Chapter 71

Chapter 71

The company's schedule was tight, and in the blink of an eye, five days had passed. The elimination rounds came faster than expected.

After intensifying his daily training, Xiyu had nearly recovered his physical fitness. Along with having come to terms with some past matters, when he arrived at the game room door, his confidence and will were naturally much stronger than before.

He gently asked while holding a transparent box with a cat inside: "Will the security team really take good care of Xiao Qi?"

Luo Xi helplessly replied, "They won't let me go to the lab now, but it’s already a stroke of luck that Section Chief Qin agreed."

Xiyu spent the whole day with the kitten, and as the time to part ways approached, he looked worried and reluctant.

Luo Xi grinned mischievously. "What about giving it to Wu Zhi to take care of for you? That guy will probably be eager to meet you and vent his complaints."

After thinking about Wu Zhi's eccentric behavior, Xiyu shook his head. "Forget it."

At that moment, Qin Yunshen, wearing a white lab coat, walked over with long strides and reached out as soon as they met. "Give it to me."

Although he appeared cold and emotionless, his abilities and position spoke for themselves, and things he promised would not likely disappoint.

Xiyu handed the kitten over. "Thank you."

Qin Yunshen grabbed the cat carrier. "It’s nothing. It will be a good companion for me. I wish you the best of luck in the competition."

Luo Xi smiled. "Thanks for the good words."

Xiyu glanced at the cat carrier, hesitating to speak. Knowing he had to face reality, he handed over his wristband to Luo Xi, and they entered the game room together.

Standing in place, Qin Yunshen shrugged and gave a careful look at the wailing ragdoll cat, sighing, "So much money from Baihua, what’s the use of buying you?"

Xiao Qi looked innocent and unknowing.

At some point, Xia Zi appeared, arms crossed, and coldly said, "A living creature is just a reminder. Artificial humans have no family. They’ll work hard to depend on their own cats. This gift shows a deep thought."

Qin Yunshen didn’t respond.

Xia Zi sneered, "But I don't have high hopes for them."

"I’ve noticed, you're always targeting Luo Xi and Xiyu," Qin Yunshen bluntly remarked, sizing up his female colleague. "What’s your agenda?"

Xia Zi lowered her head in grievance and whispered, "What do you mean by that? I'm absolutely loyal to the security team..."She added, "As long as you're still here as the section chief."

Qin Yunshen seemed to not hear the emotion in her words. He simply smiled, took out his walkie-talkie, and said as he left, "The countdown to the start of the competition is in fifteen minutes. All game rooms must be closed immediately. Make sure to be on high alert and ensure the safety of all the broadcasters."

Xia Zi, feeling frustrated, turned her head and glared at the park outside the window. After a long while, she sighed helplessly and turned in the opposite direction to walk away.

For Xiyu, the process of entering the game had started to feel like routine.

The nutrient pod quickly connected to his brain, broadcasting a series of voice notifications confirming that all checks had passed.

With his mind calm, Xiyu waited for a few seconds in the chaotic area of consciousness, before the soft white light appeared before him.

The chubby cat, which hadn’t been seen for a while, made its grand entrance. It was dressed in an oversized white lab coat, a stethoscope swaying around its neck, and holding a syringe as if it were a microphone. "00777, broadcaster Xiyu, so glad to see you again!"

Its outfit usually hinted at the game’s theme design. Xiyu, sensing this, gently asked, "Is this game set in a hospital?"

"It's not a hospital, it's a sanatorium!" The chubby cat blurted out, then quickly covered its mouth. "Oops, I spoiled the surprise!"

Xiyu smiled lightly. "The contestants will figure it out sooner or later. What rules are you going to tell me?"

The chubby cat cleared its throat, placed its hands on its hips, and said, "This round's level-up competition is a joint production between our company and the Capital Jinjiang Cultural Company. The level is based on a popular horror novel, with thrilling and bloody content, so be careful!"

Xiyu, who didn’t believe in ghosts or supernatural things, couldn’t imagine any horror element that would scare him, so he remained calm.

The chubby cat added, "Also, unlike the requirements during the preliminary rounds, starting from the qualifiers, broadcasters can accept gifts from the audience! Your popularity is high, so work hard!"

