When he saw Zheng Zha and the other three glance at each other with suspicion, he finally smiled and said,"I was just testing you, but now I'm somewhat sure... However, could you explain the situation a bit more? Otherwise, I still can't imagine why I'm here."
Zhang Jie and Zhan Lan were about to speak, but Zheng Zha raised his hand to stop them and asked first,"When did you watch the horror film Alien?"
Chu Xuan adjusted his glasses and replied,"About seven years ago. It was recent enough that I still remember it clearly."
Zheng Zha and the others were stunned. Seven years ago, and yet it was still so vivid in his memory? Did that mean they were essentially people with no memory?
Chu Xuan suddenly addressed the new arrivals, saying,"You must have seen the phrase 'Do you understand the meaning of life? Do you want to truly... live?' on a website, right?"
Everyone around them responded affirmatively. Though their accents varied, they all confirmed that they had chosen the "yes" option.
"I was writing a program on my computer at the time, and then I saw this option pop up on the screen. The strange thing is, my computer was offline, and I had no idea how any virus could have breached my self-created firewall. So, I started decoding the source of this option," Chu Xuan continued."Do you want to know what I discovered?"
He adjusted his glasses again and calmly added,"This text wasn't composed of computer 0s and 1s. Its source code wasn't electronic at all; it was composed of a peculiar set of symbols. If my memory serves me right, it was made up of three of the world's oldest writing systems—oracle bone script, papyrus script, and cuneiform script. There were also many large, unexplainable strange symbols, which I couldn't translate without comparison material."
"I was extremely curious," he went on."You see, when a computer breaks the limit of 0s and 1s, that's when artificial intelligence emerges. To make matters even stranger, this text was written using these ancient scripts, so I chose the'yes' option, which had far more characters than the'no' option with just a few words. And surprisingly, I ended up here. I don't know exactly where 'here' is, but it must be far from Beijing, right?"
Zheng Zha glanced around at the wide-eyed crowd. To be honest, he was a bit startled as well. It seemed this newcomer was no ordinary person. Who exactly was this person?
Zheng Zha hesitated and asked,"Who exactly are you? Why do you think we're far from Beijing?"
Chu Xuan smiled and replied,"With my IQ of 220, if I can't deduce these problems, I might as well be dead. Let me introduce myself again. I'm Chu Xuan... Lieutenant Colonel. Before I came here, I was at the Longyin Military Base in Beijing, the second-largest secret military base in China, just behind Longxing. I really don't believe anyone could have kidnapped me from there. What's more, my radar shows that I haven't moved at all. After thinking about it, the only possibility I can come up with is this: I must have left the Longyin base, but my device still thinks I'm there."
Chu Xuan showed them his wristwatch, explaining,"This watch was redesigned for people like me, who are national-level scientific assets. To prevent being abducted by spies, the watch can connect to the Longyin Base's main computer. It continuously sends signals to confirm my location and displays how far I've moved from the base."
"The issue is that I left the space I was in, so in this space, the watch naturally can't receive any signals from the Longyin Base's main computer. It still thinks I'm there. That's the only explanation I can come up with. And now, it seems this bizarre explanation is actually true."
Zheng Zha and the others exchanged glances. It was suddenly clear to them why the "main god" had brought so many new people in—this place was far more complicated than they had initially thought.
Zheng Zha finally said,"Zhan Lan, explain to them what this place is and why we're here."
Zhan Lan's eyes lit up, and she giggled,"Thank you all... hehe. When we get back, I'll cook a few dishes for you. After all, girls have weaker stamina than you men. I'll add the 100 reward points to cellular vitality and muscle strength when we return."
She then explained the situation to everyone, particularly focusing on how they would all repeatedly go through different horror films, with each survival in a film rewarding them with 1,000 points. These points could be used to exchange for weapons or strengthen their bodies. She told them they were currently in the Alien film, and the mission was to kill the alien. However, she left out some of the side plot details, as this information was shared only among their four group members.
The newcomers mostly showed skeptical expressions or seemed frantic. Apart from Chu Xuan, who was calmly observing his surroundings, two other individuals were also quietly watching them. Zheng Zha was surprised to notice that among the group was a tall, strong Caucasian man.
Zheng Zha approached the two and extended his hand."What are your names? Does this person understand Chinese?"
One of them was slightly slimmer but clearly had well-toned muscles. He didn't shake Zheng Zha's hand but took a step back, saying,"You can call me Zero. I don't want to answer any other questions."
The Caucasian man, on the other hand, took Zheng Zha's hand with a firm grip and said,"Campalovsky. You can call me Campa. Of course, I understand Chinese. I just haven't gotten used to speaking it... You've got quite a strong handshake."
Zheng Zha looked at the others. Aside from the three thugs still kneeling on the ground, the other five were two middle-aged men with slightly bulging stomachs. Their hair was oily and slick, and they carried briefcases, clearly businessmen who knew each other. Among the remaining three, two young men in their twenties stood by a woman who appeared to be a white-collar worker. One of the men seemed keenly observant of their surroundings, while the other flirted with the woman. From their clothes, it seemed they were all office workers. After the initial panic, they appeared to have regained their composure.
Zheng Zha shook his head and said loudly,"Now, everyone, please tell me your former profession, age, and what you're best at. After that, we'll start assigning roles."
The group hesitated, but Chu Xuan spoke first."Although you say that, there's no way to confirm if you're telling the truth. Is there anything to prove that you aren't lying? For instance, things you've exchanged for, or your extraordinary physical abilities?"
Zhang Jie sneered,"Do you think surviving in a horror film is that easy? It's an experience far beyond'life and death'—surviving twenty films is a feat, and that kind of physical strength could break through steel plates with one punch."
Chu Xuan shook his head and replied,"No, you misunderstand. I'm not mocking you, just trying to ensure our cooperation goes smoothly. It's better to eliminate our suspicions now." He looked toward Zero and Campalovsky.
He continued,"Just show me the hemostatic spray you've used and the bandages, that will be enough."
Zhang Jie nodded at Li Xiaoyi, who immediately threw the bandages and spray at Chu Xuan. However, the man with glasses asked,"Does anyone have a knife? It should be a sharp one."
Zheng Zha and the others exchanged glances. They actually didn't have any melee weapons. Just then, Campalovsky took out a black sharkskin knife from his jacket and casually handed it to Chu Xuan. Zheng Zha and the others finally realized that both Zero and Campalovsky were intently watching Chu Xuan.
Chu Xuan swiftly made a cut on his wrist with the knife, almost as if his hand didn't belong to him. Blood poured out like water. Zhan Lan and the white-collar woman screamed, and the others gawked in shock. Then Chu Xuan sprayed the hemostatic spray on the wound, and within seconds, the blood stopped, and the wound quickly closed up. He wrapped the bandage around his wrist and handed everything back to Campalovsky.
Zheng Zha and the others exchanged looks, realizing that both Campalovsky and Zero had done the same thing. After they finished, Campalovsky casually said,"I'm an international mercenary, top-tier firepower specialist. You can call me'The Overlord'. Honestly, I'd rather you were lying. This place is a nightmare."
Zero tossed the spray and bandages back to Li Xiaoyi, his cold voice cutting through the air."I have no name. You can call me Zero. I'm a professional assassin, specializing in long-range precision sniping. It's a shame, though—this horror film doesn't seem to require my skills, and there are no sniper rifles here."