Chapter 50

Chapter 50

Just passing through the hallway where the brutal fight had taken place, with blood splattered everywhere and two dead streamers lying around, it was really inconvenient to stay any longer.

Xi Yu finally calmed his intense heartbeat, supporting his injured right arm as he stood up and said, "Mo Yi, thank you for your help. I'll return this favor when I get the chance."

"Favor?" Mo Yi's voice came with a cold tone, as he furrowed his brow tightly. "No need!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he took the bandage from Xu Tu’s hand with force and staggered away.

Xi Yu wasn’t emotionally clueless; he could tell that Mo Yi’s help was sincere and without expecting anything in return. This precious sacrifice was definitely made because of the bond from two years ago. But... did it really have anything to do with him?

While he was contemplating, Luo Xi started impatiently urging, "Hurry up, are you just going to wait here to be caught?"

Xu Tu sensed the heavy atmosphere and couldn’t help but look around nervously.

The good-natured Bai Qi immediately responded, "Right, we got the black military gear. Let’s go."

Xi Yu nodded and stepped forward, catching up to Luo Xi while softly asking, "Is your injury okay?"

Luo Xi already looked bad, and hearing this only made him more displeased. "I’m not going to die."

Xi Yu felt relieved and nodded, struggling to bandage his arm while thinking about the next steps. "Leaving Mu Yuan around is definitely a trouble, but that Luo Er is really hard to deal with. I saw you... with her..."

"I can handle a woman. Next time, I’ll just take care of her directly," Luo Xi continued, annoyed.

"What's wrong with women? Luo Er can take on both of you, Boss. The way you’re talking is a bit like a typical straight man," Xu Tu hummed from behind, then mumbled, "It's just because Xi Yu went to check on Mo Yi first. Full of jealousy... I'm just saying, if Mo Yi hadn't shown up, the outcome might not have been the same."

Bai Qi didn’t know what had gotten into her suddenly, and he coughed nervously. "Tuzi, you should say less. Thankfully, everyone’s alright."

Xi Yu looked at Luo Xi with surprise. "What’s wrong with caring about Mo Yi?"

Luo Xi replied, "I didn’t say anything. Ask whoever said it, it’s got nothing to do with me."

Xu Tu almost burst out laughing.

Xi Yu’s straightforwardness always appeared at unexpected moments. He blinked and said, "Mo Yi is an outsider. He's neither family nor close, but still, he deserves a thank you, right?"

Luo Xi’s expression instantly became even stranger, but his gaze quickly returned to normal.

Xu Tu quickly asked, "So, Boss, am I considered an insider?""...This was planned by both of us, so whatever the result, we’ll bear it together," Xi Yu changed the topic. "By the way, when are we going to check the cryogenic storage?"

Bai Qi was about to give his opinion when the voice of the female officer suddenly echoed through the entire ship again, "Soldiers, please head to the hall immediately after hearing this message. Captain Bai Sen is waiting for everyone there! Attendance is mandatory!"

"Let’s go, this is a good chance to see the condition of all the streamers," Luo Xi instructed. "Pay attention to the 200 people who were eliminated, see if there’s any common characteristic."

At this point, there were only fourteen hours remaining until midnight.

Would the next purge be this safe?

Without clear rules, they wouldn’t know when the sword would fall upon them.

Xi Yu and the others nodded, instantly letting go of all their previous emotions, turning around and walking briskly toward the hall.

The spacious area, crowded with all the surviving streamers, was filled with noise. But with the naked eye, it was easy to see that the numbers had drastically decreased, and more than half of the streamers were visibly injured to varying degrees. After brushing past each other, the mixed smell of blood and disinfectant alcohol fermented in the air, making it extremely pungent.

As everyone gradually settled down, the lights slowly dimmed.

After a bit of reconnaissance, Xu Tu returned to her seat, reporting softly, "I asked a lot of acquaintances, and it seems all those who were eliminated had been on a warship before. But two-thirds of the streamers participated in the battle this time, so we can’t be sure that fighting against the bandits was wrong. And if we couldn’t fight the bandits, Mu Yuan should’ve been eliminated a long time ago."

"Got it, let’s listen to what the captain has to say," Luo Xi replied calmly.

