Two Choices (3)

Everyone stared blankly at Li Shuaixi. He was an ordinary-looking young man with ordinary physical strength and ordinary skills. In short, he was utterly useless. If Chu Xuan hadn't mentioned him, no one would have even thought of him. He was so ordinary he might as well have been air.

Li Shuaixi froze for a moment, then his face flushed as he shouted, "Why me? What right do you have to choose me? There are so many people here, and everyone wants to survive this horror movie safely. Why do I have to be the one to die? You want to kill me, don't you? If there's one less person to share the food, you can all live a little longer, so you want to kill me, right?"

Chu Xuan glanced at him silently and said, "No, I don't intend for you to die. While being bait is indeed very dangerous, you are the most suitable person for the role. Everyone here is stronger than you. Zhang Jie, Zhan Lan, and Zheng Zha have all survived horror movies before. I can plan all our subsequent actions. Zero Point has outstanding close-combat and sniping skills. Overlord is proficient with many firearms, possibly including those in the ship's armory. So, tell me, what use are you to us?"

Li Shuaixi lowered his head in silence, but his face grew redder and redder, veins bulging on his hands. Chu Xuan continued calmly, "Under normal circumstances, everyone has their own talents, and I would never measure someone by numbers and abilities. To put it simply, I would never be this utilitarian. But you need to understand our current situation. We are fighting for survival. Even the slightest mistake could lead to all of us dying here! You are the excess one among us. So, if you want to be accepted by our main group and treated equally, you must show us your worth. Otherwise, what difference is there between you and those seven dead people still outside the quarantine wall?"

Zheng Zha finally couldn't hold back and shouted, "Impossible! I don't agree with your reasoning. I was an ordinary person when I first entered, and it was only after strengthening myself that I gained my current skills. Why is Li Shuaixi the excess one? If he's given a chance to survive a few more horror movies, he'll become a reliable partner for us!"

Chu Xuan remained calm and said, "But... will he have that chance? To be precise, will any of us have a chance to survive this horror movie? If we had the same Reward Points and physical enhancements, the six of us would be far stronger than him. Also, don't you dare say you'll replace him. Everyone has their own responsibilities. You are our greatest hope for surviving this horror movie. Do you want to save one person and let all of us die?"

Zheng Zha felt a surge of anger. He himself was extremely afraid of death, especially now that he had someone to care about. He absolutely had to survive. Similarly, he understood the feeling of facing death and terror directly. Even with his physical condition, he had barely survived. If an ordinary person like Li Shuaixi faced an Alien, wouldn't he have no hope at all?

Zhang Jie quickly held back the increasingly agitated Zheng Zha and said urgently, "Let's stick to the old rule: we'll vote. That's the fairest way... Zheng Zha! Don't be rash. If you don't consider our lives, what about Loli's? If we die, our creations will disappear with us! What are you trying to do?"

Zheng Zha trembled and finally lowered his head, slumping down powerlessly. Chu Xuan sighed and said, "Then let's begin the vote. Please raise your hands if you agree with my plan. The majority rules."

The result was five votes in favor and two against. Li Shuaixi's fate was decided. He would either obey the plan and act as bait to gain the team's acceptance, or he would leave the team, receiving no food or water, and losing the team's protection.

Li Shuaixi was visibly agitated. Zero Point and Overlord stood silently by Chu Xuan's side. Just as everyone expected him to erupt, the young man took a few deep breaths and gradually calmed down. He looked at Chu Xuan with venom in his eyes and said, "Fine, I'll be the bait, just as you all wish. I will definitely be the bait!"

Everyone felt a chill when they saw the venom in his eyes. Zheng Zha didn't see this; he kept his head down in silence. After the vote, he quietly walked to a secluded corner of the control room and sat there alone, lost in thought.

After a while, Zhan Lan sought him out. The young woman sat beside him, unsure of what to say. He spoke first, "Zhan Lan, you're afraid of dying too, aren't you?"

Zhan Lan blinked and replied, "Uh... yes, I'm very afraid of dying."

Zheng Zha lowered his head and said, "I'm very afraid of dying too. Everyone is... No one is truly safe here. So why must we push the danger onto others? The remaining people only gain temporary safety. Whoever is more capable of completing this task should be chosen to do it..."

Zhan Lan interrupted him seriously, "I think Chu Xuan is right. If it were under normal circumstances, your argument would be reasonable and that's how we should act. Everyone has their strengths, and we shouldn't measure someone by numbers and abilities. But now, we are not facing normal circumstances; we are facing death... Why should we provide shelter for someone completely useless without any compensation?"

Zheng Zha fell silent again. After a long pause, he finally murmured, "...I can't refute that. Yes, perhaps you and Chu Xuan are right, but I still hope everyone can unite and survive as much as possible, rather than the strong oppressing the weak. If we encountered the same situation in our first horror movie, how would we feel? Wouldn't we resent everyone and the world?"

Zhan Lan sighed and said nothing more. She sat with Zheng Zha in silence. A few minutes later, they suddenly heard a startled cry from not far away. They exchanged glances and quickly ran towards where the others were.

When they arrived, everyone was staring intently at the large screen on the monitoring platform. They quickly looked over and saw four figures trembling as they walked on the screen. They were two middle-aged men with bulging bellies, along with a white-collar man and woman. After the four passed, they were shocked to see a mature, dark-skinned Alien following behind them.

Zheng Zha quickly asked, "What happened? Why didn't that Alien attack them?"

Chu Xuan pondered without speaking. Zhan Lan, however, touched her forehead and said, "Is it because... of reproduction?"

The only Alien capable of reproduction was the Queen, and for Alien larvae to grow and mature, living hosts were necessary. This was likely why the Alien hadn't killed the four people on screen.

Chu Xuan nodded silently. "Yes, it must be for reproduction. The bait mission needs to be carried out as soon as possible. Otherwise, in a few days... we will be facing... nine Aliens!"