Wu Lili fainted.
“Although the process wasn't entirely satisfactory, we've finally achieved the desired result,” the Overseer said, its expression cheerful. It waved a hand lightly, and ten flowers flew out of the vase, gathering in its hand.
Bright, faded, blooming, withered – all were gathered into a single bouquet, including Wu Lili’s, which now consisted of only a bare stem.
“I accept your gifts,” the Overseer smiled. “Now, allow me to invite you to a gathering of friends.”
As its voice fell, the long table and vase vanished.
The distant woods began to approach at a visible speed.
Everyone was startled. Looking around, they realized the lawn beneath their feet was moving—as if sentient, creeping along the ground, carrying them forward.
Everyone stood frozen, afraid to move.
Even though they couldn't feel anything wriggling beneath their feet, the scene was enough to make them break out in a cold sweat.
They passed through the grassland…
Through the woods…
Through the sea of flowers.
Finally, they stopped at the edge of the flower sea, outside a rustic log cabin.
A yard surrounded by a low, half-meter fence lay outside the cabin. The Overseer walked in and stood in the yard, waiting for them.
Everyone followed, including Wu Lili, who had regained consciousness.
Flowers were planted on both sides of the yard.
These flowers were different from those in the flower sea. Their branches and leaves were strong and lush, with brightly colored buds at the tips. They seemed to be not yet in bloom.
Everyone stood in the yard, nervously awaiting the Overseer's next instruction.
“Now, what shall we do?” the Overseer said with a smile. “I forgot, I only have six chairs in my house. I'll take one, leaving five. It seems some of you will have to stay out here.”
Bai Youwei understood.
Eighteen people had been reduced to ten, and now five more would be eliminated.
“What game do we have to play now?” she asked.
“Since we're friends, we'll naturally play a friend's game,” the Overseer replied.
Standing in front of the cabin door, it raised a hand, and a stack of black cards appeared in its palm.
“There are ten cards here, each with a word on it. The cards will be randomly distributed to you. What you need to do is find the players with the same word as you and, through voting, eliminate those with different words.”
Shen Mo asked, “How can we determine if someone else's word matches ours?”
The Overseer explained with a smile, “To become friends, one must seek common ground and eliminate differences. You each have one chance to speak each round. Use your words to find your true friends. Isn't that wonderful?”
A thin woman hesitantly asked, “Um… can't we just tell each other the word directly?”
The Overseer looked at her, its blue eyes reflecting the woman's timid face. “No, you can't. Even mentioning a single character will result in immediate elimination.”
Everyone fell silent, rapidly thinking about the rules, characteristics, and how to win the game…
Lives were at stake; they couldn't afford to be careless.
The Overseer's gaze swept over their faces one by one. Seeming to notice the smugness on some of them, it added, “Oh, by the way, using foreign languages, dialects, or secret codes to convey information is also forbidden.”
The expressions of several people changed.
The Overseer, however, became even more cheerful. It seemed to appreciate these faces struggling in despair and suffering in agony.
Very vivid…
Yes, it felt the reality of life even more intensely now…