Absolute Death Game

"Sorry, boss," that voice came from behind once again—it really was Wu Tao!

He felt the talisman paper in his hand and pocket being searched and removed, followed by a tingling sensation like an electric shock, and this time he could finally move.

It seemed the other party didn't have any ill intentions. As he pondered this, he scanned his surroundings and finally saw the scene in the restroom: there were four people in the restroom, or strictly speaking, three and a half. Yaoyao was playing with a butterfly knife, looking at him with a guarded expression.

Zhang Yaoyang sat opposite him, perched grandly on the wash basin, with Wu Tao standing beside him, his face a blend of embarrassment and pride, holding his talisman paper. Lastly, there was Bai Yunfei, whose body still maintained that semi-transparent quality, floating mid-air and watching the drama unfold.

Everyone had different expressions, but they all shared one thing in common: they were all wearing pajamas, seemingly having just climbed out of bed as well.

"Wu Tao!? You were in the know too?" Xiao Buli asked with surprise. He'd always thought Wu Tao had no idea about these matters, "But how did you—?"

"Hehe, who else can act so well like us actors," Wu Tao said with a laugh, showing a bit of sheepishness, but mostly smugness.

Zhang Yaoyang looked both resigned and solemn as he said, "Tell us then, what do you actually know?"

Xiao Buli nodded, mentally prepared to be interrogated. He asked, "Do you guys know who Lu Jiang is?"

Both Yaoyao and Wu Tao looked perplexed, while Zhang Yaoyang hesitated, "Seems like a newcomer, I don't have much of an impression."

Having an impression was good enough for Xiao Buli. He recounted the story of Lu Jiang, including how he spent three hundred thousand to save Lu Jiang's sister, but omitted the part about Lu Jiang's curse and blessing.

"So from that point on, I started to doubt this company and the game. Once you harbor suspicions, many details that wouldn't normally attract attention become very noticeable. That's how I noticed the anomaly with Old Bai, which led me here."

"He's not lying," Bai Yunfei said. "I've seen the soul of that Lu Jiang."

Zhang Yaoyang nodded noncommittally, "And how did you manage to see ghosts? To my knowledge, you don't have such a skill."

"I used Soul Awakening Soup. Wu Min'er informed me of a quest that would grant me a BUFF called Ghost Eye, allowing me to see ghosts."

Upon hearing Xiao Buli's words, Zhang Yaoyang sighed. Xiao Buli heard him mutter under his breath, "That troublesome woman," and his heart stirred. Could it be Wu Min'er was also in the know? Indeed, as the head of the intelligence team, she must have more information than most; it was impossible for her not to notice the anomalies in the game.

"So Wu Min'er is also in the know?"

It seemed Zhang Yaoyang had no intention of hiding this fact: "The current situation is that many people probably know something, but I can't just bring anyone in. We never know who might be a spy planted by the company, and not everyone is cut out for underground work. Once exposed, it's not something easy to resolve."

Clearly, 'these people' included Xiao Buli, who retorted, "What about you then? How can I trust that you aren't a spy planted by the company?"

Zhang Yaoyang smiled, gesturing for Xiao Buli to look behind him. Before Xiao Buli could react, the girl in the down jacket he had seen before floated past him, "Hey, brother, good evening," the girl's ghost said. Her voice was as ethereal as ever but seemed to carry a bit more emotion.

"Good evening, Yue," Zhang Yaoyang greeted her.

Brother? Xiao Buli was taken aback. He saw the girl standing next to Zhang Yaoyang, and the two gazed at each other. Zhang Yaoyang usually appeared very sunny, but at that moment, he looked extremely melancholic, his eyes seemingly hiding some pain.

"She is—your sister?"

"That's right," Zhang Yaoyang's expression calmed down, "This is my sister, Zhang Xinyue. She was one of the earliest professional gamers to join this company. She died in an outdoor boss battle last winter.

Although the company has a policy against sharing anything about the game with outsiders, unfortunately, Yue has never been one to play by the rules..." His voice trailed off with a hint of bitterness, "You can probably guess what happened after that. To uncover the truth, I infiltrated this company, using my extraordinary talent to become the leader of the Azure Dragon Group, up until now.

So, can you trust me now?"

Xiao Buli nodded silently. With such a connection, he had no reason to question Zhang Yaoyang any further.

