡­


    The goal of 30 points became so simple, and the Clown Inspector just sat back and watched, grinning as they pretended on stage, without any intention of intervening.


    He didn¡¯t need to, because as Leonid¡¯s points piled up, more and more yers gathered beneath the stage¡­


    Lucas took a look at the crowd gathered around, his body tightened, he whispered to Shen Mo, ¡°The higher the score, the more yers are attracted.¡±


    At this point, the big guy¡¯s score reached 26.


    Whoever can beat him will get 10 points at once!


    More importantly, Leonid only needs another 4 points to im the first War King¡¯s Chair! There are only five chairs avable. Once one is taken, there¡¯s one less avable! Other yers will definitely not sit by and let the big guy nab a chair!


    Sure enough, before Tan Xiao could go onstage for the next round, a figure quickly leap onto the stage!


    Leonidughed heartily on the stage, fists clenched, ¡°Ready for another round? Great! I¡¯ve been bored and impatient!¡±


    Ding!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Leonid¡¯s score went up another 2 points ¨C


    to 28.


    He blinked in surprise, ¡°How did my score go up without fighting?¡±


    Not far away, the Clown grinned, ¡°Happily adding points! In the Happy Chaos Field, joy adds points, as does chaos~¡±


    Upon hearing this, Leonid immediately burst intoughter ¡°Hahahaha!!!¡±


    Just 2 more points, and he could pass the challenge directly!


    But the score didn¡¯t change.


    The burly fellow asked the Clown: ¡°Why isn¡¯t there any increase in points this time?!¡±


    ¡°Only true happiness will add points! Like me~¡± The Clownughed at him, ¡°Hahahaha!¡±<div>


    Leonid: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Big fe! Watch out!¡± Tan Xiao shouted from below.


    The person who rushed the stage had already attacked!


    Leonid assumed a defensive stance, but the other side suddenly pulled back their fist and threw something at him! He couldn¡¯t dodge and got hit!<div>


    Luckily, the thing that hit him was small and didn¡¯t hurt, but upon a closer look, he found that it was a wobble-man toy, falling to the ground and swaying wildly!


    From the audience, Shen Mo squinted slightly, ¡°Finally getting serious, huh¡­¡±


    To Leonid¡¯s dismay, his body began to sway in sync with the wobble-man toy!


    The way the wobble-man toy swayed, so did he!


    The way the wobble-man toy fell, so did he!


    Both of his hands and feet werepletely uncontrolled, let alone turning around or throwing punches!


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Leonid swore, looking grim as he was punched.


    Boom!


    A solid hitnded on his chest!


    Then, it was his abdomen! Leg! Face! Neck! Shoulder! ¨C He was like a live target on the stage!

 Chapter 637: 637: Happy Chaos Field 14

    Chapter 637: Chapter 637: Happy Chaos Field 14


    Leonid¡¯s face turned red!


    Being beaten publicly and with no ability to fight back was such a disgrace! Where was his honor as a man?!


    In a fit of anger, he roared, ¡°How much longer will this damned propst?!¡±


    Thump!


    Another punch hit him in the face. A warm sensation surged from his nose, trickling onto his cor.


    ¡°Big Beard! You¡¯re bleeding!¡± Tan Xiao was anxiously shouting down from the stage, ¡°Protect your face! Don¡¯t you have any experience?!! When getting hit, always protect your face!¡±


    Damn it!


    Did this have anything to do with experience?!


    His body was simply not cooperating!


    Leonid tried his best to shift his stiff body, avoiding critical blows. After an unbearable full three minutes, the Weeble-Wobble finally lost its effect!<div>


    Leonid immediately rxed!


    His long-suppressed rage erupted! He lifted his opponent high in the air!


    The other was shocked, not expecting Leonid to remain standing after being pounded for three minutes! Within a second, he was airborne! Leonid mmed him onto the floor!


    It felt like all his organs were shattered! His body was in extreme pain!


    ¡°Bastard! How dare you use a prop on me!¡± Big Beard strode over, full of fury. With his towering height and size, the opponent quickly got up and ran!


    Leonid grabbed him, threw him ruthlessly over his shoulder, and this time the guy couldn¡¯t get up again.


    ¡°Come on! Who else dares to fucking challenge me?!¡± Leonid roared at the crowd.


    He now had 29 points, just 1 point away from 30!


    ¡°Su Man, you go,¡± Shen Mo suddenly said.


    ¡°Now?¡± Su Man hesitated, ¡°But he¡¯s only a point away from¡­¡±


    ¡°If we don¡¯t rece him now, he¡¯ll be targeted with props,¡± Shen Mo exined.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Struck with realization, Su Man quickly went on stage¨C


    Seeing Su Man approach, Leonid didn¡¯t say anything. He merely grunted and deliberately lost 10 points to her.


    Then Tan Xiao came on stage, and Su Man lost 5 points to him.


    In this back-and-forth swap, Leonid ended up with 19 points, Su Man 5, and Tan Xiao 5.


    Shen Mo said to Leonid, ¡°You rest for now, the game has no time limit, the points wille back.¡±


    Leonid wiped the blood off his beard and stalked off to a seat in the stands.


    Being mercilessly beaten for three minutes, he needed a rest. The pain wasn¡¯t fatal, but it would affect his speed and reactions.


    If he encountered another person with a prop like the Weeble-Wobble¡­<div>


    The risk might be fatal.


    Tan Xiao stood on the stage, but no one came to challenge him.


    Probably because the amount of points was too low, no one was willing to waste their energy to win that 1 point, nor did they want to expose their precious props for just 1 point.


    Shen Mo nced at Lucas, ¡°You¡¯re up.¡±<div>


    Lucas nodded somberly.


    Using their usual tactic, Su Man and Tan Xiao took turns to give all their points to Lucas, pushing Lucas¡¯s score to 29.


    They didn¡¯t wait for other yers to approach the stage, rather, they initiated the point transfer.


    Lucas lost 10 points to Tan Xiao, Tan Xiao lost 5 points to Su Man, and then Shen Mo came onstage to rece Su Man.


    All was going smoothly.


    As long as they continued like this, Shen Mo, Lucas, Su Man and Tan Xiao would all reach the required points. That is, if¡­ no one came to disrupt their pace.


    However, when Shen Mo¡¯s points were pushed to 29 by Su Man and Tan Xiao, someone finally interrupted¡ª


    They had beat them to the Brawl Stage.

 Chapter 638: 638: Happy Chaos Field 15

    Chapter 638: Chapter 638: Happy Chaos Field 15


    It was a bald man.


    After walking onto the stage, he didn¡¯t immediatelyunch an attack. Instead, he just stood there, staring at Shen Mo.


    Everyone was confused when suddenly, the bald guy pulled out a pill from his pocket and swallowed it.


    Shen Mo couldn¡¯t help but frown.


    The crowd was murmuring amongst themselves.


    ¡°What¡¯s he doing?¡±


    ¡°No idea¡­ looks like he swallowed some kind of pill?¡±


    ¡°Where would he have gotten medicine from in a ce like this? Most likely, it must be a prop¡­¡±


    Suddenly, the bald guy¡¯s veins began to bulge as if he was experiencing unbearable pain. He let out a terrifying scream on stage!


    Everyone was shocked and watched in horror.<div>


    At first, it was a shriek filled with agony, but as he continued to scream, it evolved into a fierce animalistic roar!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°Awoooooo!¡± The bald man¡¯s back arches, thick ck hair starts to grow on his face and neck, fangs be visible. He¡¯s turned into a werewolf!


    The werewolf roars andunches at Shen Mo, its speed and strength both incredibly terrifying!


    Shen Mo can¡¯t confront it head-on and is forced to dodge and retreat.


    Both shocked and furious, Su Man confronts the Inspector: ¡°Doesn¡¯t this count as an attacking prop?!¡±


    ¡°Nope~¡± the Clown answers with a grin on his face, ¡°This is a transformation prop, not ssified as an attacking prop.¡±


    Su Man is beyond speechless at these absurd game rules.


    Turning into a werewolf isn¡¯t considered an attacking prop???


    ¡°If this isn¡¯t considered one, then just what kind of prop is?!¡± she asks indignantly.


    ¡°Any props that explicitly mention attack in their description or include functionalities to maliciously target other yers are considered attacking props,¡± the Clown exins, ¡°But this prop he¡¯s using only enhances the user¡¯s strength and speed for a period of time, resulting in a Berserk State. So it¡¯s not considered an attacking prop.¡±


    Shen Mo, on stage, manages to swiftly dodge the werewolf¡¯s swipe, and asks, ¡°How long does this Berserk Statest?¡±


    The Clown simply smiles: ¡°See for yourself.¡±


    The werewolf misses its attack, scraping the stage floor and causing debris to fly!


    Shen Mo barely evades it, barely has time to catch his breath, the werewolf is roaring andunching at him once again!


    Shen Mo darts a few steps, tossing a card behind him!


    ¡°Question!¡±


    Shen Mo raises his voice, and the werewolf halts in his tracks!


    The card floating in front of the werewolf¡¯s eyes ¡ª¡ª


    No matter how crazed or out of control the werewolf is, it has to submit to the question card. It must read and provide a careful and precise answer!<div>


    Shen Mo stops in his tracks, turns around and faces the werewolf: ¡°Answer this question, what¡¯s the result of 973723 multiplied by 150 plus 589612333?¡±


    Werewolf: ¡°Awooooo!¡±


    Crowd: ¡°¡­.¡±


    Clown: ¡°¡­.¡±<div>


    Tan Xiao starts tough heartily in the crowd: ¡°I almost forgot about this prop! Well, this is going to be interesting now. The guy is turned into a werewolf and can¡¯t talk anymore!¡±


    Su Man also chuckles: ¡°Not only can he not talk, but his thinking is also affected. He¡¯spletely lost his senses, how can he possibly answer the question? Even if asked him what 1+1 equals, I bet he couldn¡¯t answer.¡±


    While they were both pleased for Shen Mo, they then see him casually lying down.


    Tan Xiao: ¡°???¡±


    Su Man: ¡°???¡±


    A countdown appears above Shen Mo.


    ¡°Bro Shen?¡± Tan Xiao asks in confusion, ¡°Kill him while you have the chance! Losing now would cost you 10 points!¡±


    Lying on the stage, Shen Mo calmly replies: ¡°If the Lucky Question Card¡¯s question is answered incorrectly there are three penalties, adding up to six minutes but the werewolf¡¯s body is exceptionally robust, healing rapidly. I¡¯m not confident I can kill him in six minutes.¡±


    A hint of awkwardness appears on Tan Xiao¡¯s face, he softly retorts: ¡°Boss¡­ you should lower your voice, it¡¯s kind of embarrassing if others hear this.¡±


    At his words, Shen Mo simply smiles.


    Once the countdown ends, he loses 10 points to the werewolf. With an indifferent expression, he stands up, brushes off the dust on his body and jumps off the stage.

 Chapter 639: 639: Happy Chaos Field 16

    Chapter 639: Chapter 639: Happy Chaos Field 16


    The werewolf stayed still on the stage, emitting subdued growls from its mouth.


    Shen Mo nced at it and said, ¡°ording to the legend of werewolves, they usually recover during the day of the second day. I¡¯m not sure how this prop is set up but we should wait and see. The game has no time limit, so there¡¯s no need for us to take risks unnecessarily.¡±


    The rest of the group nodded in agreement.


    ¡°But¡­¡± Su Man hesitated as she looked at the half-human, half-beast creature on the stage. ¡°In-game items usually onlyst for a few minutes¡­ This one¡­ won¡¯tst the whole night, right?¡±


    ¡­


    As it turns out, it did.


    Once the effect of Shen Mo¡¯s Lucky Question Card wore off, the werewolf started to move again. It ferociously howled and ran across the stage, seemingly gaining endless energy. It scratched the floor, ripped off the curtains, and howled over and over!


    Even the Clown Inspector retreated and kept a distance.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Nobody dared to go on the stage to challenge it.


    The Brawlpetition was at a standstill because of this.<div>


    Everyone started to wait.


    They were waiting for the werewolf to return to its senses, and for the game to restart.


    ¡ªThe waitingsted for a whole 12 hours. They were forced to go through 12 random draws!


    Luckily, none of them were chosen in the 12 draws. The unfortunate yers who were chosen had to fight the werewolf one-on-one!


    Of course¡­ nobody was a match for the werewolf.


    The casualties on the stage kept piling up, and the werewolf¡¯s points kept umting. It had even surpassed 30 points. But since it had no sense at the moment, it didn¡¯t even think about sitting on the chair, it just kept howling and frolicking on stage, utterly insane!


    By the time the twelfth drawn brawl came to an end, the werewolf had gained 5 more points, reaching a total of 36.


    Shen Mo noticed the werewolf¡¯s worsening condition and anticipated that it would soon recover its human form. So he made a decisive move and jumped on stage to attack the werewolf!


    But unexpectedly, after just one punch from Shen Mo, the werewolf copsed, spewing fresh blood from its mouth!


    It returned to human form, lying helplessly on the ground¡ªa stark contrast to its previously ferocious and rapid state. He was weak,ying on the floor just like a bedridden patient. Not too long after being punched, he took hisst breath.


    It seemed that although this prop was domineering, once it wore off, the user would be left terribly weak!


    There was an uproar from the crowd.


    Tan Xiao and Su Man also called out in surprise: ¡°Mo, look at your score!¡±


    Shen Mo¡¯s scores had hit 50 points!


