The situation was not only worse than the neighborhood committee members had imagined; it was several times worse than even I had thought.
That evening, solid proof appeared on social media.
This time, an overseas Chinese had translated some headlines from foreign social media, setting off an uproar.
Only then did I realize its influence was far greater than I'd imagined. This wasn't a nationwide disaster. It was a disaster affecting the entire world.
It felt as though I'd been plunged into ice water, my body and mind both beginning to freeze.
Once this breach opened, many overseas Chinese began sharing the news and recounting what they'd seen firsthand. The situation abroad was a hundred times worse than it was here. Someone had already used the game to kill, and succeeded. Afterward, he'd even openly bragged about it online.
There was no doubt this was a vicious beginning.
A single sentence could kill someone you hated, and you wouldn't even have to take responsibility. The cost of committing a crime was too low, and the payoff too high. There were bound to be plenty of people tempted to try it.
I shuddered.
Our little group of five was already in an uproar. We were among the first to learn what was happening, and therefore among those who understood it best. Naturally, we were also the ones most aware of just how dangerous the situation was.
"We don't even need ghosts or monsters. The world's population is definitely going to take a nosedive. Give it a few years, and that'll be the end of us," the Skinny Guy said pessimistically.
The Fatty said, "I never thought the apocalypse wouldn't have zombies. Instead, a bunch of people would play Truth or Dare and kill each other."
Chen Xiaoqiu was still optimistic. "Once