Everyone stared at Li Shuaixi, a seemingly ordinary young man with average looks, strength, and skills. In simple terms, he was a completely ordinary person. If Chu Xuan hadn't mentioned him, no one would have paid any attention to him; he was as unnoticed as air itself.
Li Shuaixi stood there for a while, his face suddenly turning red as he shouted,"Why me? Why does it have to be me? There are so many people here, and everyone wants to survive this horror movie. Why do I have to die? You want to kill me, right? If there's one less person to share the food, you'll all live a little longer. So, you want to kill me, don't you?"
Chu Xuan silently glanced at him and said,"No, I don't want you to die. Although being bait is indeed risky, you're the best candidate for the role. Everyone here is stronger than you. Zhang Jie, Zhan Lan, and Zheng Zha have all survived previous horror movies, I can plan all our actions, Zero has excellent close-combat and sniper skills, and Bawang is proficient with many firearms, possibly including those in the ship's weaponry. So, tell me, what role do you play in this team?"
Li Shuaixi lowered his head without speaking, but his face grew increasingly red, and veins popped up on his hands. Chu Xuan continued calmly,"In normal circumstances, each person would have their own strengths. I would never measure someone's worth by numbers or abilities, and I would never be this utilitarian. But you must understand our current situation—we're fighting against death, and even the smallest mistake could lead to all of us dying here! You're the surplus one among us. If you want to be treated equally, you need to show us your value. Otherwise, how are you different from the other eight dead outside the isolation wall?"
Zheng Zha could no longer hold back and loudly said,"This is impossible! I don't agree with this. When I came in, I was ordinary too, and only through enhancements did I become who I am now. Why is Li Shuaixi considered a surplus? Give him a chance, let him go through more horror films, and he can also become a reliable teammate!"
Chu Xuan still responded calmly,"But… does he have that chance? More importantly, do any of us have a chance to survive this horror movie? With the same rewards and physical enhancements, we six will be far stronger than him. And don't even suggest replacing him, every one of us has a responsibility in this mission. You're our biggest hope for survival, and would you want to save one person while the rest of us perish?"
Zheng Zha was filled with rage. He, more than anyone, feared death, especially after having someone to care about. He couldn't bear to see anyone else die. He understood that someone with his physical capabilities barely made it through, so how could an ordinary person like Li Shuaixi survive against the Alien?
Zhang Jie hurriedly held Zheng Zha back as he started to get agitated."Let's stick to the usual method. We'll vote on this, that's the fairest way… Zheng Zha! Don't let emotions cloud your judgment. If we die, our creations will also vanish! What are you really trying to do here?"
Zheng Zha froze for a moment. Finally, he lowered his head and sat down weakly. Chu Xuan sighed and said,"Alright then, let's vote. Those in favor of my plan, raise your hands. Majority rules."
The vote ended with five in favor and two against. Li Shuaixi's fate was sealed: either he would follow the plan and act as bait, earning the team's acceptance, or leave the group without food or water, losing their protection.
Li Shuaixi was visibly shaking with anger, but instead of exploding, he took a deep breath and slowly calmed down. He looked at Chu Xuan with a look of bitterness and said,"Fine, I'll be the bait. Just like you all want me to. I'll do it."
Everyone shuddered at the look of resentment in his eyes. Zheng Zha, however, was too lost in his own thoughts to notice. He silently walked to a secluded area of the control room, sitting there without speaking.
After a while, Zhan Lan came over and sat beside him, unsure of what to say. But it was Zheng Zha who spoke first:"Zhan Lan, you're scared of death too, aren't you?"
Zhan Lan paused before replying,"Uh... yeah, I am."
Zheng Zha lowered his head."I'm scared of death too. Everyone is. In this place, no one is truly safe. So why push the danger onto someone else? The rest of us may be temporarily safe, but if someone is more suited to the task, then they should be the one to do it..."
Zhan Lan interrupted him seriously,"I think Chu Xuan's right. If this were a normal situation, your point would make sense, and everyone would have their own strengths. But now we're facing death. So why should we protect someone who's completely useless to us?"
Zheng Zha fell silent again. After a long pause, he muttered,"...I can't argue with that. Maybe you and Chu Xuan are right, but I still hope we can all stay united and try to survive together. Not just the strong ones, but everyone... If we were in the first horror movie, how would we have felt in this situation? Wouldn't we have hated everyone else, hated the world?"
Zhan Lan sighed and didn't say anything more. She sat silently with Zheng Zha. After a few minutes, they suddenly heard a loud cry in the distance. They exchanged glances and quickly ran over to join the others.
When they arrived, everyone was focused on the large screen of the monitoring platform. They looked up to see four people walking shakily—a middle-aged couple with large bellies and a man and woman who looked like white-collar workers. After they passed by, Zhan Lan and Zheng Zha were stunned to see a large, dark xenomorph following them.
Zheng Zha immediately asked,"What happened? Why didn't the xenomorph attack them?"
Chu Xuan remained deep in thought, not answering. Zhan Lan, touching her forehead, said,"It's... because of reproduction?"
The only xenomorph capable of reproduction was the queen, and to allow xenomorph larvae to mature, they needed live hosts. This was likely why the xenomorph hadn't killed the four people.
Chu Xuan nodded silently."Yes, it's definitely for reproduction. The bait plan must be carried out as soon as possible. Otherwise, in a few days… we'll be facing… nine Alien!"