    ¡°Why is it 50 points?! Isn¡¯t it supposed to be deducted 20 points at most? With his initial score, it should be 39!¡±


    ¡°Because the bald guy died, so all points were transferred to him!¡±


    Even the Clown Inspector was amazed: ¡°Incredible! He even exceeded the full score!


    If there was no score limit, you would have 55 points now, awesome! ~Congrattions on being the first to sit on the Throne of the War King!¡±


    Shen Mo thought for a moment and shouted to the crowd, ¡°Tan Xiao,e up!¡±<div>


    ¡°Got it!¡± Tan Xiao instantly jumped onto the stage.


    Then, Shen Mo performed a quick series of score transfers! He transferred 20 points from his score of 50 to Tan Xiao, who then transferred 10 to Su Man. Shen Mo got back on stage and transferred another 20 to Su Man¡ª


    Su Man umted a total of 30 points, bing the first person to sit on the Throne of the War King!


    Then, Shen Mo asked Lucas toe on stage, and alternately lost to him, pushing his score of 19 all the way to 30!<div>


    Lucas became the second person to sit on the Throne of the War King!


    During this time, a few people tried to enter the stage to steal points, but none of them seeded.


    When Shen Mo prepared to use this same method to give points to Big Beard, Leonid tly refused: ¡°What¡¯s the point for me to just sit around while you and this idiot fight? I will join in to steal pointster!¡±


    Shen Moughed, ¡°Stealing pointster¡­ won¡¯t be easy.¡±


    He looked around to see faces filled with hatred.


    They had already taken up two positions. To the other yers, they were enemies who could not be allowed to share the same sky!


    Big Beard looked at these people and sneered, ¡°That¡¯s more exciting.¡±

 Chapter 640: 640: Happy Chaos Field 17

    Chapter 640: Chapter 640: Happy Chaos Field 17


    By now, most yers in the audience had scores between 0 and 9, with a few exceeding 10.


    Shen Mo¡¯s initial n was to team up with the strongest yers and avoid both sides getting hurt. But now, props have be a crucial factor affecting his whole n.


    Although the game rules prohibit using offensive props, some supportive props pose quite a headache, like the wooden doll and the pill that could turn you into a werewolf.


    What would Bai Youwei do if she were here?


    To seize the remaining chairs, every yer did their utmost, fiercely grappling and jostling on stage! Fortunately, some yers had been severely injured by the werewolf earlier, which somewhat alleviated the pressure on the trio.


    The only thing they needed to be wary of was the props.


    The props in this doll game were just too bizarre.


    Shen Mo encountered a yer with a pen who started drawing on the stage with flourishing strokes as soon as he stepped up. His strokes were bold and forceful. And within a few strokes, a chillingly coldrge cleaver appeared on the canvas!


    The spectating yers gasped in astonishment.


    But even an extra cleaver was no match for Shen Mo. The yer was floored within a few rounds, unable to get up.<div>


    Sitting on the champion¡¯s seat, Su Man watched the stage nervously, ¡°Thank goodness he drew a cleaver. If it had been a gun, wouldn¡¯t Momo be in grave danger!¡±


    Once on stage, Leonid snorted at her words, ¡°Drawing a cleaver is simple. It¡¯s usable whether you draw it straight or crooked. Let him try drawing a gun. If the gun barrel isn¡¯t straight, it will backfire when fired!¡±


    Tan Xiao, ¡°Backfire? Hahahahahaha!!!¡±


    Lucas pondered, ¡°It seems that this prop requires the user to hone their drawing skills¡­¡±


    Tan Xiao shouted encouragement from below the stage, ¡°Big Beard! Go for it! Keep going!!!¡±


    Leonid roared, ¡°Shut up!¡±


    ¡­


    The trio took turns on the stage, conserving their energy and constantly exchanging scores.


    Leonid was the most aggressive and refused to leave the stage until he had won several rounds. When he felt satisfied, he would let out a heartyugh and shout, ¡°Refreshing!¡±


    Then, the Clown would give him ¡°Happy Style¡± bonus points, ranging from one or two to four or five points!


    Everyone blinked at Leonid in envy, wishing they could tear him to pieces on the stage.


    They wanted to feel ¡°happy¡± too! But frankly, they couldn¡¯t manage!


    After several rounds, Leonid¡¯s score had reached a towering 34 points, well beyond the passing score, but he remained on the Brawl Stage with no intention of leaving.


    Tan Xiao shouted from below, ¡°It¡¯s my turn! I should be up there!¡±


    ¡°One more round!¡± Leonid dered enthusiastically as he iled his fists, ¡°I¡¯m really enjoying this!¡±


    A short man leapt onto the stage, darted towards Leonid swiftly!


    Leonid countered head-on, throwing a punch at him. The opponent rolled aside quickly, avoiding it, quickly drew a wooden figure from his bosom, and shouted to Leonid, ¡°Wooden Doll!¡±


    Leonid started cursing loudly, ¡°Damn! A prop again?!!¡±


    He couldn¡¯t move!<div>


    This time it wasn¡¯t just his hands and feet, his entire body was frozen, like he had turned into wood!


    Shen Mo and the others including Tan Xiao and Su Man were suddenly startled.


    The immobilised Leonid waspletely unprotected. He was bound to lose this round! But win or lose hardly mattered, the most pressing issue was how to survive under such circumstances!


    Unexpectedly, the short man didn¡¯t keep attacking Leonid; instead, he just sat right there on the spot ¨C resting.<div>


    This set the crowd buzzing.


    Shen Mo quickly figured it out and said to Tan Xiao, ¡°It seems that the restriction of this prop is that it can¡¯t touch the affected target.¡±


    Tan Xiao was mystified, and asked with wide eyes, ¡°What¡¯s he trying to do?¡±


    Not being able to touch meant the man couldn¡¯t attack Leonid. If he did, the Wooden Doll prop would be ineffective, then¡­what was the use of this prop to him?n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 641: 641: Happy Chaos Field 18

    Chapter 641: Chapter 641: Happy Chaos Field 18


    Time ticked by, each second merging into the next.


    Leonid stood stiffly on stage, other than his eyes and mouth, the rest of his body was as if wood, devoid of any sensation.


    At first, he had the strength to curse, but eventually ran out of curses and decided to keep silent and rest.


    At first, the yers were taken aback, but then they began to grow restless.


    Because the two on stage were deadlocked, the Brawl Arena match could go no further.


    The Inspector had no intention of intervening either, he simply grinned and said, ¡°There¡¯s no time limit for this round~¡±


    Everyone had no choice but to wait patiently.


    The short man on stage took out apressed biscuit and took a few bites.


    A sense of unease began to rise within the crowd.


    Sure enough, after the guy finished his biscuit, he took out a small water bottle and took a few sips¡ª a clear indication he was prepared for a prolonged battle.<div>


    Down below the stage, Tan Xiao was eyeing keenly and unconsciously swallowed, saying, ¡°I¡¯m also thirsty.¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He and Shen Mo had ventured in two mazes, going without food for a day or two was tolerable, but going without water for a long time was really ufortable.


    Other yers were also disgruntled: ¡°This guy actually brought food and water? Damn it! Is he trying to starve us to death?!¡±


    Shen Mo¡¯s brow furrowed slightly, he turned and walked towards the seating area, telling Tan Xiao, ¡°Sit down and rest.¡±


    Tan Xiao nced at the stage, followed behind Shen Mo towards the seating area, sighing, ¡°If only Bai Youwei was here.¡±


    With the Dollhouse open, who would ever worry about not having food or drink?


    Shen Mo thought of Bai Youwei, momentarily lost in thought.


    His original n was to bring thebatants together for a quick and decisive battle, using a full-on aggressive strategy. He never thought it would be disrupted by multiple props.


    The previous werewolf had already dyed them for 12 hours, now another wooden figure had popped up, making it unpredictable how much longer they had to wait.


    Exitingte, will she be worried if she doesn¡¯t see him?


    Thinking of these trivial matters, Shen Mo¡¯s mood started to fluctuate, making him feel somewhat restless.


    He closed his eyes, forcing himself to calm down and rest.


    Tan Xiao looked at Shen Mo, then nced at the other yers around them, feeling extremely bored, he could only gaze anxiously at the stage.


    ¡­


    The short man on the stage only brought a small amount of food and water. After finishing it, he leaned against the railings at the edge of the stage and fell asleep.


    Many of the contestants felt contempt for his dy tactic, but they were helpless.


    They thought that once he had rested, he would start the fight. But after sleeping soundly for almost seven or eight hours, he still showed no sign of making a move.


    Leonid stood on the stage, unable to sleep, and his eyes were red from fatigue.


    From below the stage, Shen Mo told him: ¡°He wants to wear you out, don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t take too long, at most two days, otherwise he would not be able to keep up his energy either. This is hurting the enemy a thousand only to injure self eight hundred.¡±<div>


    Leonid blew his beard and stared, ¡°Damnit, two days is not considered long?!¡±


    However vexed he was, it was all in vain. If he couldn¡¯t move, he just couldn¡¯t move.


    Tan Xiao sighed: ¡°This prop is so strong, it canst this long¡­¡±


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s quite a waste,¡± Shen Mo casuallymented, ¡°If he met a team withpanions, this prop would be worthless.¡±<div>


    The reason the bearded man was having such a hard time was because no one could go on stage to help him. If anyone were to touch him casually, he would regain freedom, and the effects of the prop¡¯s confinement would be naturally useless.


    Now that the bearded man couldn¡¯t move, the opponent couldn¡¯t strike him, and the match could not proceed.


    Anxiety spread throughout the arena.


    Everyone went from being anxious to infuriated, then helpless and numb, with no choice but to keep waiting.


    ¡­


    Only after a full 36 hours, Leonid¡¯s body swayed and suddenly fell to the ground.


    His opponent who had been waiting for a long time rushed forward as soon as the time was up,unching an attack at the fallen Leonid!

 Chapter 642: 642: Happy Chaos Field 19

    Chapter 642: Chapter 642: Happy Chaos Field 19


    A burst of pent-up punches and kicks!


    Leonid was defenseless, getting hit until his nose turned blue and his face swollen. Both eyes went dark! Once mighty as a lion, now slumped on the ground like a toothless paper tiger.


    The countdown quickly appeared!


    The short man stopped his punches and kicks, a smirk of satisfaction curled at the corner of his lips as he watched the countdown 10, 9, 8¡­


    Tan Xiao gasped from the audience, ¡°How did the big-bearded man be so weak¡­¡±


    ¡°36 hours without eating, drinking, moving, or sleeping. If it were you, you wouldn¡¯t be able to resist either,¡± Shen Mo replied coolly, looking at the stage, ¡°That guy is already at 9 points. If he takes 20 points from Leonid and wins another round, he could im the War King title.¡±


    Tan Xiao thought about it, then turned and yelled at the stage, ¡°Big Beard! We will get revenge for you!!!¡±


    Leonid, lying on the ground, was so angry that he almost spit blood!


    He wasn¡¯t dead yet!


    Leonid forced himself to stand, the countdown disappeared, a trace of fear shed in the short man¡¯s eyes, and he instinctively backed off¡ª<div>


    ¡°Bastard¡­¡± Leonid climbed up, ¡°This old man just¡­ had numb legs!¡±


    Bam!


    Leonid pounced, grabbing the short man¡¯s ankle and lifting him up abruptly! He swung him harshly in the air and smashed him to the ground!


    Before the man could get up, he lifted his elbow, and with all his weight, pushed down upon him!


    The spine crackled, the short man was almost crushed to death, his face turned red, and he finally passed out!


    ¡­The audience waspletely silent.


    Leonid got up, took a couple of breaths, his legs were still somewhat shaky as he walked.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He looked towards the audience and scowled, ¡°You brat! Get up here and rece me!¡±


    Tan Xiao nimbly jumped onto the stage!


    There were sighs of regret from the audience because the yers realized toote that Leonid was at the end of his rope, and they had missed their chance to score.


    Leonid stepped down, his score fell to 15, giving Tan Xiao 20 points.


    His body had been immobile for too long, causing poor blood cirction, numbness in his hands and feet, and he was in dire need of rest.


    Shen Mo helped him and said, ¡°It will be hard for your body to recover to its best condition in a short time, don¡¯t y anymoreter, get enough passing points and then go rest in the War King spot.¡±


    Leonid scowled, looking disgruntled, but he nodded in agreement, no longer putting up a front.


    They had umted quite a few points now, they only needed Tan Xiao.


    Shen Mo turned to go up on stage but found that an extrayer of obstruction had been added in front of the stage. Looking up, he realized that someone had set their sights on Tan Xiao, and had seized the opportunity to rush to the Brawl Stage whilst he was talking to Leonid.


    Shen Mo¡¯s brow furrowed slightly as he sized up the man.


    He was a robustly built muscle man, holding a steel helmet in his hand and cautiously approaching Tan Xiao.


    Shen Mo spected that that helmet was likely another troublesome prop.<div>


    Tan Xiao now had 25 points, even if he lost, he would only lose 10 points, so it didn¡¯t really matter.


    Shen Mo advised ndly, ¡°Tan Xiao, safety first.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing!¡± Tan Xiao replied.


    Someone in the audience whispered, ¡°That¡¯s Iron Man¡¯s helmet, that kid¡¯s gonna be in trouble¡­¡±<div>


    Iron Man¡¯s helmet?


    On hearing this, Shen Mo looked at the stage again. The muscle man had slipped the helmet on, and his body was suddenly covered in iron. It was as if he was d in armour!


