Chapter 3: Meeting the Protagonist (2)

The five people who walked out from the dilapidated iron container all wore expressions of life-is-worse-than-death, weathered exhaustion and despair. They didn't even have the spare energy to size up the two unfamiliar faces, Wei Yanchi and Xie De.

Xie De silently retreated to a corner. Leaning against the container behind him, his 1.87-meter tall frame stood with his long legs slightly bent. He had absolutely no expression on his face, but deep down, he was frantically pinging the system.

"Gibberish, can I ask a very shameless question? If Wei Yanchi dies here, will this game collapse? With his protagonist halo, he shouldn't die easily, right? So what if we just let him draw all the enemy fire?"

The five people opposite them were clearly veteran players, yet every single one of them looked terrible. They were covered in dirt and bloodstains, looking battered and exhausted.

"System, save me. This game is too terrifying! I want to go home, I want to sleep in."

The system's cold, ruthless voice sounded.

"Don't even think about it. Open your eyes wide and look closely, these five people are not to be trifled with."

Xie De's spine instantly stiffened.

"Not to be trifled with? Are... are they ghosts?! I'm not playing anymore, System, I want to go home! This game isn't meant for humans, I want to go home..."

The system rolled its non-existent eyes at him.

"Host, can you have a little bit of backbone?"

Xie De wanted to cry but had no tears.

"This isn't a matter of having a backbone or not, I'm afraid of ghosts!"

System: "..."

Xie De took a deep breath.

"Okay, let me rephrase. What's wrong with these five people?"

The system's voice echoed in his mind.

"These five people just came out of a punishment scenario. Because their completion rate was too low, they were judged by the system as targets for punishment. I don't know what kind of hell they just went through, but..."

"But what?"

"Out of these five people, one of them is a traitor."

Xie De's pupils shrank violently.

"A traitor? System, are you joking? This is a team survival game, how can there be a traitor?"

The system remained silent.

At this moment, the burly, bald man walking at the very front of the five spoke up. His voice was incredibly hoarse, sounding like sandpaper grinding together.

"Yo, looks like we've got two newbies here."

The burly man's gaze swept over Xie De and Wei Yanchi. When he looked at Xie De, a fleeting glimmer of greed and lecherous intent flashed in his eyes.

Although Xie De's clothes were a bit tattered, his face was extraordinarily beautiful. Coupled with his current frightened demeanor, he looked like a lost little white rabbit, making people want to ruthlessly ravage him.

Xie De got goosebumps from his stare and quietly took a step back.

Wei Yanchi, however, acted as if he didn't notice the strange atmosphere at all. He greeted them with a beaming smile.

"Hello seniors, I am newcomer Wei Yanchi, and this is my companion, 39. We are new here, please take care of us."

The bald man sneered.

"Take care of you? In the scenario, it's hard enough to protect oneself. Who has the free time to take care of you?"

Wei Yanchi didn't get angry and kept his smiling face.

"Senior is right. But more people means more strength. Maybe we can be of some help."

The bald man stared at him, a trace of wariness flashing in his eyes.

This newcomer called Wei Yanchi might look like he was smiling, but he gave off a very dangerous feeling. It was the kind of feeling you got when you were being targeted by a venomous snake.

"Let's hope so." The bald man didn't say anything else, turning around to find a spot to sit and rest.

The others also found their own places to sit, completely ignoring Xie De and Wei Yanchi.

Xie De breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to speak, Wei Yanchi leaned in close and whispered, "39, don't you think these five people are very strange?"

Xie De paused.

"Strange? What's strange about them?"

Wei Yanchi looked at the five people, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

"Although they look miserable, none of them have any fatal injuries. Moreover, the atmosphere between them is extremely eerie. They don't act like teammates who have experienced life and death together at all."

Xie De's heart skipped a beat.

Wei Yanchi was right. If they truly were teammates who had gone through life-and-death struggles together, they should be supporting and comforting each other right now. Instead, they were sitting far apart without any communication whatsoever.

It was almost as if... they were all guarding against each other.

Could it be... Xie De thought of what the system had just told him.

"There is a traitor among them?"

Wei Yanchi glanced at him, a hint of admiration in his eyes.

"Smart. Among these five people, someone is definitely hiding something."

Xie De swallowed hard.

"Then what do we do now?"

Wei Yanchi smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

"Don't be afraid. You have me."

Looking at Wei Yanchi's confident smile, Xie De felt his heart settle just a little bit.

But very quickly, he remembered Wei Yanchi's character setting in the original novel: an absolute lunatic protagonist who devoured people without spitting out the bones.

Xie De: "..."

No, now he was even more terrified.

Right at that moment, the system's voice chimed again.

"All players are in position. Mission released: Within twelve hours, find the traitor hidden among you. If the mission fails, all players will be obliterated."

All players will be obliterated!

As soon as these words came out, the expressions of everyone present changed drastically.

The bald man suddenly stood up, glaring furiously at Xie De and Wei Yanchi.

"It's you! The traitor is definitely one of you two!"

Wei Yanchi sneered coldly.

"Senior, you need evidence when you speak. We just arrived here, how could we possibly be the traitors?"

But the bald man didn't care. He pulled a blade from his waist and charged straight at them.

"I'd rather kill a thousand innocents by mistake than let a single one slip away!"

Wei Yanchi's gaze turned icy. He sidestepped the bald man's attack and simultaneously delivered a flying kick right into his stomach.

The bald man let out a miserable scream, flying backward and crashing heavily onto the ground.

The sudden turn of events happened so fast that the others didn't even have time to react. By the time they processed what had happened, the bald man was already lying on the ground, unable to get up.

