Chapter 1010: Next Stop

“Yes, bro.” Kim Won-hoon said, “He seems to be deliberately stirring up trouble. What do you think?”

“This matter is worth pondering.” Chu Tianqiu touched his forehead with a finger. “Is Chen Junnan really trying to pull off such a crude tactic in front of several sharp minds?”

“Crude…?” Kim Won-hoon felt a bit puzzled.

In his eyes, the tactic seemed rather clever, but to Chu Tianqiu, it was nothing but low-grade strategy.

“Bro… maybe Chen Junnan is just that kind of person? His thoughts are straightforward, without much purpose.”

“No…” Chu Tianqiu frowned. “Chen Junnan is definitely not as carefree as he appears… The fact that he stood before a crowd with so many ‘characters’ clearly shows he was well-prepared. And as you said, he targeted Dr. Zhao from the start, meaning he already had a plan in mind.”

“I don’t get it, bro…” Kim Won-hoon said. “What exactly is he trying to do?”

Chu Tianqiu fell silent for a long while. He knew Chen Junnan well, but he couldn’t decipher his intentions.

Could it be…?

“Diverting trouble while secretly advancing his own scheme.” Chu Tianqiu suddenly furrowed his brow. “This means there’s a ‘needle’ in our team, but it’s not Zhao Haibo.”

“A ‘needle’…?” Kim Won-hoon was momentarily stunned.

“Yes… that makes sense.” A slow smile spread across Chu Tianqiu’s face. “Using a clumsy tactic to obscure the most easily overlooked truth… That’s exactly the kind of thing Chen Junnan would do. The more we dismiss and doubt his tactic, the more successful it becomes—because he’s using Dr. Zhao as a ‘fake needle’ to tell the ‘truth.'”

“Bro! Does ‘needle’ mean ‘spy’?” Kim Won-hoon asked again. “Do you know who it is…?”

“I can’t say for sure.” Chu Tianqiu frowned. “In the midst of battle, how could there not be a ‘spy’…?”

Chu Tianqiu felt that everyone in the team except Kim Won-hoon could potentially betray him—including Wen Qiaoyun.

This version of Wen Qiaoyun was created by Qi Xia through sheer will. Chu Tianqiu couldn’t be certain whether she harbored the same thoughts as before or if she would fully side with him.

Then there was Yan Zhichun, a “Jidao” who seemed deeply connected to Qi Xia, Xu Liunian—handpicked by Qi Xia himself—and Zhang Shan, who had always been skeptical of Chu Tianqiu…

Any one of them could be the “needle” planted by the opposing side.

“It’s hard to say now, but we’ll find out soon.” Chu Tianqiu said. “The priority is to get intel from the ‘frontline.’ Kim Won-hoon, you need to position yourself near them and gather information—but make sure you don’t get dragged into the game.”

“But won’t you be in danger…?” Kim Won-hoon asked. “Bro, don’t you need me here to protect you?”

“Don’t worry.” Chu Tianqiu replied. “If I’m not mistaken, they’ve also planted a ‘needle’ on our side. Both ‘commanders’ are equally at risk. The only problem is, I don’t know who their ‘needle’ is yet.”

“Alright… if that’s the case…” Kim Won-hoon said, “I’ll take a look at the ‘frontline.’ I’ll make sure the ‘characters’ stay safe.”

“Good.” Chu Tianqiu nodded. “Also… you need to figure out how to ‘echo’ in this place.”

“Understood.”

…

Qinglong sat cross-legged on a pitch-black floor tile, resting his chin on his hand with a heavy expression.

Dilong stood a step behind him, not daring to speak.

“Were you always this quiet?” Qinglong suddenly asked.

“Huh…?”

Dilong’s voice was soft, unsure if Qinglong was talking to himself.

“Where do you plan to go after this game?” Qinglong murmured, staring downward.

Dilong hesitated, uncertain whether the question was directed at her. “Are you… speaking to me?”

“Who else?”

“Oh… I…” She quickly answered, “After this game, I’ll probably inspect the rooms to see if any ‘Earth-level’ members are hiding contraband… Also, I’ve received a few contract applications and might need to consult ‘Tianlong’…”

Her voice trailed off as she sensed she might have said something wrong.

Qinglong simply kept his gaze downward, silent.

“Qinglong… why do you ask this all of a sudden?” Dilong ventured.

“I’ve known for a long time that you’re Qi Xia’s person.” Qinglong said. “So has ‘Tianlong.'”

Dilong’s expression stiffened, and she instinctively took half a step back.

“But I’m genuinely curious.” Qinglong continued. “After all this… where do you plan to go?”

“I…” Dilong’s heartbeat spiked, her mind going blank.

She didn’t understand the meaning behind Qinglong’s question, nor had she ever seen him in such a state—dangerous yet strangely melancholic.

“Assuming the best-case scenario…” Qinglong said impassively. “All ‘Heaven-level’ members are killed, all ‘Beasts’ are killed, even if every ‘Zodiac’ is wiped out… what then?”

Dilong remained silent for a long time before finally answering, “I… don’t know.”

“Oh, did you know?” Qinglong added. “The ‘train’ doesn’t lead out.”

“What…?”

“The ‘train’ only has three stops.” Qinglong explained. “Apart from ‘Taoyuan,’ the other two are voids of absolute darkness—nothing exists there.”

Dilong frowned, unable to tell whether this was true.

“But here’s the strange part…” Qinglong went on. “Qi Xia seems to have found a way to open a brand-new ‘station.'”

“You mean… that red-glowing ‘door’…?”

“Exactly.” Qinglong nodded. “When your game began this morning, it was lucky all the ‘Zodiacs’ had already left the ‘train’ for work… Otherwise, anyone who opened a door would’ve stepped straight into that eerie station.”

Still seated, Qinglong turned his head slightly, almost looking up at Dilong, and whispered, “Did you hear it…? The sounds coming from that ‘door.'”

“I… did.” Dilong admitted truthfully.

“Such terrifying wails… such a deep, unsettling red light…” Qinglong murmured. “If I had to guess, if Qi Xia truly masters the ‘train’s’ operation, he’ll lead everyone into that blood-red world.”

Dilong shuddered, a chill running down her spine.

She vividly remembered Qi Xia’s words—that door led to the “New World.”

“So I really can’t tell anymore.” Qinglong said. “What exactly is Qi Xia planning…? And where does he intend to take all of you?”