    ¡°Wearing Iron Man¡¯s helmet is essentially like being invincible, there¡¯s no way to fight him¡­¡±


    Tan Xiao didn¡¯t hear the murmurs of the audience. He simply rushed forward, and threw a punch at the muscle man!


    The muscle man stood firm.


    Tan Xiao¡¯s face instantly contorted as he held his hand and started wailing!


    ¡°Ouch, ouch, ouch!!!¡­¡±


    At the same time, the muscle man swung his iron fist andnded a solid punch in Tan Xiao¡¯s chest!

 Chapter 643: Happy Chaos Field 20

    Chapter 643: Chapter 643: Happy Chaos Field 20


    With a loud bang, Tan Xiao was flung through the air!


    He then crashed heavily onto the ground, unable to get up for a while!


    The muscle man in iron armor had not only an impressive defense but also incredible strength!


    Tan Xiao managed to get up when the countdown reached 5, hobbling towards the edge of the stage, while the muscle man stalked him step by step.


    Although the iron armor made him less agile, even somewhat cumbersome, it was more than enough to deal with the injured Tan Xiao.


    ¡°Run faster!¡± Su Man, who sat high above, yelled anxiously.


    ¡°I can¡¯t run!¡± Tan Xiao answered, clutching his chest, his face twisted in pain.


    He wasn¡¯t sure if his ribs were broken, but every step he took was piercingly painful!


    The muscle man behind him trudged on, seemingly intent on ending him! ¡ª Of course, he wanted to kill him, because defeating him would only earn him 10 points, but if he finished him off in one go, he would get all his points!


    In a 1v1 brawl, not even gods could save him now!


    Tan Xiao felt a moment of despair.


    He stumbled and fell to the ground with a thud, causing the wound to hurt even more! And the iron man was catching up from behind!


    Frightened, Tan Xiao shrieked, hurriedly throwing out a quiz card, yelling, ¡°Question! Question! ¡ª What is 11111 times 11111? Answer!!!¡±


    When they first entered ¡°Lucky Quiz¡±, not only did Bai Youwei and Shen Mo receive quiz cards, so did he, Pan Xiaoxin and Teacher Cheng!


    The iron man stopped in his tracks, motionless.


    The threat was temporarily averted.


    Breathing a sigh of relief, Tan Xiao then smugly got up, unhurried, shing the iron man the middle finger, ¡°Do you think you¡¯re the only one with a prop? See this? Brother Xiao also has props!¡±


    Then he heard a muted answer from inside the Iron Helmet, ¡°¡­ It equals 123454321.¡±


    Tan Xiao¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    The quiz card floating in front of the iron man flickered brightly and disappeared in the blink of an eye. The iron man regained his freedom and once again started chasing him!


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Tan Xiao sprinted away, running clumsily, and shouted, ¡°That damn card! It worked for Wei and Mo, why didn¡¯t it work for me?!!¡±


    Leonid, down on the stage, grumbled, ¡°You pig brain! Can¡¯t you give a more difficult problem?!¡±


    Tan Xiao was really aggrieved, ¡°Wasn¡¯t that difficult enough?!!¡±


    Multiple digits multiplication isn¡¯t difficult?!


    Su Man was also worried for him, ¡°The multiplication was okay, it¡¯s just that the numbers you gave were too simple!¡±


    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Well, it¡¯s toote to say anything now!


    The iron man was invulnerable, and Tan Xiao was injured. He couldn¡¯t do anything but run for his life to buy time.


    Shen Mo below the stage reminded him, ¡°Tan Xiao, find his weak spot. That suit of armor either has a time limit or other weaknesses.¡±


    Too busy running for his life, Tan Xiao had no time to look for weaknesses.


    In a panic, he searched through his pocket for items¡ª


    First, he found the snowke prop, but was reminded that it was an offensive item and thus unusable;


    Then he found a gold coin. It seemed useless, so he threw it away! Like throwing a stone!


    Unexpectedly, the tiny gold coin had a huge impact when it hit the iron man!


    The iron man stumbled and fell, his iron armor nging loudly as he hit the ground!


    Tan Xiao was stunned, he turned around and saw the fallen iron man, and wondered if he was afraid of gold coins?¡­ or was he afraid of metal?


    The iron man propped himself up with both hands to get up, tensing his knees. But when he tried to rise, he fell t again!


    Tan Xiao witnessed it clearly this time.


    It turned out that the gold coin he had thrown out, by some fluke, had lodged itself in the knee joint of the iron man¡¯s armor. It prevented the knee joint from bending. Of course, without the ability to bend his knee, the iron man kept falling!


    Tan Xiao chuckled, looking gleeful, he stood on the stage,ughing uncontrobly, ¡°Ahahahahaha!!!¡±


    Ding! ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Happy Bonus~¡± the Inspector smiled brilliantly, ¡°You received a Happy Bonus, 5 points.¡±


    Tan Xiao was dumbfounded.


    His points went from 25 to 30.


    Leonid immediately roared, ¡°What are you standing there for?! Run! Run towards the throne of the War King, you idiot!¡±


    The yers below the stage: ¡°¡­¡±


    Damn, this goddamn luck¡­

 Chapter 644: Poor Judgment

    Chapter 644: Chapter 644: Poor Judgment


    Tan Xiao became the third person to ascend to the War King¡¯s throne.


    After that, Shen Mo and Leonid were practically invincible.


    Even though they encountered some strange items, none of them exaggerated the roles of the Werewolf, the Wooden Man, or the Iron Helmet.


    As for the remaining yers, after several rounds ofpetition, their energy had sharply depleted, their capabilities greatly reduced, and dealing with them was rtively easy.


    When the five chairs of the War King¡¯s throne were upied, the other yers in the field immediately disappeared, leaving only five people sitting in high ces.


    The stage lights shone brilliantly, creating an opulent, vibrant disy.


    Standing at the converging point of the lights, the Clown Inspector solemnly announced: ¡°In this game, we have five winners. Twenty-two yers were eliminated, and three yers are dead.


    There are 36 puzzle pieces avable for distribution.


    14 tools can be distributed.


    The reward calction will now begin¡ª¡ª¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, five glistening orbs appeared on the stage.


    The orbs floated to everyone, containing puzzles and items. Just stretch your hand into the orb, and you can easily retrieve them.


    There were 9 puzzle pieces and 3 items in Shen Mo¡¯s orb.


    The quantity was less than he expected, particrly the items. Out of the total items owned by 25 yers, there were only 14 pieces.


    However, after thinking through, it made sense¡­ after all, during the second half of the game, everyone had thrown their items around recklessly, and almost all usable items had been exhausted!


    The remaining 14 items, either were not efficient enough to be used, or were in the category of attack items.


    The Clown looked at them with a full smile: ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, congrattions on your sessful enrollment in the Maze Wars! Hopefully, you will be outstanding Kings and subjects in the following games, and achieve ultimate victory.


    The transfer portal to the rest hall will open soon, other inspectors will exin the detailed war rules to you.


    So, good luck~¡±


    After the Clown finished speaking, he revealed a big smile and then, all the lights on the stage went off.


    Suddenly, it was all dark.


    Only a glowing square exit appeared in the center of the stage.


    Everyone looked at each other in hesitation.


    Su Man looked at Shen Mo and Tan Xiao: ¡°Should we¡­ leave?¡±


    ¡°What else can we do if we don¡¯t leave?¡± Leonid immediately stood up and strode into the square glowing body, ¡°Let¡¯s hurry and go out for some food and drink!¡±


    Shen Mo also got up and walked towards the glowing square, ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s get out of here.¡±


    Tan Xiao and Su Man followed closely behind.


    Lucas also walked into the exit.


    ¡­


    Afterpleting his task, the Clown strolled leisurely in the pure white cube.


    The cubes lined up in rows, columns, andyers, all around, up and down, spread out endlessly, countless.


    A ball rolled out of the cube and greeted the Clown happily: ¡°Have you also finished on your side?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± The Clown smiled and said, ¡°Seeing everyone fully engaged in the game is a joyous thing.¡±


    He then sighed deeply: ¡°But it¡¯s a pity that some yers didn¡¯t perform satisfactorily.¡±


    ¡°Same here~¡± said the ball, ¡°The Doctor, who was favored by that Inspector, didn¡¯t even survive the preliminary round and has already be a subject~¡±


    The Clown seemed to have met a kindred spirit: ¡°Same here~ The yer with the iron hook hand, Jefferson, who the Inspector had high hopes for, is not even a subject, he¡¯s already dead~¡±


    ¡°That Inspector is really blind!¡± eximed the ball, ¡°Because of his misced focus on that Doctor, I missed the excellent performance of other yers.¡±


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°Yes, truly blind,¡± agreed the Clown, ¡°The yers he had his eyes on have all lost in the preliminaries, all two of them.¡±


    Both Inspectors yelled in unison: ¡°Such poor judgment!¡±


    Theic man, who had juste out of the cube, was like: ¡°¡­¡±

 Chapter 645: 645 Only One Person Came Out

    Chapter 645: Chapter 645 Only One Person Came Out


    Inside the resting lounge, more and more yers were gathering.


    The walls of the lounge were made up of a series of square sections. Each time a qualifying round ended, one of the squares would emit a blinding white light, and the victorious yers would emerge from within.


    At times, there would be three or five of them, or even as many as seven or eight.


    Bai Youwei anxiously waited for the appearance of Shen Mo, Tan Xiao, and the others, but to no avail.


    She sat in her wheelchair, her fingers tightly inteced with unease, feeling unbearably terrible.


    Without Shen Mo, without Tan Xiao, without Teacher Cheng and without Pan Xiaoxin, she had nothing! Even though Yan Qingwen and Lu Yuwen were by her side, it was not the same.


    She repeatedly forced herself not to let her thoughts wander but instead focused her energy on the selection match itself.


    ¡ª241 yers, 5 resigned, 197 registered as King, and 39 registered as subjects.


    Which is to say, 236 yers participated in the qualifying match. Assuming 30 people were in a match, there would be around eight games. If each game selected about 5 yers, there would be 40 yers left¡­no, something¡¯s not right. The majority of yers registered as Kings, so even if they lost, they would remain as subjects.


    If Shen Mo, who registered as King, lost, he would be a subject. So, there¡¯s no problem¡­Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin registered as subjects. If they lost, they would bemoners. It didn¡¯t matter, being amoner might even suit them better.<div>


    So, why was she worried?


    What was she worried about¡­N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Bai Youwei was restless.


    She suddenly heard amotion not far from her and looked up to see another square emitting white light¡ª


    A blood-drenched person was slowly emerging¡­


    God knows what sort of brutal game he had participated in, but he was drenched head-to-toe in blood! Even his hair was soaked, droplets of blood trickling down from it.


    The only clean part of him was a pair of gloves¡ªpristine white.


    ¡°It¡¯s White Glove.¡± Yan Qingwen observed the figure coldly. ¡°He is the only one who came out.¡±


    Just one person emerging meant that only one person was victorious.


    What about the rest?


    The number of yers in each game ranged from 20 to 30. Could all of them be weaker than White Glove?


    All the spections were fear-inducing.


    Everyone retreated with apprehension, avoiding White Glove who stood at the center. Their multicolored gazes scanned him, observing and wary of him.


    Some whispered among themselves: ¡°The yers who ended up against this guy are simply unlucky. Look at all that blood, they must¡¯ve all died at his hands.¡±


    Bai Youwei¡¯s heart pounded erratically, leaving her breathless.


    Suddenly, another side of the wall also emitted white light, Shen Mo, Tan Xiao, and Su Man and others emerged from it.


    Bai Youwei¡¯s heart stopped beating abruptly¡ª


    It¡¯s as if it halted in the air and then slowly lowered. ..


    Finally, she regained her breath.<div>


    The feeling was like descending from Heaven to Hell.


    She exhaled a long breath and looked at Shen Mo with a rxed smile on her face.


    Shen Mo embraced her as he walked over then turned to look at Yan Qingwen, Lu Yuwen, and Ya Chaohui standing next to her, asking: ¡°Where are Fang Yu and Xiaoxin?¡±


    A single simple question left both Bai Youwei and Ya Chaohui speechless.<div>


    Seeing their reactions, Shen Mo got an idea. He paused for two seconds and asked again: ¡°Did something happen to them?¡±


    Ya Chaohui looked down in dismay, offering no response. He wasn¡¯t sure how to answer.


    Bai Youwei held Shen Mo¡¯s hand tightly and murmured: ¡°Xiaoxin hasn¡¯te out yet.¡±


    Not seeing Xiaoxin implied that she had seen Fang Yu, and consciously not mentioning him obviously meant Fang Yu was in trouble.


    Shen Mo stayed silent and didn¡¯t ask further.


    Noticing the peculiar nces around him, he looked towards White Glove along with everyone else. Soon, the striking blood on the floor disappeared, leaving the floor as impably as white.


    Bai Youwei didn¡¯t dare to think about what would have happened if Pan Xiaoxin had encountered White Glove in the game¡­


    ¡°The preliminaries are not over yet.¡± Shen Mo held her hand tightly, consoling her in a low voice, ¡°Wait a little longer.¡±


    Bai Youwei closed her eyes and nodded slowly.

 Chapter 646: 646: Picking Walnuts

    Chapter 646: Chapter 646: Picking Walnuts


    ¡ª¡ª Inside the lush forest, Fu Miaoxue brushed off the dried grass and twigs stuck to her clothes, her mood sunk to the bottom.


    She had initially thought herself lucky, the preliminary game she entered seemed simple enough; it was merely about plucking walnuts.


