Sasaki said, "My lord, this child has the bearing of an Oiran."
"Wouldn't it be a pity if he died in the Redemption Game?"
The viper replied indifferently, "If he dies, he dies, what about the bearing of an Oiran? He's not worth a hair of our Miss Chizuru."
Blinking, Sasaki had never seen the Oiran Chizuru, but the viper had, so he dared not rebut and lowered his head in agreement.
Luo Yan breathed a sigh of relief as if pardoned, his body drenched in sweat.
He was sent back to Gao Xin's side, watching the other eighty emaciated pretty boys being dragged away, screaming for their parents, and he felt a lingering fear.
He didn't care about any game; even if he died in it, that would be better than becoming some Oiran.
"All Radiations, step forward!" Sasaki shouted again.
Thirty-four Radiations stood out, undoubtedly useful compared to the glass people.
Sure enough, after a quick test and questioning, Sasaki arranged for them to go to some kind of enforcer group for special training.
No matter what the special training was, it had to be better than doing hard labor or becoming an Oiran, right?
One by one, they nodded and promised, docile beyond measure, scared witless by the brutality of these Japanese folks.
Thus, the selection process left ninety-nine people remaining on the scene.
The viper said, "The Welcoming Black Hands have worked hard; you can pick one to leave with you."
Thirty Black Hands, including Sasaki, immediately stepped forward to make their choice.
Suddenly, some people's faces lit up with joy, realizing that these so-called Black Hands were clearly a core force of this power.
If they could serve these people as servants, their treatment would surely be much better than that of ordinary slaves.
So, a bunch of people volunteered, even humbly kneeling on the ground, begging like dogs to be taken as servants.
And sure enough, the Black Hands did pick those who were docile and obedient, leading them away.
After this, sixty-nine were left.
Among them was just one woman, the Korean woman named Meimei.
There had been Black Hands who wanted to pick her, including those who considered picking Luo Yan, but remembering that the viper had designated them for the Redemption Game, they did not choose them.
"Phew..." Luo Yan had just seen several Black Hands wanting to pick him, and he was scared to the point of almost fainting.
Fortunately, they ended up not choosing him; otherwise, there would certainly be no good outcome.
"Rousi, do you want to pick a few now?" the viper asked Rousi by his side.
Rousi, eating meat with a full mouth, said, "You haven't checked for specialties yet; I like cultured people."
As he spoke, his eyes were already on Luo Yan, whose face stiffened, wondering if even this fat woman had taken a fancy to him?
The viper smiled, "I plan to send this group to the Redemption Game first to sift through. If they come back alive, we'll ask about specialties then."
"If you want him, it's best to pick him now, in case he dies, then you won't be able to pick him."
Rousi, focused on eating, said, "No need, I'll wait."
The viper nodded and signaled to Sasaki with a glance.
Sasaki immediately roared, "Follow me!"
He herded the sixty-nine newcomers towards the towering silver edifice in the center of the village.
On their way, they passed by a commercial street, surrounded by entertainment venues, from which came alluring music.
The pedestrians here were not only Japanese but a mix of all sorts of people.
Their attire was varied and strange; almost everyone was armed, and many gave off a very dangerous vibe.
"So, the exiles on the island have established their own order. These Japanese didn't just establish the village as a stronghold but also started doing business, catering to other exiles from different places," Luo Yan whispered quietly.
Gao Xin nodded, "We just don't know what the Redemption Game is. You mentioned the nobility earlier; is it something officially established here?"
Luo Yan sneered, "Do you think a group of prisoners could build such a big village? There are alloy buildings and a lot of advanced equipment here. The style seems like it's built by the exiles, but where did they get the materials?"
Gao Xin said, "Could it all be because of that Redemption Game?"
Luo Yan dared not judge, "We should find out once we get there."
They quickly arrived beneath the silver edifice, a building made of superconductor materials, massive, with an exterior so smooth and without windows or visible divisions between floors—it looked like a towering monolith.
The first floor was a large hall without doors but with eight exits in different directions.
There were also eight huge elevators for going upstairs.
In the center of the hall was a large projection table that seemed to house an AI.
Scattered around were various people who didn't all seem to be from Yamaguchi Village, each forming their own small groups.
"Number 97, the registered player has arrived; are there any NPC spots left?" Sasaki approached the projection table to inquire.
A projection of a butler-like man appeared on the table: "There are still 37 NPC positions vacant."
Upon hearing this, Luo Yan nudged Gao Xin and quietly moved towards the back of the line, with Gao Xin understandingly doing the same.
But they were quickly squeezed back by others, as most people were not fools either.
Sasaki, unconcerned with the minor commotion in the ranks, said, "Fine, here are thirty-seven people to become NPCs; arrange it quickly."
The projection known as Number 97 said, "NPC agreements come in five-year, ten-year terms..."
Sasaki interrupted, "Don't ask; just sign them up for thirty years."
Number 97 continued, "The thirty-year NPC agreement, once signed, automatically extends any lesser sentence to thirty years. During this period, any Redemption Scroll earnings will be voided and replaced with a one-time buyout upon signing..."
"Alright, alright, skip all that; no more talking; just get the contract ready. How many times have we been here, and you still ask and ask, really, baka," Sasaki waved his hand.
A digital contract with dense text was soon projected onto the table.
Sasaki drew his long sword and, pointing at the people, scraped it slightly, "Hurry up, those of you with less than ten years on your sentence, come here to sign the agreement!"
"Hiss..."
The crowd's scalps tingled; although they still didn't understand what the Redemption Game was, they did understand that any insufficient sentence would be automatically extended to thirty years.
What kind of agreement was this? It was an indenture contract! To be sold here as NPCs?
Gao Xin clenched his fists tighter; he had been unjustly sent to Crime Prison Island and shouldered a ten-year sentence innocently.
And here was this extension clause upon signing, extending it to thirty years.
What Redemption Game? More like a game of deepening one's damnation!
...