Chapter 28#
“Who adjusted the transparency? Didn’t they know we were coming up from underground today? It’s blinding!” A woman’s angry shout suddenly came from the elevator.
Zhao Xing immediately closed his eyes and hung his head, pretending to be asleep.
The elevator doors slowly opened, and from outside came the apologetic voice of another young girl, meek and lowly.
Even with his eyes closed, Zhao Xing could sense the bright world outside suddenly dim, and even the heat dropped.
The woman said to the girl, “You watch them here for a while. We’re going to disinfect—the basement reeks of mold; I feel like I’ve got all kinds of germs on me.”
The girl: “Yes, ma’am.”
Unfamiliar with the place and unsure if there were surveillance cameras everywhere, Zhao Xing kept up his pretense of being unconscious, not making any rash moves.
Only when the criminal beside him stirred and let out a muffled groan did Zhao Xing quietly open his eyes.
He looked around.
It was a very large room with a flat floor, but the walls and ceiling smoothly connected, forming a hemispherical glass dome.
However, the glass was a dark gray, as if coated with a film.
This must have been what they meant by adjusting the “transparency.”
Through this gray glass, Zhao Xing could see the halo of the sun above, but nothing else was clear.
After surveying the outside world, he began to examine the furnishings in this room.
There were no obvious lights, yet it was very bright, and even the floor was glowing.
Inside the room were several small hemispherical chambers, the largest of which was pure black, completely concealing whatever was inside.
Oh, right, there was also a young girl in the room.
She looked very young, about seventeen or eighteen, with twin ponytails. She too wore a high-tech, laser-colored bodysuit. She sat nervously and silently on a chair about ten meters away, cautiously studying their group of criminals.
Several other criminals had also woken up one after another.
Among them was F003, who had been incarcerated for thirteen years and hadn’t seen a woman in all that time. At the sight of this innocent, lovely girl, his eyes went straight.
Still groggy from waking, he leered at her, let out two obscene chuckles, and spouted dirty words: “Hey there, sweetie, where’s this? Come on over and tell big brother all about it… Little miss, that tight suit of yours looks good. Has anyone ever told you you’ve got a great figure?”
The twin-tailed girl’s eyes reddened: “Shut up!”
F003: “Oh, getting shy? Big brother’s fault, I deserve to die—”
Before he could finish, the girl picked up a square object that looked like a remote control and pressed a few digits.
Immediately, F003 convulsed all over, spat out a mouthful of blood, and passed out.
Dead silence fell over the room.
The girl wiped her tears and quietly asked the person next to F003, “F004, is that man dead?”
F004 quickly reached out to check F003’s breathing, then shook his head at the girl, his voice tinged with respect: “No.”
The girl sighed in relief: “That’s good. You scared me.”
No one dared to speak anymore; everyone even hung their heads, afraid to look at her.
Not long after, the man and woman who had brought them up from underground returned, having finished disinfecting.
Only then did Zhao Xing get his first clear look at their faces.
The man looked about twenty-six or twenty-seven, while the woman appeared to be thirty-five or thirty-six.
But what surprised Zhao Xing was that this woman was exactly the young woman he had glimpsed through the ventilation grate in Corridor 9 twelve years ago.
It seemed that over a decade had passed, and she had gone from a clueless newcomer to a seasoned veteran.
The woman walked in high heels across the mirror-like glass floor, then lazily sank into a nearby sofa. She tilted her chin and ordered the girl, “Xiao Ling, you explain it to them.”
The girl named Xiao Ling walked over to the largest electronic screen, pinned a small amplifying microphone onto her chest, and smiled shyly at everyone: “Hello everyone, you have all voluntarily signed up to participate in the F101 game, right? Let me first explain the game rules.”
Game?
Wasn’t it supposed to be a mission?
Zhao Xing narrowed his eyes.
On the electronic screen, an island suddenly appeared. It looked very much like the kind of island that once existed on Earth—they had only seen them in documentaries.
Dense forests covered the island, but at its very center stood a tall tower.
The tower resembled the pyramids of ancient Egypt, wide at the base and tapering upward, but it was pure white, without any decoration.
Xiao Ling: “There are six groups participating in this game: A101—Blue Star females; B101—Blue Star males; C101—Surface females; D101—Surface males; E101—Underground females; and F101—Underground males. All 606 of you will stay on this island for three months.
“The white tower in the center is your living quarters. It has six-person, four-person, two-person, and single-person rooms. The higher the floor, the better the room, but you’ll need points to earn them.
