The next day, Jiang Yu woke up, feeling slightly better. However, the moment he thought of Zhou Qingqing, his tears welled up once more, and he buried his face under the blanket, sinking back into sleep.
He knew the game didn't start until 8 PM, and during the day, most of the players would rest, conserving their energy for the evening's deadly game.
Before long, it was 7:30 PM.
The electronic clock on the wall emitted a sharp, jingling sound. Then, a voice crackled over the loudspeaker.
"The game is about to begin. All players, please proceed to the hall for the gathering."
At 8 PM sharp, everyone reconvened in the hall.
As Jiang Yu stepped out, he surveyed his surroundings. There were no traces of blood on the ground; everything was clean. He had expected to find signs of a horrific death after hearing those heart-wrenching screams last night, the kind that seemed to imply someone had been brutally torn apart.
To his surprise, upon entering the hall, Jiang Yu noticed an odd sight. The room had been furnished with numerous items that seemed completely out of place in this industrial setting. It was as if they had transported the furniture from a sprawling villa. Sofas, beds, bookshelves, cabinets, vases—every common household item seemed to have been scattered throughout the room.
The other players glanced around, bewildered by the change in their environment. What kind of game was this?
Looking around, Jiang Yu noted that everyone seemed much better rested than last night. They were in far better spirits, clearly having used the day to recuperate.
Just then, someone spoke up.
"One person's missing... Number 22, where are they?"
"Really? Where's Number 22 gone?"
"That scream from last night..."
Everyone started searching for Number 22, but the player was nowhere to be found. Tension filled the room as everyone's face turned grim.
They all knew—Number 22 was dead.
Moments later, the pig-faced masked man appeared on the raised platform, flanked by the minotaur-masked men, each still holding a gun.
He stepped to the edge of the platform, spreading his arms wide and looked down at the group with a mocking smirk.
"Quiet down, everyone. Remember, before me, you're all nothing—just animals, just dogs. Your lives are in my hands. Enjoy this death game to the fullest."
"Now, I will announce today's game rules. Listen carefully, as I will only say them once!"
"Today's game is Red Light, Green Light (123 Wooden Man). All players will participate. The game time is thirty minutes."
"Rule One: When the broadcast says '123', you may move freely. When the broadcast says 'Wooden Man', you must freeze in place. Any movement will result in immediate elimination."
"Rule Two: There are a total of 66 metal balls hidden throughout the space. You must search for them. When the game ends, anyone who has not found a ball will be eliminated."
The pig-faced man pulled a small black metal ball from his pocket, about the size of a marble. He held it up for all to see, then placed it on a nearby tray.
"The game will begin shortly. Everyone, please pay attention to the screen."
He pointed to the large screen on the wall, where a countdown timer had begun: 30:00:00.
With a press of the remote, the pig-faced man declared, "Game on!"
The countdown clock ticked down swiftly: 29:56:23.
Suddenly, the loudspeakers overhead crackled to life with a mechanical, cold voice that sent chills down everyone's spine.
"1... 2... 3... Wooden... Man…"
At first, everyone froze, too nervous to move.
Jiang Yu's mind flashed with the sound of the system's voice.
[Detected host entry into the Death Game: Host has triggered a random BUF bonus.]
[In this game, host physical abilities increased by 50%.]
Jiang Yu was stunned. The system was real, and now, he had an advantage! This gave him a renewed sense of hope, despite the perilous situation. He could win this.
As the second "123" call rang out, some players realized what was happening and quickly began rummaging through the furniture, searching for the hidden balls.
At that moment, the ground beneath the high platform began to tremble. Everyone stopped and looked up.
A figure had appeared beside the pig-faced man on the platform.
The figure's armor looked like it was made of steel—heavy, gleaming with a black metallic sheen, airtight and impenetrable. His face was wrapped in bandages, with only two glowing red eyes visible. His mouth was lined with jagged teeth that gave him a terrifying appearance.
In his left hand, he held a chainsaw, while his right hand gripped a heavy iron chain. At the end of the chain, something large and ominous was tied up.
In the next instant, the steel-clad monster leaped off the platform, causing the floor to shake under his weight. The object tethered to the chain scraped across the floor, revealing it to be a spiked iron ball.
Seeing the terrifying creature—no, monster—everyone's blood ran cold. Some players covered their mouths in horror, nearly passing out from the sheer terror.
The iron giant moved freely among the players, who dared not make a sound. Time ticked by, and the countdown dropped to 25 minutes.
Some players could no longer hold back. If they didn't find a ball, they'd be eliminated when the game ended.
