EMSD Chapter 36

The sound of flesh being torn apart by teeth, coupled with the gory sight in front of her, was a mental assault that Tong Yang could not easily brush off.

Even though she thought she had developed a strong mental fortitude, the scene still made her scalp tingle with fear.

As if sensing someone behind her, the girl paused slightly and slowly turned her head.

Under the dim light spilling out from the cafeteria, Tong Yang saw that the girl’s face was smeared with blood, liquid dripping from the corners of her mouth. Between her lips, she held a mangled piece of flesh.

“Do you want some?” The girl tilted her head, offering her what seemed to be a chewed-up, unrecognizable human arm.

Suppressing the nausea churning in her stomach, Tong Yang managed to maintain a calm façade. For some reason, neither the girl nor the man in the cafeteria seemed to recognize that she was from the real world. They must have mistaken her for one of their own.

“No, thanks.” Tong Yang turned her head away in disgust.

“Oh.” The girl resumed her feast on the raw meat.

Suddenly, she glanced back at Tong Yang, her lips curling into a crazed smile. “You look so tasty. I love eating eyes the most. Can you give me one of yours?”

Standing above her, Tong Yang tightened her grip on the fruit knife in her hand and responded coldly, “Sure.”

She grabbed the girl by the hair, yanking her head back to expose her blood-soaked neck. With a swift motion, she plunged the knife in from the side, piercing through her throat.

The next second, Tong Yang pulled out the blood-covered fruit knife and wiped it clean on the girl’s clothes before tossing it aside.

It seemed this parallel world was far worse than she had imagined. Recalling the people she’d encountered so far, it was clear that there were hardly any normal individuals left.

Fortunately, the situation this time was different. Because she had entered the parallel world voluntarily, no one here had recognized her true identity.

Returning to the teaching building, Tong Yang noticed that a few scattered classrooms still had their lights on. She decided to investigate each one, hoping to find someone to ask about Ye Wen’s whereabouts.

When she reached the second lit classroom, she saw a man standing at the podium. He was holding a piece of chalk stained red with blood, slowly writing something on the blackboard.

Standing by the doorway, Tong Yang squinted to make out the words on the board: “All Absent.”

The white chalk mixed with the red blood created streaks on the blackboard that resembled tear marks.

“Excuse me, Teacher, may I ask where Ye Wen is?” Tong Yang knocked on the door with the handle of her knife, trying to catch his attention.

The man, his back to her, stiffly turned his head upon hearing her voice. His face was expressionless, indistinguishable from that of an ordinary human.

“Don’t know him,” the man replied icily.

“Got it.” Tong Yang shrugged and prepared to leave.

She had no idea how many people were in this school, and it would be too time-consuming to kill every single one of them.

Besides, even if she could kill them one by one, she’d be in serious trouble if they all decided to gather together.

“Not attending class?”

The man’s voice stopped her in her tracks.

“Graduated already,” she replied, waving her hand dismissively and heading toward the next classroom.

“No problem. Why not stay and listen to my lecture?”

Tong Yang hesitated briefly before turning back. Without hesitation, she walked into the classroom and thrust her knife upward, piercing the man’s skull.

She realized something—if she didn’t deal with him now while he was alone, he might become a bigger problem later.

The man fell lifelessly to the floor. Tong Yang wiped the blood off her knife on his clothes before switching off the lights and leaving the classroom.

The next lit classroom was completely empty. There wasn’t even a desk or chair inside.

“That’s odd,” Tong Yang muttered to herself.

Looking around, she noticed the white walls were streaked with what appeared to be blood, dripping down as though the walls were bleeding. Upon closer inspection, she found a section of the wall that was a slightly different color from the rest—yellowed, as if soaked in water.

She pressed her hand against it. The texture was damp and slimy, reminiscent of rotting tofu.

Her suspicion growing, Tong Yang raised her knife and sliced into the wall. Thick, ground meat-like paste oozed out, falling to the floor in clumps.

Her face turned green. This wasn’t a wall—it was flesh ground into paste and plastered onto the surface! After seeing the earlier horrors, it wasn’t hard to guess what kind of flesh it was.

