The room was thick with tension as the group of players stood frozen, eyes locked on the shadowy figures who had just entered their space. Ye Xiu and Liu Hao exchanged wary glances before stepping forward, but it was Liu Hao who finally broke the uneasy silence.
"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Liu Hao's voice was sharp, his frustration bubbling over after days of mounting stress.
One of the men turned to face them, his expression unreadable beneath the brim of his dark cap. "We've been sent by the police. Our orders are to collect all personal belongings and documents of every player from Excellent Era, Tiny Herb, and Blue Rain," the man said with a detached tone, his eyes scanning the room.
"Sent by the police?" Ye Xiu's voice cut through the growing tension. He stepped forward, his calm demeanour masking the storm of emotions brewing inside. "For what reason?"
The man, one of the detectives from the specialized investigation unit known as The Black Lotus, turned his cold gaze towards the leader. "You're all suspects in the case of the missing players. Until the mystery is solved, none of you are allowed to leave the country. You will be called in for questioning at any time."
A stunned silence fell over the room. The weight of their words hit each player like a punch to the gut. Suspects? No one could believe it. The air buzzed with unease as the detectives continued sifting through their belongings, placing various items into boxes—laptops, tablets, files, and even personal journals. Anything that could serve as evidence or provide a lead was taken without hesitation.
"Wait a minute, you're taking our items without giving us any details?" Liu Hao protested, stepping forward again. "This isn't right!"
The detective didn't even flinch. "We are following orders. You'll get your things back when this is over. If you want answers, you'll have to wait like everyone else."
Frustration surged in the room, but there was nothing any of them could do. They watched helplessly as their personal spaces were invaded and their things packed away. Once The Black Lotus had gathered everything they needed, they left the building without another word.
As soon as the door shut behind them, the players gathered together, trying to make sense of what had just happened. The atmosphere was thick with confusion and dread, and the weight of uncertainty pressed down on everyone.
Later that night, the managers of Excellent Era, Tiny Herb, and Blue Rain held an emergency meeting with their players. The room was filled with a heavy sense of unease, everyone's eyes darting between one another, searching for answers that weren't there.
The Excellent Era manager, Tao Xuan, stood at the front of the room, his face a mask of seriousness. "I know this is a lot to take in, but the police have advised us to halt all activities until the case is solved. That includes practice sessions and any upcoming competitions."
A low murmur spread across the room, the reality of their situation sinking in deeper. They had all trained tirelessly for the upcoming Invitational, their minds laser-focused on the competition that could take them to the international stage. Now, everything was on hold. And worse, they were under suspicion.
"The Invitational is postponed until further notice," Tao Xuan continued. "The police are looking for answers, but until they have them, we are stuck. No one leaves the city, and everyone needs to be available for questioning whenever they're called."
As the managers continued to speak, the tension only grew. The players, already on edge, couldn't stop thinking about the missing players, the strange events, and the looming uncertainty of what lay ahead. The room fell into an uneasy quiet, the gravity of their situation sinking in.
Just as the meeting seemed to be winding down, Ye Xiu felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Pulling it out, he saw the familiar unknown number flashing on the screen. His heart skipped a beat. Not again. He ignored the call, shoving the phone back into his pocket, trying to focus on the meeting.
But then it buzzed again. And again.
Liu Hao noticed Ye Xiu's hesitation and nudged him. "Is it the same number?"
Ye Xiu gave a tense nod. He wasn't ready to deal with this right now. But the calls didn't stop. On the fifth buzz, he finally answered.
"Who is this?" he demanded, stepping away from the group to take the call.
The line crackled for a moment, and then the same eerie voice from before came through the speaker, low and distorted. "I told you I would contact you again."
Ye Xiu's grip on the phone tightened. "What do you want?"
There was a brief pause, and then the voice continued, "Meet me at the location I give you. You'll receive the address in two days. If you don't show up, another player will disappear. Just like the others."
His heart pounded in his chest, a sick feeling twisting in his gut. "Who are you? What do you want from us?"
But there was no response. The call ended abruptly, leaving Ye Xiu staring at his phone, frustration and confusion gnawing at him. He stood there for a moment, his mind racing, before turning back to the room.
Liu Hao saw the look on his face and knew something was wrong. "What did they say?"
Ye Xiu's jaw clenched as he pocketed his phone. "They want me to meet them. In two days."
Hao frowned, his frustration mirrored in his expression. "And if you don't?"
"Another player will vanish," Ye Xiu replied, his voice grim.
The weight of the threat hung over them like a dark cloud, the sense of danger pressing in on all sides. As the team tried to focus on their next steps, the looming question remained: Who was behind this? And how far would they go to get what they wanted?
Ye Xiu couldn't shake the feeling that they were being pulled into a game far more dangerous than anything they had ever faced before. And this time, it wasn't just about winning or losing—it was about survival.