Chapter 41: Huaining Television Station (Part 1)
Ling Changye said, “The primary mission of our assault team is to clear the game. This is our top priority; everything else comes second.”
In the Heping Medical College dungeon, Xia Bai had heard Hua Haoming mention this point, adding that even human lives take a back seat.
It was understandable; each department of the Game Management Bureau had different responsibilities. Rescue operations were handled by the rescue team, while the assault team was established specifically for clearing games, prioritizing all efforts toward that goal.
However, implementing this principle in practice inevitably made them seem cold and indifferent. This was one reason why the assault team had a mixed reputation outside.
Ling Changye took the time to emphasize this to Xia Bai again, possibly because he had seen certain actions of Xia Bai in the game that contradicted the team’s purpose.
Xia Bai kept a blank expression, “Oh.”
He thought he might as well do more good deeds and make a good impression on people. That would make it easier to sign contracts with corpses. If necessary, he could use more near-death tactics combined with intimidation — after all, he now had a corpse that was pretty effective in scaring people.
Ling Changye glanced at him and added him to a group named [Bow and Arrow].
Yang Mei, who had been holding his phone as if waiting for this moment, immediately sent a welcome sticker the moment Xia Bai entered the group.
Then the group chat exploded with stickers, almost all of which were either from Yang Mei or Erwa.
“……”
Xia Bai quickly realized where Ling Changye’s collection of stickers had come from.
As Xia Bai watched, he downloaded the stickers. It seemed that no one in this group talked via text; they all communicated with stickers. Even the message [Wow, it’s been so long since a new member joined. Welcome, Xia Bai] appeared as a sticker of Yang Mei resting his chin on his hand and winking.
Xia Bai decided to follow suit, keeping his blank expression as he searched for ways to make stickers. First, he needed pictures, but he didn’t have any photos of Erwa or Yang Mei. The only usable pictures on his phone were of the Fortune Gods and a little dog in the village cemetery. However, his shots of the dog often included tombstones — just a personal preference.
And since everyone was sending stickers of Erwa and Yang Mei, using a dog might not be appropriate.
After some thought, Xia Bai decided to use his own pictures.
Lin Xiang had taken a few shots of him looking absent-minded and had sent them to him.
Xia Bai: [Thanks.jpg]
This was followed by a series of [Stolen] stickers from the group.
“……”
Aside from this group, Xia Bai also accepted friend requests from two people.
The Information Department worked quickly. Ten minutes after Xia Bai became a member of the assault team, they had already assigned him a personal life assistant and a game work assistant.
Both of them added him and pulled him into another group named [Xia Bai].
Song Lu: [Mr. Xia, I am your dedicated life assistant. If you have any needs in daily life, feel free to reach out to me. Besides me, the assault team has a service team that you can also contact for assistance.]
Song Shi: [Mr. Xia, I am your work assistant. I’ll coordinate and arrange all game-related tasks for you. Let me know if you have any requests, and I’ll handle it.]
Xia Bai was stunned. He could understand the need for a work assistant, but why did he need a life assistant?
He asked the three people in the group, “The assault team has a life service team?”
Yang Mei replied, “Of course, we have a fifty-member service team. They’re great! Once, I wanted to attend a concert, so they brought the singer to the hotel for a private performance. The whole setup was absolutely dreamy.”
Xia Bai: “……”
He wanted to know what his life assistant could do for him.
Song Lu: [I’ve already arranged a residence for you near the Heping Medical College. It’s not as secure as your dorm, which is one of the safest places in Jiang Qi City, but it’s very spacious and comfortable.]
Song Lu: [A car has been arranged as well: a sedan for daily use, a nanny van, and let me know if you’d like an off-road vehicle.]
Xia Bai was stunned.
Song Lu: [Would you like your hometown to be renovated?]
Xia Bai: [You’ve already bought me a house. You can even renovate my old home?]
Song Lu: [We can buy you an additional property if you’d like.]
Xia Bai fell silent.
Hua Haoming, who seemed to catch on, noticed that Xia Bai still hadn’t fully grasped his own position.
He explained, “Xia Bai, after the game descended, the social hierarchy and wealth structure changed significantly. You’re a player with a soul skill, placing you at the top of the new structure. On top of that, you joined the assault team, meaning you’re prepared to sacrifice yourself for the country at any moment.”