Disgusted, Tong Yang wiped her hands vigorously on the curtain. But even that felt off—something about the texture was wrong. Taking a closer look, she discovered faint stitching marks on the curtain’s backside. Upon inspection, she realized the curtain was sewn together from the skins of seven or eight children!

“Damn it…” Tong Yang cursed under her breath. What kind of twisted lunatics existed in this parallel world? “Tong Le was right. These people are downright terrifying.”

She felt relieved that Ye Huai and Xu Junyue hadn’t entered this world. One of them would’ve died from fright, while the other wouldn’t even have been able to comprehend the horrors.

Tong Yang wanted nothing more than to leave this wretched place. She’d rather face a group chasing her down in the real world than endure any more of this nauseating environment.

The night was cold and eerie, the sound of nails scratching against a blackboard echoing faintly. Although she tried to ignore it, the noise refused to fade, crawling under her skin. Finally, unable to endure it any longer, she followed the sound to another classroom.

Inside, a woman with disheveled hair stood at the podium. In the third row, a girl with pigtails sat silently.

Wary after her earlier encounters, Tong Yang feared this girl might also have a head where her face should be. She approached the window to check. To her relief, the girl appeared normal, though her pale skin and blank stare fixed on the woman at the podium were unsettling.

The woman, meanwhile, seemed almost fused to the blackboard. Suspended by several transparent fishing lines, her body swayed unnaturally with every scrape of her nails against the board. From the waist down, she had no body—only the fishing lines manipulated her movements.

“Big sister, do you want to watch with me?” The little girl turned to look at Tong Yang, her expression a mix of innocence and naivety.

Tong Yang pursed her lips and muttered a single word: “Psycho.”

“No thanks.”

“Can I see your fingernails?” the girl asked sweetly. “My toy seems to be breaking.”

Tong Yang cut to the chase. “Do you know Ye Wen?”

The girl tilted her head. “Do you mean the child brought here a few days ago?”

Tong Yang’s heart skipped a beat. “Yes, that’s him.”

“He’s been hidden away.”

“By who? Where?”

“I saw his fingernails. They were too short. I didn’t like them.”

Tong Yang fell silent, mulling over the situation. It might actually be a good thing that Ye Wen was hidden. For now, it kept him safe.

“I can take you to him.”

“You know where he is?”

“Yes, I just don’t like him.”

“Fine, take me to him.”

The girl smiled faintly. “But you’ll have to become my toy.”

“Deal,” Tong Yang agreed without hesitation.

“Great!”

The girl led the way, guiding Tong Yang through dark and unfamiliar corridors. As they walked, Tong Yang asked casually, “Besides you, who else is here?”

The girl remained silent, refusing to answer.

She led them past the cafeteria and deeper into unknown territory. Tong Yang’s breathing grew heavier as she stopped abruptly. “Where are you taking me?”

The girl turned her pale face back toward Tong Yang, her black pupils narrowing. “To find Ye Wen.”

“Then tell me where he is first.”

The girl’s expression turned conflicted. “I don’t know.”

Tong Yang’s face darkened. “Are you messing with me?”

The girl’s pupils dilated, and a mischievous smile spread across her lips. “Yes.”

With that, she drew a dagger from her sleeve and lunged at Tong Yang. “Big sister, you promised!”

Tong Yang coldly grabbed the girl’s wrist, stopping her effortlessly. “Don’t worry, after you’re dead, I’ll pull out the teacher’s fingernails just for you. Then we can—”

Her words were cut short as she shoved her fruit knife into the girl’s mouth, the blade pressing against her tongue. Blood trickled out.

“I’ll ask you one more time. Have you seen him?”

The girl’s eyes filled with tears as she stammered, “Big sister… I’m scared…”

“I’m counting to three. Just answer yes or no.”

Tong Yang’s gaze remained calm, showing no mercy despite the girl’s age.

Seeing her attempts to cry and beg failing, the girl bit down on the knife and kicked at Tong Yang’s knee. Tong Yang furrowed her brows and tried to push the knife further in, but the girl clamped her teeth down hard. Frustrated, Tong Yang kicked the girl away, dislodging several bloody teeth along with the blade.