    The more walnuts one collected, the closer they were to victory.


    Being a doll, no one could beat her in terms of stamina, so naturally, she believed she would be the one to collect the most walnuts!


    But to her damn luck, the game surprisingly didn¡¯t prohibit violence!


    No matter how many walnuts she picked, they would all be snatched by the other yers!


    She just was a doll, even if her physical strength was better, and her strength greater, she was powerless in the face of those brute forces! After all, she was ady!


    Fu Miaoxue missed Du Lai terribly.


    Leaning against a tree for rest, through a thinyer of ck veil, she could see green walnuts hanging from the branches, heavy with promise.


    Fu Miaoxue kept her gaze upwards, showing zero interest in picking any more.<div>


    After all, they would probably be snatched away by others anyway.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    This game was an unforgiving design, not only did it not prohibit violence, but it also dragged for 48 hours! But the forest didn¡¯t hold that many walnut trees!


    Which meant, in two days, this was basically a heist of the walnuts!


    How could she possiblypete against the gangs formed by the others? Furthermore, the two walnuts in front of her would barely make a dent.


    Fu Miaoxue sighed endlessly, backed against the walnut tree.


    From the direction of the forest came the rustling sounds of footsteps, looking up she saw a child with a basket approaching.


    Fu Miaoxue recognized the child, the elementary school student that always apanied Bai Youwei.


    Eyeing the basket the child carried, she smirked¡ªthere was only one walnut. It seemed he had experienced the same fate of thievery.


    Pan Xiaoxin was carrying his basket, walking carefully while scouting the surroundings for walnut trees.


    He stopped under a tree, struggling to reach the high-hanging walnuts, but no matter how hard he jumped, he simply couldn¡¯t reach them.


    Then, he set his sights on Fu Miaoxue¡¯s walnut tree.


    Fu Miaoxue calmly watched him.


    Pan Xiaoxin stood still, hesitated for a moment, then asked, ¡°May I¡­ ask for those two walnuts? Will you need them?¡±


    ¡°If you want them, then pick them.¡± Fu Miaoxue said indifferently, ¡°Only the top five yers with the most walnuts can win. The presence or absence of these two walnuts won¡¯t make a difference for me.¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin stayed silent upon hearing this.


    He quietly walked under the tree, set down his basket, and then slowly climbed up, picked the two walnuts, and tossed them into his basket¡ª


    Now, his basket held three walnuts.


    Fu Miaoxue curiously eyed him, ¡°Even with three walnuts, you can¡¯t win, hey, I suggest you just give up. If someone snatches them away again, you might not survive.¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin climbed down the tree and grumbled, ¡°The game¡¯s ending is still a few hours away, I have time. I¡¯ll collect slowly, little by little, there might be hope.¡±<div>


    Fu Miaoxue scoffed at him, ¡°Just give up, it¡¯s impossible. Haven¡¯t you noticed that the others have formed alliances? Teams of three or four are forever ahead of you, a lone child.¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin frowned, ¡°There¡¯s still hope. Although the forest seems filled with walnut trees, only about thirty actually bear any, and each tree holds no more than 50 walnuts. Therefore¡­ as long as I can collect 300 walnuts, I can definitely rank in the top five.¡±


    Fu Miaoxue rolled her eyes, ¡°Ha! 300! You only have 3 now. Boy, you sure know how to boast!¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin didn¡¯t bother responding, he just picked up his basket, remaining silent as he moved on.<div>


    Fu Miaoxue paused for a moment before realization hit her, she hurriedly caught up with him, ¡°Woah~ Kid, you¡¯re not ying fair. Tell me, have you been hiding walnuts? How many have you hidden?¡±

 Chapter 647: The Most Walnuts

    Chapter 647: Chapter 647: The Most Walnuts


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Nope,¡± Pan Xiaoxin stopped, showing her the bamboo basket. ¡°That¡¯s all I have.¡±


    ¡°You really think I¡¯d buy that?¡± Fu Miaoxue scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re one of Bai Youwei¡¯s mates. God knows what tricks you¡¯re up to!¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin sighed, an old man¡¯s sigh, helpless and resigned, and nced at Fu Miaoxue¡¯s bamboo basket, asking: ¡°Sister, you didn¡¯t pick a single walnut?¡±


    Fu Miaoxue red up at the mention of it, rolling her eyes dramatically, ¡°They got stolen!¡±


    Not just stolen, someone even threw rocks at her head. If not for her miraculous transformation into a puppet, her head would have been gushing blood by now!


    Fu Miaoxue irritably brushed off the leftover dirt on her veil, her face a picture of sulking.


    Pan Xiaoxin picked out a walnut from his own basket and put it in hers, saying: ¡°Sister, stop dawdling. There are still a few hours left till the game ends. If you pick more, maybe you can win.¡±


    Having said that, he sighed again, picked up his basket, and walked away.


    Fu Miaoxue was left dumbstruck, looking at the walnut and then back at Xiaoxin¡¯s retreating figure, a little taken aback.


    She thought to herself: This annoying kid is actually a lot more adorable than Bai Youwei.


    ¡­


    Pan Xiaoxin moved over to a bush, looked around to confirm that no one was near before crouching down and crawling into the low underbrush.


    He gently pulled aside ayer of dried leaves and stuffed two walnuts he just picked into the pile of leaves.


    Underneath the pile of leaves was the stash of walnuts he¡¯d been collecting for a while.


    Being small, he knew he was an easy target, which is why he¡¯s been ying weak since the game began.


    While others filled their bamboo baskets full, he never did. He only kept two or three walnuts, inciting no interest in stealing even if someone saw them.


    Then he would hurriedly hide the walnuts, fearful of getting caught.


    This strategy worked efficiently because most people were drawn to the yers with ¡°fulfilling¡± bamboo baskets,pletely overlooking him.


    However¡­


    Every time he got two or three walnuts, he would have to hide them, which made his walnut collection very slow. After spending a day and a half looking for walnuts without food or drink, he had only saved up ny-eight.


    Short of a hundred¡­


    Pan Xiaoxin looked at his stash of walnuts and sighed wearily.


    It seems he was really about to be one of themoners.


    Although being amoner would probably be safer, who doesn¡¯t want to win?


    ¡°Ha-ha! I knew you were hiding walnuts!¡±


    The crisp voice of a girl rang out. Pan Xiaoxin jumped in surprise, whirling around to find Fu Miaoxue standing right behind him in the bushes!


    Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s face went pale with shock!


    Seeing this, Fu Miaoxue huffed scornfully: ¡°What? You think I¡¯m going to steal your walnuts? Who¡¯d bother with such a small amount of walnuts? Even if you gave them to me, I still couldn¡¯t pass!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Pan Xiaoxin slowly recovered from his shock, looking gloomier than ever.


    He muttered grumpily: ¡°There¡¯s still some hope¡­ There are 1500 walnuts in total; if they select five people who have the most walnuts, that¡¯s 300 walnuts each on average. But if yers outside the top five hoard walnuts, or¡­or the number one yer takes more than half of the total walnuts, then even though these walnuts are inadequate, they might squeeze into the top five.¡±


    Fu Miaoxue¡¯s heart stirred, she repeated his words with a mutter: ¡°Get more than half of the total walnuts¡­¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin nced at her, suspicious.


    As if struck by an idea, Fu Miaoxue¡¯s lips curved into a tricky smirk. She ruffled Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s hair and said with augh, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll get more than half of the walnuts. That way, you¡¯ll definitely enter the top five! Kid, be sure to thank your sister~ ¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin asked in bewilderment: ¡°¡­What¡­what are you nning?¡±

 Chapter 648: Assistant Inspector

    Chapter 648: Chapter 648: Assistant Inspector


    Fu Miaoxue extended her hand to him: ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, just lend me 10 walnuts for now, I will pay you back 200ter!¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin: ¡°¡­¡±


    He had never before seen anybody so assertively asking for something on loan.


    However, he still managed to scramble up ten from the bottom of his pile of leaves, with a mindset to keep the peace, he handed over the walnuts to Fu Miaoxue.


    Fu Miaoxue dropped her bamboo basket, held the walnuts in her skirt, and skulked away.


    Pan Xiaoxin was puzzled.


    ¡­


    In one corner of the forest, there was an open area with a small wooden house.


    Fu Miaoxue didn¡¯t see the Inspector.


    When they had first entered the game, a Puppet Master Inspector who exined the game rules to them was outside the wooden house, but now the door of the house was shut, presumably, the Inspector would only appear towards the end of the game.


    Fu Miaoxue, with walnuts bundled up in her skirt, made her way around the back of the wooden house, removed her veil and ditched her ck dress.


    Under her ck dress was a pale pink petticoat.


    She tied three or four walnuts together, then hung them around her neck, wrists and waist, put up her hair high, and ced a walnut leaf on each side of her bun ¨C


    Then, a cold smirk crawled up her face, she strutted out from behind the house, lookingpletely different than her initial masked ck clothed figure when they had begun the game!


    Now she looked like a real walnut puppet!


    ¡°Dare to steal my walnuts ¡­ Hmph, I¡¯m going to take them all back!¡± Fu Miaoxue cast a menacing nce towards the forest, then dragged tworge bamboo baskets in front of herself, and then, she stood still.


    Yes, she stood still.


    ¡­


    As time passed, with the end of the game nearing, more and more game-yers umted in front of the house.


    When they saw the ¡°walnut puppet¡± in front of the house, they were very puzzled. Beside the puppet were bamboo baskets, which seemed to be there for the purpose of collecting walnuts.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Can we submit the walnuts now?¡±


    ¡°We should be able to submit them, right? Only ten minutes left until the end.¡±


    ¡°Hey! Do they want us to submit early?¡±


    Fu Miaoxue looked at them with a radiant smile, ¡°Wee everybody to this game, I¡¯m the Inspector¡¯s assistant. To avoid any disputes at the time of game settlement, you can do the calction here in advance. Once settled, the number of walnuts will not change.¡±


    ¡°The Inspector¡¯s assistant?¡± Someone said suspiciously, ¡°This is the first time I heard the Inspector has an assistant¡­¡±


    But since Fu Miaoxue herself looked like a puppet, it was very deceiving. They could never imagine that a puppet could actually be a yer. Even though they felt it was strange, they did not doubt Fu Miaoxue and poured all the walnuts they had collected into the two bamboo baskets beside her.


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Other yers who reached the house saw this scene and naturally considered it as part of the game. Without giving it too much thought, they followed the crowd and poured the walnuts into the baskets.


    The two baskets were soon filled to the brim.


    ¡°Can we announce the results now?¡± a game-yer asked.


    Without giving anything away, Fu Miaoxue responded with her puppet-like, monotone voice, ¡°Once everyone has settled, the results of this game can be announced.¡±


    ¡°Who has not yet settled?¡± a burly, impatient man looked around and prodded, ¡°Hey! Whoever hasn¡¯t settled yet, hurry up! Don¡¯t waste everyone¡¯s time! You guys hiding a few walnuts here and there won¡¯t lead to a win!¡±


    This burly man was the first to form a team at the beginning of the game. His five-man squad specialized in stealing other people¡¯s walnuts! As a result, the team had the highest number of walnuts among all the yers, barring any mishaps, the winners of the game would undoubtedly be these five people.


    Perhaps because victory was within grasp, the burly man was being especially arrogant, shouting and hollering, until finally, the veryst yer showed up ¨C


    Thest person to arrive at the house was Pan Xiaoxin.

 Chapter 649: 649: Zero

    Chapter 649: Chapter 649: Zero


    Pan Xiaoxin had his own n. Being small and weak, he couldn¡¯tpete with these adults, so he arrivedte intentionally to avoid his hazelnuts being stolen on the road.


    In this way, he could not only lower his profile, but also not worry about theft, as other yers had already settled their game.


    However, Pan Xiaoxin didn¡¯t expect to see Fu Miaoxue again upon reaching the cabin, and in such a guise¡­


    Pan Xiaoxin was a bit dumbfounded.


    Others didn¡¯t recognise Fu Miaoxue, but he did, and he certainly could distinguish between yers and NPCs!


    ¡°Hey, Kid! Hurry up and put the hazelnuts in the bamboo basket!¡± the stout man impatiently urged, ¡°Don¡¯t waste time, howe a kid like you is allowed to participate in the game? Your parents really are careless!¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin pursed his lips, his little face tense.


    As for whether his parents were careless or not, he didn¡¯t know, but this big guy clearly didn¡¯t care.


    Pan Xiaoxin lifted the heavy bamboo basket with great difficulty, then slowly walked towards Fu Miaoxue. Looking at the tworge bamboo baskets beside her, he couldn¡¯t help but admire her audacity.


    He purposefully dragged out his arrival until thest possible moment, and now, the Inspector could appear at any time. Wasn¡¯t Fu Miaoxue afraid of being exposed?<div>


    If these yers found out that she was ying tricks¡­


    The consequences were unimaginable.


    Pan Xiaoxin silently looked at Fu Miaoxue, hisplex gaze saying it all.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Fu Miaoxue also looked at him, her eyes faintly carryingughter and a sense of triumph.


    Just at that moment, the door of the cabin creaked open¡ª


    The Puppet Master, holding a marite, walked out from inside.


    Wearing a red top hat, a royal blue vest and ck trousers, and a pair of green boots, the Puppet Master held a marite dressed identically to himself, sophisticated and shy.


    ¡°Oh, it seems everyone has their hazelnuts ready, Jamie, we have work to do,¡± the Puppet Master said to the marite in his hand.


