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The No Man’s Land.
The No Man’s Land players who came out at the exit gradually gathered here.
They looked up wearily and curiously at the pure white zone that once trapped them. The emptiness beyond their vision made those who escaped feel a lingering fear.
This originally deserted area was now crowded with all types of people who were anxious to find someone.
They removed the old TVs one by one, nervously charging and liking them as they stared at the static screen of the small TV. Once the screen went out, they sighed and turned to shout at the exit, “Wang Shun, the small TV on this side has gone out!”
“There is one here as well!”
“Brother Wang, there are three here!”
Wang Shun stood at the door and held a thick virtual notepad. He used a pen to write invisible sparks of data.
After recording almost a hundred small TVs that were turned off, Wang Shun turned to the members beside him, tore off the data on the notepad and handed it to them. His eyes were clear as he gave instructions.
“Based on my calculations, this batch of small TVs rising from the No Man’s Land should be concentrated in the multiplayer and single player areas, as well as the fringe area of the central hall. Go there and see if Bai Liu’s small TV is there.”
The people took the note, nodded and ran to the area that Wang Shun told them.
At this time, the last group of people who went to the various zones to check if Bai Liu’s small TV was there came back and shook their heads breathlessly at Wang Shun.
“Brother Wang, Bai Liu isn’t in this batch of small TVs.”
Wang Shun’s face showed a momentary disappointment. Then the next second, he returned to his usual expression and waved at them to sit down. “This is normal. You take a break first and prepare for the next batch.”
The whole scene was orderly and well-organized, like a fast-moving assembly line.
The No Man’s Land players who had just stepped out of the exit and came back here were dumbfounded.
In front of the large mountains of small TVs that stretched out so long it made them feel reluctant, these ordinary players carrying the old TVs little by little made them feel the shock of a fool trying to move a mountain.
This was how they were fished out of this desperate place.
—It was just to save a man called Bai Liu.
Like them, this man called Bai Liu was trapped in the No Man’s Land.
However, they didn’t give up and the people who saved them firmly believed he wouldn’t give up—hence this scene.
Therefore, those who had been trapped for a long time and were desperate to the point of giving up the struggle, had a chance to wait for the day when they saw the light of day again.
A sense of power of ‘I can change reality as well’ filled the originally empty hearts of these players from the No Man’s Land.
They clenched their fists and finally couldn’t contain their agitated emotions. They stepped forward toward Wang Shun, who was obviously the director. They carefully and sincerely requested, “Can I ask if we can also join the search for Bai Liu?”
“We were saved because of him. We want to do something for him.”
Wang Shun glanced at Mu Ke, who was standing by and watching the situation.
Mu Ke stepped forward with a smile on his face. He pushed the backs of these people and told them, “Of course it is possible. We need you to help us…”
“But we don’t have any points so we don’t know how we can help…” Someone whispered shyly. “Apart from clearing the game, everything was due to you mistakenly charging us when you were looking for Bai Liu…”
The smile on Mu Ke’s face deepened and softened. “How can it be considered a mistake? Your presence has increased the value of these points by a hundred times.”
“You can leave the game alive and show up here to help Bai Liu. That is what we wanted to see the most when we charged these points.”
“You can help by liking and bookmarking every small TV. It will help us a lot…”
Wang Shun was relieved when he saw that these players were guided by Mu Ke. He glanced over at Charles, who was watching the good play with interest. “You have been waiting for the moment when these surviving players of the No Man’s Land come back. The members’ bookmarks are almost full and no one can help like or bookmark. You need to increase the charging power in order to continue bringing people out.”
“Yes, they will definitely come back. Otherwise, how could the Paradise Freemasons be formed?” Charles raised an eyebrow and smiled as he looked at the backs of these players. “People who have experienced a major disaster will have a stronger sense of compassion and desire to help people with the same experience. This makes it easier for them to be cohesive.”
“In particular, they have just escaped from danger and learned that the person who rescued them is also trapped in a similar situation.” Wang Shun sighed. “A strong sense of powerlessness will force them to act. They will change from weak people to extremely combative. They will treat Bai Liu as a derivative of their identity and do everything to protect him.”
“Their affection for Bai Liu should be stronger than for me when I am the one who paid to save them.” Charles wasn’t annoyed at all when saying this.
He added with a smile, “If the rescue is successful, they will relive their salvation in Bai Liu. During the process, they felt the power of fighting against fate and Bai Liu will completely become their spiritual symbol.”
“They will be Bai Liu’s most loyal members.”
“You are using and manipulating their feelings,” Wang Shun frowned uncomfortably.
Charles spread out his hands indifferently. “Based on the way they were rescued, even if I told them why I was doing it, they wouldn’t feel rejection, nor would it affect their feelings for Bai Liu.”
“They actively want to follow Bai Liu. It is their own choice.”
Charles shrugged his shoulders. “Of course, I think this is the best option for them. At the very least, Bai Liu won’t let them die easily.”