The girl opened her bloodied mouth and wailed loudly.

Fearing the noise might attract others, Tong Yang strode forward and slit the girl’s throat.

“What a waste of time.”

Kicking the

girl’s body aside, Tong Yang looked up to see a man and a woman standing at the edge of the field.

“Sui Sui?”

“You… you killed Sui Sui?”

Though their faces were obscured, they were slowly walking toward her.

Tong Yang took two steps back before turning and running.

If it had been just one person, she might’ve managed to deal with them unharmed. But two? Better to avoid unnecessary risks.

From their earlier interaction, it was clear the girl had tried to lure her toward these two adults.

Back in the teaching building, Tong Yang noticed more and more classrooms lighting up, with shadows flickering against the walls.

“This is bad,” Tong Yang thought. If she didn’t find Ye Wen soon, her identity might be exposed.

Hearing the two figures pursuing her into the building, Tong Yang quickly moved to the glass hallway on the second floor. Suddenly, as she passed a classroom, she stopped dead in her tracks.

Inside, she saw a familiar figure sitting there.

“Ye Huai?” Tong Yang whispered.

Ye Huai sat in the front row of the classroom, still wearing his eye mask. Upon hearing her voice, he tilted his head slightly in her direction.

“Do you trust her?”

The long-silent voice in Tong Yang’s earpiece suddenly came alive again.

“If you trust her, remove the blindfold.”

Hearing rapid footsteps behind her, Tong Yang swiftly sidestepped as the man’s cleaver smashed into the wall.

“Don’t take it off!” she yelled amidst the chaos, warning Ye Huai.

If he removed his blindfold and saw the scene, Tong Yang feared he’d immediately succumb to a heart attack.

“Sui Sui…”

Dodging the duo’s attacks, Tong Yang’s back slammed against a door. But before she could react, the cleaver came swinging down again.

She ducked, her sleeve slashed open, and the blade embedded itself into the door with a loud “thunk.”

Tong Yang slid to the floor, slamming the door shut on the man’s head. The impact jarred the cleaver loose, leaving it stuck in the doorframe for a moment.

Acting quickly, Tong Yang slipped under his arm and came face-to-face with the woman lunging at her. She instinctively thrust her fruit knife into the woman’s chest. But the woman, holding a blade of her own, managed to slice across Tong Yang’s abdomen as she fell.

Pain shot through her, but Tong Yang gritted her teeth and twisted the knife deeper into the woman’s chest. The woman let out a final wail before collapsing.

As Tong Yang prepared to leave, she caught sight of Ye Huai in the classroom. He had removed his blindfold and was silently watching her.

Oh no. If he had a heart attack here, she wouldn’t even be able to claim her reward later. This wasn’t part of the deal!

“To your left,” Ye Huai’s voice interrupted her thoughts, calm and steady.

Tong Yang’s ears caught the faint rush of wind on her left. She dodged nimbly and, with her other hand, drew a second fruit knife from her pocket. She stabbed it into the man’s abdomen and kicked the cleaver from his grasp, retrieving it herself in one fluid motion.

In one swift move, she brought the cleaver down on his shoulder, almost severing it entirely. Yet, the man remained standing, glaring at her with bloodshot eyes and continuing his assault.

“Alright, you’re asking for it.” Tong Yang had initially held back, wary of scaring Ye Huai, but now she had no choice. She raised the cleaver and slashed at his neck.

With a wet “squelch,” the man’s head separated from his body. Blood sprayed into the air, and the head landed perfectly on the desk in front of Ye Huai.

Blood splattered all over the pale-faced teenager.

“Are… are you okay?” Tong Yang asked nervously. “You better not have a heart attack. I can’t save you if you do.”

Her main concern wasn’t just his health—it was her wasted effort if he died now.

Ye Huai brushed off the blood droplets clinging to his eyelashes, his expression indifferent as he glanced at her. “You could’ve chosen a more elegant method.”

Tong Yang shrugged. “I prefer straightforward and brutal.”

Ye Huai glanced around the room, then at the sky outside. “Is this the parallel world?”

