“You’re lying!” Wu Lili said angrily. “The two islands are so far apart, how could anything happen?! Everyone was always safe on Three Mountains Island. If it weren’t for you!… It’s all because of you! Everyone died!”
Zhao Jiantao said, “You think just because it’s far away, nothing will happen? You think being separated by water makes you safe? I’m telling you, the game moves!”
Bai Youwei was surprised. “Isn’t the game area fixed?”
Zhao Jiantao closed his eyes and replied woodenly, “At first, it was fixed… But, if no new players join the game for seven consecutive days, the game area will move. It’s like hunting… We are the sheep, and the wolf will automatically search for where the sheep are plentiful.”
The three fell silent after hearing this.
Wu Lili became even more distraught after learning this information.
She remembered that after arriving at Three Mountains Island, she had witnessed Zhao Jiantao sending people to the so-called “safe base.” He sent people every week, and everyone believed him without a doubt. Occasionally, a few suspicious individuals would appear, but they would quickly be “chosen” and sent away the following week… Over time, the people who remained were those absolutely loyal to Zhao Jiantao! Like her, like Zhang Qi, like Sun Wei…
But it turned out to be all a lie!
There was no safe base at all!
Those people were all dead!
All dead!!! Even Zhang Qi died there!
Thinking of Zhang Qi’s death, grief overwhelmed her, and she completely broke down, lunging forward and frantically beating Zhao Jiantao.
“It’s all because of you! It’s all because of you!!! Why don’t you die! Just die!!!”
Zhao Jiantao was tied up and couldn’t fight back. He silently endured the blows, his face quickly swelling red.
Shen Mo grabbed Wu Lili, stopping her from continuing her frenzy.
Wu Lili cried, gasping for breath.
Bai Youwei found this scene quite troublesome and asked Shen Mo, “What do we do now?”
Shen Mo thought for a moment and said, “Let’s take him back and let the people on the island deal with it themselves.”
Ultimately, Shen Mo and Bai Youwei were just passing through. Zhao Jiantao had too many lives on his hands, and it wasn't appropriate for them to directly intervene.
Bai Youwei pouted, a little unwilling. “So, we’re just going to let him off the hook for tricking us into the game?”
Shen Mo glanced at her. “Didn’t you want to come yourself?”
Bai Youwei acted coquettishly. “…Hmph.”
Indeed.
They could have left at the beginning. After all, going to the safe base wasn't mandatory. However, everyone was so eager to go that Shen Mo wanted to investigate.
And Bai Youwei, naturally, wouldn’t leave Shen Mo’s side.
She held Shen Mo’s hand and grumbled softly, “He made us waste a puzzle piece.”
The corners of Shen Mo’s mouth turned up. He took two puzzle pieces out of his pocket and placed them in Bai Youwei’s hand.
“Is this enough?”
One was Shen Mo’s, and the other was Zhao Jiantao’s.
Both puzzle pieces had already used their immunity, but the puzzle pieces themselves were still a rare resource.
Bai Youwei happily accepted them.
On the way back, Shen Mo untied Zhao Jiantao and let him steer the boat.
He didn’t know what the old man was thinking, or perhaps he was simply cold-hearted? There was no visible emotion on his face, neither shame nor fear, as if he wasn’t afraid of facing the unsuspecting people on the island.
Wu Lili stared at him the entire time, her eyes filled with resentment, wishing she could pounce on him and tear him to shreds!
When the boat arrived at Three Mountains Island, Sun Wei was working near the dock. Seeing them return, he couldn't help but look surprised.
Previously, when people went to the safe base, only Zhao Jiantao returned.
“Uncle Zhao, what’s going on…” Sun Wei immediately noticed that their expressions weren’t right.