This sounded like good news, and Xiyu nodded. "Anything else?"

The chubby cat continued, "And one more thing—no killing players or NPCs!" The cat’s face tensed. "If someone is killed, they will immediately respawn, and the killer will be disqualified!"

Xiyu, unhurried, replied, "Got it. Just make them half-dead then."

"Hehehe..." The chubby cat laughed ominously. "No need to kill them; they'll be half-dead on their own..."

Xiyu asked, "What does that mean?"

The chubby cat proudly shook its head. "I won’t tell you. The rules will be announced after you enter the game. Good luck!"

Xiyu, feeling a bit helpless toward the AI, sighed. "Alright, can I enter now?""Wait—hey hey hey!" The chubby cat hurriedly stomped its foot. "I almost forgot an important process! Since the contestants have different identities in this game, their identities will be decided by a draw!"

As it spoke, the chubby cat conjured up a lottery box out of thin air, its eyes sparkling with excitement.

Xiyu's luck had always been good, but seeing this process, he was more worried about Luo Xi. After hesitating for a while, he reached out and pulled out a registration slip.

Two blood-red words slowly appeared on it: "Informer."

"Whoa, a special identity!" The chubby cat let out a sigh of relief. "Good luck, go on!"

After saying this, Xiyu didn’t even have the chance to ask what "Informer" meant before he was suddenly plunged into a black hole, which smelled strongly of disinfectant!

[Level-Up Instance: No. 11]

[Instance Name: Strange Thoughts in the World]

[Activation Time: May 1, 2046]

[Number of Broadcasters: 12]

[Online Audience: 216,453,678,512 viewers]

Once the instance loaded, after his senses and consciousness returned, everything around him was still pitch black.

Xiyu noticed that the smell of disinfectant had grown stronger and reached out to feel around him. He realized he was lying on a cold single bed.

He immediately sat up and began searching the bed’s surroundings in the pitch-blackness. While he was scrambling, the cold, hoarse system voice suddenly sounded without warning.

[Welcome to Kunshan Sanatorium…]

[This is a secluded place, filled with the poor souls who suffer from terminal and rare diseases.]

[The medical staff here appear kind and gentle, but... not a single patient has ever left alive!]

[For this reason, brave undercover agents have infiltrated the sanatorium to investigate and gather evidence.]

[Do you think you are one of those heroes?]

[Unfortunately, you are just another patient in need of treatment at this sanatorium!][In unbearable pain, who would dare to trust the "white angels" around them…]

Xiyu stopped moving and instead felt the cotton clothes and pants, realizing that his attire must be a patient's uniform.

The broadcast continued in a low, hoarse voice.

[As a terminal patient, you must drink a bottle of nutrition liquid every 24 hours, or you will immediately die and be eliminated.]

[The nutrition liquid is refreshed every midnight within the sanatorium.]

[Meanwhile, the contestants have different roles, with 2 informers, 2 spies, and 8 regular patients.]

[Informer win condition: Help the undercover NC escape from the sanatorium.]

[Spy win condition: Help the medical NC eliminate all the informers.]

[Patient win condition: Survive until the fifth day.]

After this system notification, everything fell completely silent.

Xiyu listened carefully and could not help but calmly think: His identity was an informer, and his ultimate task was to help the righteous NC hidden in the hospital escape from here? But where are those NCs? How does he contact them?

As he pondered, he kept searching through his thin patient uniform. Finally, he found a small note under the tape on the back of his hand.

Unfortunately, the air in the room was murky, and there was no light, making it impossible to read the content on the note.

Xiyu furrowed his brow and couldn’t help but get out of bed barefoot, attempting to search for a light source.

Just as his toes touched the ground, a strange and cold groan came from behind him.

There’s someone else?!

Xiyu quickly turned around, ready to defend himself. However, the agonizing sound grew louder and louder, but it didn’t seem to have any intent to attack him. Could it be another patient…?

Soon, his thoughts were confirmed.

A faint light appeared, as the locked door was suddenly opened.

Xiyu immediately lay back down in the musty bed, seeing two male NCs dressed in light blue caregiver uniforms rush in urgently, heading straight for the bed next to his.The patient who had originally been lying there had already fallen to the ground. His skin was pale and sickly, with strange red rashes covering his body. He convulsed violently, spitting out murky blood, his agonized cries becoming muffled. It looked both tragic and disgusting, sending a chill down Xiyu’s spine.