As the central stage was illuminated, Bai Sen, tall and elegant, appeared next to the microphone.

His tone and expression were solemn as he spoke: "This morning’s incident with the cryogenic storage being breached—Vice Captain Hua has already informed everyone. I’m deeply shocked and disturbed by this news! Escorting these 50,000 humans to the B16 planet is our most important mission. If something happens to them, what value is there in us surviving?!"

...Who cares about the illusory honor and NPCs? The streamers present had no empathy, and the hall was eerily silent.

Bai Sen grew angry as he continued: "Although I have already repaired the cryogenic storage door and sent capable assistants to guard it, the spy who infiltrated the Star River ship has still not been found! If any of you have any suspicious information, feel free to report it directly to me. I will be in the war room awaiting the investigation results today!"

Luo Xi, rubbing his lips, murmured, "From what I observed on the battlefield, the bandit spy is likely also human. But how to identify them… I have no clue."

Xu Tu nudged Xi Yu. "Could it be that armored man we met on our first night?"

Xi Yu pondered. "It’s very possible. After all, aside from him, I haven’t seen any NPCs dressed like that."

At this point, Bai Sen continued to speak in a righteous tone, "Furthermore, in the past few days, there have been a lot of rumors circulating on the Star River ship, including that the insect race is eating humans. These rumors have even reached my ears. I never imagined that you’d all be so cowardly!"

At this moment, a deep blue holographic image appeared beside him, showing the terrifying giant insect that Xi Yu had seen twice before.Bai Sen sighed: "The creatures commonly known as the Insect Race come from the distant Avada Planet. Although they look terrifying, their physical strength, intelligence, and technological prowess far surpass ours. As early as 134 years ago, the Insect Race led their fleet to conquer Earth. Since then, we survivors have been scattered across the corners of the galaxy, with no place to call home. This is an ancient history, well-known to everyone! Today, with the help of General Xing Tian, we have gathered on the Star River ship, and our mission is to transport 50,000 human elites from the Cyber Space Station to the new hope-filled B16. What an honorable mission! How can you let the fear of the Insect Race's attacks cause panic and hesitation?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Tu made a face as if seeing a ghost: "Huh? The game has such a tragic history, and you only mention it now? Why didn't you bring it up on the first day?"

Bai Qi: "Who knows what's true, but at least it reveals some information."

Xi Yu softly said, "Hmm, first, the players are actually mercenaries wandering in space; second, the financier for this transport mission is General Xing Tian; third, the so-called 50,000 frozen humans were all transported from the human survivor base."

Luo Xi chuckled: "No rush, let’s keep listening."

By the time Bai Sen finished speaking, the projection of the Insect Race beside him had turned into the appearance of a normal human through an animation.

The captain sighed long and hard: "It is shameful to admit, but although our home, which we depended on for survival, has long been taken away, we have very little understanding of our enemy. It wasn’t until last August that we obtained concrete evidence showing that the Insect Race’s genes hide powerful adaptive and mimicry abilities. They can learn and disguise themselves as other space creatures, including humans! So when I heard the rumors about the Insect Race these past two days, I had reason to suspect that the bandits who have been rampaging across the galaxy and committing countless crimes may have members of the Insect Race among them. In the first two attacks, they successfully breached the western defenses of the Star River ship and infiltrated us. They are not only hiding in the shadows, threatening our safety, but also have ambitions to control the Star River ship and take the 50,000 humans!"

After saying this, he took a deep breath: "As captain, I have the responsibility to face this crisis with all of you. So from now on, we have deployed additional guards from the General’s elite squad throughout the ship. If you encounter danger or spot the Insect Race, please immediately seek help from the guard squad!"

The streamers, who had been kept in the dark from the beginning, finally received some fresh information after hearing this. Some began clapping, offering the NPC some courtesy.

Bai Sen composed himself for a moment and smiled again: "Although the situation is not optimistic, rewards are still necessary. Since everyone is gathered here now, I’ll give out the rewards ahead of time. Next, I will commend the brave soldiers for their achievements in last night’s defense battle!"

When his words finished, the applause from the streamers became heartfelt.

After all, in an environment where their lives were not guaranteed, receiving weapons was the greatest source of security.

