In the next round, Yun Yao received a call from the silent man. Both of them held the receiver without uttering a word, and after a few seconds, they hung up simultaneously.
The remaining players on the field were no fools, and there was no need for further pleasantries.
One dialed, the other answered—within the rules, no one would risk saying too much.
The iron ball was now beside Yun Yao. Without hesitation, she pressed “Yes” on the screen and picked up the phone to call the adjacent room.
Though she already knew the outcome, Yun Yao wanted to confirm it herself.
Had Chen Junnan really died…?
The phone rang, and for the first time, Yun Yao waited this long for someone to pick up.
Ten dial tones—no answer.
Twenty dial tones—still no answer.
Finally, on the twenty-first ring, a girl answered, sounding terrified.
“Hello…?” the girl said.
Yun Yao paused before replying, “Hello.”
She realized this girl must have been Chen Junnan’s long-time “next in line,” though he had never mentioned her. What kind of person was she?
Xu Qian hesitated before asking, “Is he… dead…?”
A flicker of sorrow crossed Yun Yao’s face. “Most likely. The iron ball landed in the room to my left.”
Xu Qian couldn’t comprehend it.
Was there really such a man in this world?
Every move he made, every expression he wore was brimming with arrogance and confidence—yet he had died so abruptly and meaninglessly.
“This is… this is absurd!” Xu Qian shouted in frustration. “He left this mess behind, left Earth Snake… and now he’s just… dead…?”
Yun Yao’s expression darkened. She didn’t know much about Chen Junnan, only that he was impulsive and reckless. This ending… was probably something even he hadn’t anticipated.
Had the referee colluded with Earth Snake to cheat? Had there always been two iron balls hanging from the chain overhead?
One on this end, one on the other?
If that were the case, no one could have predicted it. Earth Snake was simply too cunning.
Though Yun Yao felt sorrow, she didn’t dwell on Chen Junnan’s death. The priority now was winning the game.
“Sister, you’re in a dangerous position,” Yun Yao said. “You and Chen Junnan were adjacent ‘odd numbers.’ The next iron ball might land on you.”
Xu Qian paused. “So… his name was Chen Junnan?”
Yun Yao sighed deeply. “Sister, now’s not the time for that. You need to find a way to survive.”
“Oh, right…” Xu Qian nodded. “Yeah, I… I have to survive.”
“Exactly,” Yun Yao said helplessly. “I won’t speak to you for the next two rounds. You can hang up now.”
“Huh? Why?”
“We’re not friends. I can’t trust you.”
“Okay… I understand.”
After hanging up, Yun Yao sat in her chair, idly playing with her lipstick. The iron ball had fallen on Chen Junnan’s head—a tragic outcome, but not entirely bad news.
The iron ball was now closer to Earth Snake.
Originally, it would have taken another half-round to return, but now it was right beside him.
If she played the next few rounds carefully, she might still have a chance to hit him again.
By the thirtieth round, only six players remained alive.
Unsurprisingly, the iron ball hung above Xu Qian’s head this time.
Though Yun Yao didn’t know the girl well, their brief conversation had given her the impression that she wasn’t a bad person. So, she symbolically chose “No.”
She didn’t know if it would help, but it was the last bit of kindness she could offer.
“The final answer to this round’s question is—’Yes.'”
No one hesitated.
To the remaining players, Xu Qian had no reason to live.
**BOOM—!!**
Another deafening crash, and Yun Yao froze again.
This time, the sound didn’t come from Xu Qian’s room on the left—but from the right.
And it wasn’t as loud as before, as if it wasn’t the adjacent room, but one room further.
“Wait… one room over?”
Yun Yao knew the impatient girl to her right was already dead. Beyond her was the “silent man” Chen Junnan had warned her about.
How could this happen?
Had the silent man died…?
Everyone still in the game seemed to be in disarray.
Since the twenty-seventh round, when the iron ball fell in Chen Junnan’s room, the killings had become completely random, defying all logic.
Yun Yao’s eyes slowly widened as Chen Junnan’s words echoed in her mind—
“Big star, want to bet? From now on, I can ignore all the rules and make the iron ball land wherever I want.”
Chen Junnan…?
Her heart, like a dying fire, sparked with faint embers of hope.
“Are you… still alive…?” She stood up, staring at the room to her right, but her mind was flooded with questions.
How had Chen Junnan done it? How could he control the iron ball at will?
Had he discovered some hidden rule?
But he wasn’t that clever—how had he risen above the rules?
Before she could figure it out, the next problem arose. Yun Yao received a call from Zhong Zhen, which meant everyone between them had died.
“It’s a must…”
Zhong Zhen seemed to have been talking for a while. When Yun Yao answered, he was mid-sentence.
“Zhong Zhen…?” Yun Yao was taken aback. “You’re still alive?”
Zhong Zhen paused. “I’ve said this many times—no matter who you are, or if you can even hear me… but I’ve calculated it. The iron ball is now over the head of the person to my right. She’s a huge threat. She must die! She’s too dangerous!!”
Yun Yao frowned. “What… what are you talking about? Zhong Zhen, haven’t you noticed the iron ball’s trajectory is already—”
“It’s a must!!” Zhong Zhen yelled. “She can control people’s actions through some kind of contact! If she survives, none of us who answer the phone will escape!!”
“Zhong… Zhong Zhen…” Yun Yao felt uneasy. “Can you hear me? The iron ball isn’t moving in increments of ‘minus two’ anymore… You—”
“I’m counting on you! You must kill her!!”
“You—”
“I’ve said this many times—no matter who you are, or if you can even hear me…”
“Can you hear me?”
Yun Yao felt as if Zhong Zhen had lost his mind. She listened quietly for a while and realized he was repeating the same words. Confused, she hung up.
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