    The marite was lifelike, its jaw opening and closing and speaking in a childlike voice: ¡°Understood, Jack, we need to count the number of hazelnuts. Um¡­ let¡¯s start with the yer who has the least!¡±


    The Puppet Master nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s do as you said. Any yers who do not have enough hazelnuts cannot participate in the Maze War, and can be eliminated immediately.¡±


    Every yer had a number after entering the game.


    The marite opened and closed its jaw: ¡°Number 14, zero hazelnuts, eliminated!¡±


    A man in the crowd looked shocked, he looked down at his number on his body, before he could speak, his body vanished before everyone¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Number 23, zero hazelnuts, eliminated!¡± the marite continued.


    Another person widened his eyes in shock, ¡°That¡¯s impossible¡­ I, I clearly have so many hazelnuts¡­¡±


    And he disappeared.


    The crowd began to get restless, suspicious nces being cast at Fu Miaoxue.


    The marite: ¡°Number 8, zero hazelnuts, eliminated!¡±


    Number 8, furiously and shockingly pointed at Fu Miaoxue: ¡°I have hazelnuts! My hazelnuts have already been settled in the bamboo basket!¡±<div>


    The Inspector or the Inspector¡¯s puppet showed no interest in his exnation, and the body of Number 8 vanished.


    Everyone finally felt something was wrong and walked towards Fu Miaoxue, questioning: ¡°Hey! What the hell is going on?! Didn¡¯t we already give our hazelnuts to the Inspector¡¯s assistant?!¡±


    ¡°Assistant?¡± The marite looked up at the Puppet Master, ¡°Dear Jack, aside from me, do you have any other assistants?¡±


    Before the Puppet Master could answer, Fu Miaoxue suddenly kicked over the bamboo basket! Then with the speed of lightning, she picked up another basket of hazelnuts and ran into the woods!<div>


    A basket of hazelnuts spilled all over the ground!


    Everyone was shocked!


    ¡°Kid! Run!¡± Fu Miaoxue had already rushed into the woods, with only her voiceing through.


    Pan Xiaoxin instantly sprang up, grabbed his own hazelnuts, and ran towards the woods!


    The crowd was incensed!


    ¡°Damn! Chase her!¡±


    ¡°Hurry up and catch that guy!¡±

 Chapter 650: 650: Miss Hu Tao

    Chapter 650: Chapter 650: Miss Hu Tao


    Those who snapped out of their initial shock charged in pursuit!


    Some sprinted, others slipped on walnuts, while some paused to collect the fallen nuts.


    Meanwhile, the Puppet Master and his wooden puppet continued to announce indifferently: ¡°¡­Number 12, zero walnuts, eliminated! ¡­Number 27, zero walnuts, eliminated! Number 30¡­¡±


    Finally, someone bellowed, ¡°Stop fucking chasing! Toote! Start picking up walnuts!!!¡±


    Perhaps they wouldn¡¯t catch up to Fu Miaoxue before they were disqualified for not having any walnuts, so it made more sense to pick up as many walnuts as possible before their numbers were called!


    With bitter resignation, thepetitors stopped dead in their tracks to scrouge for walnuts.


    Not only were they picking, but they were also fighting for them!


    ¡ªWithout a doubt, Fu Miaoxue had the most walnuts and the child who hadn¡¯t dropped his into the bamboo basket would also im a spot. The final three spots could only be grabbed!


    A chaotic free-for-all ensued, with fights and squabbles erupting everywhere.


    Even erstwhile allies were no longer wary of anything, frenziedly scrabbling for walnuts!<div>


    Upon hearing themotion, an escaping Fu Miaoxue could not help but crack up, hidden in the woods: ¡°A bunch of idiots! Hahaha!¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin followed her, clutching his own bamboo basket and panting heavily, ¡°Are¡­ we¡­ not going back¡­¡±


    ¡°Sure, we¡¯re going back.¡± Fu Miaoxue nced back then smiled brightly, feeling quite pleased, ¡°The Inspector calls out starting from the yers with the least number of walnuts. Since we have the most, I¡¯m sure our numbers will best. Now is probably the right time to return.¡±


    She stripped off her walnut essories and stuffed them all into Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s bamboo basket. Then, she scooped up a hefty helping of walnuts from her own basket and stuffed them into Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s¡ªwhatever didn¡¯t fit she shoved into his pockets and his hoodie.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say I would return these to you with interest? Is that enough? Do you want more?¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin repeatedly nodded: ¡°Enough, enough¡­ Thank you, sister!¡±


    Fu Miaoxue squinted her eyes,ughing: ¡°What a sweet talker.¡±


    The two gathered their walnuts and returned to the clearing outside the hut.


    Just moments ago thirty yers had been crowded here, but now only three remained. Including the two of them, five.


    When the remaining three saw Fu Miaoxue and Pan Xiaoxin, they were seething with hatred. However, the game was over, and even killing Fu Miaoxue would not change the oue. Besides, it was not necessarily possible.


    With resentment, everyone waited for the Inspector to announce the final results.


    The string puppet¡¯s jaw moved up and down: ¡°There are a total of 5 winners in this game, and 25 people are eliminated.


    We have 33 puzzle pieces to allocate.


    24 props are avable.


    Let¡¯s start calcting the rewards¡ª¡±


    Following a series of calctions, Pan Xiaoxin received 7 puzzle pieces and 5 props, while Fu Miaoxue received 8 puzzle pieces and 5 props.


    ¡°Good luck in the uing maze war, everyone~¡± The string puppet¡¯s voice was high-pitched, ¡°Jack, who do you have your eye on?¡±


    ¡°Jamie, why do you keep asking me these questions.¡± The Puppet Master replied seriously, ¡°Of course it¡¯s Miss Hu Tao, you know, I¡¯m attracted to bodies that are different.¡±


    The string puppet: ¡°Haha! Just like hook-handed Jefferson, a different body!¡±<div>


    Puppet Master: ¡°Exactly, modified bodies are fascinating.¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The string puppet: ¡°But he is dead.¡±


    Puppet Master: ¡°What a pity¡­¡±


    They took turns speaking, as if performing aedy routine.<div>


    Fu Miaoxue had already grown impatient hearing them, just as she was about to interrupt them, the Puppet Master suddenly cried, ¡°Ah! Jamie, we were so busy chatting that we almost forgot something important!¡±


    The puppet immediately voiced: ¡°Yes! We forgot to send them back to the rest hall!¡±


    As soon as the sentence was finished, a giant glowing square appeared in the open space.


    ¡°Please, everyone,¡± The Puppet Master and his puppet simultaneously said, ¡°Good luck~¡±

 Chapter 651: 651: Please Note the Following Points, King

    Chapter 651: Chapter 651: Please Note the Following Points, King


    Fu Miaoxue picked up her ck skirt and ck veil, dressing herself anew.


    When she emerged from the back of the wooden house, she found that the other three yers had already entered the glowing square passage, with only Pan Xiaoxin waiting for her in ce.


    She lifted the corner of her mouth in a slight smile, feeling a bit cheerful, she fondly patted Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s head: ¡°Hmm, you still have some conscience~¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin: ¡°¡­ Sister, you shouldn¡¯t randomly touch a boy¡¯s head.¡±


    ¡°Tsk! Such a spoilsport~¡± Fu Miaoxue retorted, pulling her hand back.


    Both of them entered the luminous channel together. After just a few steps, the white light faded, and once again, they found themselves in the same expansive white space as before.


    Fu Miaoxue was surveying their surroundings when suddenly she heard Bai Youwei¡¯s voice:


    ¡°Xiaoxin!¡±


    Pan Xiaoxin turned his head to look and instantly ran over excitedly: ¡°Sister Weiwei! Brother Mo! Brother Xiao! ¡­¡±


    Fu Miaoxue: ¡°¡­¡±<div>


    Pan Xiaoxin had already run afar; he had finally reunited with Bai Youwei, Shen Mo, and Tan Xiao. Yan Qingwen and Su Man and others were huddled around them. Theirpanions asked with concern about his experience in the game, expressing their care and concern, creating a joyful scene.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Fu Miaoxue watched in silence from afar, mumbling to herself: ¡°¡­ What an ingrate.¡±


    Then, she saw Bai Youwei gleefully ruffling Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s hair.


    Fu Miaoxue pursed her lips, growing even more displeased, she muttered: ¡°What about the ¡®no touching the head¡¯ rule? Why can she touch it?¡±


    Anyhow, she felt dejected.


    The white light flickered beneath her feet, causing Fu Miaoxue to pause. The other yers also looked down at their feet. The originally pure white tiled floor transformed into a painting, like ink unfolding across a scroll¡ª


    More urately, it was not a painting, but a panoramic satellite map! The blue ocean, white ciers, brownnd, and green forests ¨C every corner of the earth was vividly disyed before them.


    ¡°Congrattions to all of you for passing the preliminaries¡ª¡± the voice of the rabbit-headed Inspector echoed.


    Everyone looked around, but they couldn¡¯t see the Inspector.


    Despite that, the voice was clear and very audible.


    ¡°In total, 241 yers participated in the preliminarypetition. Five forfeited, 197 enrolled as Kings, and 39 enrolled as servants.


    Thirty-two won, while thirty-eight lost.


    Among the winners, 26 were Kings and 6 were servants.


    Among the losers, there were 135 servants and 31moners.¡±


    Bai Youwei listened silently, mentallyputing. Initially, 197 registered as Kings, now there were only 26 left, which meant the remaining either lost and became servants or were killed in the game.


    She wondered what form the next game would take.


    And the map beneath their feet¡­ what was it for?


    The Inspector¡¯s voice continued¡ª


    ¡°The Maze War is a war among the Kings. The 26 Kings, please take out your puzzle pieces and choose your territories on this map. Meanwhile, the Kings should take note of the following points:<div>


    First, each puzzle piece represents 10,000 square kilometers of territory.


    Second, once the territorial scope is determined, the puzzle pieces cannot be moved and must be attached to at least two other pieces to sessfully upy a territory.


    Third, no mazes or games will appear within your territory to ensure that the Kings get sufficient rest during non-war periods.¡±


    At this point, the rabbit-headed figure seemed to chuckle softly, his words filled with unexined delight:<div>


    ¡°As a personal piece of advice¡ªservants need to have puzzle pieces to participate in the wars. Therefore, please make sure to keep some puzzle pieces in hand, lest you don¡¯t have enough to recruit servants when the war begins.¡±


    Bai Youwei and Shen Mo looked at each other.


    Of all the rules, they were most interested in the third point: no mazes or games will appear within their territory.


    If they collected enough puzzle pieces, wouldn¡¯t it mean¡­ the world would return to its original state?

 Chapter 652: 652 Many Rabbit Heads

    Chapter 652: Chapter 652 Many Rabbit Heads


    An expansive white space, beams of light rising from the ground.


    Whenever a king conquered a territory, an additional beam of light would appear on the ground.


    The bunny-headed figures seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. Not just one, but 26 bunny-headed Inspectors moved among the crowd, kindly and patiently offering detailed exnations to the 26 kings.


    Bai Youwei held two puzzle pieces in her hand, unable to fit them together no matter what she tried.


    A bunny-headed Inspector came over to her, lightly took the puzzle pieces from her hand, and smiled faintly, ¡°Two pieces belonging to different kings cannot be joined together.¡±


    It returned one piece to Bai Youwei and handed the other to Shen Mo, politely saying, ¡°Different kings¡¯ territories can only be adjacent, not ovepping. Please try to reassemble.¡±


    Not far away, Tan Xiao was curious and ced a puzzle piece onto the satellite map at his feet.


    But the puzzle piece did not react at all.


    A bunny-headed inspector went over to remind him, ¡°Subjects have no territorial rights. The puzzle piece you¡¯re holding can only be used forpetition, not for upying territories.¡±


    Someone, overly anxious, identally dropped a puzzle piece into the seawater region of the map. A bunny-headed figure swiftly caught it and gently said:<div>


    ¡°The territory is the king¡¯s leisure and rest area, please choose a ce that is abundant in water sources and food.¡±


    Leonid stood on the map, looking baffled.


    The bunny-headed figure by his side asked, ¡°Is there anything you need help with?¡±


    Leonid scratched his hair in frustration and looked at the satellite map under his feet, ¡°In terms of territory, of course, I would first think of my hometown. But where I live now is not in Russia, upying my hometown seems meaningless.¡±


    He was originally living in divostok, working during the day, drinking at night, and asionally going fishing with friends. However, this peaceful life was gradually disrupted; with more and more residents in town turned into dolls, everyone was preparing to leave. Subsequently, one day, the city faced a sudden power outage,work signals disappeared, and everyone panicked.


    No rescue organization arrived.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The people in that city, some of them went abroad to unknown locations, some moved northward in search of relief, and some, like him, directly entered neighboring countries.


    Unexpectedly, this was not a trapid by one country for another, but a global disaster!


    Thus, it would be meaningless for Leonid to choose his hometown as his territory.


    The city was already deserted. He couldn¡¯t save anyone.


    The bunny-headed figure asked him, ¡°Do you have anypanions?¡±


    After some thought, Leonid responded, ¡°¡­ I guess you could say that.¡±


    The bunny-headed figure smiled and said, ¡°Then choose the ce where yourpanions are as your territory.¡±


    After a moment of contemtion, Leonid pieced two puzzle pieces together and ced them near Cangzhou.