The male caregivers consisted of one handsome young man and one gloomy, ugly man, their appearances vastly different.

Fortunately, they were efficient in their work, quickly lifting the struggling patient onto a stretcher and securing him.

As they were leaving, the handsome caregiver took a moment to reassure Xiyu: “Don’t worry, sleep well. We’ll check your health tomorrow.”

With that, they hurriedly carried the corpse away.

The faint light spilling from the partially open door finally allowed Xiyu to observe the shabby room properly. The hospital room, which should have been clean and white, symbolizing hope, was filthy and stained. The equipment was old and faded, the floor marked with deep and shallow footprints, and even the bedsheets were stained with dirty blood. This was clearly a heartless hospital!

He frowned in disgust and quietly unfolded the note, which contained a strange message: "Feng Xian has long harbored intentions to take Zhuo."

What did that mean?

Before Xiyu could make sense of it, he heard the system’s special notification.

[Brave informer Xiyu... Please help the journalist hiding in the Kunshan Sanatorium gather evidence and escape this hellish place.]

[Complete the informer task daily to earn two bottles of nutrition liquid.]

[Today’s informer task: Establish contact with the journalist within 24 hours without arousing suspicion from other NCs, or the task will fail.]

Two bottles of nutrition liquid... That was enough to sustain both himself and Luo Xi’s daily consumption.

Rather than feeling burdened by the special task, Xiyu smiled in satisfaction.

He immediately got up barefoot and searched the dilapidated hospital room, but found no useful items. He then stuck the note back under the tape and silently left the room.

The corridor of the sanatorium was just as ominous, with bloodstained sheets and empty medicine bottles carelessly discarded, and a sorrowful, deathly atmosphere filling the air.

As Xiyu walked, he pondered. He couldn’t sense any discomfort in his body, nor did he know exactly what illness he had. Was it that the daily nutrition liquid was just a strict rule requirement, and the specifics of the disease didn’t matter?

Just as he was lost in thought, a shadow suddenly appeared around the corner!

Xiyu instinctively stepped back in defense, only to vaguely see Luo Xi, who was also wearing a patient’s uniform. He let out a subtle sigh of relief and couldn't help but warmly embrace him.

Luo Xi, smiling gently, patted Xiyu's back and said, "I was just looking for you. This game really is stricter than before."Xiyu released his grip, feeling confused.

Luo Xi said, "Didn't you notice? In the past, the dungeons always started in the evening. The time from evening to midnight was for adaptation and easing into things, giving each streamer a chance to meet, but this dungeon is different. It starts directly at midnight."

"Yeah, and we still don’t know who the opponents are." Xiyu frowned, briefly explaining his identity and task, then urged, "The nutrition liquid must have been refreshed by now. The immediate priority is to find it. Otherwise, relying solely on mission rewards might be dangerous."

"Great minds think alike." Luo Xi smiled faintly and grabbed Xiyu's wrist. "Come with me. I took a quick look earlier and found a pharmacy. There might be some supplies there."

Xiyu always trusted his judgment without question, so he silently followed.

In the dead of night, the sanatorium was filled with the sound of agonized screams from patients in excruciating pain. These eerie noises pierced through the dark night, creating a truly horrifying atmosphere.

The two of them avoided the night-shift nurses and successfully found the pharmacy.

Because the sanatorium's facilities were so rudimentary, Luo Xi decisively broke the lock and barged in. They fumbled around in the dark, not understanding the purpose of the various strange-smelling medicine bottles, but they didn't find any trace of the supposed nutrition liquid.

"Special items should give a prompt when you get them." Xiyu opened a drawer and quickly flipped through the medication list by the faint light in the hallway. He quietly asked, "By the way, do you know what disease we have?"

Luo Xi answered, "No, but it’s definitely something with a trap."

"Could it be an infectious disease…" Xiyu muttered, still unsure. At that moment, a smooth card slipped out from among the documents, with the word "Buy" written on it.

He picked it up, puzzled, and immediately heard the system's voice.

[Acquired Purchase Card: Specific effect unknown.]

"What does this mean?" Xiyu was even more confused and quietly explained it to Luo Xi.

