(18/20)
Xingwang Hotel
Chapter 297: Ruthless
Upon seeing the two black teams appearing at both ends of the corridor, the “Integrity First” live broadcast room erupted:
[Ahhhhhhh!]
[Ahhhhh, it’s over, it’s over, it’s over!]
[I seriously don’t know what to say about the anchor’s weird luck… What are the odds of running into a pincer attack, and he just happened to get sandwiched, right on the first floor!]
[Now there are people on both sides, but the hallway is so narrow that the invisibility prop is pretty much useless! Ahhhhh, what are we gonna do? Help!]
[Hahaha, am I the only one excited? I didn’t expect combat to start this early in the game. I’m totally pumped for this—only by barging right into the opponent’s turf do we get the kind of thrilling action that’s worth watching!]
[Yeah, yeah, let’s see them fight!]
“Bai Xue, use a prop!” Wen Jianyan spoke quickly.
As soon as he finished speaking, he turned sharply, reaching out to grip the doorknob of room 408.
The door was flung open in an instant, then slammed shut again with a loud “bang!”
Even Wen Jianyan’s own teammates were startled.
In that moment, every black team member who had entered the hallway was alarmed, turning in the direction of the sound.
A slender girl, dressed in a white dress, clutched the doorknob with a look of panic on her face. Her damp hair clung to her cheeks, and her amber eyes were opened wide, resembling a frightened deer. Her soaked dress traced her figure attractively, and her voice trembled slightly:
“There…there’s a ghost inside!”
Blond: “…”
Chen Mo: “…”
Yun Bilan: “…”
Right now, the fear on their faces wasn’t an act.
In the barrage of the “Integrity First” live broadcast room:
[…]
[…]
[Wow, I mean… I’ve never seen anyone switch their appearance so fast in my life…]
[Hold on, my pupils are shaking—who’s this cute girl, who is she?!]
[Hahahaha, bet you didn’t expect this! He even managed to pull this off for an entire game once and nearly tricked an innocent young guy into falling for it!]
[Hahahahahaha An Xin: Thank you very much.]
In the distance, the expressions of two black team members turned serious, their faces shocked as they rushed in this direction.
“What happened?”
“Hurry up!”
The girl’s face was pale, her hand clenching the doorknob tightly. Her wide-open eyes were filled with fear as her chest rose and fell rapidly, her voice quivering.
“Whatever you do, don’t go inside.”
In the barrage of the “Integrity First” live broadcast room:
[Damn, I get it now! The anchor pulled out an even scarier, urgent crisis to prevent anyone from suspecting his identity… Who would even have time to worry about which side he’s on now?]
[True enough, in a game like this, nothing weighs heavier than the words “there’s a ghost,” especially in such a setting. Just dropping that line is enough to make everyone’s nerves go on high alert!]
[Hahahahaha, this move is just too slick! There’s no way he hasn’t done this before!]
Wen Jianyan didn’t take this risk recklessly.
There were simply too many players in this game.
On just one side, there were over a hundred anchors, and after only a brief introduction to the rules, the first lights-out phase had started. With such a short time for introductions, there was no way the anchors could spend all their time on getting to know one another. Even Wen Jianyan, who prided himself on his memory, could barely remember each member on the red team, let alone the players on the other side, who were weaker and less skilled.
Wen Jianyan was confident that his opponents wouldn’t remember the faces of all his teammates.
By erasing the most distinct features of his team, the chances of being recognized would be slim.
The lead black team member cast a look at Wen Jianyan, suddenly realizing something:
“You’re all wet—did you also bring a guest out of the painting?”
Then one teammate turned, studying the tightly shut door in front of him, his brow slowly furrowing:
“But your room’s door doesn’t show the occupancy signal.”
“!”
At this, every member of Wen Jianyan’s team held their breath, hearts pounding in their chests.
Indeed, with so many people in this game, it wasn’t hard to go unrecognized by the other team. But… blending seamlessly into the black team’s ranks without leaving a trace was no easy feat.
After all, those who could enter this game were all experienced anchors, cautious and vigilant. Even if they hadn’t initially suspected that these might be rival team members, the smallest inconsistency, the slightest clue that didn’t match up with their identity, could unravel all the preparations they had made.
At this point, conflict seemed unavoidable.
Yun Bilan and Chen Mo exchanged a quick look, then turned in sync to survey the surrounding anchors, calculating the distance between them. Their fingers relaxed subtly at their sides, poised for a fight at any moment.
They felt uncertain.
Not only were they heavily outnumbered, but the narrow hallway also severely limited the full potential of their open-combat skills.
“But… we failed.”
Suddenly, a clear sob came from the girl behind them.
“?!”
Yun Bilan and Chen Mo flinched and instinctively turned to look.
She pointed down the hallway in another direction. “We entered the painting in that room, but… while leaving, one of our teammates… was lost.”