“Yeah. How did you get here? And where’s Xu Junyue?”

“I don’t know. I followed Doctor Wu’s instructions.”

Tong Yang frowned. “Who exactly is Doctor Wu?”

“He claims to be a researcher for the 749 Bureau. Since we’ve successfully entered here, I suppose his true identity doesn’t matter.”

Ye Huai stood up and looked out the window. “When did you arrive?”

“About twenty minutes ago.”

“Is Ye Wen here?”

“Probably, but I haven’t found him yet.”

“Got it,” Ye Huai said.

Tong Yang raised an eyebrow. “You don’t seem surprised at all.”

“Why should I be? You already told me about the existence of parallel worlds.”

“Well, just be careful. This place is dangerous.”

“Understood.”

Standing on the balcony, Tong Yang surveyed the surroundings, relieved that they hadn’t yet attracted too much attention.

Ye Huai really was an oddball. How could he remain so calm? When she had first encountered such strange phenomena, it had taken dying twice for her to fully accept it.

But then again, with a father like Ye Tianlin, Ye Huai probably had no choice but to develop an iron will. Otherwise, he’d have either been beaten or driven mad long ago.

“Congratulations, the three of you have successfully entered the parallel world.”

Doctor Wu’s voice echoed in their earpieces.

Tong Yang’s brow furrowed. “Xu Junyue made it in too?”

“First, don’t dwell on my identity. I mean you no harm for now. This is just an experiment.”

“Second, since you entered the parallel world through the ‘elevator game,’ they won’t immediately recognize your identities. But if you’re exposed, well… you can imagine the consequences.”

“Finally, you’ll need to participate in a game. The prize for winning is Ye Wen.”

“The game starts at 2 a.m. and lasts for four hours. At the end of that time, if you win, you’ll return to the real world with the prize. If you lose, Ye Wen will remain here… until he dies.”

“I have a question,” Tong Yang said.

After a brief pause, Doctor Wu replied, “Go ahead.”

“What’s the purpose of this experiment?”

“The purpose is to determine whether you’re fit to continue engaging with the parallel world.”

“Was Ye Wen’s disappearance your doing?” Ye Huai asked.

“Who knows? Maybe it was just a coincidence.”

Hearing Doctor Wu’s cryptic response, Tong Yang fell into deep thought.

The goal of the experiment seemed to be to assess their suitability for continued involvement with the parallel world. It felt like a test, a selection process of sorts. Tong Yang didn’t like being forced into such a passive position.

But there was no turning back now. If they wanted to succeed, they’d have to play by Doctor Wu’s rules.

After all, Tong Yang’s main objective was to save Ye Wen.

“There are ninety minutes left until the game begins. Please rest in place.”

Since Ye Wen was the game’s prize, there was no point searching for him now. Better to conserve their energy for the game ahead. Tong Yang found a spot to sit, lifting her shirt to inspect the wound on her abdomen. Luckily, it wasn’t deep, and the bleeding had already stopped.

Meanwhile, Ye Huai seemed lost in thought, his head bowed and his expression unreadable.

“Is it because the three of us have all encountered elements of the parallel world that we were chosen for this experiment?” he asked, glancing at Tong Yang.

Tong Yang continued tending to her wound without looking up. “What are you trying to say?”

“I’ve met Ye Tianlin in the parallel world, and Xu Junyue stumbled into it by accident. But what about you? If the criteria were contact with the parallel world, wouldn’t it make more sense to choose your brother?”

“My brother’s not even ten years old,” Tong Yang replied, shooting him a glance. “If anything like this ever drags my brother into it, I’ll make sure that bastard Wu pays the price.”

She couldn’t help but worry about Ye Huai as well—this guy was clearly unhinged.

Seeming to pick up on her implication, Ye Huai met her gaze. “Just because I want to kill Ye Tianlin doesn’t mean I’m completely unhinged.”

“Who knows?”

After cleaning her wound, Tong Yang moved to the back of the classroom, arranging a few chairs together to lie down and rest for a while.

Instead of wasting time overthinking, it was better to conserve her strength for the game. As for Xu Junyue, she’d made her choice, and Tong Yang wasn’t about to risk her own safety to look for her.