In last night's second round of air combat, Luo Xi had been busy circling around the bandits, Bai Qi had been slacking off, and Xu Tu, who had gone for a "sightseeing" tour, gained nothing. Therefore, they had nothing to do with the rewards. The four of them still only had two military knives, standing out as particularly unremarkable among the streamers.

After some excitement, the crowd finally dispersed, some rejoicing, some lamenting.

Xi Yu looked at the female officer still accompanying Bai Sen and immediately said, "I’ll go talk to the NPC. You all wait here for a moment."

Xu Tu: "Be careful!"

Xi Yu responded with a promise and quickly ran after the NPC's team.

Bai Sen and the female officer were surrounded by many soldiers in black, their steps coordinated, and the momentum as they passed through the corridor was naturally imposing.

Catching up to them, Xi Yu raised his voice and called, "Report!"

Bai Sen stopped and turned around, smiling: "What is it, soldier? Do you have news about the bandit spy to report to me?"Xi Yu shook his head: "I was attacked by the Insect Race last night. Thanks to the protection of the vice-captain, I barely survived. I want to thank her!"

The beautiful female NPC finally spoke: "There's no need, take care of yourself."

Xi Yu wanted to dismiss Bai Sen, but Bai Sen showed no sign of leaving. In fact, he even gave him an interested look, so Xi Yu could only ask: "Vice-captain, I am just a small soldier, I never expected you would offer your help."

The beautiful female officer smiled: "We are all here to protect the Star River ship, regardless of status. I hope you continue to work hard."

"I will." Xi Yu saluted: "May I know your name?"

The beautiful officer nodded: "My name is Hua Cai."

Bai Sen: "Alright, I know Vice-captain Hua’s charm is extraordinary, but this is not the time for you two to flirt."

Hua Cai smiled and winked at Xi Yu: "I still have military duties, but if you find any spies, be sure to report to me immediately. Consider this encouragement for you."

As she spoke, she took off a flower-shaped golden medal from her chest and pinned it to Xi Yu’s chest.

Xi Yu saluted again, watching as they walked away.

Although Hua Cai mostly spoke in official terms, she emphasized "report to me" instead of "report to the captain." Could there be something hidden behind that?

Also… Hua Cai had said something similar last night. Was she afraid that the rumored spy might fall into the captain’s hands?

Xi Yu realized that he might have stumbled upon an important clue, but unfortunately, he had no idea about any spies. For now, he could only drop the thought and turn to rejoin his companions.

Time waits for no one. After all, the selection event was full of enthusiastic streamers, and they couldn't afford to waste even a moment when it came to progressing in the game.

Once reunited, the small group of four quickly began to take action.

To avoid Mu Yuan's counterattack, Xu Tu led them through a remote passage, finding a small restroom where they could change into the newly acquired black military uniforms.

When they reappeared, they looked just like ordinary black-clad soldiers, except they didn't have any firearms.

Xi Yu looked at Xu Tu's flat figure: "How come you..."

Xu Tu grinned mischievously: "Women are made of water; we can wear whatever we want. If you're curious, I can show you?"

"Stop joking!!!" Bai Qi immediately felt a headache.Xi Yu felt helpless. Since he was the only one who had infiltrated the underground, he took the initiative and said, "The guards may look fierce, but they don't know each other and aren't very attentive. It's completely possible to trick them without a fight. Just make sure not to act impulsively later on."

"Of course," Bai Qi nodded. "Now that both you and the boss are injured, we'll avoid fighting if we can."

Luo Xi adjusted the bloody bandage around his neck: "We need to be flexible. Let's go."

Xu Tu quickly pointed out the direction: "This way!"

No matter how advanced the technology aboard the Star River ship was, the guards couldn’t have repaired the elevator entrance that had been wrecked by the giant insect overnight.

By the time the four of them sneaked nearby, they found that the number of guards had already increased, but there was only a simple makeshift ladder leading down, with no more security card barriers.

Xu Tu squatted around the corner and winked: "Twenty guards. Direct assault isn't a good idea. How about I set another fire?"

Luo Xi pulled out a small round ball: "I took this from a fighter jet. It's pretty explosive."

Just then, a huge crash and a girl's scream suddenly came from the end of the corridor!

