Zhang Chenyang thought for a moment and realized that if he went to the orphanage, he would indeed pass by Alex's house, so he nodded in agreement. He knew that if he didn't agree, the video would not be seen by just Alex—it would certainly be shared with more colleagues, letting them all "enjoy" his performance.
"Are you planning to continue?" Alex noticed Zhang Chenyang checking the map and immediately asked.
From Alex's perspective, Zhang Chenyang should have given up after just one experience. But to his surprise, Zhang Chenyang was still going strong.
Reflecting on his earlier experience, Zhang Chenyang replied seriously, "At first, I was really scared, but I got used to it after a while. Besides, Ters Company requires this. Since I volunteered as a test subject, I need to do my best to complete it, especially since I'm not experiencing any physical issues."
Alex had always admired Zhang Chenyang's seriousness and dedication.
"Do you want to try?" Zhang Chenyang noticed Alex's curious look at the experience plan and invited him.
Alex quickly shook his head, "No, thanks. I have no intention of spending merit points to suffer."
"Consider it as indulgence. I've been through a lot lately," Zhang Chenyang said as he led Alex to the next experience point.
As Zhang Chenyang had mentioned earlier, the high-altitude projects he needed to experience included not just one jump but also repeated jumps, spinning jumps, and even jumps where eagles chased and pecked at you while you were in mid-air.
Each project was more challenging than the last, offering new thrills and sensations. In the end, Zhang Chenyang even found himself getting a bit addicted.
"Are you really not dizzy?" Alex looked at Zhang Chenyang with admiration in his eyes. "Do you know how many times you spun around? It's a good thing this is the digital world—otherwise, the material costs of this building would be through the roof."
"Eighty spins," Zhang Chenyang accurately reported a number. "Since they were wide spins, it wasn't too bad."
The moment he finished speaking, Zhang Chenyang gagged.
Even though it was just a dry heave, it still seemed a bit embarrassing. He wanted to explain that the nausea wasn't related to the experience, but after thinking it over, he couldn't entirely dismiss the connection. So, he kept his thoughts to himself.
"Next one," Zhang Chenyang said firmly, his tone full of determination.
"You really want to continue?" Alex followed closely behind Zhang Chenyang, nervously advising him, "You should probably stop while you're ahead. You're using a brain-machine interface, so the realism is already heightened. If you keep pushing it, something might go wrong."
"It won't. I've just found something interesting," Zhang Chenyang reassured Alex with a smile.
Alex was speechless: "You Chinese people often say that foreigners like me are few because we love to play these thrilling and dangerous games. But now, here I am worrying about you."
"I know my limits," Zhang Chenyang promised seriously.
Alex wanted to ask Zhang Chenyang what exactly his "limits" were, but before he could, Zhang Chenyang had already bought the ticket for the next experience.
So, the initial concern turned into admiration. As a spectator watching Zhang Chenyang push his limits, Alex could only think of one word—respect.
Before long, they reached the final experience project. This one wasn't mandatory, but those who chose to try it could earn an additional reward.
The name of this experience project was simply—Elysium.
Even those who had never been here had heard of this project. Back in school, Zhang Chenyang had classmates who would dare each other with it.
"Dare to try 'Elysium' and see who can last the longest!"
"Let's go and see who cries first!"
Zhang Chenyang had heard that the Elysium project had no end, or at least no one had ever reached it.
It wasn't just a high-altitude project; it was a mix of many elements—height, horror, puzzles, parkour...
It was a multi-faceted project, but each one pushed the limits of human psychological endurance.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Alex didn't want to discourage him, but standing here, he would feel guilty if he didn't say something.
"I've already decided, so I will," Zhang Chenyang answered decisively, then smiled calmly, "I don't know how long I'll last, but I might as well give it a try."
"Inside, the flow of time is accelerated. You'll play through many thrilling scenarios in the same amount of time," Alex warned Zhang Chenyang. "According to outside time, if you last ten minutes, you'll receive a substantial reward. For every additional ten minutes, the reward doubles... but very few people last that long."
"How do you know so much?" Zhang Chenyang was puzzled. He had only heard about the reputation of Elysium but had never experienced it or known such details.
Alex rubbed his nose sheepishly, "Yes, I had the misfortune of trying it once. I went in thinking I'd make a lot of money, but I ended up crying my way out."
"Tell me your story," Zhang Chenyang formed a microphone with his hand and held it up to Alex's mouth.
"Young and reckless. My dad was pushing me to study, and I didn't want to. After a big fight, I ran away from home and realized I didn't have much merit left. The little I had would only last three or four days at most, so I thought of Elysium," Alex reminisced about his younger, more foolish self. "So, I spent all my merit points on an Elysium entry ticket. I thought it through. If I could last ten minutes, I wouldn't just get in for free; I'd get my ticket price refunded and a hefty reward on top. It was a gamble, win big or lose everything..."
"And?" Zhang Chenyang already anticipated the ending, "You ended up losing everything?"
Alex was on the verge of tears, "Not just losing. I felt like I bet all my courage, yet even so, when I came out, they told me I only lasted three minutes!"
Zhang Chenyang wasn't sure how to comfort him, so he patted Alex's shoulder and said, "Three minutes is still pretty good."
But Alex wasn't comforted, "It's not about the three minutes. The problem is, I was crying when I came out, and I... wet my pants..."
The more Alex spoke, the quieter his voice became.
Zhang Chenyang imagined the scene and suddenly had no idea how to comfort him.
"Never mind, don't worry about me. You go ahead," Alex looked at Zhang Chenyang and said seriously, "Good luck!"