    Upon seeing this, Tan Xiao couldn¡¯t resisting over and asked, ¡°Big Beard, so you have rtives living here!¡±


    With a frown, Leonid replied: ¡°How could my rtive possibly be here? Stop joking. I chose this ce because a little friend lives here. The puzzle piece I used for the preliminaries was given to me by her.¡±


    Therefore, the fruits of victory should not be tasted solely by him. This was something that Leonid was very clear about.


    Bai Youwei pieced together three puzzles and ced them on Shanghai, Suzhou, and Changzhou respectively.


    Following Bai Youwei¡¯s arrangement, Shen Mo ced two puzzle pieces on Zhenjiang and Nanjing.<div>


    And Yan Qingwen¡¯s two puzzle pieces were ced in the south near Hangzhou.


    Fu Miaoxue chose Fuzhou. Because before entering the preliminary contest, she and Du Lai were in the territory of Fuzhou.


    Once the puzzle pieces were set, the area would emit a beam of white light, symbolizing the area as safe. There would be no maze engulfed in dense fog, nor any elusive games.


    And one puzzle piece happens to cover an area of 10,000 square kilometers. They used to wonder what shape the puzzle would finally take, but now they understand their real purpose.<div>

 Chapter 653: 653: Four Battles

    Chapter 653: Chapter 653: Four Battles


    When all the kings had chosen their territories, the rabbit-headed creatures beside them disappeared one by one. Soon, only the yers were left in the entire lobby.


    ¡°Now that you have selected your territories, let¡¯s move on to the next step.¡±


    The Inspector¡¯s voice echoed through the air.


    ¡°All kings, please choose your first battle¡ª¡±


    In front of Bai Youwei, a glowing operation panel appeared.


    On the panel were the 3D holographic images of four inspectors, each with a number in front of them: 1, 5, 10, and 20, respectively.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The Inspector exined: ¡°There are four battles to choose from, each requiring a corresponding number of puzzle pieces as coteral. If you win, all puzzle pieces will be returned; if you lose, the paid puzzle pieces will be deducted.¡±


    This was different from what Bai Youwei initially thought.


    She assumed that it would be a randomly matched one-on-one duel, but didn¡¯t expect such options. It felt like ying a game: would she choose an easy, medium or hard level?


    The others had the same thought as Bai Youwei¡ªwould the difficulty increase as the number of puzzle pieces increased?<div>


    In response, the Inspector rified:


    ¡°The difficulty of the battle game always depends on your opponents, not the game itself.¡±


    The Inspector added: ¡°Please note, kings only get one chance to surrender, and this must be used before the battle starts. Once used, the king and all his subjects will be subjects of the other party.


    Moreover, each battle cannot be chosen twice. Four battles will be followed by a final battle.


    If a king does not possess enough puzzle pieces to participate in any battle, he will be eliminated.¡±


    Elimination means death.


    Bai Youwei understood.


    It was still a one-on-onepetition, but imposing a limit on the number of puzzle pieces.


    For example: if she chose 10, she would only face yers who also chose 10.


    After hearing the rule, Yan Qingwen pondered and said, ¡°The main point of the battle rule is that each battle cannot be chosen twice. Regardless of how we choose, we must participate in these four battles. Therefore, we must be cautious in the order of selection.¡±


    ¡°We definitely cannot choose 1, right?¡± Lu Yuwen proposed, ¡°If the king doesn¡¯t have enough puzzle pieces to participate in any battle, he will be eliminated. I guess everyone will save 1 as thest resort. In case they lose puzzle pieces along the way, as long as they have more than one puzzle piece, they can participate in the battlebeled 1, preventing elimination.¡±


    Yan Qingwen nodded slowly, ¡°Exactly, not only can¡¯t we choose 1, but we also can¡¯t choose 20. Most kings currently have about 10 puzzle pieces each, minus the 2 for territory and those for recruiting subjects, the remaining number is just enough to participate in the battlebeled 5.¡±


    Lu Yuwen also nodded: ¡°Choosing 5 is the safest way. 1 is a lifesaver, we are not qualified for 20, 10 is too risky. The best order should be 5 first, umte more puzzle pieces for the second battle of 10, then 20, and finally 1.¡±


    Su Man was getting dizzy listening to all these numbers, whatever they said, she would follow.


    She looked towards Bai Youwei and Shen Mo, wondering whether they would all coincidentally meet each other if they chose 5 and asked, ¡°What do you two n to choose?¡±


    Bai Youwei paused for thought and turned to Shen Mo beside her.


    Shen Mo stared back at her and calmly said, ¡°The number of kings choosing 5 will be the most, followed by 10, and then 1. Which one do you want to choose?¡±


    Bai Youwei grabbed his hand and whispered, ¡°We choose 20.¡±


    <div>

 Chapter 654: 654: So Many Puzzles

    Chapter 654: Chapter 654: So Many Puzzles


    Su Man¡¯s eyes widened suddenly.


    She knew that Bai Youwei always yed in an unconventional way, but hearing her say she chose 20, Su Man was still caught off guard.


    That was 20! A battle wagering 20 puzzle pieces at once!


    But what surprised her even more was that Shen Mo did not hesitate at all and responded with a nod, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s choose 20 then.¡±


    Su Man¡¯s eyes widened even more.


    Yan Qingwen and Lu Yuwen beside her were only slightly taken aback, but they didn¡¯t seem surprised.


    ¡°Brother Yan¡­¡± Su Man looked at him with aplex expression, ¡°Weiwei¡­ she wants to choose¡­ 20!¡±


    Yan Qingwen responded with a casual ¡°Mm¡±. He nced over at Bai Youwei and Shen Mo and said, ¡°They probably n to use their surrender option. At this point, I doubt any other king would choose 20, so the chances of them being assigned to the same battle are high. The question now is, who will surrender to whom.¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    He wasn¡¯t trying to lower his voice as he spoke, so Bai Youwei and Shen Mo heard him clearly.


    Bai Youwei turned her face around, smiling as she said, ¡°Brother Yan is as sharp as ever. What about you guys, do you want to choose 20 too?¡±<div>


    Yan Qingwen smiled back, ¡°We can¡¯t. We don¡¯t have enough puzzle pieces to do so.¡±


    Su Man silently did some calctions.


    She and Lu Yuwen had obtained 5 puzzle pieces in the maze. Later in the preliminarypetition, she got 6, while Lu Yuwen and Yan Qingwen each obtained 4. Including the one original piece Yan Qingwen had, they only managed to gather 20 puzzle pieces.


    How should these 20 pieces be allocated?


    Firstly, the territory required 2 pieces.


    Next, if she and Lu Yuwen were to participate in the battle, they needed to have at least 1 piece each;


    Finally, to ensure that she and Lu Yuwen would not instantly bemoners after a defeat, they would need an additional piece to hold on to.


    So, as a king, Yan Qingwen only had 14 puzzle pieces to spare!


    Su Man was confident the other kings wouldn¡¯t be much better off than Yan Qingwen.


    Where then, did Bai Youwei and Shen Mo get their 20 pieces from???


    Maybe she looked too perplexed. Bai Youwei exined with a smile, ¡°Ya Chaohui and I each won 14 pieces in the preliminarypetition. Tan Xiao and Xiaoxin also got some, so we have enough quantity.¡±


    ¡°14?!¡± Su Man was stunned.


    This time, not only her, but Yan Qingwen and Lu Yuwen were also surprised, ¡°How did you get so many?¡±


    They all won the preliminarypetition, but whereas they only got 4 each, Su Man slightly more with 6, Bai Youwei and Ya Chaohui each got 14!


    The difference was too dramatic!


    Bai Youwei thought for a moment, then exined, ¡°It¡¯s probably because of the ¡®Doctor¡¯. He seemed to have umted a lot of puzzle pieces. After losing his eligibility to be a king in the preliminarypetition, his puzzle pieces and props were divided between us, the winners.¡±


    Understanding dawned on Yan Qingwen and the others.


    The preliminarypetition itself was a fair game, but since the number of puzzle pieces each yer had was different, disparities in rewards were inevitable.


    Just as everyone thought this topic was finished, Ya Chaohui, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up:<div>


    ¡°There¡¯s also another reason.¡±


    Everyone was taken aback and turned to look at him.


    With a slightly shy expression, Ya Chaohui spoke in a low voice, ¡°Because¡­ there were only three winners in the end. The rewards meant for five people were divided among the three of us, so of course, it seemed like more.¡±


    Somehow, after these words were spoken, the atmosphere turned cold.<div>


    Shen Mo frowned slightly, staying silent.


    Bai Youwei silently looked at Ya Chaohui, clear about what he was implying but chose not to utter a word.


    At this point, the Inspector¡¯s voice rang out again:


    ¡°The first battle willmence in a month. All kings are to maintain their health during this period, and actively recruit subjects. If needed, you may return to the rest hall at any time. I will provide you with ess to the maze.


    You will all have the opportunity to enter the maze once before each battle starts. I hope you all¡­ seize it.¡±

 Chapter 655: 655: The Maze is Important

    Chapter 655: Chapter 655: The Maze is Important


    The Inspector¡¯s words temporarily diverted Bai Youwei¡¯s thoughts from Ya Chaohui.


    Because the maze is very important.


    Not only can you obtain puzzle pieces in the maze, but you can also improve your physical ability, which is absolutely crucial in a game dominated bybat power.


    In many cases, perhaps just running a little faster, jumping a little further, exerting a little more force, can bring the victory.


    And these kings, they must be eager to improve themselves and increase the number of puzzle pieces they possess before the first battle arrives.


    Bai Youwei looked around and sure enough, everyone¡¯s expression was different.


    Even Yan Qingwen¡¯s face showed more gravity.


    The Rabbit-headed Inspector¡¯s voice was gentle, saying unhurriedly: ¡°You guys who just finished the preliminaries must really need a rest, and you need time to recruit teammates¡­ so let¡¯s start the maze privilege seven dayster.


    The rules of the maze remain the same as before. The first group to pass the maze will get 5 puzzle pieces, the second group will get 3 pieces, and the third group will get 1 piece.


    Seven dayster, as long as you are ready,e find me to activate the privilege at any time.<div>


    Of course, you can also choose not to go. After all, if you die in the maze¡­ you won¡¯t be able to continue participating in the Maze War.¡±


    Bai Youwei pursed her lips.


    How could she not go?


    Even if she doesn¡¯t participate in the Maze War, she would still go into the maze!


    She operated on the illuminating panel in front of her, choosing ¡°20¡± ¨C a confirmation interface popped up, suggesting that the ¡°20¡± battle requires ten participants.


    Without any thought, Bai Youwei pressed the confirmation button.


    The glowing panel instantly melted away, turning into a mass of light, which then wrapped around her wrist, just like a luminous wristband, firmly locked onto her wrist.


    The light-sensitive wristband was imprinted on her skin, faintly visible, with the king¡¯s mark, the countdown to the first battle, as well as the battle participants and current number of puzzle pieces she had.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    All information was clear and concise.


    ¡°See you, everyone¡­¡± The Inspector¡¯s voice was as graceful as peaceful drizzle, ¡°You will return to where you were before the preliminaries, but kings, next time, you will return directly to your own territory.¡±


    All yers disappeared from the enormous white space.


    Only the sparkling beams of light on the satellite map remained, flickering and flowing.


    ¡­


    Bai Youwei and Shen Mo returned to the side of the highway.


    Du Lai was still there.


    Teacher Chang was also there.


    Theirpanions had disappeared suddenly when they left the game together earlier. Both Du Lai and Chang Weicai were frightened and didn¡¯t dare to leave. They could only stay nearby and wait for everyone to return.


    When Bai Youwei and the others suddenly appeared, Du Lai and Chang Weicai were stunned for a while before they came back to their senses.


    Fu Miaoxue leapt into Du Lai¡¯s arms with a shout!<div>


    Tan Xiao, seeing Chang Weicai, was also excited: ¡°Old Chang! These few days I¡¯ve been starving! Got anything to eat?¡±


    Chang Weicai kept nodding and quickly turned to get food from the car: ¡°There¡¯s instant noodles, wait a moment, I¡¯ll cook it right away¡­¡±


    Without Bai Youwei¡¯s doll house, Chang Weicai had to rely on Shen Mo¡¯s supplies to survive.


    He did not eat much, and there were residential areas a bit nearby for resupply, so he has been able to manage these few days. However, not knowing why Bai Youwei and the others suddenly disappeared, and whether they were alive or dead, he couldn¡¯t help being on pins and needles.<div>


    Teacher Chang busily cooked a pot of instant noodles, found a spicy sausage stick, and cut it into thin slices to cook with the noodles. The air was filled with the savory aroma of pepper.


