Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
The door of the Supply Station could only be opened once every ten minutes, which meant that Xu Nuan and her four companions had to endure the approaching wolf pack for that duration.
Everyone present had unpleasant memories associated with wolves.
Regardless of the serious or worried expressions on the faces of the others, Xu Nuan found the current situation strange.
Firstly, the wolf pack showed no intention of attacking immediately; they simply surrounded the group quietly. Secondly, in Xu Nuan's memory, there had been no precedent for a dangerous Survival Game set up in front of a Supply Station in the nearly thirty rounds they had played. Considering that Rao Tingxue was the daughter of Rao Group's founder, it was possible that she held some privileges in the game, especially since her father was one of its initiators.
However, Xu Nuan shifted her gaze to Gu Ze, who was leaning against a tree. This man understood the intricacies of the game as well as Rao Tingxue did, which could be considered a form of privilege. Moreover, based on her conversations with Rao Tingxue, it seemed that Rao Tingxue only knew superficial details about this project.
For instance, Rao Tingxue knew that Rao Group was one of the initiators of this game and that Qin Yaojie was one of its designers. However, she was completely unaware of any personnel information regarding the Biotechnology Research Company named "Zero." This implied that Rao Tingxue held little value in terms of knowledge.
On the other hand, Xu Nuan knew something that would be a significant blow to Rao Tingxue.
The young lady from the Rao family might not know that her father had an illegitimate son.
While "illegitimate son" sounded harsh, for those with traditional views, having a son inherit the group was preferable to having a woman do so. Moreover, this illegitimate son was part of this game; one could only wonder how much he knew about it. It was likely far more than what he had shared with her.
As Xu Nuan recalled this information, she found herself trapped in an even greater dilemma. She needed someone to help her analyze the situation; sometimes an outsider could see things more clearly than those involved.
She understood this was wishful thinking. Although she had gained an ally, she had effectively lost one as well. She no longer knew what Gu Ze intended to do.
Gu Ze clearly remembered the contents of those blueprints and most of the technical aspects of this game. However, he had concealed this knowledge from the beginning and pretended not to know anything while participating in the game with them. In the end, Gu Ze revealed to her that he possessed some crucial information. She naturally believed he would play a vital role at a critical moment. But it seemed now that Gu Ze was fully aware of all the details of the game and began to demonstrate his knowledge starting from this round, leading everyone through the Survival Game with unstoppable momentum.
Why had he suddenly stopped hiding his knowledge? What was his purpose?
Xu Nuan felt confused and a tinge of bitterness.
Indeed, their so-called alliance had been built on each person's hidden motives and agendas.
She had no right to be angry because she too was concealing something while being honest about other matters.
As part of her regained memories, she continued to pursue Qin Yaojie as her obsession in the game. However, she realized there were more important matters at hand. If that incident hadn't occurred, she would have sought Gu Ze's help, but it was only after the fact that she discovered her memories had returned.
Similarly, Gu Ze had told her that he wanted to uncover the true Mastermind to prevent his Uncle from getting deeper into trouble. Yet, wouldn't it be better and faster to tackle the issue directly through the Rao Group outside the game? There must be other things within this game that Gu Ze desired, which could help him resolve the situation quickly. Or perhaps she was thinking too far; maybe Gu Ze was thrown into this game by his father for reasons other than finding the Mastermind.
What could that be?
Xu Nuan didn't know, but she increasingly felt that she was drifting further away from Gu Ze. She didn't need to feel sad about it, as this was the outcome she wanted to see.
Under the twilight, the wolf pack's green eyes glowed with a sinister terror, their sharp fangs gleaming coldly. The distant sunset was eerie and brilliant, adding an element of horror to the atmosphere outside the Supply Station.
"They don't seem to intend to attack us."
Deng Yinyin felt both scared and puzzled.
Xie Huai nodded in agreement, nervously meeting the wolves' gaze while clutching his left hand; his legs felt a bit weak.
Guessing what was on their minds, Xu Hang reassured them.
"The game's settings have always been strange. It's a good thing they aren't attacking us; there's no need to overthink it. We can enter the Supply Station soon."
Ten minutes felt neither too long nor too short.
In those ten minutes, Xu Nuan had enough time to review everything she knew, enough for Gu Ze to display his unusual behavior, enough for Xie Huai to repeatedly meet the wolves' gaze to bolster his courage, and enough for Deng Yinyin to make up her mind.
When Xu Nuan and her group of five entered the Supply Station, they found that Rao Tingxue and Ning Han were already gone. The food and medicine showed clear signs of having been hastily rummaged through.
"Were they in such a hurry?"
Deng Yinyin blurted out before suddenly covering her mouth and looking at Xu Nuan.
Xu Nuan didn't know what Deng Yinyin intended to do but didn't think much of it either.
A few people continued with their usual routines, and Xu Nuan went to find the medicine as usual. While she was organizing, she noticed someone approaching. Turning around, she saw it was Xu Hang. For some reason, she felt a bit disappointed, but Xu Nuan concealed her feelings well and turned back to her task.