Ye Huai sat by the window, staring outside with a heavy expression.

Time passed in silence. Tong Yang, half-asleep, was roused by a familiar broadcast melody.

Pushing herself up, she realized the sound wasn’t coming from her earpiece but from the classroom speakers.

“All faculty and students, please gather on the field.”

Tong Yang and Ye Huai exchanged a glance. Soon, the quiet corridors filled with the sound of slow, shuffling footsteps.

A figure passed by the window, and Tong Yang moved to take a closer look.

On the balcony, several silhouettes moved toward the lower floors. They stared straight ahead, silent and expressionless, as if the world had been muted

.

It was impossible to tell whether they were faculty, students, or something else entirely. They moved as if under some strange spell.

“Earth’s resources have drastically diminished by 2024,” Doctor Wu’s voice explained in their earpieces. “To ensure a high standard of living for the privileged few, ordinary people are forced into games of mutual slaughter, reducing the burden on humanity and reallocating resources.”

“These aren’t the faculty and students of Hailin International School. They’re outsiders who entered to partake in the school’s resources through this deadly game.”

Tong Yang observed the unfolding scene quietly. The parallel world had turned into a massive slaughterhouse, a grotesque arena where survival meant killing others. Who knew how many years of carnage had shaped this grim reality? How many humans were even left alive?

“Let’s go,” Tong Yang said.

“Okay.”

The two of them left the classroom, maintaining a cautious distance from the others. Tong Yang scanned the crowd for Xu Junyue but found no trace of her.

Before the game began, the others didn’t seem hostile. Even as Tong Yang passed by, they showed no interest in her. It was as if she didn’t exist.

Joining the group heading toward the field, Tong Yang and Ye Huai stood at the back, blending in with the crowd.

Tong Yang glanced around the field. There were two or three hundred people gathered—elderly individuals with graying hair, children no older than ten, and everything in between. They stood silently, their postures rigid and unmoving, like statues frozen in time.

“The ninth full assault of Hailin International School is about to begin. This time, the targets are the fifty individuals on stage.”

The curtain on the stage was drawn back, revealing fifty people standing in three rows. Each had a silver chain around their necks, glinting coldly under the spotlight.

Tong Yang’s eyes scanned the stage until they landed on Xu Junyue, dressed in white, standing on the far left of the second row.

Unlike the others, who wore expressions of numbness, Xu Junyue’s face was tense with fear, tears faintly visible on her cheeks.

What the hell is she doing there?

Tong Yang frowned deeply.

“Killing one target earns 100 points. Killing an attacker earns 10 points. Points can also be stolen from others. Targets may only run. The game lasts for four hours. At the end, the top scorer among attackers wins a prize, while the bottom ten scorers will become the next round’s targets.”

“Targets who survive until the end will earn their freedom.”

The prize for the top scorer must be Ye Wen.

Killing one target netted 100 points, while killing ten attackers only equaled that. Since the bottom ten scorers became the next targets, the safest strategy would be to kill at least two targets for 200 points, then hide to avoid losing points.

But Tong Yang’s goal was to rescue Ye Wen, which meant she needed the highest score while avoiding being killed herself.

She wasn’t too worried about herself—her skills and experience gave her confidence. But what about Ye Huai and Xu Junyue? One was frail and sickly, the other blind and incapable of fighting. How was she supposed to keep them alive while securing the top score?

She regretted not coming alone. This was all Doctor Wu’s fault!

“All attackers, please leave the field. You may pursue the targets after twenty minutes.”

Tong Yang exchanged a glance with Ye Huai before blending into the departing crowd. Instead of returning to the teaching building, they stayed at the edge of the field, watching.

The targets began leaving the stage, scattering in search of hiding spots. Xu Junyue, trailing behind the others, moved slowly under the weight of her chains. Though trembling with fear, she struggled to maintain her composure. Despite the lack of her guide dog, she navigated using her heightened senses of sound and smell.

Meanwhile, several attackers remained at the classroom windows, watching the targets like predators eyeing prey. The moment the timer ended, they would pounce.

