Chapter 109: The Game Island
Chen Yu awoke.
But he did not move.
Even though his eyelids felt as heavy as if filled with lead, he forced himself to keep his breathing steady.
This was a life-saving technique he had learned from an old criminal investigator back at the police academy before his transmigration.
In unknown and dangerous situations, playing dead is always the most cost-effective strategy.
He could feel that he was lying on a hard surface.
The air was filled with a faint but genuine scent—a mixture of earth, dust, and some kind of floral herb.
This was not on a ship.
He had been moved.
The surrounding silence was terrifying, broken only by a faint breeze and his own heartbeat.
Suddenly,
a very soft, delicate rustling sound came from nearby.
It was like something brushing against the grass.
Then came a steady, unhurried rhythm of footsteps.
They were light and brisk, carrying a hint of joyful rhythm as they approached him step by step.
Growing closer.
Chen Yu’s muscles tensed instantly, but his "Crisis Alert" skill gave no response.
This meant the approaching person had not yet formed a deadly intent toward him.
But that was even more chilling than outright hostility.
The footsteps stopped right beside him.
He could feel a gaze inspecting him with keen interest.
As if admiring a perfect work of art.
Damn it, did this pervert have some strange fetish?
A shiver ran down Chen Yu’s spine.
At that moment, a warm breath brushed past his ear.
A voice he would never forget whispered softly, at a volume only he could hear:
“Resurrected Brother, long time no see!”
Boom!
Chen Yu’s body stiffened uncontrollably!
That voice!
That title!
It was Shen Feng! The madman behind the white mask!
“Stop pretending. I know you’re awake.”
The voice was tinged with amusement.
“I know you have many questions, but don't worry—I will give you the answers.”
“But before that… let’s play a game.”
“From now on, follow my designated challenges! I have 200 of the top bodyguards by my side. They will join me in enjoying this grand spectacle.”
“And here, there are 200 participants just like you.”
“The rules are simple: for every participant who dies, I will have one of my bodyguards commit suicide to accompany them.”
“Fair, isn’t it?”
“If you can become the ultimate victor and survive until the end, then only you and I will remain on this island!”
“At that time, I will tell you everything!”
After speaking, the voice chuckled with satisfaction as the footsteps gradually faded, eventually vanishing into the darkness.
Chen Yu slowly opened his eyes. His pupils contracted sharply in the blackness.
This madman!
What was he planning?!
Two hundred participants? And two hundred bodyguards as sacrificial lambs?
This was sheer lunacy!
…
Meanwhile,
Jiangcheng City.
It was 8:30 in the morning, the height of the rush hour.
Countless office workers held their coffees and yawned, gearing up for a day of idling.
At a street-side breakfast stall, the television broadcasted dull morning news.
But at that moment,
without any warning,
all screens across the city—
In an instant, every one of them switched their display!
The familiar snowflake pattern reappeared!
“Damn! Again?!”
“It’s that masked man! He’s back!”
“Goddamn it! This is the third time! Are the agents even doing their jobs?!”
The entire city plunged into a new wave of panic and chaos.
The snowflake flickered a few times before a clear image appeared before everyone’s eyes.
The camera panned from a high altitude.
It was a mysterious island, surrounded by the deep blue sea.
At the island’s center lay a vast expanse of lush green grassland.
On the grass lay a dense crowd of people, each wearing a black hood, motionless, eerie and terrifying.
In the next moment, the scene shifted.
The black-clad figure wearing the white smiling mask, now all too familiar to Jiangcheng’s citizens, appeared on screen.
He stood atop a high ground, arms outstretched like a conductor about to take the stage, full of ceremony.
“I suppose all of you… have awakened by now!”
His voice echoed through a loudspeaker, reverberating across the island and into every corner of Jiangcheng.
“Welcome to my… hunting ground!”
He declared passionately: “Distinguished guests, you may now remove your hoods!”
As his words fell,
those “bodies” on the grass slowly began to sit up, one after another.
Then they reached up and pulled off the black covers from their heads.
Chen Yu followed suit.
The dazzling sunlight made him squint briefly.
When his vision cleared, despite his experience with large-scale scenes, he couldn’t help but gasp.
All around him, people stood densely packed—a dark sea of figures!
Among them were men and women, young and old.
The younger ones looked no more than fourteen or fifteen, still bearing traces of innocence.
The older ones had gray hair and faces lined with wrinkles, appearing well into their seventies.
Each face bore the terror of having survived a catastrophe and the fear of the unknown environment.
“There are 200 participants in this game!”
The masked man’s voice rang out again.
“Among you are heinous death row criminals, desperate fugitives, prostitutes who have sold their bodies, and thieves who live by stealing!”
He paused, his gaze seemingly scanning a certain direction within the crowd, adding meaningfully:
“Of course… there are also some with very interesting identities!”
“You may have been unforgivable sinners in your previous world, but today, I grant you a chance at rebirth!”
The masked man spread his arms wide like a savior delivering all souls, loudly proclaiming his declaration:
“Now, look up!”
Chen Yu instinctively lifted his gaze.
In the blue sky above, a gigantic hot air balloon airship floated silently.
Suspended beneath it by thick chains hung an enormous transparent glass box.
Inside the box was a dazzling array of colorful—banknotes!
Cash!
Piles of cash stacked mountain-high!
Under the sunlight, the bills reflected a dazzling, mesmerizing brilliance!
“Whoa—!”
The silent grassland erupted instantly in a thunderous roar!
At that moment, everyone’s eyes reddened!
Fear, confusion, anxiety—
All negative emotions were instantly replaced by a more primal, more frenzied desire!
Greed!
Chen Yu watched coldly, a twitch at the corner of his mouth.
Damn, not a shred of originality.
But though cliché, it was eternally effective.
That sick freak Shen Feng…
The game was truly about to begin!