Xia Bai thought about it and understood. The game had changed many things, with players who possessed skills becoming a new group of elites. Joining the assault team and being ready to become a martyr meant he deserved the best treatment.
However, the transition was happening too quickly for him. He had just been saving his tuition fees, reluctant even to buy resources. Despite having skills, he had only envisioned himself as a small-time corpse collector in the game.
Before joining the assault team, he hadn’t expected such favorable treatment; he simply wanted to leverage his membership to find the Fortune Gods and investigate his grandfather’s past.
Ling Changye said, “I’ll give you a period to adapt. Right now, you’re not suited for frequent missions with other team members, nor is it suitable for you to draw attention. I’ll tell them to keep your identity as a member of the assault team under wraps for now.”
Xia Bai nodded, “I’d also like to finish my volunteer work first.”
Ling Changye agreed, “However, there are some team duties you can start on.”
Hua Haoming, hearing this, gave Xia Bai a sympathetic look.
Curious, Xia Bai asked, “What work?”
Ling Changye replied, “Babysitting.”
Xia Bai: “…?”
Babysitting — that could only mean taking care of Erwa, right? Xia Bai said, “I’ll be working on rescue missions. Erwa might get scared being around all the blood and gore.”
Ling Changye responded, “You can leave Erwa for later. Start by taking care of Dawa.”
Xia Bai, bewildered, asked, “Who is Dawa?”
Didn’t Erwa’s name come from the fact that his mother had previously carried another child? That child was supposed to have passed away.
Yang Mei’s eyes crinkled into crescents as he leaned in, “That would be me.”
Xia Bai: “……”
Xia Bai took a step back, “Aren’t I supposed to be keeping a low profile?”
How could he stay inconspicuous with this guy tagging along?
Yang Mei didn’t seem to understand, so Hua Haoming translated, “Xia Bai means you’re too famous, and it’s hard to keep a low profile with you around.”
“Oh.” Yang Mei turned his back to Xia Bai, squatting down on the other side of the sofa, and fiddled with something. In less than a minute, he stood up, “Xia Bai, little brother, does this look alright?”
In front of him was Yang… as a girl. She had long, fluttery lashes, lips like cherry blossoms from an anime, and a cascade of silky black hair draped demurely over her chest. She blinked her lively peach blossom eyes at Xia Bai, “Little brother, what style of clothing do you like me in? School uniform, Lolita, or something a bit more mature?”
Xia Bai: “……”
He looked helplessly at the other two in the room.
Ling Changye raised his teacup and sipped, his attention entirely on the tea — perhaps the finest black tea he’d ever tasted, as he savored it with intense focus.
Hua Haoming turned to gaze out at the beautiful morning sun, “The weather’s lovely today, and the assault team’s salary is quite generous.”
Xia Bai: “……”
Just one wall away, in another VIP hospital room, Erwa pressed himself against the wall, clutching a bucket of popcorn as he listened in.
His physical skill was related to the forces of nature. Despite the hospital’s soundproofing, he could still catch a few sounds. He knew Xia Bai was joining the assault team and had heard about Xia Bai babysitting, so he quickly changed into an adorable, warm yellow outfit, brought his popcorn bucket over, and listened again. However, the voices seemed to have stopped.
Anxious and excited, he ran to the door and peeked through the crack, only to see Xia Bai walking away with a stunning young woman.
The light in Erwa’s eyes gradually dimmed, turning into tiny pearls.
Today, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Xia Bai’s group was on duty, standing by.
The hospital had a restaurant, free for everyone staying there. Song Lu mentioned arranging a VIP ward for Xia Bai, so he could eat better and be more comfortable in his room. But Xia Bai declined; since he was fulfilling his volunteer duties and hadn’t yet taken on any critical team tasks, he would eat and live with the other volunteers for now.
Yang Mei accompanied Xia Bai to the restaurant.
He was dressed in a pure white, three-quarter-sleeve shirt, with a pink and purple plaid bowtie at the collar, a matching pleated mini skirt that showed off his long, fair legs, paired with layered socks and black buckled leather shoes. Holding Xia Bai’s arm, he attracted countless stares as they walked.
When someone stared at him for too long, he’d wave at them and softly greet them, “Hello there.”
Three people ended up walking into poles along the way.
Finally, they reached the restaurant, and Zhong Zicang, who was about to call them over, was momentarily stunned.