Tong Yang and Ye Huai stayed hidden, waiting for the right moment to act.

As Xu Junyue passed by, she suddenly stopped and turned her head slightly in their direction.

After the others moved on, Xu Junyue hesitated before calling out softly, “Tong Yang?”

Her sharp sense of smell must’ve caught a whiff of Tong Yang’s scent.

Seeing that no one else was around, Tong Yang pulled her into the shadows.

“What are you doing here?” Tong Yang asked, frowning.

Xu Junyue’s face was filled with helplessness. “I don’t know. I just followed Doctor Wu’s instructions, and then…”

Ye Huai leaned against the wall, watching them quietly. “Doctor Wu’s intention seems to be for the three of us to complete the game and win the prize. Why are you one of the targets?”

Tong Yang didn’t say anything but scrutinized Xu Junyue under the moonlight. She had the same question.

The announcement had stated that the bottom ten scorers from the previous round would become the next targets. So how had Xu Junyue ended up among them?

Xu Junyue bit her lip, her expression confused and pitiful. “I don’t know…”

Her trembling lashes and forlorn demeanor made her look utterly vulnerable. “Doctor Wu said we had to kill the targets to earn points and save Ye Wen. I’m just a burden. It’s only a matter of time before someone else kills me. At least this way… I can…”

She trailed off, but her meaning was clear.

Looking at her pitiful, frightened expression, Tong Yang lowered her gaze slightly.

Ye Huai nodded. “Thank you, Miss Xu.”

Xu Junyue froze, her voice shaking as she turned to Tong Yang. “Tong Yang, if we’ve meant anything to each other, please take care of Lion for me after I’m gone. He’s like family to me, and I couldn’t bear to leave him behind.”

Tong Yang sighed, patting her shoulder consolingly. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of Lion.”

Xu Junyue let out a tearful laugh, a single tear escaping down her cheek. “I really like you, Tong Yang…”

“Don’t worry, I’ll remember your death anniversary and burn paper offerings for you every year.”

Xu Junyue: “…”

“Mr. Ye, if I could, I’d donate my heart to you before I died…”

“No need,” Ye Huai replied curtly.

“Alright then, do it quickly,” Xu Junyue said, closing her eyes in resignation.

“Okay.”

Tong Yang pulled a sharp fruit knife from her pocket and said sincerely, “I’m sorry. I’ll make it as quick as possible.”

Xu Junyue twitched, her expression wavering. “You’re really going through with it?”

Tong Yang scowled. “Stay still. I’ll make it painless.”

“Damn it! You two are heartless!” Xu Junyue’s composure broke as she glared at them, her tears replaced with frustration. “Are your hearts made of stone? I’m blind, I’m weak, and I’m begging you to spare me, and you’re still going to kill me?”

Tong Yang looked at her disdainfully. “Have you been watching too many TV dramas? In a situation like this, you’re supposed to maximize your usefulness to the team.”

“What about him?” Xu Junyue snapped, pointing at Ye Huai. “Why don’t you kill him? He’s just a sickly liability!”

“No way,” Tong Yang replied firmly. “He has to survive to pay me.”

Xu Junyue shoved the knife away from her neck and crossed her arms. “You know, I thought I acted pretty convincingly. How did you figure it out?”

Tong Yang didn’t answer directly, instead staring at her eyes. “So, can you see or not?”

Xu Junyue closed her left eye. “Not like this.”

Tong Yang rolled her eyes. Turns out she was only half-blind.

“Well? How did you figure it out?”

Ye Huai stood to the side, unwilling to join their conversation.

Tong Yang said, “You think a normal blind person would act like you? Besides, when the lights came on earlier, you instinctively shut your eyes.”

Xu Junyue pouted. “Are you a detective or something? Why are you so observant?”

“So, what’s your real deal?” Tong Yang asked.

Xu Junyue’s playful demeanor faded, and her expression turned serious. “I’m looking for someone.”

“Who?”

“My sister. She’s even more unfortunate than I am—completely blind. She’s the one who truly entered the parallel world, not me.”

Xu Junyue glanced at Ye Huai before continuing to Tong Yang, “She told me about it many times, but I never believed her. Then one day, she disappeared from the bedroom next to mine. She was out of my sight for only eleven seconds.”