As the "123" was called again, 18, a teenage girl with a ponytail, rushed to search a drawer. Her movements were quick and efficient, and she found a metal ball hidden inside.
When "Wooden Man" was called, she froze immediately.
Nothing happened. The steel monster seemed to ignore her, simply patrolling the area, dragging the spiked ball behind him, the sound of metal scraping loudly on the ground.
Jiang Yu now understood the strange noise he had heard the previous night—it was this terrifying monster.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The next time the "123" was called, everyone darted toward various objects, desperately searching for the balls.
Some players quickly found them. Jiang Yu saw player 24 pull a ball from a book with a hollowed-out center. He hadn't thought to look inside books before, but there it was.
Jiang Yu's mind raced, analyzing his surroundings. He scanned the room for something unusual that might conceal a ball. Then, he spotted a strange-looking Rubik's cube on a distant table. Its position seemed off, and the colors didn't match. He quickly calculated in his head—it was impossible to solve a Rubik's cube in this configuration.
The cube had been disassembled and reassembled incorrectly. Whoever had put it together didn't know how to solve it, leaving a flaw that could hide a metal ball.
Without hesitation, Jiang Yu made a beeline for the table. But as he got closer, the "Wooden Man" command rang out, and everyone froze.
In front of him, a weak-looking girl with the number 3 on her back was lifting a sofa. With her right hand, she had found a metal ball beneath it.
But the broadcast never called "123" again. Time passed, nearly half a minute, and the girl's hand trembled. Sweat soaked her body as she struggled to hold the sofa in place.
Suddenly, her arm spasmed. The sofa slipped from her grasp and crashed to the floor.
Everyone's gaze turned to the fallen sofa.
The steel giant, who had been patrolling, suddenly quickened his pace, moving toward the girl. In a split second, his chainsaw buzzed to life with a screeching noise.
Number 3's hands pressed desperately against the floor as her face twisted in terror, her screams echoing through the hall as she staggered backward. But in an instant, the iron-clad monster struck, severing her waist with a single, brutal blow.
Then, the creature raised the spiked iron ball in its right hand, bringing it down with a deafening crash, smashing Number 3's skull into the floor and staining it red. The gruesome spectacle sent waves of fear through everyone present. Jiang Yu's stomach turned violently, and he nearly vomited, but he forced himself to hold it down.
It was only then that the cold, mechanical voice of the broadcast came through once more.
"1...2...3... Wooden... Man..."
The terror of the scene still fresh in their minds, the players' actions became even more frantic. They moved as if possessed, their eyes fixed on the precious iron balls—prized objects that could determine their survival.
Everyone had played Red Light, Green Light as children, but the stakes in this version were infinitely higher. In their childhood games, the losers might have been tied to a tree or had silly faces drawn on them, but in this twisted version, the penalty for losing was death. No one wanted to die.
Jiang Yu successfully grabbed the Rubik's cube that no one else had noticed. As expected, the sides were uneven. Holding it in his hands, he could feel it was heavier than an ordinary cube.
With a firm grip, he forced it apart, piece by piece. Inside, the metal ball rolled out onto the table, bouncing slightly.
Jiang Yu felt a surge of relief and quickly snatched up the iron ball, clutching it tightly in his palm. Just as he did, a hand landed on his shoulder from behind.
He turned to find Number 11—an imposing, burly man, much taller and wider than Jiang Yu, with the build of a butcher. His thick, muscular arms and the overpowering stench of raw meat made him seem every bit the part.
"Kid, I saw that ball first. Hand it over, and don't make me do something you'll regret."
The man's face was twisted in a malicious sneer as he threatened Jiang Yu.
"This was in the Rubik's cube I found. How could you have seen it first? Why should I give it to you? Don't you know how to search for your own?" Jiang Yu frowned, his voice laced with irritation.
Without warning, Number 11 swung his arm, delivering a powerful slap that sent Jiang Yu crashing to the ground. His head spun, and the ringing in his ears was deafening. The pain in his left cheek was immediate, swelling as a searing fire spread across his face.
The force of the slap was overwhelming, and it felt as if the man had put every ounce of strength into it, completely stunning Jiang Yu.
Number 11 crouched down, yanking Jiang Yu's clenched fist open and grabbing the iron ball from his hand. He sneered at Jiang Yu, spitting in his face and cursing.
"You little bastard. Trying to act tough? The pig-faced guy never said we couldn't beat each other up. I'm Wang Tianba. You know who I am?"
"I'm a butcher. I've slaughtered thousands of pigs. My hands are covered in blood. I'm here to survive, and no one is going to stop me. If you get in my way, I'll treat you like one of those pigs."