Yang Mei happily skipped over in his little lambskin shoes, tilting his head as he asked, “Hello there, are you my little brother’s senior? I’ll be counting on you to take care of him in the coming days.”
“Huh? Oh, yes, of course.” Zhong Zicang, blushing, politely said, “Please, have a seat.”
After they sat down, he asked, “Wait, taking care of him for the next few days?”
Hua Haoming had already prepared an explanation. Xia Bai said, “He’s new to the rescue team in the Logistics Department of the Bureau of Tourism and is here to familiarize himself with the work.”
“Yes,” Yang Mei nodded, “Sister Wei told me to stay with you all.”
Zhong Zicang immediately recognized “Sister Wei” as Wei Zhengyu, the head of the logistics department, and gave Yang Mei another look, making a mental note to verify her background later.
When Wang Wei and Zhang Runyue arrived, they were also surprised, exclaiming in unison, “What a cute little sister!”
Yang Mei smiled happily yet earnestly, “You two sisters are also beautiful. I’ll be relying on you these next few days. I’m a bit clumsy, you see.”
The three “girls” happily started chatting, covering everything from work to fashion and skincare.
Xia Bai, with a blank expression, ate his meal.
While chatting, Yang Mei kept an eye on Xia Bai, asking, “Brother, why are you only eating rice? You should have some vegetables and meat too.”
He leaned over, holding Xia Bai’s arm as he served him food. Xia Bai, slightly bewildered, pushed away the hand trying to hold his arm, “I just like eating rice.”
Yang Mei blinked in feigned hurt, “Brother, why won’t you let me hold your arm? Do you think I’m clumsy, or is it because I have a flat chest?”
“Pfft!” Zhong Zicang spat out his chicken soup.
Xia Bai’s expression grew even more dazed.
The meal was incredibly challenging.
Xia Bai had never felt such an intense desire to start working.
Unfortunately, with no games completed today, they ended up waiting in the ambulance for eight long hours—a painfully long wait.
When they returned to the orthopedics hospital, Ling Changye was taking Erwa for his last walk of the day. Xia Bai had no desire to walk the dog again after a whole day but wanted to try his luck in a game, so he took Yang Mei to a distant amusement park.
Recently, the entertainment industry in Quanguang City had taken a serious hit, and amusement parks were among the hardest hit, with few parents bringing children to play. The entire amusement park was nearly deserted; not only was there no need to wait in line, but they didn’t even encounter any other visitors at each attraction.
Yang Mei rode the merry-go-round while Xia Bai sat outside, taking photos of him. Each time Yang Mei passed by Xia Bai, he’d strike a new pose, going through over a dozen poses without repeating any.
Yang Mei was an expert at posing, each photo turning out well, with a bright and joyful smile.
Despite his apparent prowess in taking photos and discussing fashion and skincare, Xia Bai knew he was genuinely clumsy and lacked real-world experience.
Curious, Xia Bai wondered how Yang Mei had earned his title as “Ghost Enchanter.” Xia Bai knew soul skills required fate, not necessarily excellence. He was simply curious about what experiences or qualities Yang Mei had that earned him the skills behind this title.
When Yang Mei got off the carousel, he nearly tripped. As Xia Bai moved to stand up, Yang Mei had already steadied himself and rushed over.
Sitting close to Xia Bai, he asked, “Xia Bai, why doesn’t the amusement park have fireworks?”
The amusement park was empty, with less than ten people inside. Given the circumstances, they likely couldn’t afford fireworks, even if they used to have them.
Thinking this, Xia Bai messaged Song Lu, asking, [Can Quanguang City’s Beibei Amusement Park set off fireworks?]
Song Lu responded quickly, [Give me ten minutes.]
Ten minutes later, a fireworks display, grander than the one on the amusement park’s opening day, illuminated the sky. Brilliant fireworks burst one after another, filling the dark night sky over Quanguang City with vibrant light and lively sounds.
Surprised cheers erupted from within the amusement park. Though Xia Bai couldn’t see the people, he could hear the cheers growing louder, eventually becoming shouts, with faint cries hidden within them.
The bright light of the fireworks reflected in Yang Mei’s beautiful almond-shaped eyes. Leaning his head against Xia Bai’s shoulder, he looked up at the bursts of light, murmuring, “Xia Bai, I’m so happy.”
