The seventeen remaining players on the ninth floor were divided into two factions after Xu Huo took seven of them down to the eighth floor.
One faction was represented by Gu Yu, Kang Hong, along with Da Zhi, Chen Shu, and Xiao Ba, totaling five players.
The other was represented by Brother Tie, Zhang Biao, and two others with square faces and a Bald Head, making up four players.
Behind these two groups stood different people; Gu Yu’s side had more women and elderly, while Brother Tie’s was predominated by younger and middle-aged men.
"Gu Yu, think carefully," Brother Tie said with a grim face. "Going down to the seventh floor is no problem, but what about the sixth floor?"
"One elevator was taken out with eight players already. Even if all the remaining players cram into one elevator, it won’t solve anything. We must reduce the number. It’s either them or someone else; there’s no choice."
Gu Yu glanced at the people behind him and said, "If we follow what you propose, only thirteen people will be left by the time we reach the first floor. The ones standing behind you won’t make it either."
Brother Tie didn’t care about her provocation and casually retorted, "We’ll live as long as we can. By the time we get to the lower floors, we’ll be close to the game’s time limit. Then, we can just find a place to hide and wait out the end of the game."
"So that’s the plan you have in mind," Chen Shu said angrily. "You’re dreaming if you think the mutated animals haven’t evolved their sense of smell."
"It’s you who are dreaming," sneered Zhang Biao. "How many of you are there, and you still want to protect dozens of people?"
"When it comes to life and death, do you believe they will be even more ruthless than the players?"
"While we still have enough time, let’s get the rules straight, to avoid trouble at the last moment."
"The rules you’re talking about are about sending the weak, women, and children to die first, aren’t they?" Kang Hong also said angrily.
"Then why don’t you ask them if they would like to draw lots?" Brother Tie pointed behind him.
The thirty-plus younger and middle-aged men all had their own thoughts, but it was clear none wanted to draw lots to decide who would be left behind in the next round.
Seeing this, Gu Yu got angry but felt helpless. The reason Brother Tie was negotiating with them instead of taking direct action was because the number of players on both sides was similar. But if he incited the younger and middle-aged men to attack the others, the five players on her side would struggle to salvage anything, and they might even fall into danger themselves.
She turned to look at Kang Hong and the others.
Kang Hong hesitated for a moment before saying to Brother Tie, "As long as you ensure we can safely reach the first floor, it doesn’t matter who lives or dies to you, right?"
Brother Tie started to laugh, but the pain from the wounds on his face made him suppress it. "So you want me to do you a favor."
"It’s a fair deal for you too," Kang Hong analyzed calmly. "Think about it, when all the weak are dead, you’ll be left with those behind you—strong and reactive young men. When pushed to the brink, the strength that people can unleash is beyond rational expectation."
Brother Tie’s expression darkened, but a middle-aged man behind him quickly said, "Don’t try to sow discord. Don’t think we can’t see that you’re just trying to make us die first so that your women can live!"
After speaking, he walked up to Brother Tie and whispered, "Big brother, we just want to hitch a ride downstairs. How could we ever stand up to the players? And who knows what dangers lie below? We’ll still need the protection of the players."
"You’re right," said Brother Tie as he kicked him away violently. His voice had a sinister tone: "There are mutated animals downstairs; don’t end up stabbing your own in the back!"
The eighth floor was a Display Room. The middle-aged man rolled towards the window, knocking over cabinets along the way; after spitting a mouthful of blood, he couldn’t get up again.
Brother Tie nonchalantly picked up a pen and turned to Gu Yu, "Everyone left split up and stand apart. The pen decides who stays on the seventh floor."
"And the excess people..." Gu Yu frowned, but before she could finish, he interrupted her, "Stand wherever, there can only be more, not less."
Apart from the nine players and the middle-aged man, the remaining eighty-one people, even in groups of thirteen, were still left with three extra.
"No!" Gu Yu said resolutely, "The number of people is appropriate; there’s no need to add more."
Brother Tie twirled his pen, "I advise you not to create problems where there aren’t any. With over eighty people, you can’t just pick a few without everyone else objecting."
Gu Yu’s expression tightened, and then she looked around at the others, her combative spirit subsiding.
Neither Kang Hong nor Chen Shu spoke up again.
Da Zhi stood beside them, looked around, and suddenly said, "Aren’t we going to wait for Xu Huo?"
"Though they have disappeared, they aren’t necessarily dead."
"Isn’t it too soon for us to pick people now? Also, the way you’re discussing how to send people to their deaths is terrifying."
Gu Yu and the others were all shocked, while Zhang Biao from Brother Tie’s group retorted, "What does a foreigner like you know? This is called preparing for a rainy day!"
"As for Xu and Dai Wenqian, they’re probably long gone to the Reincarnation Hall."
"Do you even know what the Reincarnation Hall is?"
"They played smart and got themselves killed, no more chances, unless you have another idea."
"Are you happy about the death of a companion?" Da Zhi couldn’t understand his attitude and then said, "We could leave through the windows."
"We prepare the tools in advance and after others have descended, those remaining on the upper floors can escape through the windows."
"That will attract mutant animals," Kang Hong said, implying that those left on the upper floor were as good as dead, "Moreover, it’s not necessarily safe outside. The mutant animals also use the elevators, and something in the fog is scaring even them."
In fact, to ensure utmost safety, killing the surplus people before descending was the safest option—eliminating unnecessary numbers and preventing any desperate measures or the possibility of accidental falls.
But he didn’t say this out loud.
The others obviously had the same concerns, yet Da Zhi said, "So, you plan to kill off the excess people before we go downstairs?"
The crowd, nearly resigned to reality, showed horrified expressions. Seeing the players all wearing the same expression, they began to yell, "Don’t even think about it!"
"Better to fight to the bitter end than to be killed . If we’re going down, we’re taking someone with us, one for one!"
Brother Tie looked at Da Zhi with a vicious glare, only to see him grab a table lamp from the nearby cabinet and throw it out the window!
"What are you doing!"
Not only Brother Tie’s group, but Gu Yu’s group also rushed forward to catch the lamp. Unfortunately, the two groups collided and could only watch helplessly as the object flew outside!
A brief moment later, a "bang" echoed from downstairs.
For a time, everyone on the eighth floor held their breath, but after a few seconds, there was no movement from below.
"You go take a look," Brother Tie ordered a man beside him.
The man, fearing becoming the next target, reluctantly approached the window and peered down, his voice trembling as he said, "There’s nothing down there."
The players looked at one another and, after a while, assured that there was no danger for the person standing by the window, they moved closer to look.