"So what are you aiming to achieve by doing this? Now that you know the truth, what do you plan to do?"

"Of course we'll have them pay in blood, but before that, I'm afraid we have to figure out a way to break away from this company. We also must take enough computers with us to continue enhancing our strength. If we stay here under their surveillance, we'll never be able to gain the power to surpass them, and sooner or later we'll become cannon fodder. I think you're clear on this, aren't you?"

Xiao Buli nodded gravely, understanding all too well. In just a few days, he had already witnessed many cases of death, and the company was clearly not going to watch them grow strong enough to break free from control.

Zhang Yaoyang continued, "Although a number of people have already learned about this, everyone is reluctant to expose it openly. After all, it can easily bring disaster upon oneself. I've only managed to contact a few of you for now, but I suppose there must be similar movements in other groups too. When the time is right, we just need to reach out to the leaders from other groups."

Xiao Buli frowned and said, "With our current strength, aren't we a match for those company security guards?"

Zhang Yaoyang shook his head. "Those security guards are not to be feared; what worries me is the Qilin Group."

Qilin Group? Xiao Buli immediately reacted, "So you mean there's a Qilin Group besides Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise? Is the equipment we hand over all going to Qilin Group?"

Zhang Yaoyang nodded, "It seems you don't fully understand the company or the game yet. Alright, let me explain some things to you here."

"First, you were right in your guess. If you die in the game, you also die in reality. Second, there is a Qilin Group above our four groups. Members of the Qilin Group are on the top floor, working on the computers; the exact number of members is unknown, but I estimate it to be between four to seven, based on the quantity of items we've turned in.

According to my estimation, it would take at least two or even three of us to defeat one member of the Qilin Group, four if they are from the White Tiger Group who are just there to make up numbers. Of course, this does not include a few core members of the White Tiger Group and Vermilion Bird Group, whose strength is on par with ours."

Xiao Buli nodded, then remembered another concern, "With so many people noticing something wrong with the game, haven't the company executives caught on?"

"The company leadership must have noticed to some extent, but as long as we don't make any drastic moves, they probably won't do anything. After all, we are still of use to them."

"So how much longer do you plan to endure? After all, the higher-ups always end up sending us to our deaths."

"Yes, we are indeed suffering casualties, but those are 'the masses who are unaware of the truth.' They think that dying in the game means just losing a job and getting a hefty severance pay, so they never think of defying the company's orders. To protect our core members, I have no choice but to sacrifice them.

If they do defy my orders, it means they know the truth, and then perhaps they can be brought in."

This statement made Xiao Buli feel a chill. Before this, he was probably just one of those 'unaware masses' in Zhang Yaoyang's eyes, a disposable pawn—but sacrificing me won't be so easy, Xiao Buli thought.

However, the slight change in his gaze was keenly noticed by Zhang Yaoyang.

"Don't worry, now that you know the truth and have passed the test, from now on you're one of us. If danger really arises, I will take care of you."

Xiao Buli smiled, but did not take it to heart, "I think it's better to rely on myself." He said ambiguously.

Zhang Yaoyang shrugged, "Suit yourself. I just want you to understand that the reason why I'm organizing everyone is to let us all work together and overcome difficulties. If the company ever does turn against us, at least we'll have the strength to resist."

"Alright, I've said all I need to. So, are you willing to join us in resisting the company when the time is right? It's okay if you don't want to join, but I hope you can keep it to yourself."

Xiao Buli asked in surprise. "You trust me that much?"

Zhang Yaoyang sighed helplessly, "What else can I do, kill you? The company would definitely notice if I did that. Besides, I think you're smart enough to know that reporting us won't end well for you."

"Of course," Xiao Buli nodded, "I'm willing to join you." He had thought there would be some soul contract or initiation ritual, but the other party simply reached out a hand to shake his, "Welcome to the team."

Wu Tao also came up to shake his hand, "Haha, even the club president has joined us; this definitely increases our chances of success!"

Xiao Buli shook hands with Wu Tao but asked curiously, "Can you really perform the Plum Blossom Point Pressing Skills?"

"Well, heh heh, I can't just reveal that," Wu Tao said with a secretive smile, and Xiao Buli did not press further.

PS: Some details in the book have been clarified; you can check them out in the related section of the work. (To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets at Qidian.com, your support is my greatest motivation.)