The unbearable stench spread rapidly.

Xi Yu frowned: "Insect race!"

"Perfect timing. You wait here, I'll cause some chaos." Luo Xi grabbed a knife and prepared to head out.

Xi Yu quickly said, "I'll go with you."

Luo Xi disdainfully replied, "First, take care of your own injury. I don’t want to be distracted while protecting you."

With that, he followed the guards, moving swiftly toward the sound of the commotion.

"You need to learn to trust everyone," Xu Tu winked at Xi Yu. "There are only six guards left. How about we clear them out first, then wait for the boss?"

Meanwhile, Luo Xi, who was finally free to act on his own, moved without hesitation. He closely followed the black-clad soldiers to the scene, where he saw a giant insect with at least sixteen legs wreaking havoc in the narrow corridor!

The silver walls and floor were completely stained with blood, and a few streamers who had managed to escape from its massive claws were already trembling in fear. Among them was the twin-tailed goddess, Fei Ling!

Luo Xi leaned against the wall, not rushing into action.

The lead black-clad soldier angrily gave an order: "Quick, catch this madman!"The other soldiers immediately obeyed the order, with several carrying electric net guns attempting to capture the rampaging long insect!

But the massive insect seemed impervious to pain. Despite half of its body being ensnared by the continuously electrified net, it kept struggling, emitting an incomprehensible shriek, causing the entire corridor to shake!

The soldier leader scanned with a high-tech wristwatch and said firmly, "It's done for, the spine is damaged! Kill it on the spot!"

Fei Ling, with one leg crippled, struggled to crawl through the pool of blood.

Seeing the insect's sharp claws about to strike her, Luo Xi furrowed his brow and, with lightning speed, lunged forward, pulling Fei Ling away forcefully and lifting her up. "Run east! Hurry!"

Fei Ling, gasping for breath, leaned on her injured leg, her eyes teary: "Thank you..."

Luo Xi had no time for conversation. He saw that the insect and the black-clad NPCs were fully occupied with each other, recognizing that it was the perfect opportunity to go downstairs. He saved his small bomb and immediately turned to leave.

Fei Ling stumbled, trying to follow him, but was ruthlessly left behind, only able to grit her teeth and flee in the direction Luo Xi had indicated.

In just three minutes, the elevator entrance, which had just been peaceful, had become a crime scene once again.

When Luo Xi arrived, he saw Xu Tu kill the last soldier.

He immediately shared the information: "It's fine, a centipede-like insect has them all tangled up. Let's head down first."

Xi Yu picked up a gun from the ground: "The game should limit how the streamers obtain weapons. This thing requires identity verification; just carry it to look the part."

"Mm." Xu Tu adjusted his military hat and, with a wink, said: "Let's go!"

The elevator entrance downstairs was also crowded with guards.

Having deceived them once already, Xi Yu immediately lied: "There's a..."

"Oh my god, what's this about the spine being damaged?" Luo Xi quickly interrupted him, vaguely saying: "It's out of control, it killed several mercenaries. We can't handle it, the captain sent you to assist."

The guards exchanged glances, and soon one of them impatiently spoke up: "Never a peaceful day, this is so annoying. Go, bring more electric net guns to suppress it!"

Luo Xi exaggerated: "The captain said to kill it. It wouldn't be good to let it live, would it?"

The guard grew even angrier: "Nonsense! Go check it out!"

With that, several black-clad soldiers followed him into the elevator shaft.Xi Yu winked at Luo Xi and pointed to the flower-shaped medal on his chest, saying, "The spy has news. Hua Cai is going to accompany the captain in the war room. Let's go report to the general."

The guard furrowed his brow: "The general is sleeping at this time."

Xi Yu: "That's fine, we'll just wait a little longer."

With that, he led the team confidently toward the stairs.

The guard muttered behind them: "It was that kid last night... he hooked up with Hua Cai so quickly, moving fast, huh?"

Another guard chuckled: "Who cares, that woman is just a toy for the general."

Luo Xi frowned, eavesdropping. Once they were out of earshot of the NPCs, he immediately asked, "Hua Cai is the announcer, right?"

"She's clearly the vice-captain, and you’re jealous of an NPC?" Xu Tu couldn't help but comment.