Wang Shun’s shoulders weakly collapsed.
He didn’t like it but Charles’ words made sense.
In this cruel game, this might be the best choice for these ordinary people who still had good intentions.
It was like Wang Shun’s own choice—to follow Bai Liu.
Inside the game.
Bai Liu held a pair of scissors as he walked to the ribbon-cutting ceremony table of the new factory.
In the audience, Liu Jiayi clapped but she couldn’t help complaining to Tang Erda next to her. “Don’t you think that Bai Liu is like a leader engaged in construction in the later stage of the game. He runs factories and talks all day long?”
“Isn’t there something wrong with this in a horror game?”
“…He wants to clear the game.” Tang Erda involuntarily defended Bai Liu. “In order to let everyone clear the instance, he needs to set up at least six factories.”
Apart from the whispering Tang Erda and Liu Jiayi, the rest of the audience clapped vigorously as they stared with bright eyes at Bai Liu in a suit and leather shoes on the stage.
They were all former vagrants who had now recovered from the rose perfume.
Bai Liu stood on the stage. He adjusted the microphone with his hand, looked at the people below the stage and cleared his throat. Then he spoke in a deep voice without any rush.
“The golden autumn is refreshing and the fragrance of red osmanthus is fragrant. On the occasion of the construction of the sixth thorn factory, we are gathered here to celebrate the fruits of our hard work…”
“Ah, what a joy it is!”
Liu Jiayi, “Pfft—!!”
Tang Erda, “……”
Liu Jiayi couldn’t bear it. “Can’t Bai Liu change his speech? Where did he copy it from? He has already said it six times. Doesn’t he feel embarrassed?!”
Bai Liu, who didn’t feel embarrassed at all, didn’t move as he recited the opening words he plagiarized from his boss without changing a single word.
“We might’ve come from all over the world but here, at this moment, we are a family that loves each other…”
Liu Jiayi hugged her head and screamed. “Let him stop!”
At the same time, the No Man’s Land.
The exhausted members looked at the television mountain behind them that had been turned over to the bottom and marveled that they had done so much. Then they turned their heads again and fell into a deep powerlessness. Why was there still so much left?
Wang Shun was dizzy. He couldn’t remember how long he had been working before he almost fainted.
In the end, Wang Shun realized under Charles’ reminder that he should rest. He found a member who was more sensitive to numbers to replace him.
The absence of Wang Shun meant their work efficiency dropped.
Mu Ke controlled the situation with a tense expression while Mu Sicheng joined the rotation team. Charles supported himself on the cane while standing in front of the members of the Kings Guild who stayed there. He raised his hand and yawned. Hearts had taken Titan away so Charles just had to stand here. He was the most relaxed one.
Mu Sicheng ran back and forth between the various zones of the small TVs. His fast movement speed allowed him to be on a rotating team alone and this allowed more people to join the team searching for Bai Liu.
Between shifts, Mu Sicheng raised his head and drank a bottle of physical strength recovery agent. He sat in front of a small TV with his head lowered while gasping.
Mu Ke suddenly sat down next to him while also drinking a physical strength recovery agent.
“Did you think about giving up on Bai Liu when he fell into the No Man’s Land?” Mu Ke’s voice was a bit cold. He didn’t look at Mu Sicheng but Mu Sicheng knew that this person was talking to him.
Mu Sicheng looked up and drank another bottle of physical strength recovery agent. He didn’t deny it.
After a moment of silence, Mu Sicheng opened his mouth with a rare calm heart. “I think that it might be safer for Bai Liu to stay in the No Man’s Land.”
Mu Ke’s voice became even colder. “You don’t need to talk about giving up in such a nice manner.”
Then he stood up and was about to leave.
“Why are you so sensitive about giving up?” Mu Sicheng squinted at Mu Ke’s back. “Who gave up on you? Your brother? Friends? Parents?”
Mu Ke stopped for a moment when he heard ‘parents.’ His hands holding the bottle of physical strength recovery agent clenched tightly.
Mu Sicheng raised an eyebrow with sincerity. “My advice to you is that you had better reduce the feelings projected onto Bai Liu. Don’t really think of him as a replacement for your parents.”
He stood up, kneaded the empty bottle of physical strength recovery agent and threw it into the trash can in front of Mu Ke in a shooting posture.
Mu Ke stood still.
Mu Sicheng walked past him without looking sideways.
“This guy plays so crazily that he will be targeted by everyone. It is a thankless thing for you to rush to be his son.” Mu Sicheng sneered. “He is fit for a crazier child.”
Mu Ke lowered his head. His expression couldn’t be seen clearly but the empty bottle in his hand had been twisted into a mass of plastic by him.
There was a few seconds of stalemate between the two of them when a member ran back breathlessly while sweating profusely. He fell to his knees and took a deep breath. Then he shouted with all his strength.
“I-I saw Bai Liu’s small TV!”
Both Mu Ke and Mu Sicheng’s gazes suddenly shifted.