Xia Bai replied with a simple “Oh.”
As layers of fireworks blossomed overhead, Yang Mei said, “Actually, Xia Bai, I’m not that much older than you.”
Xia Bai responded warily with a “Hmm.”
Yang Mei: “Can I call you ‘brother’?”
After a whole day of suggestive gazes and peculiar remarks, Xia Bai found the request almost normal, “Sure, you can call me that.”
An autumn breeze shifted the bunny ears of Xia Bai’s amusement park-themed headband, making Yang Mei shiver slightly, either from the chill or in laughter. Hugging Xia Bai’s arm, he watched the fireworks explode and softly called, “Brother.”
Since the large map had been cleared, the frequency of game occurrences in Quanguang City had indeed dropped. Xia Bai’s team hadn’t encountered any tasks for two days, with only one game appearing in the entire city over three days. Both Xia Bai’s team and two other idle teams were sent to assist.
Only two injured players needed to be taken to the hospital; the deceased stayed within the game. With three teams assisting just two players, the job was light; even without their intervention, the Bureau of Tourism staff could manage.
On the ambulance ride back, Zhong Zicang said, “Judging by the situation, we might return to school in a couple of days.”
Before entering the Harmony Theater, Xia Bai knew that due to the decrease in games, the students in the other vehicle from Heping Medical College had already returned to school.
The two vehicles had split upon entering Quanguang City, with the other heading to nearby counties. Since the counties were vast but had fewer tasks, the students returned three days earlier.
Zhang Runyue and Wang Wei visibly relaxed at the news.
They had been in Quanguang City for thirteen days, during which they conducted ten rescue missions. The first day had been the most tragic, and on the third day, they handled three missions in one day—the most exhausting day. Even on the calmer days, their nerves were constantly tense; in their sleep, they saw the dead, the smell of blood lingering at their noses. They were utterly exhausted.
Zhong Zicang smiled, raising a crooked thumbs-up, with his head tilting to match.
Usually, he maintained a serious demeanor befitting a student council president, especially during these days in Quanguang City. This was one of the rare times he appeared cute rather than stern.
Wang Wei laughed, “No way, Xia Bai, our junior, is the impressive one. So young yet so calm. I even cried on the first night.”
Zhang Runyue added, “President Zhong is the real hero, juggling the Bureau of Tourism’s tasks and volunteer work. You did a great job.”
At that moment, Zhong Zicang had stood at the front of the bus, vowing to bring everyone back to school. Faced with the unknown dangers of the game and the mysteries of Quanguang City, everyone had braced themselves for potential sacrifices, doubting they would all return.
This prediction had proven true, as three students from the bus that went to Longdong County had been lost.
When five students had gone on a rescue mission, they were swept into a game with no skilled or experienced players. Ultimately, only two Heping Medical College students survived.
Everyone had heard the news in their group chat that day.
Xia Bai remembered that night. At three in the morning, when he went to the bathroom, Zhong Zicang was still awake.
Wang Wei also said, “Yes, the most impressive one is President Zhong. Our bus of 49 students will return to school safe and sound.”
Zhong Zicang smiled and then turned to look outside the window, his smile fading into confusion, “Why did the car in front of us stop?”
Ahead of them was an ambulance carrying another team, parked by the roadside.
Zhong Zicang rolled down the window, and they all looked outside.
It was already past ten at night. The entire city of Quanguang was shrouded in darkness, with lights clearly delineating the high-rise buildings. Some of the lights belonged to residential buildings, while the sparsely lit ones were office buildings. There was one building that stood out, and someone in the group recognized it as the Huaining Television Center building.
Quanguang, a historic city, is the capital of Huaining Province. Although it isn’t the province’s most economically developed city, it serves as the political and cultural hub. The provincial television station is located in the Cultural City area of Weiming District, and the TV center building is one of Quanguang’s landmark structures.
The television center building was one of the few office buildings still illuminated late at night in Quanguang. From a distance, they could see a glow of fire emerging from one of the floors.
The driver said, “It seems something happened at the provincial television center.”
At that moment, they were on Cultural Avenue, right outside the Cultural City area, where they could see flames growing on the top floors of the tallest building.
Zhong Zicang asked, “Is there a fire?”
The driver replied, “It looks like it. So, should we…?”
Their responsibility was to assist players in the game, not to handle incidents like this, and it wasn’t related to the students from Heping Medical School with them.
