Chapter 131: The Bonus Game

Inside the interrogation room, the lighting was ghastly pale.

Zhang Luyao signaled for Yan Zheng and Su Qingzhu to leave, granting her a space of absolute silence. The door clicked shut behind them, sealing off the outside world. She pulled out a chair and sat opposite the waiter, whose spirit had completely collapsed.

"Hey, handsome, want to chat?"

Her voice was soft, carrying a strange, soothing power that contrasted sharply with her crisp, professional attire. The waiter remained dull-eyed, repeating his mantra.

"Seven days... it’s almost here... going to die... about to melt..."

Zhang Luyao did not lose patience. Instead, she took out a uniquely designed fountain pen from her pocket and spun it deftly between her fingers with interest.

"Melting? Sounds interesting. Is it like ice cream?"

She spoke to herself, but intentionally or not, she snapped her fingers every time the waiter repeated his words. The sound, however, was so faint that only the waiter could hear it. His gaze remained unfocused, showing no reaction to her words.

Zhang Luyao’s lips curled slightly as she pointed the tip of the pen toward him.

"Look at this."

Her voice shifted; it was no longer casual chatter but carried a guiding tone. "The tip of this pen, isn't it bright?"

"All your attention is focused on this point."

"Yes, that’s it. In your world, only this glowing point remains."

The waiter’s unfocused pupils actually began to slowly converge, staring intently at the tiny metal nib. His murmurs gradually faded.

"Your eyelids are so heavy, so heavy..."

"You want to close your eyes and have a good sleep."

"Listen to my voice; it will take you into a dream without fear, without pain."

Zhang Luyao’s voice grew softer, like a lover’s whisper or a mother’s lullaby, every word striking precisely at the most vulnerable nerves of the man. The waiter’s head drooped bit by bit, his eyelids closed heavily, and his breathing became steady and deep.

He had fallen asleep. Or rather, he had entered the mental world Zhang Luyao had constructed for him.

"All right, we are safe now." Zhang Luyao’s voice echoed in his mind. "Now, tell me, what is the thing that makes you so afraid?"

The waiter’s tightly shut lips began to quiver, his voice as thin as a mosquito's hum.

"Butterfly..."

"A butterfly?" Zhang Luyao’s eyebrows arched slightly. "What kind of butterfly?"

"Red... it flies... it’s watching us... all of us..."

"Why is it watching you?"

"Waiting... waiting for seven days..."

"And after seven days?"

"Melting..." The waiter’s body began to tremble slightly. "Everyone... will melt... turn into water..."

This word made a chill run down the spines of Yan Zheng and Su Qingzhu behind the one-way glass. Zhang Luyao remained calm and composed.

"I can stop it, but you need to tell me where this butterfly is."

"I don't know... I don't know..." The waiter’s emotions began to fluctuate again.

"No, you do know." Zhang Luyao’s voice firmed. "You must know. It’s hidden in a string of numbers. Tell me those numbers, and we can find it and destroy it."

Her words acted like a key, unlocking the shackles deep within his memory. The waiter’s cracked lips parted with difficulty, spitting out a few blurred syllables.

"Thirty..."

"And then?"

"One hundred... twenty-five..."

"30, 125!"

Zhang Luyao’s eyes turned sharp. She suddenly looked up at the dark one-way glass, repeating the numbers clearly for Yan Zheng and Su Qingzhu inside. She knew they had heard.

Those bizarre words—"butterfly," "melting," "seven days"—loomed over her heart like dark clouds, leaving her feeling deeply unsettled. The moment Su Qingzhu heard the coordinates, she turned and rushed out; in the hallway, only the rapid clicking of high heels against the floor remained.

...

Late at night, the massive warehouse on the isolated island was deathly still. After another round of bloody elimination, the once-crowded space looked frighteningly empty. Only six lonely iron-frame beds remained.

Clearly, no one slept tonight. The survivors curled up on their beds, staring wide-eyed at the dark ceiling, lost in thought. Li Qing was huddled next to Chen Yu, her body taut like a drawn bow, her expression conflicted.

Six people.

If a few more were eliminated, perhaps... perhaps they could really use force to take down Shen Feng, that psychopathic killer. But what would the next game be? Could the two of them continue to be lucky enough to survive together?

Chen Yu’s previous words about the "open conspiracy" floated uncontrollably through her mind. If it truly came down to choosing who would live and who would die, how should she decide? The question made her heart ache.

"Can't sleep?" A gentle voice sounded in Li Qing's ear.

"You can't sleep either?" Li Qing didn't turn around, her voice muffled.

"I know what you're thinking." Chen Yu shifted the topic, moving his body closer to her and lowering his voice. "I need you to remember one thing."

His tone was serious, so serious that it surprised Li Qing.

"I am a rather special person. Very special."

"I have a hundred percent ability to protect myself, no matter the situation."

Chen Yu thought to himself, *Damn it, I really want to tell her that I have a cheat code, I’m a VIP player, and that psycho surnamed Shen is at best a GM! But how can I say that? Even if I did, would she believe me? She’d probably think I’ve been scared out of my mind.*

"So, if we really encounter a life-or-death moment, remember!"

"Do whatever it takes to stay alive!"

"Trust me!"

He spoke the last two words very softly, yet with immense weight, as if they were a brand seared onto Li Qing’s heart.

Li Qing did not respond for a long time. In the darkness, she slowly turned to face him. Although she couldn't see his face clearly, she could feel his bright eyes watching her. In that gaze, there was no fear, no hesitation, only a near-arrogant confidence. Her heart inexplicably settled.

The night passed in silence. As the dawn began to break, a shrill alarm tore through the quiet of the warehouse. The heavy metal doors were slowly pulled open, and several expressionless, hulking men in pink entered, signaling them to get up with their gun muzzles.

Chen Yu cursed under his breath and reluctantly scrambled up. *Damn it, they won't even let people get a full night's sleep. Not even capitalists are as heartless as you lot.*

The six survivors, looking numb, followed the staff out of the warehouse. Outside was a row of strangely shaped small houses, like makeshift sheds, each identical to the others. The six of them, following yesterday’s pairs, were led into individual rooms.

Chen Yu and Li Qing walked into one, and the door slammed shut behind them. The furnishings in the room left them both stunned.

It looked like a minimalist-style dining room. A single table covered with a pristine white cloth and two chairs placed opposite each other. Beyond that, it was empty.

"What the hell? A last breakfast?" Chen Yu frowned, surveying the bizarre room.

Just as they were puzzled, the speaker in the corner of the room emitted a crackle of static, and then Shen Feng’s smiling voice rang out.

"Sorry, everyone, for waking you so early."

"I originally thought that after yesterday’s 'Sweet Game,' the next round would be the highly anticipated final showdown."

"But I didn't expect your vitality to be so tenacious. So many of you are still alive!"

His words were filled with undisguised irritation. "This makes me, the game designer, feel quite frustrated."

"Therefore, I have no choice but to add another game to eliminate... the extra people!"

He emphasized the words "extra people" heavily, full of malice. A sickly, light chuckle came through the speaker.

"Enough chatter."

"Let’s begin this interesting round of the game!"