Ye Xiu clenched his jaw as he pressed redial on the unknown number. His heart raced, a combination of frustration and unease swirling inside him. But each time he tried calling, the same automated voice rang through: "The number you are trying to reach is currently switched off."
"Damn it," Ye Xiu muttered under his breath, slipping his phone back into his pocket. He took a deep breath, trying to clear his mind, but the sense of something being wrong gnawed at him.
As he made his way down the dimly lit corridor back to his room, he spotted a figure, dressed in a black hoodie, slipping out of the building's rear exit. For a moment, Ye Xiu's gaze lingered on the person, his instincts kicking in. He felt a twinge of suspicion, but he brushed it off, convincing himself it was just a team member going for a late-night walk.
"I don't have time for this," he muttered, shaking his head and continuing toward his room.
When Ye Xiu reached his door, an uneasy chill crept down his spine. His room was dark, the only light coming from the faint glow of his desk lamp. Everything seemed in order until his eyes fell on his bed. Lying there, in the exact spot as before, was another parcel.
His steps faltered. The box was identical to the one he had received days earlier. A sinking feeling settled in his stomach as he closed the door behind him. Quietly, he walked over to his drawer, opening it with careful precision. He took out the previous box and placed it beside the new one on the bed. Both were perfectly sealed. Identical.
Ye Xiu narrowed his eyes. This was no coincidence. Whoever had sent these was watching him closely. But why? What was the connection between him, the summit, and the disappearances of Sun Xiang and Zhang Xinjie?
Taking a deep breath, he slipped a small cutter from his pocket—a tool he always carried around, useful for quick fixes in the gaming world, but now it felt like it held far more weight. His hands were steady as he sliced open the first box, the same box that had been haunting his thoughts since he first received it.
Inside was a single item: a small USB stick.
Ye Xiu's heart skipped a beat as he stared at it. He set the USB aside for now and moved to the second box, his mind racing. What was this all about? Why him?
With a swift motion, he opened the seal of the second box. This time, inside were photographs—photographs of every player who had attended the summit. He scanned through them quickly, recognizing faces immediately:
Huang Shaotian, looking as sharp and focused as ever. Han Wenqing from Tyranny, his usual stern expression unshaken.Zhou Zekai, the quiet yet feared player from Samsara.Su Mucheng, her eyes sparkling with determination in the middle of a match. Tang Rou, the rising star, captured a mid-strategy session with her team. Wang Jiexi, the unpredictable Tiny Herb team captain.Yu Wenzhou, the calm and calculated strategist of Blue Rain.
And then there was him—Ye Xiu, his photograph taken without his knowledge, likely during the summit's opening day.
The photos weren't just casual snapshots. They were detailed, specific, and taken at moments when each player was deep in thought or strategizing. Someone had been watching them—closely.
A chill ran down his spine.
He wasted no time. Grabbing his phone, Ye Xiu immediately dialled the police. Within moments, a flurry of activity took over as he, his team, and their manager were summoned once again to the police station. The atmosphere in the team bus was thick with tension as everyone quietly processed the seriousness of the situation.
At the station, the room was starkly lit, the mood heavy as the police officer, Captain Li Wei, sat behind his desk. Li Wei was a man in his early forties, sharp-eyed and calm under pressure, known for his methodical approach to cases. This wasn't his first major investigation, but the stakes felt higher than usual.
Ye Xiu handed the USB and the photographs to Li Wei, explaining in detail how he had found them. The officer listened intently, his eyes narrowing with each new revelation.
"All right," Captain Li said, nodding to one of his tech officers. "Let's see what's on this."
The room fell into a deep, anxious silence as the tech officer plugged the USB into the computer. Moments later, two files appeared on the screen: one audio file and one video file.
The tech officer clicked on the audio file first. Everyone leaned in, their breaths collectively held as a distorted, robotic voice crackled through the speakers:
"If you don't follow my lead, you will be one of them."
A cold shiver ran down Ye Xiu's spine. The voice was generated, clearly manipulated to hide the identity of the speaker, but the threat was unmistakable. Whoever this was, they were dangerous—and they weren't bluffing.
Without a word, Captain Li motioned for the tech officer to play the video file. The screen flickered, and what appeared next sent a wave of shock through the room.
The video began with various shots of players at their respective camp bases. Every movement was captured—players practising, discussing strategies, even moments of relaxation. Ye Xiu recognized familiar faces, each one shown in unnerving detail:
Huang Shaotian, practising late at night, his concentration unshakable. Zhang Xinjie, meticulously reviewed tactics with his team. Sun Xiang, just days before his disappearance, focused on his gameplay.
The footage wasn't just casual—it was invasive. Someone had been watching all of them for a long time, learning their habits, their strengths, their weaknesses. The angle of the cameras, the timing of the shots—this was no amateur. Whoever filmed these knew exactly what they were doing.
The final few seconds of the video showed a different scene altogether. It was the summit, the night before Sun Xiang went missing. The camera panned across the venue, but then it focused on one player—Ye Xiu. He was standing at the corner of the lobby, speaking with Sun Xiang. The moment they exchanged words, the camera zoomed in slightly, capturing the interaction.
And then, without warning, the video cut to black.
The silence in the room was suffocating. Ye Xiu could feel every eye on him, but he was as confused as the rest.
"This… this is insane," Liu Hao whispered, his voice barely audible. "Who could've done this? Why would they be watching us like this?"
Captain Li's face was grim as he stared at the screen. "This is beyond just a simple disappearance. Whoever's behind this has been planning for a long time."
Ye Xiu's mind was racing, trying to piece together the puzzle, but nothing made sense. The timing of the disappearances, the photos, the video, the cryptic voice—all of it pointed to something much larger than they could have imagined.
As Captain Li stood up, preparing to issue orders, Ye Xiu's phone buzzed again. Another unknown number.
His stomach churned. He glanced at Captain Li, who gave him a nod to answer it.
With trembling hands, Ye Xiu accepted the call. The same distorted voice from the audio file echoed in his ear:
"Time's running out, Ye Xiu. Make your move... before I make it for you."
The line went dead.
For the first time in a long time, Ye Xiu felt truly powerless. Someone was pulling the strings from the shadows, and if he didn't act soon, they might lose more than just a player.
The game had just begun.
And this time, the stakes were life or death.