Yu Xiaoxiao

In Yu Jing's view, the seven people, himself included, were completely different in every respect. The three who arrived later were a stern-faced middle-aged woman, a fat man in his twenties, and a sixty-year-old old man with some gray hair but a lean, sturdy build.

"There's even a fat guy? What exactly are the selection criteria for testers? Shouldn't test subjects be kept as uniform and similar as possible?"

Once the seven of them had arrived and taken their seats, a voice came from beneath the monitor.

"All seven testers have arrived. This round of testing will begin at 8:00 p.m. tonight. You now have two hours to eat and communicate with one another. To avoid interference with the test, our staff will not come into contact with you throughout the process. You may choose to leave before the test begins."

"However, once the test begins, every tester must remain until the testing period ends. It is now time for your meal. Enjoy yourselves."

As the voice ended, the film covering the delicious dishes on the table automatically dissolved and vanished.

The moment the lavish feast was revealed, the starving fat man immediately began wolfing it down without regard for his image. The food in front of him was enough for at least fourteen people, more than enough to fill his stomach.

"The test starts in two hours. Fill your stomach to seventy percent at most, and try to eat light foods."

Yu Jing restrained himself as he selected a few light dishes. This test was tied to his mother's hope of survival.

What made Yu Jing curious, however, was that the girl sitting in the corner did not come over to eat. Instead, she took an apple from her pocket and gnawed on it by herself.

For some reason, perhaps because they were close in age, Yu Jing found himself quite concerned about the girl.

"Aren't you eating?" Yu Jing deliberately asked.

Yet the girl gave no response to Yu Jing's question. She lowered her head and continued taking small bites of her apple.

"Fine."

Yu Jing shrugged helplessly and was about to turn away when the girl suddenly looked at him. Her clear, limpid eyes made him pause slightly.

Her fair, jade-like face held a small, pale pink mouth. Delicate eyes were evenly set on either side of her high nose bridge, while her ear-length short hair made her seem even more petite.

"Help me get some food. Nothing greasy. Half a bowl is enough."

The girl's voice was soft as silk at first hearing, yet it carried a faint chill beneath it.

Yu Jing could not really refuse, so he helplessly did as she asked. After picking out several dishes that seemed suitable, he handed them to the girl behind him and took the chance to ask her name.

"My name is Yu Jing. May I ask what yours is?"

The girl took the bowl and chopsticks but did not answer Yu Jing's question. She simply turned away and slowly ate in the corner by herself.

"Yu Xiaoxiao."

Only after she had finished the food in her bowl did the girl reply to Yu Jing.

"Yu Xiaoxiao..."

Yu Jing murmured the name, a smile unconsciously curling at the corner of his lips. After all, it sounded rather interesting when spoken aloud, fitting the girl's somewhat peculiar personality.

"Yu Jing... Judging by how you look, you're an ordinary person, right?" Yu Xiaoxiao spoke softly. Since everyone at the table was still having dinner, only Yu Jing could hear her quiet voice.

"An ordinary person?" Yu Jing did not quite understand what she truly meant by that question.

"The way you looked at me just now didn't have the disgusting look other men have. And the way you served me food didn't make you seem like a bad person either. You still have a chance to leave. If you want to live, leave now."

"Live? What are you talking about?" Yu Jing had no idea what the girl was saying.

This time, however, she did not answer his question. Yu Xiaoxiao continued sitting sideways in the corner, completely motionless.

"What a strange person..." Yu Jing did not take Yu Xiaoxiao's words seriously at all. He turned back and filled his stomach to seventy percent before setting down his bowl and chopsticks.

"This fat guy can really eat."

Yu Jing noticed that, aside from the fat man, the other six people all knew to restrain themselves before the delicious food. Yet the fat man had nearly stuffed all the food into his own body.

He was now sprawled across his seat as though no one else existed, lifting the clothes over his belly and patting his huge stomach with one hand.

"How was this person selected as a tester?"

Yu Jing looked the fat man up and down. The man was so stuffed he could barely walk, which left Yu Jing deeply puzzled.

Three minutes after everyone had put down their bowls and chopsticks, the dining table swiftly stored the remaining food and dishes inside itself.

The entire table appeared to be nothing more than a special board ten centimeters thick. Yu Jing had no idea how it took in the dishes, yet the tabletop that emerged shortly afterward was spotless and clean as new, without the slightest trace of grease from the previous meal.

"As expected of a research institute." The bespectacled office worker sighed.

"The broadcast just now explained the upcoming test. I don't know whether we'll be tested together, but since we're strangers, introducing ourselves might ease the tension. We were all selected to come here as testers. Perhaps we'll even work together in the future."

The office worker was rather skilled at social interaction and was the first to make a suggestion.

"My name is..."

At that moment, the stern-looking middle-aged woman beside him immediately interrupted his introduction. "I don't think there's any need. In my view, someone here will receive the 3.5 million prize for this test. Once your real name is exposed, it would only take a little effort to find you based on your appearance.

"The security in an A-Class City might keep your life from being threatened, but I imagine everyone came here because they lack money. You should all be ordinary people born in lower-class counties. Carrying 3.5 million in a lower-class county would make you a target for everyone."

Before the office worker could state his name, the middle-aged woman who had arrived later spoke unpleasantly. Judging from her rigid expression, she seemed to have been hostile toward everyone ever since entering the research institute.

But the middle-aged woman was not wrong. The security in Yu Jing's C-Class Pingxiang County was indeed a serious problem.

Still, Yu Jing did not see things as gravely as the middle-aged woman did. He had already told Jiang Tian and Yu Xiaoxiao some of his personal information earlier.

Although he was not sure whether Jiang Tian had been lying, Yu Jing felt that Yu Xiaoxiao's name was definitely real.

Because of the middle-aged woman's words, the atmosphere had already turned unpleasant before the test even began.