Luo Xi raised an eyebrow. "It’s probably that we haven’t triggered the event yet, so the details are hidden. Keep it for now."

"Did you find anything?" Xiyu asked.

Luo Xi shook his head and stood up. "It looks like the nutrition liquid won’t be hidden in such an obvious place. Let’s search somewhere else. We need to hurry."

Xiyu put the card in his pocket, frowning. "The nutrition liquid is refreshed every night, but it didn’t specify how many bottles. It’s probably going to decrease as time goes on."

Luo Xi leaned his head out to peek into the hallway. "…It’s fine. You still have mission rewards as a safety net."

"Tell me," Xiyu asked, "What do you think the note I found really means? Could it be hinting at the NC character relationships through historical references?"Luo Xi was about to answer but suddenly motioned for silence.

The two crouched behind the slightly ajar door, watching as two female nurses struggled to carry a stretcher past them. The stretcher held a deformed patient, emaciated and twisted, with no signs of life remaining.

As their footsteps faded, Xiyu frowned and spoke, "These clues are very clear. There’s a terrible crime hidden in this sanatorium. My task is to help the undercover agents uncover these crimes and eliminate the interference of traitors."

Luo Xi replied, "What do you mean your task? It’s our task."

Xiyu was surprised. "You’re another undercover agent? Why didn’t you say anything earlier?"

Luo Xi raised an eyebrow. "No, I’m a family member of the undercover agent."

"..." Xiyu was speechless, then said, "Let’s search somewhere else."

Just then, unexpectedly, the bell rang at 2 AM in the sanatorium.

The already dirty pharmacy seemed to be corroded by something, and in an instant, it collapsed into a heap. Then, all the ugly scenes spun around, forming a huge vortex, and Xiyu and Luo Xi were both sucked into it!

Once again, they found themselves in endless dark virtual space.

Feeling the pain from the fall, Xiyu coughed twice, feeling around and calling, "Luo Xi?"

When he got no response, a soft, puzzled voice asked, "...Xiyu?"

Soon, the surroundings were filled with murmurs.

"Can you see?"

"Is this still the sanatorium?"

"Hey, don’t touch me!"

...

Xiyu was extremely confused, frowning. Fortunately, he was suddenly supported by a familiar large hand, the presence of Luo Xi.

Luo Xi leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Too many words will cause you to slip up."

Not yet understanding the situation, Xiyu bit his lip. Just then, a spotlight suddenly shone down in the dark space, illuminating a middle-aged man standing nearby. His features were regular, but his smile was eerie. When he curved his lips, his little mustache twitched as well. He loudly announced, "Dear patients, welcome to the darkest moment of the sanatorium!"At this moment, Xiyu finally took in his surroundings: he saw more than ten streamers and the NC inside a huge square. The square was about a meter wide, with each side consisting of twelve different colored blocks, giving off a strangely familiar feeling. Among the streamers, aside from Xiyu and Luo Xi, there were some familiar faces, including the unexpected appearance of Sun Xiuya!

It turned out that the girl who had spoken earlier was her…

Although they had been from different factions in the initial game, Xiyu held no ill will, and blinked his eyes, saying, "So, you also advanced."

Sun Xiuya lowered her head, "In the last game, my BLOO value was almost maxed out, but then I suddenly heard Luo Xi's voice in the broadcast. He announced a deletion code, and I felt he wouldn’t lie, so I immediately input it, and...”

One couldn’t say whether the girl was lucky or unlucky.

In a moment, the NC seemed impatient, "Alright, you might as well chat tomorrow. I didn’t come here to watch the fun!"

"Then what did you come here for?" A long-haired beauty stood up and asked. Even though she was wearing a simple patient gown, it couldn’t hide her ethereal beauty.

Luo Xi gently furrowed his brows upon seeing her.

Xiyu whispered, "What’s wrong?"

Luo Xi leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Do you remember the woman who exposed Mu Yuan's identity in the last game?"

"Zhang Hua?" Xiyu’s memory wasn’t bad, especially since the fact that she was playing the “pig eating tiger” role left quite an impression.

Luo Xi motioned with his chin.

...It was her.