“During these three months, your tasks will be to take on assignments and complete games. Most importantly, as the underground human group, you must promote harmony between surface humans and the native Blue Star inhabitants.
“Also, a very important point: throughout this game, there will be flying cameras everywhere. Your gameplay will be broadcast live globally. It is forbidden to intentionally engage in sexual intercourse in front of the cameras to gain viewership.”
Someone couldn’t hold back and excitedly raised their hand to ask: “What kind of game is this? Is it some high-tech holographic game? Is it really this intense?! Can we actually sleep with others? What’s the difference between doing it in the game and doing it for real?”
Xiao Ling was clearly stumped. She looked helplessly at her female superior.
The woman snorted: “Holographic game? No, this is a real-life game.”
Everyone was stunned.
F001 stammered, “B-but… this game has an island… is this island real? And what’s with the Blue Star natives… those are things from books! Did you build a new simulated surface city? Like that ridiculously expensive simulated Earth city they made?”
“Simulated surface city?” The woman laughed as if she had heard a great joke. “You rats, take a good look—this is the surface world!”
With that, she pressed a button.
It was as if the curtain of the entire world had been pulled away.
The gray glass surrounding them suddenly turned transparent. The indoor lights went out, and the outdoor light fell like a sharp sword, spreading evenly over every person.
What was that?
A massive fireball, a vast blue sky, soft white clouds, tall trees swaying in the wind, and unknown birds flying through the air.
The 101 prisoners lost their ability to speak in an instant.
They almost thought they were dreaming.
Someone murmured, “Such a big and bright sun lamp…”
But no one mocked him.
Only one person, in a very soft voice, as if afraid to disturb a beautiful dream, said—
“No… that’s the sun.”
Everyone’s eyes were stung by the brightness of the sun, and they couldn’t help but shed tears, but not a single person was willing to blink.
Only when the woman pressed the button again, and the dark gray glass once again covered the world, did everyone barely come back to their senses.
But they were all dazed, and because they had stared at the sun for too long, spots of light remained before their eyes. Everyone was rubbing their eyes, heads down.
Yet once their eyes recovered, each person eagerly looked up at the sky again, trying to see the sun through the dark gray glass.
“Stop looking!” the woman scolded. “The sun isn’t going anywhere. Once you’re out, you can look at it as much as you want.”
Gu Xiaoxi timidly raised his hand: “Is this the surface world?”
The woman: “Yes.”
The crowd erupted in chatter, turning to discuss among themselves.
Gu Xiaoxi asked again: “But the books say that the Blue Star surface has dangerous natives and poisonous mist harmful to humans…”
The woman: “That’s right—that’s another thing you need to pay attention to. See the zipper on the head part of your suit? Whenever you go outside, remember to zip it up and cover all your skin. Otherwise, you’ll be poisoned within three minutes and dead within an hour.”
Hearing this, someone immediately tried pulling the zipper over their head.
Zhao Xing tried it too.
The material on the head of the suit was very special. When the zipper was down, it was like an ordinary hood, but once he fully zipped it up, his entire head was enclosed inside the hood.
The visibility was clear, breathing was smooth, and the air even felt fresher, as if a filter had been added.
Most amazingly, there was a button next to it to adjust the transparency. When adjusted to maximum, the entire hood became transparent, as if nothing was there.
The woman: “But be careful—the filtration system on the suit only lasts 24 hours. Don’t waste it indoors.”
Everyone quickly unzipped their hoods again.
Someone quietly asked: “Only lasts 24 hours… What happens after 24 hours? Do we just wait to die?”
The woman: “You can use points to get new supplies, or… find a way to earn the blessings of the Blue Star natives.”
“Blessings?”
The woman: “That’s right. If you get a Blue Star native’s blessing, you won’t be afraid of the poison mist anymore. But how long the immunity lasts depends on how sincere the blessing is. With luck, you might become completely immune to the mist eventually.”
The woman glanced at the electronic clock on the wall: “Alright, time’s running out. Prepare to set off.”
F045 panicked and blurted out: “I… I don’t want to go anymore. I don’t want to participate in this mission. I want to go back!”
Many others started to stir restlessly at the same time.
“Go back?” The woman sneered. “You’ve all recited your voluntary declaration. Now you say you want to go back? What a joke!”
F045’s whole body went numb at her laugh. He instantly realized he had walked into a wolf’s den. Frantically, he bent down to unbuckle the standing safety belt at his waist, but couldn’t get it off.