"Is there something you need?" she asked.
"I came to apologize," Xu Hang replied, maintaining a certain distance from Xu Nuan.
"Although I know you're in a hurry, everyone is quite tired and needs some rest. So I've decided that we will set off again tomorrow morning," he continued.
Xu Nuan paused in her organizing, then lightly laughed.
"Isn't that decision a good one? I'm part of the team and will follow your orders, Captain. There's no need for an apology."
She couldn't shake the feeling that Xu Hang had become a bit more flexible in his approach, less rigid than before. Remembering the times they had clashed in the past made her sigh at how quickly time passed.
Xu Nuan understood Xu Hang's nature and realized their conversation was coming to an end. However, she was surprised when he showed no intention of leaving or speaking further.
Curious, Xu Nuan turned to look at Xu Hang and found him wearing an expression of confusion and awkwardness.
Seeing such an expression on this reserved man was quite a miracle. Feeling kind-hearted, Xu Nuan took the initiative to speak up.
"Is there anything else?"
She assured herself that she wasn't trying to rush him away, but it seemed Xu Hang misunderstood her intentions and actually started to walk toward the door.
"Never mind, you can continue with your work," he said as he moved toward the exit. When he reached the door, he paused and turned back to look at Xu Nuan, hesitating as he began to speak.
"Xu Nuan, you..."
He stammered for a moment before falling silent again.
Xu Nuan raised an eyebrow at Xu Hang, her expression somewhat playful, yet she said nothing.
Xu Hang seemed to be provoked by her expression, choosing not to speak further and hurriedly leaving.
It was only when Xu Hang had truly departed that Xu Nuan reined in all her expressions, returning to a state of indifference. Although her hands still rested on the medicines, her thoughts had already drifted elsewhere.
After a night of uneventful coexistence, Rao Tingxue and Ning Han had not left any traps out of boredom. Of course, it was quite possible they believed that Xu Nuan and her companions were doomed, rendering any effort to set traps unnecessary.
Sometimes, Xu Nuan found emotions to be quite baffling. Rao Tingxue could kill her simply to prevent her from meeting Qin Yaojie; could a relationship that bore the weight of a life truly last?
She had always considered the term "companion" to be heavy yet precious.
She and Xu Hang, along with the others, were already burdened by Tang Jingshu's death. Therefore, every step they took felt unbearably heavy. If they were to bear the death of a lover, would it not be even more burdensome and painful to the point of collapse?
Xu Nuan did not want to know. No matter how rational she was, there were times when she wished to escape.
As dawn broke, everyone prepared to set off once again.
Illusory Stone Forest—these five words shone exceptionally bright.
Long ago, Xu Nuan believed that every modifier in a Survival Game was a hint. However, by the end, she came to see those modifiers as prophecies, foretelling the emotions they would carry at the conclusion of each stage.
Each time it proved accurate; it was no different from divination. Xu Nuan was curious about the members of that Biotechnology Research Company.
Based on the clues she had gathered so far, that company seemed to have at least four factions. She was already aware of two of them; there were still two more. Only by continuing the game and encountering new players and those strange Survival Games could she uncover more.
The five of them gradually emerged from the Supply Station, greeted by vast expanses of yellow-brown stone peaks. The mountains competed in beauty with their varied shapes; however, this was not what captured their attention.
They soon realized that the sun was scorching hot. Walking on the yellow-brown ground felt like stepping onto a steamer—intensely hot. The surroundings were predominantly yellow-brown with little greenery, further intensifying the heat.
The Riverbank of the Stone Forest was scarce but long. They walked along it without spotting any oases. Numerous steep cliffs loomed above them, and vast stretches of Gobi lay ahead. This place resembled their impression of a Stone Forest even more—it was essentially all stone, and those stones absorbed heat relentlessly.
After walking for a while, everyone was drenched in sweat. A few drops trickled into their mouths, the salty taste mirroring their current mood.
Xu Nuan felt particularly uncomfortable, primarily because the wounds on her hands and head had yet to heal. The heat could easily lead to inflammation, and frequently changing the dressings would waste both time and medicine, not to mention potentially causing her to develop a fever again. The more anxious she became, the hotter it felt, prompting her to drink water in large gulps.
The weight on her back was decreasing, but her body weight remained unchanged; the water she consumed ultimately turned into sweat that flowed out.
As Xu Nuan numbly walked along, preparing to take out another bottle of water, a bottle was handed to her from behind.
Following the direction of the water bottle, she saw Gu Ze.
A complex mix of emotions surged within her. Xu Nuan shook the bottle in her hand to indicate that she had water.
However, Gu Ze spoke calmly.
"This bottle has salt added. Sweating while drinking water can lead to a loss of salt in your body, which will make you feel unwell."
Xu Nuan paused for a moment, taken aback.
Comment 0 Comment Count