Luo Xi gave her a cold glance and replied, "I just feel something's off."

Xi Yu had the same doubt in his mind, quietly smiling: "It seems like only the human cryo-chamber can answer our questions now."

This time, Xu Tu, the map expert, led the way. The four-person team quickly found the entrance to the cryo-chamber that occupied half the floor.

Although they encountered a few groups of black-clad soldiers along the way, with the help of the Hua Cai medal, they managed to brush past them safely.

Xu Tu, while peeking at the entrance, said: "Hmph, I bet NPC behavior triggers are based on appearance scores. With so many streamers, why did the vice-captain give the prop to little Xi Yu?"

Xi Yu: "…Thanks, but that kind of compliment doesn't make me happy."

"Why?" Xu Tu blinked: "My lifelong dream is to be a big vase!"

Luo Xi frowned: "Stop messing around. A Qi, go find a place up ahead to blow up, make those guards scatter."

Bai Qi was always obedient to him and without hesitation took the metal ball and ran off.

Xu Tu crouched down, holding her knee: "Did you notice? Besides the black-clad soldiers, the one inside is a new NPC. This door isn't so easy to approach."

They had, of course, noticed immediately. A four-eyed old man in a white lab coat was standing in the center of the black-clad guards. His graying hair was in disarray as he muttered and paced in place.

Xi Yu whispered: "There must be a checkpoint, but we can't get in, and no one else can either."Xu Tu laughed: "Your confidence is on par with the boss."

As soon as the words left her mouth, a thunderous explosion came from the west side of the corridor. In an instant, flames shot down the hallway for over ten meters, and the acrid smell of burnt circuits quickly spread!

The accident happened suddenly. The black-clad soldiers guarding the cryo-chamber were immediately shocked and naturally scattered to deal with the disaster.

Soon, Bai Qi rushed back, adjusting his golden-rimmed glasses, and said, "I didn't expect the power to be so strong indoors."

Luo Xi smiled faintly: "There are still more than ten guards left. Fighting might not be reliable. I'll go probe first."

"No, no, please, send someone with higher charisma!" Xu Tu immediately grabbed him without mercy and then gave Xi Yu a pleading look.

Luo Xi: "…"

Xi Yu stood up helplessly, holding the laser gun he couldn’t use, and walked confidently toward the cryo-chamber door.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

Sure enough, a cold guard was the first to question and stop him.

Xi Yu repeated his old trick: "The captain and Hua Cai are busy in the war room. They asked me to check the safety of the cryo-chamber."

The four-eyed old man, who had been muttering to himself, unhappily said, "I’m guarding here. No one can break into the cryo-chamber unless the starship explodes!"

Xi Yu smiled: "That’s only natural, but I must go in to check and report back. It’s my job."

The old man glanced at his medal: "Did Hua Cai really send you?"

At this moment, Xi Yu couldn't back down, so he nodded.

Unexpectedly, the old man showed a sly smile: "I’ve already told Hua Cai how to get into the cryo-chamber. I’m sure she told you too, right?"

Xi Yu looked around at the cold faces of the ten or so guards and suddenly grew impatient: "Stop with the nonsense. You're here, the electronic key’s in your hand! Stop being sneaky!"

"Hmph, boring." The old man curled his lips nervously, then continued pacing with his hands behind his back. "If you want to check, fine, but first you have to beat me!"

At the same time, Xi Yu heard the long-awaited system announcement.

[Please complete Dr. Wang's challenge within thirty minutes, or the participants will be immediately disqualified.]Without this move, Xi Yu almost forgot the feeling of being pushed to the brink of collapse by one mini-game after another in the past.

He subtly swallowed, then promised, "Of course, I can."

Just then, the three people hiding in the shadows appeared one by one, standing behind him.

Bai Qi said, "You were walking so fast, we couldn’t catch up. What game are we playing? Count me in."

Xi Yu turned around and looked at the smiling Xu Tu and Bai Qi. He also met Luo Xi’s deep eyes, and the tension in his heart immediately softened a bit.

Perhaps, this is the support a team brings?

Xi Yu suddenly believed with all his heart: No matter what challenge this was, it couldn’t possibly defeat everyone.