I Want To Play A Game

Old Lü finally reached Jack Li's side just as his pursuer closed in.

"Young Qi!! He's trying to kill me!!" Old Lü shoved Jack Li forward. "Save me…"

"What's going on?" Jack Li asked, bewildered.

A-Mu, seeing Jack Li block his path, seethed with rage.

"Get out of my way!!"

Instead of moving, Jack Li raised an arm to halt him.

"Talk first. What happened?" Jack Li pressed. "Did my teammate offend you?"

A-Mu slowed, eyeing Jack Li suspiciously. "Are you their leader?"

Jack Li ignored the question. "Just calm down and explain."

"Fine. Let him die knowing why." A-Mu spat. "This old dog—"

Before he could finish, a metal box hurtled toward A-Mu's face.

Caught off guard, A-Mu took the hit square on the nose. Staggering, he quickly regained balance.

"Bastard… clever move."

Though his nose throbbed, A-Mu recognized the threat. Letting his guard down now could get him killed before "sanctions" even arrived.

As he steadied himself, Jack Li's amateurish-looking punch suddenly slammed into his face.

How—?

A-Mu crumpled, temple pounding. Before he could rise, Jack Li kicked his jaw, leaving him immobilized.

Jack Li tossed aside the lock he'd used as a weapon. A blow like that would floor most men.

"Who cares what happened?" Jack Li coldly muttered. "You touch my team… you pay the price."

Just then, Baldy and Goldie arrived.

Jack Li frowned. Their vault's open too? Did they crack the code right after us?

"A-Mu!"

The duo rushed forward, finding their leader defeated.

"Kill them…" A-Mu wheezed. "…or we'll be sanctioned…"

"Fuck!" The thugs pulled switchblades.

Jack Li and Old Lü retreated. Though ruthless in combat, Jack Li had no plan against two focused knife-wielders.

"Earth Dog!!" Jack Li shouted. "Players fighting—aren't you stopping this?!"

After a pause, a distant lethargic voice replied: "Of course! But wait… I'm packing up. Be there later."

"See?" Baldy raised his blade. "The Zodiac wants us killing each other."

Jack Li's face darkened. Player slaughter was allowed? When they'd fought Liam in Earth Bull's arena, intervention came faster. This was worse.

"Old Lü—take Lawyer Liu and run." Jack Li whispered. "Break the window in my room."

"What about you?!" Old Lü panicked.

"I'll handle them."

Old Lü hesitated, then grabbed Lawyer Liu's wrist, dragging her inside. He shoved Luna Snow aside, smashed the window with a chair.

"Go!" He yelled. "They'll actually kill us!"

Luna Snow watched amused as Lawyer Liu shook free.

"I'm not leaving." Lawyer Liu picked up a glass shard. "Not without Jack Li."

"You're insane!" Old Lü grabbed her arm. "That's a knife fight!"

"Release me." Her voice turned glacial. "Survival requires action, not flight."

Luna Snow giggled. "You're all so entertaining!"

Old Lü pleaded: "Haven't you seen dramas? People die when they do this!"

Lawyer Liu considered. "Alone, Jack Li's survival rate is low. With me? Exponential growth."

"Growth?!" Old Lü stared at her glass weapon. "With that?!"

Luna Snow burst out laughing.

"What's funny?" Lawyer Liu asked.

"Your… logic." Luna Snow approached. "You say your presence boosts odds. Therefore—" She gripped Lawyer Liu's hand. "—you must kill one. No 'luck' involved."

"What…?"

"I'm dead anyway." Luna Snow released her. "Go claim a life."

Baffled but urgent, Lawyer Liu charged out, glass raised.

Jack Li was wrapping his jacket around an arm, dodging blades.

"Jack Li! I'm helping!" She stood beside him.

"Help?! Run!"

"We'll survive…" She trembled.

Goldie lunged at Jack Li's distracted moment. Lawyer Liu stepped forward, eyes shut, wildly thrusting her shard—

—as Goldie slipped on the metal box Jack Li had dropped earlier.

Thunk!

His throat met glass. Blood gushed.

"You…!" Goldie collapsed, choking.

Jack Li shoved him away. The wound poured freely.

"A-Li!!" Baldy roared, catching his friend.

Lawyer Liu stared at her bloody hands. "Ahhh!!" She dropped the shard.

Jack Li snatched Goldie's fallen knife. The fight wasn't over.

"You're DEAD!!" Baldy charged wildly.

Jack Li pushed Lawyer Liu inside, retreating down the corridor. Reaching a dead end, he parried erratic slashes.

Slash!

Jack Li cut Baldy's arm deep. "Want to die?!"

Baldy barely flinched, stabbing toward Jack Li's heart. Jack Li ducked—the blade sank into his shoulder.

Stab!

Jack Li retaliated, but Baldy caught the knife mid-thrust, impaling his own hand.

"Think you can kill?!" Baldy twisted the blade in Jack Li's shoulder.

"Aghhh!!" Jack Li nearly blacked out.

Old Lü suddenly tackled Baldy from behind.

"Traitor!!" Baldy snarled. "You destroyed our key!"

Even as Baldy stabbed his ribs repeatedly, Old Lü held fast, biting into Baldy's shoulder—

—ripping flesh.

Baldy howled, raising the knife for a killing strike—

Crunch!

Taylor appeared, glass shard piercing Baldy's arm.

"Jack Li!! Save him!!"

Jack Li roared, yanking the knife from his shoulder and plunging it into Baldy's neck.

The thug collapsed.

"Old Lü…" Jack Li rolled Baldy aside. His voice shook at the gory ribs. "Hang on…"

Old Lü twitched, face ghostly pale. "Not… smart… Young Qi…"

"I'm not… not as smart…" Jack Li pressed futilely on the wounds. "Don't die… still owe you…"

"Can't die…" Old Lü smiled weakly. "Know my real name? Lü Fengxian… Parents named me… unkillable…"

"You're Lü Bu reborn…" Jack Li's hands trembled.

He knelt, trembling, until the pain and silence overwhelmed.

Earlier…

Jack Li pulled Old Lü close. "Need to tell you something."

"Me? Got a plan? The game's starting!"

"If they recruit you… accept."

"Double-cross? Infiltrate—"

"No." Jack Li shook his head. "We split here."

"What?!"

"We barely know each other. Risking the team for you isn't right."

Old Lü looked crushed, a middle-aged man with childlike hurt.

"Sorry. It's the logical choice."

"Young Qi." Old Lü interrupted. "You won't gamble on me… but I will on you."

"What?"

"Wait before acting. I'll show my 'sincerity' first."

"If we reject you later, you die."

"You're not that type." Old Lü grinned. "Sold socks my whole life… but I read people well. Just wait!"

Jack Li sighed. "Even so…"