Xie De looked at Wei Yanchi, his eyes full of shock.

He's way too strong!

Wei Yanchi clapped his hands, looking down at the bald man from above.

"I told you, you need evidence to speak. If you dare bite randomly like a mad dog again, I will cripple you."

With that, he turned to look at the others.

"Now, can we have a proper talk?"

The others were completely intimidated by his aura. No one dared to speak.

Wei Yanchi walked back to Xie De's side and grabbed his hand.

"Let's go. We'll head over there."

Being pulled along, Xie De followed behind him. Looking at his back, an inexplicable feeling suddenly surged in his heart.

This Wei Yanchi... doesn't seem as terrifying as the original novel made him out to be.

The two of them walked over to a corner and sat down.

"Why did you help me just now?" Xie De couldn't help but ask.

Wei Yanchi looked at him and smiled.

"Because we are companions."

Companions…

Looking at his sincere smile, Xie De's heart stirred slightly.

Could it be that he really could trust Wei Yanchi?

Right at that moment, the system's voice suddenly rang in Xie De's head.

"Host, don't be fooled by him. He is just using you."

Xie De paused.

"Using me?"

The system sneered.

"Why do you think he helped you just now? He just wants to make you feel favorable towards him so you lower your guard. When the critical moment comes, he won't hesitate to push you out to block a knife for him."

A chill ran through Xie De's heart.

That's right. Wei Yanchi is the lunatic protagonist of the original novel. How could he possibly treat someone he just met with genuine sincerity?

Xie De looked at Wei Yanchi, the trust in his eyes instantly vanishing, replaced by deep wariness.

Seeing the change in his eyes, Wei Yanchi frowned slightly.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Xie De shook his head.

"Nothing."

Wei Yanchi looked at him and didn't say anything else.

The atmosphere between the two became somewhat awkward. Xie De lowered his head, not knowing what to think. Wei Yanchi looked at him, a complex glint flashing in his eyes.

The five veteran players calmly assessed the two newcomers. Having cleared at least two scenarios each, they had absolutely no intention of babysitting rookies. In a place like this, surviving was hard enough; no one had the luxury or spare energy to care about others.

Xie De silently retreated to the corner of the shipping container. Standing at 1.87 meters tall, he lowered his eyes, trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible. His long, thick silver eyelashes cast a faint shadow, making him look surprisingly obedient and harmless.

Wei Yanchi lazily toyed with his Swiss Army knife, his gaze lingering on Xie De. He couldn't help but click his tongue inwardly. That silver hair looks incredibly soft, like top-tier silk.

He walked over, his lips curling into a teasing smile.

"Hey, 39."

Xie De raised his eyes, his dark green irises coldly reflecting Wei Yanchi's figure.

"What?"

Wei Yanchi reached out and boldly twirled a strand of Xie De's silver hair around his finger.

"Your hair is quite pretty. Is it real?"

Xie De's body stiffened. He sharply swatted Wei Yanchi's hand away, his voice dropping to a freezing temperature.

"Don't touch me."

"So fierce." Wei Yanchi wasn't annoyed in the slightest. He chuckled, retracting his hand but remaining comfortably close.

"I'm just trying to be friendly. After all, we're the only newbies here. We should stick together."

Before Xie De could retort, a harsh mechanical screech echoed through the gloomy factory.

Zzzzt—

The overhead broadcast speaker crackled to life. A cold, emotionless mechanical voice announced:

[Welcome, players, to the Hope Factory.]

[Current Scenario: Hope Factory]

[Mode: Survival / Exploration]

[Main Quest: The factory owner is deeply troubled by the recent inexplicable disappearance of his workers. Players must survive in the factory for seven days and uncover the truth behind the disappearances. Successfully completing the quest will reward you with an exit ticket.]

[Warning: The factory rules must be strictly observed. Violators will face immediate execution.]

The broadcast cut off with a sharp click.

The heavy iron doors of the factory suddenly slammed shut with a deafening BANG, plunging the massive space into near darkness. Only the flickering, dim yellow bulbs provided any illumination.

The faces of the five veteran players instantly grew solemn.

"Seven days..." the bespectacled man, Lao You, muttered, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"The longer the duration, the higher the mortality rate. This isn't going to be easy."

The muscular Li Luohan cracked his knuckles.

"Stop complaining. Let's search the area before it gets completely dark. We need to find a safe place to rest."

The taciturn Yue Xiamo nodded and wordlessly headed toward a row of abandoned employee lockers.

Xie De stood by his container, frantically communicating with his system. “Gibberish! Are you dead? Say something!”

“I am here, Host,” the system replied weakly. “Please remain calm. Your current internal panic level is not matching your cool exterior.”

“How am I supposed to stay calm?!” Xie De screamed internally. “Seven days! I have to survive with a bunch of ghosts and a lunatic protagonist for seven days!”

“Host, please remember your training. Maintain your aloof persona. If they realize you are just a cannon fodder, your chances of survival will drop to zero.”

Xie De took a deep breath, forcing his facial muscles to remain completely paralyzed. He glanced at Wei Yanchi, who was still standing nearby, hands casually tucked into his pockets, looking as if he was on a leisurely vacation.

"Shall we explore, 39?" Wei Yanchi offered, his dark eyes glinting with amusement. "Or would you prefer to stay in this dark corner and wait for the monsters to find you?"

Xie De gave him a frosty glare, pushed past him, and walked toward the factory floor.

"Follow me if you want to die."

Wei Yanchi chuckled softly and leisurely followed right behind him.