Jiang Yu's chest tightened with a mix of anger, frustration, and helplessness. He had found the ball on his own, and yet this man had the nerve to claim it. How shameless!
His body shook with fury as he struggled to push himself up, but just then, the broadcast crackled once more.
"Wooden... Man…"
Jiang Yu's heart skipped a beat, and sweat began to form on his brow. The position he had been forced into was incredibly taxing, and he knew he could hold it for only a few more seconds. If the broadcast lingered on the "Wooden Man" command too long, he'd collapse, and that would be the end of him.
The iron monster, as if sensing his vulnerability, had drawn nearer. Its red eyes seemed to bore into him, and the chainsaw in its left hand hummed to life, its shrill sound cutting through the air. The iron ball scraped against the ground, coming dangerously close to Jiang Yu's head.
His face turned pale, his heart thundering in his chest. Cold sweat dripped down his back, and a wave of fear washed over him. He knew the rules: move, and he was dead.
For a full minute, the "Wooden Man" command persisted, while the terrifying figure loomed right beside him. Jiang Yu held his position, forcing his body to remain still, every muscle screaming in protest. But something in his body—a surge of energy, perhaps due to the 50% boost to his physical strength—kept him upright, kept him from collapsing.
"Don't move. Don't move. I can't move. I mustn't move..." The thought raced through his mind, as he visualized the face of his beloved daughter.
Finally, the "1...2...3" call rang out again, and the steel monster took a few steps back, its gaze leaving him.
Jiang Yu quickly pushed himself to his feet, letting out a long breath of relief. He rubbed his sore cheek and stretched his back, trying to loosen the tension.
He had originally intended to fight for his ball back, but after seeing the size and strength of Wang Tianba, he reconsidered. Sometimes, retreating was the wisest course, a strategic move to ensure he could fight again another day.
He glared at Wang Tianba, fists clenched, then turned and walked off, his eyes scanning for a new place to search. He swore to himself—he would get revenge on this man when the time was right. Jiang Yu never forgot a grudge. He always repaid kindness and vengeance in kind.
The other players were watching the exchange, their eyes now filled with malice. They began eyeing each other's iron balls with covetous glares. The moment someone found a ball, they either tucked it away or moved far away, unwilling to risk having it stolen.
The chaos quickly spread. Jiang Yu continued his search, but as the frenzy escalated, it became clear that most of the iron balls had already been claimed.
The remaining ones were few, and with only three minutes left, the difficulty of finding them had increased exponentially.
The countdown clock on the wall ticked down relentlessly.
2:56:27
Jiang Yu, with no iron ball in hand, stood with a sense of despair. The end was near, and the weight of impending death pressed down on him.
Beside him stood a middle-aged man wearing the number 28. His figure was tall and lean, his face marked by the wear of years, and his dark, brooding eyes stared at the iron ball in his hand, as if lost in thought.
After a long pause, the man turned to Jiang Yu, extending the ball toward him.
"Hello," he said quietly, "I believe your iron ball was taken from you. Here, take this one. I hope you can survive this."
Jiang Yu was momentarily stunned, staring at the man in disbelief. It was one thing to see online stories of "good Samaritans," but in the real world, was there anyone truly willing to sacrifice themselves for someone else?
Jiang Yu hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Why give me your ball? Won't you be signing your own death sentence?"
The middle-aged man paused, then spoke with a touch of melancholy in his voice.
"My name is Luo Jun. I'm a doctor. I took the Hippocratic Oath. I always believed my purpose was to heal and save lives, but I never imagined I'd find myself in a game like this. I don't want to harm anyone. Let me exit this game first. It's my choice."
His words were heavy with sorrow, his gaze distant.
Jiang Yu stared at him, still in disbelief, before finally accepting the ball, but after a moment's thought, he returned it to Luo Jun's palm.
"Thank you," he said. "But I can't take it. You keep it. Your kindness means a lot to me."
Luo Jun's eyes softened, and he nodded, though the sadness never left his face.
"You're right," he said quietly. "But if you survive and make it out, you could save many more lives. Don't feel guilty. If sacrificing forty-nine of us here means you can save thousands outside, then our deaths won't be in vain."
Jiang Yu's heart tightened. Though he didn't trust anyone here, something in Luo Jun's words stirred something inside him. He wasn't sure if there was a hidden agenda, but for the first time, he felt a flicker of hope.
With only one minute remaining, the countdown clock read:
0:59:34.
Jiang Yu was still without a ball. The pressure was suffocating, and it felt like all his hopes were fading with every passing second.