The NC wandered around the room, looked at the "patients" with satisfaction, and then disdainfully said, "You don't even recognize me? I’m the director of the Kunshan Sanatorium, Hao Zhong! Tonight, I’m also the host of this dark hour, and I’ll accompany you through this fun game time!"

Saying this, Hao Zhong waved his hand, and a huge dice immediately fell from the sky.

Luo Xi quickly pulled Xiyu away, frowning and saying, "This isn’t some kind of Monopoly, is it?"

Director Hao Zhong chuckled coldly, a glint of coldness flashing in his sharp eyes.

At this moment, the system notification finally sounded.

【Welcome to the Darkest Hour】

【In the dark space, each player has five drops of blood】【As long as the blood is not exhausted, players can reach here every night at 2 a.m.】

【Players all start from the first square, and the number of steps for each round is determined by the result of the dice roll. Three rounds are rolled each night.】

【When players land on different colored squares, they will encounter different events.】

【The ultimate grand prize of the events is one of the induction agents!】

It turns out it really is a Monopoly-style game, but the "induction agents" left the streamers confused.

A polite male streamer smiled and asked about it.

Director Hao Zhong sneered, "In fact, all twelve of you have twelve different diseases, and you need the nutritional solution to stay alive... I’m not wrong, am I?"

The polite male streamer nodded.

Director Hao Zhong's smile grew colder, "Induction agents are the complete opposite of nutritional solutions. Each disease corresponds to an induction agent, and if you can guess someone else’s disease and spray the corresponding induction agent on them, they will immediately die from the severe condition!"

At these words, the other streamers turned pale.

Apart from the fact that the "undercover agents" and "traitors" are enemies, even those with regular identities would take ruthless actions to join teams or get more chances to find nutritional solutions.

Luo Xi broke the awkward atmosphere first, smiling lightly and saying, "In that case, explain the meaning of the colored squares to us, and let’s start playing."

Director Hao Zhong snapped his fingers, and the circles of squares immediately began to shine in different colors.

At the same time, the system broadcasted in a low, hoarse voice:

【White square, called a blank square, has no effect when stepped on.】

【Blue square, called the host square, allows you to ask the host NC one question for the night. The question cannot relate to anyone's disease or identity.】

【Pink square, called the survival square, leads to a dangerous event. If you cannot escape, you lose one drop of blood.】

【Red square, called the damage square, immediately deducts one drop of blood.】

【Green square, called the healing square, restores one drop of blood, with a maximum blood limit of five.】

【Purple square, called the freedom square, belongs to the first player who steps on it. If other players step on it, they must answer a question from the square's owner, which cannot relate to anyone's disease or identity.】【Orange square, called the induction square, grants one bottle of induction agent when stepped on.】

Although there was quite a bit of information, the streamers present were all seasoned and understood it clearly.

They each began to think about it, their faces calm, except for a thin, young boy in the corner. His face was hidden behind long, messy hair, and his demeanor appeared very gloomy.

The boy noticed West Yu’s curious gaze and immediately turned his head away sharply.

Luo Xi snickered.

West Yu suddenly remembered the purchase card in his pocket. He quietly reached for it, and sure enough, he heard the system's notification.

【Purchase card: Use before rolling the dice to buy a free square without an owner.】

So that's how it works. But West Yu felt that he didn’t know much about the game and the others, so he didn’t want to misuse it. He silently put it away.

The host, NC Hao Zhong, raised his hand. “Alright, since you’re all so eager, the first night of the Dark Space starts now! Next, I’ll determine the order of the players’ turns, and you must not argue!”

With that, he pointed at West Yu. “You start, West Yu, my beautiful patient. Your disease hasn’t destroyed your looks… but that’s just temporary!”

“…” West Yu, under the gaze of everyone, walked to him, picked up the large dice, shook it, and then decisively threw it!

The dice rolled on the ground, spinning around before landing on the result: three.

West Yu was immediately dragged uncontrollably to the starting square, and with gritted teeth, he walked three steps forward, reaching the fourth square.

Pink, the survival square.

This square glowed faintly with pink light, and the chaotic holographic environment ruthlessly surrounded West Yu—it was water!

West Yu floated uncontrollably, instinctively holding his breath, struggling to swim in the murky water. He kept swimming until he reached the sealed top, only to realize that it was a sealed space filled with liquid—if the system wasn't testing his lung capacity, there should definitely be a drain!

