An old tungsten filament light bulb hung from a black wire in the center of the room, flickering with a dim glow.
Yet the atmosphere in the room was no longer peaceful.
As the clock on the table ticked steadily, the nine people around the round table slowly opened their eyes.
Except for Lawyer Zhang and Tian Tian, everyone’s gaze was different from before.
Qiao Jiajin anxiously scanned the room until he saw the familiar faces, then finally relaxed.
Qi Xia also raised his head, glancing at his “comrades.”
Everyone was here—except for Xiao Ran.
It seemed Qiao Jiajin hadn’t broken the rules. He hadn’t provoked “Xuanwu” on his own. That was for the best.
Qi Xia’s eyes moved from person to person—first nodding at Qiao Jiajin, then exchanging glances with Officer Li and Lin Qin.
Finally, he looked at Dr. Zhao and Han Yimo.
Everyone was here. For some reason, that brought a strange sense of relief.
But now, there were three problematic figures in the room. First were Lawyer Zhang and Tian Tian—they hadn’t “echoed” and were still newcomers.
Then there was the former tenth person, now the ninth.
The young man whose skull had been shattered twice.
One by one, the “echoers” turned their gazes toward him. Aside from Qi Xia and Dr. Zhao, no one knew where Xiao Ran had gone. They only knew that there were truly nine people in the room now. So, would this young man die again?
Just like the previous two times, the young man wore that same eerie, despairing smile, staring blankly at Qi Xia.
The Sheep-Man standing nearby also had a different look in his eyes this time.
Those yellowish orbs, steeped in rot and despair, now carried a hint of delight.
According to the contract, he had to make everyone in the room disappear—three cycles in a row.
Now that people had started vanishing, it was a good sign.
**DONG!**
Another chime of the bell rang out.
Qi Xia frowned. Was “Scapegoat” being triggered?
But… was it really necessary right now?
“Good morning, all nine of you,” the Sheep-Man slowly spoke. “I suppose I should explain the situation. I am the Sheep-Man—”
Before he could finish his first sentence, the Sheep-Man froze.
He began trembling, overcome with terror.
A figure in white had appeared in the room without warning. She wasn’t seated at the round table, nor was she restrained. Instead, she stood in the shadowy corner, curiously looking around.
“Huh?” she muttered in confusion. “Where… is this?”
Hearing her voice, everyone turned their heads in bewilderment.
The figure stepped out of the shadows. “Why are there so many people here?”
The moment Qi Xia saw her, it felt like a string in his mind had snapped.
The final straw had arrived—brutally, without reason.
But the straw that breaks the camel’s back is never just the last one.
It’s every single one before it.
“Xia, you’re here too?” Yu Nian’an smiled. “Wasn’t I just walking down the street? How did I end up here…?”
“An…”
Lin Qin’s eyes widened in shock.
This girl… was the Yu Nian’an Qi Xia always talked about?
How was this possible?!
Even if she were in this place, how could she appear inside the interview room—where no one was supposed to move?!
The expressions around the room twisted in unease. This was far too bizarre.
“Xia, who are these people?” Yu Nian’an walked over to Qi Xia, resting a hand on his shoulder. “What are you all doing here?”
Lin Qin glanced at Qi Xia and immediately sensed something was wrong.
His eyes were off.
He was doubting himself—he was about to break.
“An… you… you’re really here?”
Qi Xia felt his thoughts spiraling into chaos.
He hadn’t “echoed,” yet Yu Nian’an had appeared.
Then…
Did that mean she was real?
Something felt deeply wrong, but the flood of information in his mind crashed together, making it impossible to think clearly.
“Ah!” Qi Xia gasped, his face contorted in realization.
He knew what was wrong!
There were now ten people in the room!
Based on the Sheep-Man’s past actions, he would kill the extra person—
That couldn’t happen!
He frantically looked at the Sheep-Man, but instead of attacking Yu Nian’an, the Sheep-Man staggered back, slowly drawing a pistol.
“Clause 3.3 of the contract: Once the interview begins, no participant may move. If Party B observes someone moving, they must immediately distance themselves from the moving individual. After ensuring their own safety, Party B must commit suicide without delay…” The Sheep-Man trembled as he raised the gun, pressing it against his own chest.
“No!” Lin Qin shouted. “This is spiraling out of control!”
Everyone understood her meaning.
The game hadn’t even started yet. If the Sheep-Man killed himself, how would things proceed?
How would they leave the room?
“Qiao Jiajin!” Lin Qin called out.
Qiao Jiajin instantly grasped the urgency. The Sheep-Man had retreated right in front of him—if he could seize the gun, there might still be a chance.
Unfortunately, his legs were still immobilized. He could only lean forward and strike swiftly, jamming his thumb beneath the trigger and twisting the gun backward in one fluid motion. The Sheep-Man lost his grip.
Qiao Jiajin knew he’d gotten lucky—if the Sheep-Man had reacted faster, he wouldn’t have stood a chance.
The Sheep-Man panicked as the gun was taken. “Give it back!!”
“No, no, no—” Qiao Jiajin waved his hands frantically. “Sheep-head, don’t die yet, alright? Just read the questions first!”
“GIVE IT BACK!!!” the Sheep-Man roared, his sanity fraying. He’d been in this interview room for ages, never imagining this clause would ever come into play.
But Qiao Jiajin dodged left and right, refusing to let him reclaim the weapon.
The Sheep-Man wanted nothing more than to shoot this tattooed punk dead.
**Clause 2.4: Party B agrees to provide participants with a proper worldview and ensure they willingly, voluntarily, and calmly proceed toward death. Party B shall not kill indiscriminately or act out of personal vendetta.**
Knowing he couldn’t kill, the Sheep-Man lunged again for the gun.
“Hey, cop!”
Qiao Jiajin reacted instantly, tossing the pistol across the table to Officer Li.
Having read the contract, Officer Li knew the Sheep-Man couldn’t kill without reason. The moment he caught the gun, he ejected the magazine, tossing it to Dr. Zhao with his left hand while throwing the empty gun to Han Yimo with his right.
“Sheep-Man! Just read the questions!” Officer Li urged. “If you’re going to die anyway, at least let us escape first!”
Watching them outmaneuver him, the Sheep-Man completely broke.
He abandoned the gun, instead retreating to a distant corner of the room.
Under the bewildered gazes of the others, he raised two fingers—
And plunged them into his own eyes.
A scream tore through the room as his sockets turned bloody.
He didn’t stop.
Next, he jammed his index fingers into his eardrums.
The brutality of it made everyone’s skin crawl.
Once finished, the Sheep-Man—his mask now soaked in blood—curled into a ball, muttering quietly:
**”Clause 3.5: If suicide is unsuccessful, Party B must destroy their own eyesight and hearing, then await execution by a designated agent of Party A within the interview room.”**
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