Tong Yang said, “Finding her in the parallel world would be like finding a needle in a haystack. And besides…”

“And besides, there’s no way to know if she’s even still alive.”

“Exactly.”

Xu Junyue shrugged nonchalantly. “I’m not necessarily looking to find her.”

“Whether she’s alive or dead doesn’t matter to me. I just want to prove that she was telling the truth.”

“Well, now you know.”

“Yeah! By the way, that creepy lady in the glass corridor nearly scared me to death! Good thing I kept my eyes shut.”

Tong Yang nodded. “In that case, you can go die in peace and maximize your usefulness to us.”

“You’re hopeless!” Xu Junyue retorted, pulling the chain off her neck. “This was just a

prop I grabbed to blend in.”

Tong Yang sighed regretfully. “What a shame.”

Xu Junyue yanked off her wig, revealing short pink hair. She removed a pale contact lens from her left eye, exposing its natural brown color.

Her right eye, clouded white, gave her a starkly different appearance from the neighborly sister-like impression she’d first given Tong Yang.

“So, do you think we’ll go to jail for killing people here?” she asked nonchalantly. Without waiting for an answer, she laughed to herself. “Spending a few years in jail doesn’t sound so bad. My dad would even have to arrest me himself. The thought’s kinda thrilling.”

As she spoke, she slipped the chain back around her neck.

Tong Yang stared at the chain thoughtfully. “Do you have another one of those?”

“Why? This is the only one I found. I think it belonged to a target who died, so I put it on.”

Tong Yang frowned. “If a target died, why are there still fifty targets? Shouldn’t there only be forty-nine?”

Xu Junyue froze. “You mean…”

“The targets aren’t just determined by rankings from the previous round. It’s also about the chains, isn’t it?”

“So whoever wears one becomes a target?”

Tong Yang gave her a meaningful look.

“Wait a minute!” Xu Junyue exclaimed, catching on immediately. “I don’t plan on dying young, alright?”

Tong Yang raised an eyebrow. “Can’t you take it off yourself?”

“Well, whether or not it works, no one noticed you when you were wearing it earlier.”

“So…”

“So, we can use it. If one of us wears the chain, we can approach the targets. Once they let their guard down, we take it off and kill them.”

“Interesting!”

Tong Yang smirked. “It gets better. Want to hear?”

Xu Junyue’s eyes sparkled. “Tell me!”

Tong Yang said, “If we catch an attacker and put the chain around their neck, they’ll become a target. Then we kill them…”

“Oh my god! Tong Yang, you’re a genius! If this works, every kill we make counts as a target, and getting the top score will be a breeze!”

“We don’t know for sure if it’ll work.”

“Well, time’s almost up. Let’s find out.”

Tong Yang nodded. “Alright, let’s test it on someone.”

“Do you know how to use a knife?” Tong Yang asked.

Xu Junyue took the fruit knife from her hand, gripping it with the blade facing outward. “Of course. This is the most efficient way to hold it.”

If not for her white dress, she might’ve actually looked competent.

“Have you trained?”

“My dad taught me.”

“What’s your dad do?”

“Police officer.”

“What about your dad?”

“Drunk driver.”

Xu Junyue: “…”

Tong Yang pulled out two more fruit knives, planning to give one to Ye Huai. But when she turned to him, he was sitting against the wall, eyes closed, his expression tense.

Xu Junyue’s eyes lit up, and she rattled the chain in her hand. “Should we test it on him?”

Tong Yang frowned, scrutinizing Ye Huai. Was he dying? If he died now, her reward would vanish too.

“Hold on,” Tong Yang said, motioning for Xu Junyue to wait. She knelt beside Ye Huai and leaned in to check his breathing. “If he’s barely alive, we might as well finish him off.”

After all, if he was already on death’s door, there was no point in saving him.

Tong Yang reached out to check his pulse, but as her fingers neared his neck, his cold gaze met hers.

“I’m just resting.”

Xu Junyue clicked her tongue in disappointment.

Tong Yang sighed in relief.

At least the money was safe.