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There were a total of eleven people present, each with different initial purposes for entering the game. After experiencing so much, their goals had changed somewhat, yet they remained distinct.
Feng Feng was the calmest in response to Fang Zheng's words. He had not entered the game voluntarily; he was the game's designer and had been silenced by the founder who wanted to monopolize the game. The Billion Dollar Prize meant little to someone of his talent, and since designers could only blame themselves for leaving the game through secret passages, how many would ultimately claim the prize was irrelevant to him.
Chi Xiaoming was also relatively composed. The ten billion amount seemed enormous, but for Chi Securities, it was nothing significant. He had three purposes for entering the game: first, to safely escort Tang Jingshu out; second, to drag Chi Ming, the prodigal son, out; and third, due to his collaboration with Gu Ze.
These two were quite special, but there were also those who were not so special, like Second Batch Player He Min. He Min was a nurse who initially entered the game with her deceased boyfriend Yu Hao, hoping to win the Billion Dollar Prize to improve their lives. This thought had not changed even after Yu Hao's death; He Min always believed that money was a good thing. In urban life, money could determine one's quality of life and replace many things, including emotions. Everyone thought He Min's resilience came from her strong character, unaware that it was always the Billion Dollar Prize that supported her. However, she maintained such a good facade that few suspected her true motivation.
Wang Huacheng and Gold Breakthrough shared similar thoughts. One was an ordinary bank employee who had to read people's faces, while the other was a lawyer who always fell short in court. Both were mediocre in their fields and longed for success and instant wealth. With little chance of striking it rich overnight, they turned their attention to the game's prize money. These two cunning yet fearful individuals lacked He Min's determination but shared her goal.
The expressions of these three were not pleasant. He Min was shocked by the news and struggled to maintain her composure. Wang Huacheng and Gold Breakthrough were displeased by Fang Zheng's nonchalant announcement of this information. Once others who desired wealth learned about it, they would likely act similarly, creating enemies for themselves—something no one wanted in this challenging game.
What intrigued them more were Xu Hang and his companions. Indeed, Xu Hang, Xie Huai, and Deng Yinyin had been forced into the game initially. While Xu Hang had some insight into why he was brought into the game, the other two remained in the dark. At first, they simply wanted to escape the game and actively engaged with the tasks issued by the System while internally complaining. However, this simplicity began to twist as they neared their goal; their thoughts became straightforward: since they were innocent participants in this game and had the ability to win the prize money, why not take it and leave? It could be seen as a form of compensation for themselves.
Among these three, Deng Yinyin held this thought most strongly, followed by Xie Huai and then Xu Hang. Undeniably talented yet ordinary in many ways like everyone else, Xu Hang felt ashamed for wanting to win money until he learned about Gu Ze's intentions; then he felt some resentment and a hint of jealousy.
He could never reach Gu Ze's level nor catch up with Xu Nuan—not because Gu Ze or Xu Nuan didn't care about money but because they pursued something more unique within this game that he could not attain; this created a gap between him and Gu Ze.
The expressions of all eleven people shifted as they exchanged glances awkwardly.
Fang Zheng appreciated their reactions; a faint smile crept onto his lips that only added to his odd demeanor. The cool night air seeped into everyone's hearts as they fell silent. After some time, it was He Min who hoarsely asked Fang Zheng,
"Where did you hear this news?"
Not long ago, He Min had been trying hard to convince everyone not to trust Fang Zheng's words and had shown open hostility towards him. Now she found herself ensnared by his simple statement and was the first to ask a question.
Well-Meaning Person noticed this shift and began looking at He Min strangely; seeing her pale face gave him some understanding.
Fang Zheng raised his gaze with a mocking glint in his eyes that left He Min with nowhere to retreat; her expression grew increasingly grim as he chose not to answer her question. His deep-set eyes in the darkness made it difficult for anyone to discern his emotions.
Wang Huacheng seized this opportunity; instead of looking at He Min, he eagerly turned his attention toward Gu Ze.
"Everyone is talking about this matter; I ran into Melolo and Yu Le Yu earlier—they're plotting against us too?"
In his eagerness to seize the moment, Wang Huacheng blurted out something inappropriate without maintaining a lawyer's usual composure. Gold Breakthrough quickly intervened to stop him, revealing an air of desperation that only drew more attention.