With Alex's cautionary tale, Zhang Chenyang was careful not to be too confident. "I'm just going to give it a try. Who knows how long I'll last."
After saying that, Zhang Chenyang looked at his pants, seriously considering whether he should buy a spare pair just in case. In the digital world, if your avatar wets its pants, you can just switch to another one. But judging by Alex's description, it was clear that this was more than just an avatar issue!
Remember, Zhang Chenyang's body was still at Ters Company's testing center, possibly surrounded by researchers monitoring his reactions.
If those researchers saw their test subject crying and wetting his pants, it would be a major embarrassment—something he felt he could never live down.
But the reality was that there was no way he could suddenly run out and buy himself a new pair of pants. No matter what, he would have to face this head-on.
Entering this project, Zhang Chenyang felt an unprecedented amount of pressure. Perhaps the atmosphere created by the project was part of the experience, making you feel fear even before you started.
Unlike before, there were no human avatars here. In simple terms, all the staff were AI, and the moment you entered, you were the only one there.
All the procedures and instructions were provided through voice broadcasts. Whether it was the gameplay guidelines or the process, everything was projected directly to the player.
For the sake of his image and to last as long as possible, Zhang Chenyang naturally paid close attention.
There was a special note explaining that the entire project included many elements and storylines, but these elements and storylines were all mixed up.
In other words, no one knew what they would encounter or what might happen next.
There was no logic or predictability in the sequence.
This matched the project's theme perfectly. After all, if players could predict what was coming, half the fun would be lost.
"Please make your final confirmation."
The cold voice of the machine sounded, and Zhang Chenyang looked at the screen in front of him and pressed the "Confirm" button.
As soon as the button was lit, Zhang Chenyang felt himself enter a room.
To be precise, it was a hotel room.
More precisely, it was the room where Zhang Chenyang and Chen Yijing once stayed.
The difference was that now the room was covered in bloodstains, with cameras in every corner, and Chen Yijing was crouched in the corner holding an ax.
"This is..." Zhang Chenyang swallowed hard, trying several times to speak but failing.
Chen Yijing heard his voice and immediately looked up. After a moment, a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, "You're back. Finally, you're back."
Zhang Chenyang stood by the door, unable to move forward or retreat, completely frozen in place.
"Don't be afraid." Chen Yijing seemed to read Zhang Chenyang's thoughts and immediately said, "You should believe that I won't hurt you, right?"
Zhang Chenyang nodded, bravely walking toward Chen Yijing while saying, "Put the ax down. My neck is fragile and doesn't take well to chopping."
Chen Yijing laughed and immediately threw the ax at his feet with a chilling thud. Zhang Chenyang followed the sound and saw the ax was covered in blood, the blade already dulled. It was clear Chen Yijing had just been through a fierce battle.
"Why... why did you do this?" Zhang Chenyang finally collected his thoughts and dared to ask.
Hearing this, Chen Yijing laughed even more wildly, "Why did I do this? Why shouldn't I?"
Now it was Zhang Chenyang who was left speechless.
"They found me. They traced me through the internet." Chen Yijing whispered in Zhang Chenyang's ear, pointing at the cameras around the room, "You see, I can't escape anymore. They'll be here soon. What I'm doing now is to make them afraid, to show them that their actions come with consequences."
"No, that's not right." Zhang Chenyang shook his head frantically. He didn't know how to explain it, but he was sure that this wasn't who Chen Yijing really was, or at least shouldn't be.
He had interacted with Chen Yijing and knew that although he was rebellious, he was fundamentally a kind person. Otherwise, he wouldn't have held onto the evidence without reporting his cruel parents.
"Someone's manipulating you, right?" Zhang Chenyang thought for a moment before changing his approach. "Someone wants you to do this, right?"
Chen Yijing was silent for a moment, looking at Zhang Chenyang with confused eyes, "Clear-cut, repay kindness with kindness, and revenge with revenge—aren't those normal rules?"
Zhang Chenyang didn't know how to argue with that. While he was lost in thought, more figures—or rather, things—began to crawl out from the floor, the windows, and the door cracks. Their faces were twisted with rage as they glared at Zhang Chenyang and Chen Yijing.
Zhang Chenyang even recognized some of them—people he had encountered when he rescued Chen Yijing, like the one who had received them at the station and the one who searched...
"You're actually helping him!"
"Traitor! You're a traitor!"
"In that case, you can die with him!"
The moment the cold blade came crashing down, Zhang Chenyang felt a fear more intense than when he had jumped off a building a hundred times. That near-death sensation—it truly made him forget to breathe, made his heart stop.
"Clang—"
The sound of metal striking metal rang out—Chen Yijing had blocked the blow.
"Fight back! Why are you just standing there?"
Chen Yijing's shout snapped Zhang Chenyang out of his daze. He realized that he was now considered one of Chen Yijing's allies and would also be attacked.
He wasn't foolish enough to try reasoning in this situation. Chen Yijing handed him a brand new ax from who knows where, and Zhang Chenyang took it without hesitation, dealing with anyone who tried to take his life.
He wouldn't attack first, but he wouldn't just sit and wait for death either.
Something's wrong! This is all very wrong!
Something must be off!
Zhang Chenyang kept thinking this over in his mind while fending off the attackers.
He had initially thought that these attacks wouldn't cause him any real harm, but to his horror, when he was caught off guard and struck, he actually felt the excruciating pain of being flayed alive. His body instinctively curled up as he clutched the wound, crying out in agony.
Fortunately, Chen Yijing quickly dealt with the attacker and cleared out the remaining enemies.
During this brief moment of calm, Chen Yijing looked at Zhang Chenyang's wound and asked, "So, do you still think they didn't deserve to die?"