    Except for Fu Miaoxue, everyone has a bowl, and they gathered around the fire to finally discuss what happened after they disappeared¡ª


    They talked about the preliminaries, the Maze War, and the maze that was to open in seven days¡­

 Chapter 656: 656: Find an Opportunity to Surrender

    Chapter 656: Chapter 656: Find an Opportunity to Surrender


    After listening to everyone¡¯s story, the teacher sighed deeply:


    ¡°The road ahead is long and winding, to win all these battles, the task is arduous and the journey far exhausting!¡±


    Du Lai frowned and said to Fu Miaoxue, ¡°In the next battle, look for an opportunity to surrender.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Fu Miaoxue pouted, ¡°Isn¡¯t it good to be a king?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not.¡± Du Lai didn¡¯t indulge her as he usually did, his tone serious, ¡°If the king¡¯s puzzle is lostpletely, they will die. Surrender in the next battle, then lose the game as a subject, that way, you can be amoner andpletely withdraw from the war.¡±


    ¡°But if we win as king, we will have supreme power!¡± Fu Miaoxue scrunched her brows slightly, unwilling, ¡°At that time, we can do whatever we want, y the game or not, we can revert to being human, and resurrecting our families and friends wouldn¡¯t be difficult¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good enough as it is now,¡± Du Lai interrupted her, ¡°Let others be king, it doesn¡¯t matter if our bodies are impaired, it doesn¡¯t matter if our families and friends are gone, as long as we two are together, we can have a good life without being king. Most importantly, I don¡¯t want to see you risking yourself in any way.¡±


    Fu Miaoxue was deeply moved, holding back tears, she buried herself in Du Lai¡¯s arms, ¡°Du Lai, I love you so much!¡±


    Du Lai hugged her: ¡°I love you too.¡±


    The others: ¡°¡­¡±<div>


    These two never cared about the nces of others when they were being lovey-dovey.


    ¡°Such touching love~¡± Bai Youwei impassively threw cold water on the scene, ¡°but when yers bemoners, their puzzles and props will be confiscated. Are you sure that you two can live well in such a world without any props?¡±


    Du Lai: ¡°¡­¡±


    Fu Miaoxue frowned disapprovingly, ¡°Why are you so annoying!¡±


    Such a spoilsport!


    Bai Youwei rolled her eyes, ¡°You¡¯re even more annoying than I am.¡±


    Fu Miaoxue got angry and poked at Bai Youwei¡¯s sore spot, ¡°You cripple!¡±


    Bai Youwei retorted without courtesy, ¡°You¡¯re full of prosthetic limbs.¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Fu Miaoxue abruptly stood up, ¡°You!¡­¡±


    Seeing that a quarrel was about to start, the teacher hurriedly stood up to mediate, ¡°Ah, don¡¯t quarrel¡­ don¡¯t quarrel, Du Lai, Shen Mo, you guys intervene!¡±


    Shen Mo: ¡°¡­¡±


    Du Lai: ¡°¡­¡±


    Both boyfriends stayed silent.


    Seeing this, the teacher coughed lightly and tried to mediate, ¡°As the proverb goes, brothers should forget grudges at the sight of each other,ugh and forgive each other. We¡¯re all fellow countrymen, and now the big battle is imminent, we should help each other even more, why harm our harmony by arguing over words? Come on, sit down¡­ let¡¯s all sit down and talk¡­¡±


    Du Lai gently pulled Fu Miaoxue.


    Fu Miaoxue sat down with a huff, marking yet another grudge against Bai Youwei in her heart.


    Shen Mo calmly said, ¡°Let¡¯s get back to the game. Everyone must have noticed it by now. From the multitude of yers in the prelims, it¡¯s apparent that the puppet game has a global scope. If we want to break free from this game system, there¡¯s only one way, and that¡¯s to be the final king.


    No matter who the final king is, as long as no games emerge within their territory, the surviving people can live peacefully as before. But we all know that this possibility is slim because no one can guarantee what the person who bes the king will do to this world.


    If I were to be the king, I would hope that the world could return to its original state, and the puppet game would disappearpletely. I want to know, what kind of world would you want if you were to be the king?¡±<div>


    Fu Miaoxue scowled, ¡°Are you joking? If I were to be thest king, I would have had to endure countless life-and-death crises, and gone through a lot of hardships to finally gain supreme power. Why would I be so stupid as to let the world return to its original state? I must upy the pinnacle of power; no one must disobey my orders! Otherwise, how could I justify my efforts?¡±

 Chapter 657: 657: Seed of Evil

    Chapter 657: Chapter 657: Seed of Evil


    ¡°Understood.¡± Shen Mo nodded lightly, ¡°So, you and Du Lai are the first opponents I have to defeat.¡±


    Fu Miaoxue stared at him, speechless.


    Chang Weicai said, ¡°Xiaoshen¡¯s idea is right! Standing at the peak of power is indeed thrilling, but only momentarily, such a world is distorted, unstable!


    For everyone, for the whole world, we should work together to restore the world to its original state! To let everyone live a peaceful life!¡±


    ¡°What a grandiose speech!¡± Fu Miaoxue scoffed disdainfully, ¡°Acting so noble, as if you have no ulterior motives. Who would believe that?!! When you guys be thest kings, you might be even worse than us!¡±


    As she spoke, she noticed Bai Youwei lowering her head and immediately pointed her out, ¡°See! She is feeling guilty as I just said!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Bai Youwei raised her head, irritable, ¡°¡­Keep it down, stop bothering me!¡±


    Shen Mo calmly said: ¡°You have a point. As long as one is human, they will have their own desires. But my reason to do this is not to save all of humanity, nor is it for world peace, I just¡­don¡¯t want to be controlled.¡±


    Fu Miaoxue was stunned.


    Bai Youwei bowed her head lower.<div>


    Shen Mo said, ¡°What do you think the purpose of this game is? Establishing a series of rules, and now creating this thing called ¡®war¡¯, makes us fight each other with all our might, exposing all the extremes of human nature, likeb rats undergoing various experiments until we be nothing more than a string of data.


    The so-called ¡®maze war¡¯ may be thest of these experiments, where the ¡®king¡¯ represents the results the game seeks to validate.¡±


    Saying this, Shen Mo purposefully nced at Du Lai beside Fu Miaoxue.


    ¡°As ¡®king¡¯, if you approach this world in the mindset of ying a game, even if you win, it¡¯s the game that wins. The humans are still the losers.¡±


    Du Lai frowned but said nothing.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Professor Chang solemnly nodded his agreement, ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ the game wants to turn us into monsters. If we want to win, we have to return the will of the world back to human hands.¡±


    Professor Chang took a deep breath and asked everyone, ¡°Do you know about the news from a year ago about a college student hiring an assassin?¡±


    Everyone shook their heads.


    There¡¯s too much news on the Inte every day. Among a myriad of bizarre stories, a student hiring an assassin hardly makes a ripple.


    ¡°I was once assigned to work at that school.¡± Professor Chang said, ¡°It was an ordinary middle school with both high and low-performing students. Fights would asionally break out but they were manageable. However, eventually¡­


    A transfer student arrived at the school, a child who had been previously in a juvenile detention center. He became the school bully, enforcing a set of rules on the students. Anyone who broke these rules would be punished and had to pay a hefty fine. Many students were suffering. We teachers tried to intervene but our efforts were futile. The entire school was in a state of chaos. Students couldn¡¯t study peacefully, fights broke out all the time. If anyone shed blood during a fight, they were regarded as ¡®cool¡¯ or ¡®powerful¡¯¡­


    Later on, the headteacher and I made great efforts to contact parents, the education bureau, and other departments. We managed to expel that transfer student. We thought the school environment would improve after his departure, but it didn¡¯t¡­ not at all.¡±


    The situation in the school worsened. The bullying rules put in ce by the transfer student didn¡¯t disappear after he left. A group of students, in their struggle to be the next ¡®Boss¡¯, went so far as to hire an assassin, leading to the death of a former schoolmate!


    ¡°That child¡­ he left the seeds of evil behind.¡±

 Chapter 658: 658: As Long As Were Together

    Chapter 658: Chapter 658: As Long As We¡¯re Together


    Everyone present knew exactly what the teacher¡¯s story meant.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The game was like the transfer student who came from the juvenile detention center.


    And they, the yers, were the students struggling to survive under his rules.


    Even if they seized the position of ¡°Boss¡±, it was not a real victory, but the beginning of domestication.


    This was why Shen Mo proposed to restore the world to its original state.


    He wasn¡¯t trying to save the world out of heroism, he just didn¡¯t want to be manipted by the game.


    ¡ª¡ªHumans can choose their own destruction, but should never be enved until death.


    The atmosphere was heavy.


    The silencested for a long time, before Bai Youwei quietly spoke: ¡°Nobody really knows what happens after bing a King. Whatever the Inspector said is pure spection. The only thing we can be certain of at this point is that, within the King¡¯s domain, these games do not exist. Therefore, let¡¯s think about how to fight the next battle. As for the rest¡­ we can talk about itter.¡±


    The topic was closed.<div>


    The teacher tried his best to lighten the mood a bit. He chatted about dinner, the weather, and the future development of the city, all sorts of grand yet hollow topics. Others cooperated with him, intermittently speaking for a while, but it was clear everyone was preupied.


    ¡­That night, everyone¡¯s mood was inevitably depressed. Except for Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin, who slept without the burden of anxiety, others were somewhat insomniac.


    Since Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue were also there, Bai Youwei did not open the dollhouse, but only had Shen Mo bring out two quilts toy inside the tent.


    When they were about to lie down, Shen Mo held her by the waist from behind, whispering: ¡°You didn¡¯t seem to say much before.¡±


    Bai Youwei stopped.


    She indeed hadn¡¯t said much¡­


    What should she say?


    That she had been domesticated? That she had gotten used to the rules and was enjoying them?


    Bai Youwei closed her eyes and murmured, ¡°Maybe I¡¯m just tired.¡±


    Shen Mo remained silent for a while at her words, held her andid down, cradling her in his arms.


    The warm quilt enveloped both of them, the glow of the campfire flickering in the tent illuminated them. Shen Mo slightly tightened his arm.


    His jaw rested on top of her head, gently rubbing it. He whispered, ¡°Indeed, really tired¡­.We were in there for almost three days, never getting a chance to rest. Who knows how the Inspector will n the next battle. If it¡¯s this exhausting, we need to prepare food and water in advance.¡±


    Mentioning the game, Bai Youwei came to her senses, ¡°¡­There¡¯s no need to, is there? Our chosen Battle 20 shouldn¡¯t involve other yers.¡±


    She calcted: ¡°The participation requirement for Battle 20 is more than ten persons, which means the King has to recruit at least 9 subjects to meet the battle requirements. Moreover, 20 jigsaw puzzles plus 9 for recruiting subjects, add 2 for upying the territory, and one more as a backup¡­all in all, a King needs to hold 32 puzzles to choose Battle 20.¡±


    Aside from Bai Youwei and Shen Mo, it was doubtful if any of the current 26 Kings had that many puzzles.


    Even if they did, it would be highly unlikely that they would choose Battle 20, which requires the most participants, for the first battle.


    Listening to her talking about the game details, Shen Mo¡¯s lips twitched into a slight smile. He moved aside her long, smooth hair, revealing her slender neck, then gently pressed against it¡­


    ¡°Do you know¡­¡± He spoke in a low voice, ¡°Du Lai just said, let others be the King, it doesn¡¯t matter if our bodies are iplete, it doesn¡¯t matter if our friends and family are not with us, as long as we are together, we can still live a good life without being King¡­those are also the words I want to say to you.¡±


    Bai Youwei felt stirred.<div>


    She should feel sweetness and warmth, but for some unknown reasons, a chilling sensation was gradually creeping up from the bottom of her heart.

 Chapter 659: 659: Returning to the Base

    Chapter 659: Chapter 659: Returning to the Base


    How could she possibly not care?


    How could she possibly be okay?


    Bai Youwei knew the answer deep within her heart.


    Even if Shen Mo did not mind her leg, they would not have a happy ending because the disease did not only hurt her body but also her spirit and will!


    How could he possibly continue to love her when she became despicable, sensitive, dark and selfish? Even her own mother couldn¡¯t bear her and left her to a nanny, how many feelings could Shen Mo spend on her?


    ¡ª¡ªWhy can¡¯t she be more positive, more optimistic, stronger?


    It¡¯s like a wealthy man asking a destitute scavenger: Really? As long as you work hard and use your brain, you will definitely make more money, why suffer for this little money?


    Conclusion: All nonsense.


    If change was that easy, then where would all the pain in lifee from?


    Bai Youwei closed her sore eyes, gently turned around, faced Shen Mo, and burrowed into his chest.<div>


    ¡°I want to sleep.¡± She said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Hold me ¡­¡±


    Shen Mo held her.


    She continued: ¡°Hold me a bit tighter ¡­¡±


    Shen Mo¡¯s thin smile curled up, as he hugged her tighter, ¡°Is it tight enough now?¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡­tight enough.¡± With her eyes closed, Bai Youwei softly said, ¡°Goodnight.¡±


    ¡°Goodnight.¡±


    ¡­


    The next day, they returned to Shanghai by car.


    As they hadn¡¯t been in a rush, they¡¯d taken a couple of rests along the way, not reaching Shanghai until after dark.


    The sight in the city was shocking.


    For the streetlights along the roads were all brightly lit!


    They had electricity.


    Everyone found it incredulous, gazing out the window, unable to believe their eyes, repeatedly confirming whether those lights were candles or props?


    It wasn¡¯t until they saw Yan Qingwen who hade to meet them and had a careful inquiry that everyone believed that the city had indeed returned to its original state.


    The vanished electricity and signals had all returned.


    They finally truly felt the significance of King taking over the territory.


    Bai Youwei didn¡¯t exactly like the word ¡°take over¡±, because thisnd never belonged to anybody, or in other words, it belonged to each and every person living here.


    She felt it would be better to change the word, for example, ¡°reim¡±.


