INSIDER Chapter 120

Through a simple trick, Lu Chu and Song Gui managed to extract information from Zhang Xin.

They weren’t sure if the information Zhang Xin had was the same as what Dai Chenggong and the others had learned, but getting anything out of Zhang Xin was already a win.

However, Zhang Xin’s statement, “Take the person who deviated from the main plot to the world where he once lived but did not exist,” still needed careful consideration.

As players, they all knew one hard rule: the same person could only enter the same scenario once.

At the moment, without even knowing how to extract the person from the scenario, let’s assume that after ending this current scenario, they manage to take Zhang Xin out of this world. It’s worth noting that this assumption is based on their shared experience in the world of “Purge Day.” Successfully taking Zhang Xin out would present two nearly unsolvable problems: First, how to find the “Purge Day” world without Zhang Xin; second, how to re-enter the same scenario.

After thinking it through, Lu Chu realized they seemed to have hit a dead end.

On the other side, Zhang Xin, after being tricked and stunned for a moment, regained his composure and smiled as usual, “I lost.”

Accepting his defeat, Zhang Xin acknowledged his bad luck.

Lu Chu then looked at Dai Chenggong, “Is the information Zhang Xin shared the same as what you got from that Eliminator?”

Only then did Dai Chenggong and the others realize that Song Gui and Lu Chu were not genuinely trying to force them to reveal the other half of their secret but were merely deceiving Zhang Xin.

So Dai Chenggong admitted, “It’s roughly the same, just missing a bit compared to what we knew.”

What was missing was likely the solution to the two problems Lu Chu wanted to solve.

Unexpectedly, before Lu Chu and the others could think and question further, Dai Chenggong sighed, “Actually, there’s not much left to say. Let’s not wait until this scenario ends; I might as well tell you directly.”

Song Gui raised an eyebrow with interest, “You don’t have to force yourself.”

Luo Qi sneered at Song Gui, “Hypocrite.”

Dai Chenggong shook his head, “There’s not much left, and after several battles, we’re practically comrades in life and death now. I choose to trust you.”

Liu Zecheng and the others nodded in agreement.

Luo Qi scoffed, “Trust us? Then why were you hesitating earlier?”

Dai Chenggong smiled bitterly, “I was deciding whether to say it or not. Just when I made up my mind, Zhang Xin spilled it out.”

Zhang Xin: “…”

Dai Chenggong continued, “The information I know is the same as what Zhang Xin mentioned: taking the scenario NPC to the parallel world where they used to live but do not exist.” The key part was coming up next, and everyone listened attentively.

Dai Chenggong then said, “Besides that, the person who claimed to be an Eliminator told me two important pieces of information: First, once the NPC returns to their parallel world, the original duplicate NPC in that world will disappear; second, after finding the NPC’s birthplace, you need to have the NPC stand at the correct birth position. A space crack will appear, leading to the real world.”

Lu Chu nodded thoughtfully.

Dai Chenggong’s points only solved one of Lu Chu’s questions: how to find the world where the scenario NPC used to live without being in the scenario.

Lu Chu said, “For example, if we take Zhang Xin out of this world, then once he enters the parallel world of ‘Purge Day,’ the other ‘Zhang Xin’ in that world will disappear.”

Song Gui leaned against the wall, “So, the question remains: how do we re-enter the same scenario?”

Dai Chenggong scratched his head and smiled bitterly, “We also discussed this among ourselves. The conclusion we reached was that since we don’t even know how to take Zhang Xin out of the scenario, there’s no point in thinking too far ahead…”

In fact, they had never even considered that they could take Zhang Xin out of the scenario world.

“Then why did you plan to head straight to the city center to find Zhang Xin in the first place?” Luo Qi scoffed.

Liu Zecheng laughed, “We were just thinking ‘what if’…”

While they were discussing, Zhang Xin listened and silently reproached himself for his earlier impulsiveness.

Song Gui looked at him, “Don’t you want to escape this place?”

Zhang Xin shook his handcuffs, “Do you think anyone wouldn’t want to escape this fake world?”