With this thought, West Yu desperately searched inch by inch in the water, and finally, after more than three minutes, he grabbed a ring.

He yanked it hard, and the powerful suction force threw both the water and him out!

West Yu regained his breath, curling up, drenched, on the square, unable to stop himself from coughing.

"You really are impressive, no blood loss!" Director Hao Zhong said, "Continue rolling!"The other streamers had never anticipated this situation. The well-mannered one started to voice his discontent again: "Hey, this is so unfair! Shouldn't everyone roll once before continuing the next round? Doesn't he have the highest probability of owning the free square?!"

Hao Zhong crossed his arms: "The order is based on the hidden scores from the preliminary selection. If you're not satisfied, you can leave."

The streamer stopped shouting and regained his composure: "I see, I was too eager."

West Yu caught the dice that flew toward him and threw it with force!

Two! The free square!

Hao Zhong, looking at West Yu taking a step forward, chuckled and announced: "West Yu has obtained the sixth square. From now on, any player who steps on this square must answer West Yu's question!"

West Yu saw his big name appear on the sixth square and secretly sighed in relief. He threw the dice again for the third time!

Five! The 11th square on the circle is blank!

Seeing that West Yu was out of danger, Hao Zhong's gaze moved between the others, then pointed at Luo Xi: "You, Luo Xi, my clever patient, you're next!"

Luo Xi was pulled to the starting square by the system and casually threw the dice.

Since his luck was usually bad, West Yu couldn't help but feel uneasy!

Fortunately, the dice rolled once and landed on four, and the square four steps ahead turned out to be...

Hao Zhong, stroking his chin, pondered: "Hmm, not bad, Luo Xi has obtained ownership of the fifth square!"

Luo Xi, satisfied, said: "Looks like my luck is turning around."

He then took the dice again and threw it—four again! And the square indicated by the four steps ahead was...

Blood-red!

West Yu: "…"

Luo Xi: "…"

"Harm square, hurry up!" Hao Zhong couldn't help but feel a bit excited.

At this moment, Luo Xi had no other choice but to walk forward, and as soon as his foot landed on the ninth square, an air blade slashed across his arm, causing blood to splash everywhere!

West Yu felt as if his breath was being blocked, his gaze filled with worry."It's fine." Luo Xi casually threw the dice with his good arm, as though he was unaffected by the punishment.

This time, the dice again landed on four, but fortunately, the thirteenth square was just a blank one.

Hao Zhong, the director, seemed disappointed. After a cold snort, he said, "The third player, Sun Xiuyah, the poor little girl, it's you!"

West Yu was very surprised by this order. It seemed that Sun Xiuyah was not as useless as she had explained. She hadn’t merely passed by luck from hearing Luo Xi's delete code, but had actually contributed significantly in the game.

Sun Xiuyah tied her long hair behind her head, revealing her ordinary, pale face. She stood on the starting square and threw the dice for the first time!

Three! Survival square.

She instantly broke into a cold sweat and slowly stepped forward. As soon as she did, her figure disappeared entirely.

The other streamers had no time for idle chatter and gathered around, waiting.

Five minutes later, Sun Xiuyah's small body tumbled back into the square. Her face and hands were scraped, and she was trembling in pain.

Hao Zhong clicked his tongue. "I underestimated you. Sun Xiuyah avoided danger and didn't lose any health."

Sun Xiuyah took a deep breath and continued throwing the dice.

The dice made a low arc before dropping to the ground and showing four.

At this point, a small buzz spread among the streamers.

Because the eighth square she was about to land on was the inducement square—this girl had become the first to obtain the inducement agent!

Hao Zhong, equally excited, rubbed his hands and said, "I wonder... who will she use it against?"

Sun Xiuyah appeared calm. She stepped onto the eighth square, and with a flash of orange light, she caught the bottle that fell from the sky. The sharp-eyed streamers could see that the bottle had a cartoon doll on it, and aside from that, there was no other information.

Hao Zhong grinned. "Ah, there's an important detail I forgot to mention. If the inducement agent is used on the wrong person, the player using it will immediately be eliminated."

