The game concluded, and the Overseer and the big wheel vanished from sight. The blood-stained metal chairs also disappeared. They were back on the road, the sky still blue, the trees still lush, and the bonfire in front of the tent still crackling. The only difference was the 16 dolls now scattered on the road.
Feige stared blankly at the dolls. Some of them had joined his team after the Hangzhou incident; he didn't have deep feelings for them. But some were his closest friends! He couldn't describe what he was feeling.
Anger or grief were insufficient. His eyes reddened. Wearily, he beckoned a few brothers to help carry the dolls onto the truck. They needed a proper place, sheltered from the elements.
Meanwhile, Suman, unable to wait any longer, rushed into Lili's arms and hugged him tightly. "Why did it take you so long to come out?!" Her voice was fierce, choked with sobs.
Lili was startled, his face embarrassed. He could usually retort when she was being fierce, but her sudden vulnerability left him at a loss. Zhushu, initially standing beside Lili, quietly stepped back as they embraced.
Yan Qingwen came over to comfort Suman. Lili explained what had happened in the game, and Suman gradually calmed down.
By then, Feige and his group had boarded their vehicle, ready to leave. Yan Qingwen warned them, "With the maze gone from Hangzhou, the game will soon be drawn here. This isn't a safe place to stay. You should make plans to leave soon."
Feige nodded silently. He seemed numb, his expression dejected. If not Hangzhou, where else could they go?… There's no safe place left in this world…
Everyone watched the vehicle depart, their hearts filled with complex emotions. Games were strange; they could breed hatred, but also dissolve grudges. After all, what was more important than life?
Watching the vehicle disappear into the distance, Lili thought for a moment, then approached Tan Xiao. "What good stuff did the Overseer give you?"
Tan Xiao gave him a wary look. "Why? Do you want it? — No way!"
Lili was speechless but didn't get angry. After enduring over thirty elementary school math problems in the game, he had a new understanding of Tan Xiao! How could he, a doctor from a high-end research institute, get angry with an elementary school student? Right?
"I just want to see what it is," Lili said. "With so many people here, are you afraid I'll rob you?"
Tan Xiao looked him up and down, sneering. "Hah! Someone like you couldn't even if you tried."
Lili: "…"
This is why I hate elementary school kids! They're all brats!
"Here, let Brother Xiao enlighten you~" Tan Xiao opened his palm, revealing the gold coin.
Strangely, despite being just a small coin, it held an inexplicable allure. Its solid texture and brilliant golden light drew the attention of everyone around.
Bai Youwei also looked, curious about its purpose.
"There seems to be writing on it," Lili said, adjusting his glasses. "What does it say?"
Tan Xiao narrowed his eyes. "…There really is writing. The characters are so small…"
He brought the coin closer to his eyes, struggling to decipher the tiny, delicate inscription, reading each character aloud: "Welcome…to…the…doll…"
A sense of foreboding rose within Bai Youwei. Her face paled, and she called out, "Tan Xiao! Don't read it!"
"House…"
As the last word left Tan Xiao's lips, the gold coin suddenly flashed!