Gu Ze maintained a half-smile, the curve of his lips carrying a hint of coldness that made Wang Huacheng's legs feel weak.
"Oh? So you are learning from them to scheme against us."
His tone was very calm, yet it made Wang Huacheng, who had witnessed Gu Ze's methods, involuntarily take a step back. He lost his balance and ended up sitting on the ground.
Gold Breakthrough cursed Wang Huacheng for his lack of resolve in his heart, while he himself kept smiling apologetically at Gu Ze.
Xu Nuan shook her head at this scene, feeling helpless about the two unfamiliar players from the same batch.
Meanwhile, Deng Yinyin and her companions still wore grim expressions. However, due to their unwillingness to admit their thoughts, they remained silent, merely watching Gu Ze, hoping he would maintain his style and get to the bottom of things.
He Min, realizing she had lost her composure, looked down at her toes instead of glaring at Fang Zheng. Yet her ears were perked up, waiting for the words of the others.
Wang Huacheng's defiance prompted Gold Breakthrough to decide to lay everything bare.
"Stop looking at us like that; I have nothing to hide."
Gold Breakthrough felt quite helpless. Initially, he and Wang Huacheng had been lured by Zhang Xiao, thinking that even if they failed to clear the levels, they could leave the game with some money. However, after doing a few tasks alongside Zhang Xiao, they realized he didn't hold much power. They quickly sought another way out. It was then that Gu Ze appeared with conditions that made them willingly take some risks to gather information, even betraying Zhang Xiao. But once this news came out and was confirmed, they decided not to cooperate with Gu Ze anymore.
Since only one person could leave, everyone else became an obstacle. Their plan was simple: scheme against others so that they could successfully reach the final level. They had agreed that when it was time to leave, they would have a fair duel to determine who would be the first to exit the game. Both understood not to mention what "fair means" entailed at that time and instead focused on eliminating others one by one. Unfortunately for them, their first encounter was with Gu Ze's team. Fearing Gu Ze, they had no choice but to act cautiously, which ultimately led to their exposure.
"This matter started spreading over a month ago; however, no one took it seriously back then."
Gold Breakthrough tried hard to make his words more coherent to increase their persuasiveness.
"At that time, only a few were occasionally playing harmless tricks without harming others. It was only when it was confirmed that only the first person to pass One Hundred Levels could receive the prize that everyone gradually began taking action."
As Gold Breakthrough spoke, he kept an eye on the expressions of the others.
"Everyone comes into this game for money; with interests at stake, there are no permanent partners. We haven't harmed you; in fact, we've brought you this good news. Why not call it even?"
Gold Breakthrough proposed this with some confidence but when he looked up, he saw Gu Ze squinting slightly. The glint in his eyes sent chills down Gold Breakthrough's spine.
"So you knew about this matter during our previous two encounters?"
Gu Ze's voice grew colder, causing Wang Huacheng, who had finally managed to steady himself, to feel his legs weaken again, wanting to sit down once more.
"This really is a good way to settle the score."
Gu Ze chuckled softly a couple of times, making even Xu Nuan, who stood beside him, feel somewhat uneasy. This version of Gu Ze was indeed intimidating; the aura of someone in a position of power easily instilled a sense of fear.
Gold Breakthrough laughed awkwardly, his expression quite uncomfortable.
Seeing that the conversation among these individuals was not getting to the point, Xu Nuan could no longer hold back.
"Why don't you answer the first question first? Hearing this news from others is not a satisfactory response. If you're not satisfactory, you might find it difficult to continue advancing."
Though Xu Nuan was anxious, she managed to keep her tone calm. This was something she learned from Gu Ze; her demeanor successfully sent a shiver down Gold Breakthrough's spine, and his smile became stiff.
Deng Yinyin also seemed to have caught on by now. Being equally fixated on the prize, she bluntly shouted at Gold Breakthrough.
"Stop stuttering! If you don't tell the truth, don't think you can leave. After all, only one person can claim the prize."
Rather than a threat, her words directly expressed the current thoughts of the players. Yes, everyone could coexist peacefully, but only one person could take home that prize. They could devise ways to ensure others failed to advance, but the safest method was to eliminate the competition. It was an obvious fact that only the dead would not contest for that singular opportunity.
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