    Reiming their world from the hands of death game.<div>


    Yan Qingwen said: ¡°We knew you¡¯d be back today, so we¡¯ve been waiting here since the morning. Professor Song is eager to see you.¡±


    Shen Mo asked him: ¡°How¡¯s the situation in the city?¡±


    ¡°The areas covered by the puzzle pieces have all returned to normal.¡± Yan Qingwen looked at the lights on the side of the road and sighed, ¡°As you can see, all the electricity systems are running normally, there are signals, and a temporarywork has been set up to meet basicmunication needs¡­ Some people who fled to the countryside for refuge have returned and there are quite a few people in the city now.¡±


    He paused and then added: ¡°But we might not be able to keep them here. More people could lead to chaos, and food supply is also a problem. Unlike the countryside, the city cannot sustain itself.¡±<div>


    Du Lai asked: ¡°Do we need to see Professor Song too?¡±


    ¡°Everyone should.¡± Yan Qingwen looked at Fu Miaoxue standing by his side, ¡°Both King and citizens should probably go and see what Professor Song has found.¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    What thing?


    Everyone looking at each other with confusion then followed Yan Qingwen to the base headquarters.


    ¡­


    With the return of electricity, the conditions at the base were much improved. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo entered the brightly lit building and saw a lot of new equipment and facilities.


    Now that the puzzle pieces had connected cities like Nanjing, Shanghai, and Hangzhou, there were a lot more ways to acquire research equipment. They no longer needed to worry about the supply transport teams encountering the death games on the road.


    Outside Professor Song¡¯sb, there were security personnel on guard.


    They must have been informed beforehand. Seeing Yan Qingwening back with people, the security personnel automatically opened the door.


    Inside the door, there were countlessputers, instruments and various disy screens.


    And all the screens were frozen on the same image¡ª¡ª


    It was a diamond-shaped geometric figure floating in the air.


    <div>

 Chapter 660: 660 Diamond Diamond

    Chapter 660: Chapter 660 Diamond Diamond


    The white diamond-shaped geometric body gave Bai Youwei an inexplicable sense of familiarity.


    But she should have seen this thing for the first time.


    ¡°You¡¯re all here,¡± Professor Song¡¯s voice echoed in the room.


    Everyone looked towards the sound to see Professor Song hunched over his work behind aputer.


    He looked older than before with a hoarse and weak voice, and his eyes were bloodshot from overwork. His health condition gave cause for concern.


    ¡°These instruments and devices were brought in as soon as power was restored, but they¡¯ve been of no use. After discovering this item, no form of survey could yield any results,¡± Professor Song, staring at the diamond on the screen, said slowly. ¡°That¡¯s all we can do¡­¡±


    Shen Mo looked at it and said, ¡°The power has been restored for less than two days. Isn¡¯t it too early to draw conclusions? If we continue the investigation, there may be new findings.¡±


    Professor Song shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s pointless. Apart from its visibility, this diamond object cannot be detected in any other way. It has no gravity, no mass, no sound¡­ maic field, electromaic wave, thermal energy, radiation, all of these, it has none. It¡¯s as if it doesn¡¯t exist.¡±


    He spoke quickly, panting. His trembling fingers tapped the screen, ¡°This is not a product of human civilization. If we can figure out what it is, we may be able to unlock the key to the world¡¯s anomalies. I called you here because I hoped you could provide rted clues¡­ Have any of you seen anything simr in the game?¡±


    Everyone was silent.<div>


    No one had seen this thing before.


    Bai Youwei stared at the screen, saying, ¡°Can it be magnified?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Professor Song worked on theputer, his voice hoarse. ¡°After magnification, you can see that the object isposed of countless cubes. The internal structure is unclear, it¡¯s white on the outside, can reflect all colors of light, yet we can¡¯t detect any physical substance.¡±


    Bai Youwei thought for a moment, then turned to Shen Mo, ¡°The ce where we stayed, the rest hall, was also a white square.¡±


    When she mentioned this, others also realized the connection.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just a white square, the walls and floor tiles of the rest hall are also squares,¡± Yan Qingwen pointed out.


    He paused before adding, ¡°When we leave the game, we pass through a glowing passage, which is also square-shaped.¡±


    Everyone exchanged looks.


    After a while, Tan Xiao asked in a daze, ¡°¡­You mean we are in this diamond?¡±


    Everyone was silent.


    It was a highly probable yet absurd theory.


    If the rest hall was a cube, then was every game they experienced a cube as well?


    Countless cubes, countless games, this unidentifiable diamond-shaped object, selecting yers around the world; what was its purpose?


    Professor Song dropped his head, letting out a hoarse, dryugh.


    The game had taken away his loved ones and his life. With his time running out, he devoted all his energy and effort to uncovering the truth before death arrived. But in the end, he was still helpless.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Many things could not be achieved by effort alone.


    With his current capabilities and conditions, it was very difficult to uncover the secrets of the doll game.


    ¡°Perhaps only by bing the final King, can one enter the core of the diamond.¡± Professor Song gave a bitter smile, looking at the young people before him.


    Among them were soldiers, youngdies, misfits, middle school teachers, elementary school students, street performers¡­ Who would have thought that the future of the world would be entrusted to such a group of people?<div>


    ¡°The rest is up to you,¡± Professor Song looked at them. ¡°If you need anything, contact Chu Huaijin. I, as an old man, can¡¯t help much anymore¡­¡±

 Chapter 661: 661: Headquarters Headquarters

    Chapter 661: Chapter 661: Headquarters Headquarters


    As the chief-in-charge of the base, Chu Huaijin prepared a building for the yers who signed up for the King.


    A building named King¡¯s Headquarters.


    The name sounds a bit childish, but Chu Huaijin has his own reasons.


    ¡ª¡ªAlthough the Kingspete with each other, when viewed in the context of the whole country, even the whole world, a King should get the best resources to cope with the brutal battles that lie ahead.


    He earnestly met with Bai Youwei, Shen Mo, Yan Qingwen, as well as Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue, hoping they would ept his arrangement.


    The building had a total of 32 floors, equipped with a restaurant, conference room, gym, training room,bat arena, indoor swimming pool, and rooftop garden, etc.


    All the daily living facilities were of the highest standard, with a strict security system. There were also trainers to help them enhance their physical ability and teach them professionalbat and fighting skills to deal with all kinds of crises in the game.


    Considering theplexity of the game, Chu Huaijin invited several instruction teachers to help yers improve their spatial reasoning, logical thinking, memory enhancement, and other abilities.


    Furthermore, Chu Huaijin nned to recruit excellent yers, centralized training ns, offer the King a selection of soldier candidates so that the King isn¡¯t short of people during battles.


    There was a lot to do. The King¡¯s Headquarters could only be improved slowly in the future.<div>


    Bai Youwei was touched somewhat.


    Whether it was Professor Song or Chu Huaijin, although they did not participate in the Maze War directly, they were fighting in their own way.


    During their tour of King¡¯s Headquarters, one floor was dedicated to data analysis, where a dozen youths were working on data analysis.


    Although the number of people was notrge, they were very busy at work.


    Curious, Bai Youwei picked up an analysis report, that read:


    Inspector Sphere ¡ª¡ª


    87.35% of games have aggressive animals or monsters;


    76.23% of games revolve around physical ability and reasoning;


    98.91% of games consist of more than ten yers;


    92.65% of gamesst less than 72 hours¡­


    ¡­


    Chu Huaijin exined, ¡°This was Yan Qingwen¡¯s idea to analyze andpare each inspector¡¯s game to derive data results. This way, we can be prepared before the battle starts. Now that we have restored power, relieving a greatputing pressure, I hope these data wille in handy.¡±


    Bai Youwei nodded thoughtfully.


    She still remembered that when choosing a battle, each one had a 3D holographic projection of an inspector. Battle 1 had the Clown, Battle 5 had the Comic Man, Battle 10 had the Sphere, and Battle 20 had the Grey-robed Elderly Man.


    Yan Qingwen¡¯s aim was clear, collect as much game information as possible and analyze the game characteristics of these four.


    For instance, in the Sphere¡¯s battle, they needed to prepare wound medicine and high-attack tools. For the Grey-robed Elderly Man¡¯s game, which leaned towards knowledge-type, they needed to find allies with a rich knowledge reserve.


    King¡¯s Headquarters took everything into ount. Either considering Chu Huaijin¡¯s intention or the tangible benefits ced before her eyes, Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t find a reason to refuse.


    In the end, they all moved in.


    After Ya Chaohui moved in, he got a bit of his spirit back, no longer sulky, perhaps because the whole setting and standard of the headquarters made him feel like he was back in the organization.<div>


    Teacher Cheng, however, was a bit unsettled. He felt that he wasn¡¯t qualified, staying in such a ce seemed somewhat improper. He was more at ease in the Doll House. But he was also aware that frequently entering and exiting the Doll House was pretty unsafe.


    Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin adapted pretty quickly. Every day, they trained their physical ability and exercised logical thinking with the instruction teachers. Regardless of progress, at least they were working toward an aim.


    Yan Qingwen, Lu Yuwen, Su Man, and Zhu Shu also moved in.


    Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue were not so sociable. Although they lived on the same floor, they seldom showed up. Du Lai was asionally seen in the restaurant.<div>


    But considering Fu Miaoxue¡¯s special circumstance, it was understandable. She was a doll, didn¡¯t need to eat, nor train her physical ability, so she naturally stayed in her room every day.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Like this, a week passed quickly.

 Chapter 662: 662: Complain Complain

    Chapter 662: Chapter 662: Comin Comin


    The opening of maze privilege will be in a week.


    Bai Youwei believes that all the yers who are ready will make their way through the maze as soon as they can, because only the first batch of yers who manage to pass through can receive 5 puzzle pieces.


    Also, the maze is a way to improve physical strength, so it¡¯s a vital opportunity for the king and his subjects.


    Yan Qingwen is preparing to take Lu Yuwen, Su Man, and Zhu Shu with him, and they¡¯ve been packing since early in the morning.


    Su Man¡¯s parents and Li Li have alle to see them off, and Zhu Shu is pretty popr in the base, so quite a number of people from the evaluation and security teams have arrived as well.


    A group of people areughing and bidding farewell to each other, it¡¯s lively all around.


    Things are much quieter over at Bai Youwei¡¯s.


    That¡¯s because Shen Mo went to see his fatherst night. Given the dangerous nature of the maze, it¡¯s quite understandable that he wanted to say goodbye to his family, but Bai Youwei has been waiting for him for a really long time, and he only came back at noon.


    Is he only going to return after lunch?


    She has things on her mind and seems listless, even Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin are trying not to disturb her,<div>


    Just then Fu Miaoxue sneaks into her room, half-sticking out from the half-open door and gesturing to Bai Youwei, ¡°Hey, do you want to know where your boyfriend is?¡±


    Bai Youwei frowns, ¡°Fu Miaoxue, what are you up to?¡±


    ¡°Come quick, hurry!¡± Fu Miaoxue urged.


    Bai Youwei slides her wheelchair over hesitantly, ¡°What is going on¡­¡±


    Fu Miaoxue: ¡°You will see when we get there.¡±


    She takes Bai Youwei down in the elevator to the conference room.


    Du Lai is guarding the entrance to the conference room.


    ¡°How¡¯s things? Is he still inside?¡± Fu Miaoxue asked, a little excited as she sidled up to Du Lai.


    Du Lai nodded quietly, handed her a pair of earphones.


    Fu Miaoxue epted it and promptly put an earbud in Bai Youwei¡¯s ear.


    Bai Youwei was taken aback, then she heard Shen Mo¡¯s voice from the earphone¡ª


    ¡°¡­ If we¡¯re talking about suitability, I¡¯d wager none of us here ispletely suitable. She can be the king not because she¡¯s suitable, but because she wants to.¡±


    ¡°So she can do whatever she wants just because she wants to? Sir, I admit, she¡¯s very clever, but is she really fit to lead this team? ¡­ I think she¡¯s myopic and over-ambitious, willing to do anything to achieve her goals, with no regard for other people¡¯s lives. Having her as our king will cause us trouble sooner orter.¡± This was Ya Chaohui¡¯s voice.


    Bai Youwei was vaguely aware.


    What does this mean?


    ¡­ Is this a covert report? She should¡¯ve known that Fang Yu¡¯s death would have left Ya Chaohui filled with resentment, sure enough, he bears a grudge.


    Then she heard Shen Mo say, ¡°We¡¯re talking about two different things ¡­ I understand that Fang Yu¡¯s death has left you in a rut. If you don¡¯t like this, you can stay behind tomorrow, you don¡¯t have to force yourself to enter the maze with us ¡­¡±


    Bai Youwei was agitated, she took the earphones off and cast a cold nce at Fu Miaoxue, ¡°Does stirring trouble gives you an immense satisfaction?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely, it does~¡± Fu Miaoxue tilted her head and smiled, ¡°I¡¯m quite vindictive, whoever annoys me, I¡¯ll make them a hundred times more miserable! How about that? Are you feeling upset? Wronged? Want to cry?¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om<div>


    ¡°Psychopath!¡± Bai Youwei threw the earphone, intending to leave. She didn¡¯t want Shen Mo to find her eavesdropping outside, it was simply degrading!


    Fu Miaoxue chased after her from behind, grabbed the handle of her wheelchair, and whispered in her ear, ¡°Bai Youwei, the biggest difference between you and me is, Du Lai only has me, but how many people are behind Shen Mo? Have you ever counted? Can you handle all of them? Can you make them all ept you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s voice was icy; her eyes stared straight ahead, ¡°I don¡¯t need anyone to ept me.¡±


    She slid her wheelchair away.<div>


    Du Lai helplessly walked over to Fu Miaoxue and sighed, ¡°Feel better now?¡±


    ¡°Somewhat~¡± Fu Miaoxue haughtily hmphed, ¡°Who asked her to call me a cripple.¡±


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