For these scenario NPCs, their lives only had the day of the purge to live. Yet, the “rules” had set their life paths so realistically, with family, friends, and enemies, and all sorts of events, big and small, feeling so real as if they truly experienced them. But when he realized it, it was nothing but implanted false memories.

From birth to death, all those memories of joy, anger, sorrow, love, hate, and envy were fake.

Their lives were but mirages.

Thinking of this, Zhang Xin sneered mockingly, “Do any of you understand this feeling?”

Lu Chu understood.

But the way he dealt with these issues differed from Zhang Xin’s. While one chose to vent his anger through slaughter, the other tried to live earnestly and gently.

Moreover, Lu Chu was fortunate to have met 7. Zhang Xin clearly wasn’t so lucky, as the Eliminator who told him everything had no intention of saving him.

There were countless scenario NPCs, many deviating from their predetermined life paths, but only one blind Lu Chu, and only one Lu Chu who met 7.

.

As they ate and drank to replenish their energy, they continued to analyze the information they had just learned, trying to find other clues.

Suddenly, sounds of fighting came from outside the clinic.

Lu Chu exchanged glances with 7.

The others picked up their weapons cautiously.

Then, they heard voices outside, “Boss, are they here?”

“Of course, I saw a helicopter land nearby not long ago. Then I saw someone drive an SUV out and back. Look at the traces of a gunfight not far away. The SUV was abandoned near the battle site, so they must be hiding nearby.”

After a moment, the person called “Boss” spoke, “Have Six open all the storefronts. We’ll search one by one.”

Hearing this, Lu Chu lowered his voice, “When they start opening the locks of other stores, we’ll rush out.”

Song Gui nodded, “Catch them off guard.”

Lu Chu added, “Luo Qi, Qian Zhen, you two watch Zhang Xin.”

Zhang Xin was very cunning and unreliable. If they unlocked his handcuffs now, he might cause trouble, so they needed to keep him restrained while ensuring his safety.

After assigning tasks, they waited for the moment when the people outside started breaking into the neighboring store.

Listening carefully, Lu Chu waited until the timing was right and whispered, “Now.”

Dai Chenggong opened the door, and they all rushed out.

Luo Qi and Qian Zhen restrained Zhang Xin, following closely behind Lu Chu and the others. Staying in the small storefront could leave them trapped.

There were six people outside, an easy fight.

After several rounds of combat, half of the enemy was dead.

Then, an unexpected event occurred. Zhang Xin suddenly broke free from Luo Qi and Qian Zhen’s protection and rushed into the fight, getting shot multiple times.

With numerous bullets in his body, his clothes full of blood-stained holes, Zhang Xin smiled manically at Lu Chu before he died, mouthing, “I won’t be caught so easily. I’ll be reborn and cycle through Purge Day. On this day, both players and NPCs are foolishly played by the rules. Only I am awake, and I will control their fate.”

Lu Chu frowned, realizing that Zhang Xin never intended to leave his fake world.

Because in this world, Zhang Xin was the only one who knew the truth. As he said, he was the only “awake” person. Every time Zhang Xin was reborn, he would know more about what would happen to other scenario NPCs on “Purge Day.” Watching others being manipulated and killed by him gave Zhang Xin a pathological sense of satisfaction, making him believe he was the master of the scenario, controlling the world’s fate and everyone’s lives.

But it was just self-deception.

As Zhang Xin closed his eyes, Lu Chu told him, “Do you think your endlessly looping world can exist forever?”

The “rules” would never allow a scenario to remain out of control. Destruction was inevitable.

Zhang Xin died with his eyes wide open in fear.

.

Zhang Xin’s death left the others feeling a sense of loss, as if they had missed a way out of the game.

Those who knew Lu Chu’s true identity were not worried. Without Zhang Xin, it didn’t matter. Lu Chu was also an NPC — but it wasn’t time to reveal this yet.

Bringing himself into the scenario, Lu Chu reconsidered the information they had gathered from Zhang Xin and Dai Chenggong.

Now, for them, the way to return to the real world where players like 7 lived was actually — to return to the “City of Lost Sensations” world where “Lu Chu” did not exist.