“Brother Qi, why did you take so long to come out?” Xiao Ran stood by the door with a smile.
It seemed she had been waiting for Qi Xia the whole time.
Ignoring her, Qi Xia walked toward the group not far away.
“Hey, Brother Qi, wait for me!”
Doors on both sides of the corridor slowly opened, revealing Zodiacs covered in blood, standing motionless by their doors like the Snake.
Officer Li, seeing Qi Xia approach, whispered, “What’s your plan?”
“I don’t know. What about you?”
Officer Li hesitated, his expression conflicted. “I’m torn right now. I have no direction.”
“Torn?”
Lin Qin, curious about their hushed conversation, stepped closer.
Covering her mouth lightly, she asked, “Strange, did you two know each other before coming here?”
“No,” Qi Xia shook his head.
Lin Qin studied Qi Xia for a long moment but couldn’t tell if he was lying.
Officer Li didn’t respond, keeping his eyes forward as they walked.
After a long while, the group finally saw a faint light ahead.
The Dragon stood rigidly in place, wearing an extremely grotesque mask.
“Hello, I am the Dragon.”
His appearance startled those seeing him for the “first time.”
“Don’t be nervous. Your ‘trials’ are over. I won’t give you new ones—just some advice.”
Qiao Jiajin shot him an impatient glance. “What advice?”
“You have ten days to change everything,” the Dragon said slowly. “If you don’t collect 3,600 ‘Tao’ within that time, the world you’re in will vanish. Everything you see will perish with it. So far, you’ve passed four trials: ‘The Liar,’ ‘Bamboo Shoots After Rain,’ ‘Death from Above,’ and ‘Two Pills.’ These are your rewards—your ‘chips.'”
He pulled out four shimmering golden spheres and handed them to Officer Li, who stood at the front.
“What are these?” Xiao Ran asked, puzzled. “They look so weird…”
She took one and examined it—white on the outside, gold on the inside, shaped like a 3D fried egg, with an odd elasticity when squeezed.
“This is ‘Tao’!” The Dragon waved his hands excitedly. “With 3,600 ‘Tao,’ you can escape!”
Dr. Zhao frowned. “How do we get that many?”
“Play games!” the Dragon replied. “This city is full of them. If you’re strong enough, you’ll earn ‘Tao.'”
“You mean we have to willingly join these deadly games?” Dr. Zhao scoffed. “What kind of lunatics are you?”
“We’re not lunatics. We just want to survive,” the Dragon said, his voice suddenly somber. “Don’t you want to live?”
His question left the group silent.
Qi Xia stepped forward. “Dragon, what happens after we collect 3,600 ‘Tao’?”
“After?” The Dragon seemed caught off guard. “I… don’t know.”
“So, do we hand them over to someone? Or take them somewhere?”
“I… suppose once you gather them, someone will come for you.”
“‘Suppose’?” Qi Xia narrowed his eyes. “You don’t actually know?”
“No, I don’t,” the Dragon admitted. “But your actions here are monitored. The answer will reveal itself in time.”
Qi Xia studied the half-human, half-dragon creature, realizing that despite his title, he was still just a “human” in rank—unlikely to know everything.
“Having questions is good,” the Dragon murmured, still sounding dejected. “It means you’re still awake. I hope you stay that way…”
“Let’s go.” Qi Xia turned away, addressing the group.
They nodded, bypassing the Dragon and exiting the corridor.
Qi Xia remembered how, last time, the building had mysteriously vanished behind them. This time, he immediately turned to look—Officer Li did the same.
All they saw was a lone “door.”
They stood in an empty plaza, the strange door behind them leading to another space. The Dragon stood inside, staring at them mournfully, as if choking back countless words.
Then, under Qi Xia’s gaze, the door shrank and disappeared within seconds.
“Wait—” Tian Tian gasped, spinning around. “Where’s the door we came out of?”
The others turned, baffled by the sight.
They stood in a sprawling central plaza, facing an electronic screen and a giant bronze bell. The screen displayed a single sentence:
*”I heard the echo of ‘Calamity.'”*
But no one knew what to do—or where to go next.
“I’m going to collect ‘Tao,'” Qi Xia announced. “I need teammates.”
“What?” Dr. Zhao recoiled. “You’re seriously going back into those games? We should be figuring out how to escape!”
“You do that. Anyone else with me?”
Qiao Jiajin rubbed his chin. “I’m in. You’ve got brains; I’ve got muscle. Let’s team up.”
“Good.” Qi Xia nodded. “Anyone else?”
Tian Tian hesitated, glancing at the lawyer, cop, teacher, and doctor before stepping forward. “I’ll join too.”
Qi Xia suppressed a sigh—this was the same lineup as before.
Lin Qin eventually walked over. “Can I come?”
Qi Xia hesitated. Logically, he preferred Officer Li and Han Yimo—four men, each with unique skills, would increase their odds.
But with the “Extremists” in play, bringing Tian Tian and Lin Qin could put them in unnecessary danger.
Before he could respond, Xiao Ran pushed forward. “Brother Qi, you’re so amazing—take me with you!”
“No,” Qi Xia said flatly.
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