Zhong Zicang said, “Let’s get closer. I think I hear shouting, and it sounds like more than one person. There might be serious injuries.”
The driver responded, “Alright.”
They paused briefly, but as they prepared to move forward, the car ahead of them started moving as well, turning onto the road that led toward the fire. Their vehicle followed, and the car behind them also joined, while the ambulance carrying the injured player continued on its original path.
Halfway there, the driver’s radio crackled with the voice of the ambulance driver ahead. “Ambulance 1022, Ambulance 1023, it looks like there’s some player activity up ahead. Seems like someone from the Operations Division is already there.”
“Is it player activity? That could be dangerous. Do you still want to go?” the driver asked.
Zhong Zicang quickly explained to them, “Player activity typically refers to conflicts between player teams, or instances where players use their skills to engage in large-scale illegal activities. It usually involves several skilled players, so it can be risky.”
Wang Wei said, “We still need to go! It sounds like there are a lot of casualties!”
Zhong Zicang immediately instructed the driver, “Go!”
The driver replied, “Ambulance 1022 is heading over now.”
It took less than two minutes to reach the scene. Xia Bai nudged Yang Mei, who had been dozing on his shoulder, and joined the others in getting out of the vehicle. The people from the other two ambulances also stepped out.
The Huaining Television Center comprised a main building and an annex, creating a semi-enclosed plaza. They stood in the plaza and looked up.
“It looks like the fire’s been put out. It was on the thirteenth floor.”
“Should we go up now?”
“Of course, immediately. The injured can’t wait.”
“Let’s go!”
The Huaining Television Station had launched some popular variety shows over the past two years, and the area outside the station was usually bustling, with strict entry controls. But now, past ten at night, there wasn’t even a guard at the entrance—only patches of fresh blood splattered across the ground.
The spacious lobby on the first floor had multiple elevators, and they split into two groups to take separate elevators to the thirteenth floor.
When they arrived, the fighting had stopped, but the atmosphere remained tense, with three groups seemingly in a standoff.
Xia Bai spotted a familiar figure.
Ling Changye stood at the forefront of one group. He was accompanied by several others, all of whom Xia Bai didn’t recognize, but they looked either relaxed or intimidating—not like ordinary people.
As they approached, Ling Changye glanced in their direction, giving Xia Bai the same indifferent look he gave everyone else.
The group was dressed in white lab coats, making their purpose clear.
A bald man from the opposing side chuckled, “As expected from the Game Management Bureau. Even the rescue team arrives so promptly.”
He then turned to Ling Changye and added, “And I never expected the Captain of the Assault Team to be here too.”
Ling Changye, still wearing his trench coat, arched his back slightly as he looked down at a player who had died gruesomely at his feet. With a nudge of his foot, he rolled the body over. “You’re too kind. Since we’re all acquainted, there’s no need for extra words. Would you mind accompanying us to the Education Institute?”
The man simply laughed.
Ling Changye raised his head and waved his hand. “Everyone aside from players from the Saint Game Guild and the Half-Moon Group, please leave. From here on, this is a matter for the Game Management Bureau and these two organizations.”
There were about twenty people on the thirteenth floor, excluding volunteers. Around a dozen lay on the ground, with blood filling the cracks in the marble floor. The freshly extinguished fire left behind a choking smoke that lingered in the air, casting a hazy veil over the diverse expressions on the faces around them.
A few people exchanged glances. Three wounded individuals made a break for the exit. Seeing them flee without resistance, two others quickly followed, and soon, about ten people trickled out one by one.
As the number of people dwindled, the tension in the air grew more palpable.
Ling Changye turned to them. “The rescue team should wait downstairs.”
The volunteers, sensing the charged atmosphere, grew uneasy. While they had witnessed plenty of bloody scenes in the aftermath of games, this was their first time experiencing such a tense standoff among players. Everyone on this floor seemed formidable, not the type to be trifled with, as if violence could erupt at any moment.
They understood the implied meaning in the Assault Team Captain’s words—combat was imminent, and they were better off staying clear.
Instinctively, they looked to Zhong Zicang for guidance. Just as he was about to speak, the first three people who had run downstairs returned, followed by several others, each looking uneasy.
The person at the front, tense and anxious, said, “We can’t get out. It looks like… we might have been pulled into the game.”