The woman glanced at him impatiently. After seeing the code on his body, she picked up the remote beside her and pressed a few numbers.
In an instant, the F045 who had been clamoring to leave convulsed all over, spat out blood, and passed out.
The agitated crowd fell silent again.
But now, a layer of panic and unease had settled into everyone’s eyes.
The man who hadn’t spoken a word since arriving on the surface approached the woman and asked, “Senior, should we set off now?”
The woman: “Let’s go.”
The man nodded, turned around, and walked into the small, pure-black hemispherical chamber.
He closed the door.
Three minutes later, the large hemispherical glass room began to move, slowly rising.
So, that black room was the cockpit.
After some bumpy air currents, the glass room stopped ascending and flew forward swiftly and steadily.
The woman stretched lazily and went into one of the small hemispherical rooms to rest.
Xiao Ling remained seated, watching over their group of underground prisoners.
Of the 101 people, apart from the two who were unconscious, the remaining 99 were quieter than quiet.
Each person stared blankly and anxiously at the gray glass wall, feeling fear, novelty, and trepidation.
They flew for an unknown amount of time. Zhao Xing noticed that the sun’s halo above had shifted, and the indoor lights dimmed.
Xiao Ling pressed another button, increasing the transparency once more.
Suddenly, Zhao Xing felt as if he were surrounded by a whole expanse of magnificent sunset clouds.
It was truly the most gorgeous, stunning palette of colors he had ever seen in his life.
Like a child had knocked over a paint tray, willfully smearing the most beautiful colors in the world across the boundless canvas, so beautiful it could break one’s heart.
As if he had fallen from the sky and been gently caught by this entire beautiful oil painting.
The corners of Zhao Xing’s mouth slowly lifted, his eyes sparkling as he stared at this breathtaking scenery. He subconsciously turned around, wanting to share his joy with someone else: “Luo—”
He stopped as soon as he started.
Zhao Xing froze, the smile fading a little.
He turned back and continued to enjoy the beautiful new world alone.
After someone made a request, Xiao Ling freed them from the standing safety belts that had been restraining them, allowing them to go to the restroom to relieve themselves. Then she nervously took the remote control that could manipulate them and went into a small transparent room nearby.
Zhao Xing went to the edge of the room, quietly watching the gradually darkening sky outside the transparent glass and the mountains and oceans beneath them, which he had only ever seen in documentaries.
Gu Xiaoxi had somehow come over. He stared fixedly at the entire forest of towering treetops that swept by beneath them, and said softly, “Brother Zhao, are you afraid?”
Zhao Xing: “Not really.”
More than not afraid—this situation was far better than the brutal, bloody arenas he had imagined.
Besides, this world was so beautiful.
Gu Xiaoxi looked out at the world with a bewildered expression, his voice trembling: “Brother Zhao, do you ever feel like we’re just ants?”
Zhao Xing: “No.”
Gu Xiaoxi: “…”
Ants?
Zhao Xing scoffed at the comparison.
What nonsense?
He was Zhao Xing. How could Zhao Xing be an ant?!
Sure, this world was vast, unfamiliar, and dangerous, but Zhao Xing was still confident he could survive and thrive.
Seeming to sense Zhao Xing’s confidence and ease, Gu Xiaoxi also smiled. He grabbed Zhao Xing’s arm and said softly, “Brother Zhao, I was actually really scared, but as soon as I saw you, I wasn’t so scared anymore.”
Zhao Xing pulled his arm away: “Don’t look at me. Look at the sky.”
Gu Xiaoxi: “Huh?”
Zhao Xing: “Aren’t the stars beautiful?”
Gu Xiaoxi: “…They are.”
Zhao Xing patted him on the shoulder: “The stars in the sky are so beautiful. You should look at the sky more often. That way, even if something happens to you later and you die, at least you’ve had a glimpse of this world.”
Gu Xiaoxi: “…”
Gu Xiaoxi’s voice turned dry: “…Brother Zhao, if I ever run into danger, would you save me?”
Zhao Xing glanced at Gu Xiaoxi, thinking the kid didn’t get it.
He said, “Gu Xiaoxi, I have no obligation to save you.”
Gu Xiaoxi was taken aback, then quickly said, “Brother Zhao, didn’t you hear? That island is dangerous. There’s poison mist and the Blue Star people. If we team up, it’ll be better…”
Zhao Xing felt he had already been very patient today, but now it was running out.