Seemingly affected by her own words, the girl lowered her gaze.
Her already long, thick lashes brushed her pale cheeks, damp and trembling slightly, exuding a sense of vulnerability.
“We abandoned that painting and decided to leave quickly.”
“We were preparing to find another room to enter and observe, so we chose this one…”
Her face grew even paler as she suddenly lifted her eyes, her voice becoming sharp and tense:
“No matter what, don’t go inside!”
In the barrage of the “Integrity First” live broadcast room:
[This acting is so realistic; I’m actually wondering if that’s really how the story went.]
[Hahaha, the lying skills are off the charts—not only does every questionable point get perfectly explained, but she’s using her ‘delicate girl’ persona to conveniently gloss over key details without raising suspicion. I’m even beginning to think she picked this look just for that purpose. Talk about planning ahead.]
[Plus, technically, she’s not even lying… there really is a ghost in room 408—because she personally brought it in!!]
The black team members exchanged glances, seeing the same hesitant and suspicious look in each other’s eyes.
“Are you serious? But we checked that room before lights-out, and it was fine.”
“What’s actually in there?”
“You don’t believe me?”
The girl released the doorknob and took a step back, a flash of indignation on her face:
“If you don’t believe me, then go check yourselves.”
In the barrage of the “Integrity First” live broadcast room:
[Wow, that’s ruthless! Now I get why he picked room 408 for this act…]
[I see it too! If the other team hesitates and tries to call for backup, the anchor’s team can use that gap to escape. And if they do go inside… even better! There’s a real ghost in 408!]
[If a black team goes in and loses, then the other squad in the hallway loses half their strength, eliminating their overwhelming numbers. The anchor’s team can then escape the first floor with a direct fight.
If they win, then the anchor’s information is validated, seamlessly integrating him into the black faction’s ranks. Plus, they get the bonus of seeing what happens when entering a guest’s room.]
[…No matter the outcome, it’s a win for him.]
[Wow, now that you put it that way… ruthless, absolutely ruthless!]
[I dub this plan flawless!]
[A beautiful angelic face with the heart of a viper? I’m even more hooked!]
“Captain, should we go in?”
The one addressed as captain thought for a moment before responding:
“Let’s go take a look.”
The room, which originally had no ghost, had now mysteriously gained one after the first lights-out. If the other team wasn’t lying, then this might be linked to the core mechanics of the entire game.
Moreover, these people didn’t seem like particularly experienced anchors—especially the girl who had just spoken with them. Frail-looking, emotional… she was the very embodiment of fragile and neurotic. If they could get out of this room unscathed, then the “ghost” in there likely wouldn’t be too dangerous.
“Move aside. Don’t block the way.”
They pushed past the few people in front of them and moved toward room 408.
Wen Jianyan stumbled a few steps back from the shove, crashing into Chen Mo.
Chen Mo almost lost his balance, instinctively reaching out to steady him.
His teammate’s body felt cold, soft…
And heavy.
“!!!”
Chen Mo’s face went rigid.
He was paralyzed, unsure whether to let go or keep holding on.
With a creak, the door to room 408 opened.
Like the other rooms, the lights inside were still bright, but a faint smell of decay seemed to waft from within.
Wen Jianyan’s gaze remained fixed on the door.
In his eyes, the “Do Not Disturb” sign was still lit.
He held his breath slightly, eyes still locked on room 408.
At that moment, a member of the other black team, one that had remained silent up until now, suddenly spoke up:
“Wait.”
The black team that was about to enter room 408 halted and turned to look at the speaker.
“Hey, did you all forget what the Gentleman mentioned earlier?”
The team leader stepped forward, wiping the remaining water from his face as he scrutinized Wen Jianyan’s team, eyes narrowing thoughtfully:
“He said… the red team has a master deceiver who might come over here to investigate after the first lights-out. So, don’t believe anything said by a stranger’s face.”
Wen Jianyan’s breath hitched.
It seemed that unlike his chosen strategy of lying low on the red faction’s side, the black team members 008 and 010 had asserted control early on, taking the role of “attackers” in this confrontation.
After all, in terms of both firepower and equipment, they held an absolute advantage.
And 010, the Gentleman, was the vice president of the Oracle guild.
Oracle was a guild he had clashed with several times, so he was quite familiar with their leader’s style.
Even worse, as the vice president of Oracle, regardless of the Gentleman’s own abilities, he certainly had the “Prophecy” item in his possession.
Foreknowledge and recognition.
Either of these two was deadly for a deceiver.
Half-supported by Chen Mo, Wen Jianyan’s damp hair hung down, partially concealing his pale forehead. He looked fragile, as if he could fade away at any moment. Feeling the tension in his teammates’ bodies, a faint smile suddenly appeared on the girl’s lips.
Hidden in the shadows, her amber eyes gleamed with an excited look, the kind that would make Su Cheng shiver.
—But alas, he was no ordinary deceiver.