West Yu furrowed his brows, thinking to himself: "This is more like it! Otherwise, people would just spray the inducement agent randomly, right? It seems that not being able to discern others' ailments means this item isn't as powerful as imagined."

Sun Xiuyah silently put the spray bottle into her pocket and threw the dice again.

Two! The tenth square was blank, so she passed through smoothly."I wonder if any of you will be the next lucky one," Hao Zhong squinted, pointing to a muscular man. "You, Ma Guanshan, one of the twins, go ahead!"

West Yu looked at Luo Xi in surprise, and Luo Xi nodded.

Unexpectedly, No. 009 from "Rose Game" appeared as well. There were more familiar faces in this instance than West Yu had expected.

Ma Guanshan’s real appearance was different from his disguise. He was tall and muscular, with a square, honest-looking face that made him look like a reliable, dependable man.

The guy raised his thick eyebrows at West Yu before stepping up to the starting square and throwing the dice for the first time.

One! Blank square.

He shrugged helplessly and took the dice again to throw.

Three! Fifth square!

Hao Zhong immediately rushed over to Ma Guanshan. "You stepped on Luo Xi's free square! Luo Xi, ask him a question! Anyone who lies will be eliminated!"

Luo Xi raised an eyebrow and looked at the pale Ma Guanshan. He suddenly smiled and asked, "Do you have any nutrient solution?"

Ma Guanshan let out a sigh of relief and shook his head. "No."

Luo Xi: "I'm done asking."

Hao Zhong, the director, was displeased. "You should have asked more about his relationship with the other players!"

Luo Xi, expressionless: "Oh, noted."

Hao Zhong left helplessly.

Ma Guanshan picked up the dice that had fallen by his feet, full of anticipation, and threw them again!

Unfortunately... four! Ninth square, damage square!

Luo Xi watched as he was struck by an air blade, injuring him badly, and smiled with satisfaction.

Ma Guanshan, feeling frustrated, kicked the air and sat down cross-legged, clutching his wound.

Hao Zhong cleared his throat and walked to a gentle, charming female streamer. He leered and said, "It's your turn, Miss Yuan Wei."This female streamer truly had a harmless appearance. She fluttered to the starting square, gently picked up the dice, and asked softly, "If you run out of five drops of blood, it just means you can't play this game, right? But that doesn’t mean you're eliminated, right?"

Hao Zhong nodded. "You're right."

Yuan Wei breathed a sigh of relief and threw the dice.

Two! Third square, blank square.

Then, she threw again—four! Seventh square, blank square.

...The results were as unremarkable as her calm demeanor.

Yuan Wei picked up the dice for the third time and threw them with force. Five! She immediately walked to the corner of the row and landed on the host square. In a soft voice, she asked, "Director, can I ask you a question now?"

Hao Zhong gave her a stern look. "You better be careful with your questions!"

The NC in the hospital had a storyline identity, and they could use questioning to gather certain information. But if the questions were too obvious, it would expose their own identity.

Yuan Wei swallowed nervously and finally lowered her head. "How many bottles of nutrient solution were refreshed today?"

Hao Zhong sneered. "Nine bottles. Plenty to go around."

This made the streamers breathe a huge sigh of relief. With the four other players who had identities potentially getting eight bottles, the total amount of nutrient solution far exceeded the number of players. It would be the easiest day to survive. They could take advantage of the opportunity to stock up on a couple more bottles to ensure they didn’t die from illness in the upcoming days.

Hao Zhong didn’t pay attention to their little calculations and finally turned his attention to the cold and beautiful Zhang Hua, saying with interest, "Your turn, you little hypocrite, Zhang Hua."

Zhang Hua calmly stood at the starting square and threw the dice beside her feet.

Five! The sixth square, which belonged to West Yu!

Hao Zhong laughed with glee. "Hurry up and ask your question! If you all keep letting each other off the hook, I’ll really be disappointed!"

West Yu knew that Zhang Hua was quite scheming. Being allied with her was more dangerous than opposing her, so she simply asked, "Among all these streamers, who do you trust the most?"

Zhang Hua’s expression faltered for a moment, then she answered softly, "Yuan Wei."

Yuan Wei, standing at the far end, looked at her with a touch of emotion and slightly curled the corners of her mouth.

Zhang Hua calmly picked up the large dice and tossed them high again!