He sneered: “Gu Xiaoxi, do you think you’re qualified to be my teammate?”
Gu Xiaoxi stared blankly at Zhao Xing, his eyes quickly filling with tears. He gritted his teeth and said, in a trembling voice, “Fine! You’re right. I’m not qualified to be your teammate. I just want you to protect me. I’m scared. I feel like I can’t survive on my own. Is that wrong? Brother Zhao, just let me follow you, and I’ll do anything—”
Zhao Xing interrupted him: “But I don’t want you following me.”
Gu Xiaoxi: “…Why?”
Zhao Xing wiped away his tears with a careless gesture, as if looking through him at someone else: “I once had a little slave. He was very good and obedient. But I felt I couldn’t protect him, so I abandoned him underground. Gu Xiaoxi, if I could protect you, then I would regret it. I’d regret abandoning him.”
Gu Xiaoxi was so frightened he couldn’t even cry anymore. He murmured, “You… you came up here on purpose? You knew that—”
“Shh.”
Zhao Xing cut him off softly: “Gu Xiaoxi, if you’re smart, you’ll stay far away from me. Because every time I see you, I’m reminded of him. And that makes me unhappy, understand?”
Without waiting for Gu Xiaoxi’s reply, Zhao Xing pushed him aside with disgust and continued enjoying the night view alone.
Actually, at first glance, Gu Xiaoxi’s temperament was a bit similar to Luo Mingshan’s.
Both were the type of docile, timid, fragile but resilient youth.
But they couldn’t be compared.
Compared, Gu Xiaoxi’s falseness showed.
Luo Mingshan was like a piece of clear glass, transparent to the core, even his pupils were pure, as if they could reflect all the dark thoughts in a person’s heart.
Gu Xiaoxi, by comparison, was far too murky.
Even the way he pretended to faint in front of Luo Mingshan was clumsy and fake.
As the sky began to lighten, they arrived at their destination.
The huge aircraft hovered above the island.
Zhao Xing tried to observe the people on the ground through the glass, but because of the distance and dim light, he couldn’t see clearly—only a few specks.
The man from the cockpit yawned as he walked out.
He carried a basket full of small discs.
The man picked up one disc to demonstrate: “These are compressed parachutes. They have magnets on them. Just place them on your back, and they’ll automatically attach to your suit. One per person, no taking extra.”
Someone tremblingly raised a hand: “D-do we have to jump? I’m scared.”
The man: “You must.”
As soon as he finished speaking, a circular hole suddenly opened in the very center of the aircraft’s floor.
Wind blew in strongly, carrying a scent none of them had ever smelled before.
“Bang!” The prisoner closest to the opening collapsed to the ground.
The man slapped his forehead, immediately closed the parachute opening, and pulled up his own head zipper: “Sorry, almost forgot about the poison mist.”
The crowd was horrified. They quickly zipped up their own hoods, making sure every inch of their skin was covered by the bodysuit.
The man walked over to the unconscious prisoner, helped him pull up his head zipper, and stuck a compressed parachute disc to his back.
Then he opened the opening again and kicked the unconscious man out.
The man: “Next.”
Zhao Xing stepped forward first. He casually grabbed a disc and stuck it to his back, then jumped from the opening with nearly perfect form.
Like a fish diving into the sea.
The bodysuit was made of very thin material, and the wind cut against his skin like a blade.
It was cold, yet it felt as if the wind itself was carrying him, making him fly.
The smile on Zhao Xing’s face grew wider and wider.
As he neared the ground, the compressed parachute on his back burst open with a bang, slowing his descent, and the wind swayed him back and forth.
At the same time, the creatures on the ground became clear.
Zhao Xing saw… a monster nearly five meters tall, with a long tongue dripping saliva.
He also saw humans who looked normal but wore face masks and had arms made entirely of steel.
Zhao Xing stared intently at these beings beyond his imagination, his inner thoughts surging like a tempest.
Just then, a broadcast sound echoed across the entire island.
“Supplies contributed by Underground World Sector K13 have arrived. May all brave warriors enjoy them to their hearts’ content!”
The first unconscious male criminal, who had been kicked down, drifted unsteadily downward, still about six or seven meters from the ground.
Zhao Xing watched as the five-meter-tall monster opened its mouth excitedly, its tongue curling out, cheerfully swallowing the male criminal whole.
“More! More! Yummy! Yummy!”
Zhao Xing heard it make happy, unsatisfied sounds—human-like sounds.