Act.3 Earthquake

[Part 1: Cheer Up]

At the end of the deep, dark tunnel, Jiang Bailu walked alone toward the exit.

She took off Galahad's uniform jacket, picked up her gun, and hunched over as she moved slowly in the dark, her footsteps barely audible, and even her breathing was very slow.

When Hasben and Tang Ning saw the MOLLE and ceramic bulletproof plate on Bailu's body, they were both surprised and suspicious. Where did this woman get the guns and armor from?

Regarding the term of address for "older sister," a detailed explanation is needed here.

--Bai Bailu and Liu Xing were born in the same year, and Bai Lu was older than Hasben and Tang Ning.

She never leaves her armor, Type 92 is her favorite secondary weapon. In the two years she spent in the underground world, she was fed by 100,000 pistol bullets; this gun is her life-sustaining weapon.

Because of Balason's gun control laws, Bailu had no bullets, so she and her classmates devised a very detailed survival plan, including the order of their actions and support strategies.

Within an hour of the train crash, the gunsmith's sister and Hasben became the backbone of the group.

This godforsaken place has no internet signal, no food source, no fire source, and no lighting.

"Students, based on the information we've gathered so far, the soil structure here is completely different from the surrounding areas of Balason. The barometer and thermometer readings in the train carriage indicate that we've arrived at a completely unfamiliar location."

Hasben's phone was playing Jiang Bailu's message.

"Based on the information we can find in the Arcane Library, or the description of the Spirit Calamity in Tang Ning's passenger log, there is no similar case for reference."

"Then this is a very serious matter, and I hope you will take it seriously."

"The best-case scenario right now is that we've intruded into a subspace passage for unknown reasons, into a completely unknown geographical environment. We've suddenly arrived at a completely unfamiliar place on the intercity highway from the Nine Realms Station to Balason."

"The worst-case scenario is that we suffer an attack from an unknown source of soul power."

"I'm more inclined to believe the latter, because judging from the damage to the train, this was premeditated, had a clear motive, and resulted in a kidnapping."

"If it were just a natural disaster, not a man-made teleportation, we would probably be missing limbs, and the carriages would be shattered and exploded. The unpredictable and mysterious nature can be unreasonable when it gets angry."

"An hour has passed, and I have reason to believe that the search and rescue team will not find us. The journey from Balason to the Nine Realms Station is forty minutes. No matter how much the defense personnel and the search and rescue team dawdle, the noise they make as they dispatch rescue vehicles and clear the tunnel walls should be enough for Lapis Lazuli and the search dogs to find us. At the very least, we should be able to hear some unusual sounds and use psychic methods to search for their spiritual pressure."

"We cannot sit idly by and wait for our fate. I hope that in this emergency, those of you who have received the Six Arts of a Gentleman training course will be alert. This is not a drill, nor is it a peaceful and friendly competition."

"An unseen enemy has brought us here. We have no water or food, no means of calling for help, and we have to rely on ourselves for everything. In fourteen hours, the train's water tank will run out, and in twenty-four hours, we'll have to start thinking about drinking urine."

"Before this, we had plenty of energy, our minds were clear, and our blood sugar and other bodily indicators were within normal range. So I wanted to explore further."

"We can't just rush out. If this tunnel has an exit, it must be the most dangerous place. The enemy has sent us into this one-way passage; they could easily wait outside the cave and wipe us out like a weasel catching a rabbit."

"Please have Uncle Liu Weiqiang, the older waiter with rich survival experience, stay 40 meters behind me and grab the rescue rope on my back at any time. If I am attacked, he can pull me back immediately."

"Please Hasben, the winner of the survival competition, stay 30 meters behind Uncle Liu Weiqiang. In the event of any crisis, including but not limited to tunnel collapses, direct gunfire, groundwater seepage, monster attacks, etc., our Morpho Butterfly will be able to reach me, the sentinel, immediately."

"The rest of you, please be patient. This passage has no light source, and there's not a wisp of air coming through the rock wall behind us. It's a complete dead end. We can only move forward slowly."

After the recording finished playing, Hasben put down his phone and selected to replay it.

The other students gathered around the train, most of them looking uneasy, and whispers could be heard coming from the student group.

"Really?"

"Have we been kidnapped?"

"In my opinion, it should be a tiebreaker!"

"An extra round?"

"The results of the Sage's Cup are in. Maybe the Dean isn't satisfied and has sent us here."

Before he could finish speaking, Hasben looked at the restless students, his aggressive gaze immediately silencing them.

"This isn't school. Don't you have any sense of crisis?"

Fortunately, apart from a few reckless children, everyone else was on high alert, conserving their energy and not wanting to say a word.

The gunsmith had taught them how to find a way out in complex environments by relying on the wind. This tunnel was completely enclosed, with no wind in the way of the wind. The oxygen would soon be depleted, and every extra word meant less strength to escape.

Once Strong Bro had gripped the safety rope and walked away, Hasben followed.

Tang Ning and the other eleven boys from the upperclassmen were unarmed, with only the light of the pyroxene illuminating their path.

They followed Hasben step by step and saw the white marks made of stones on both sides of the railway. These were the distance measuring lines left by Jiang Bailu in the dark. The students were all shocked.

--The young woman explored alone in the darkness. Without any radiance stones to help her, she didn't seem afraid at all, and even marked the relative distances for her companions behind her.

As the group moved forward in batches, the students at the front became more alert, and the stale air seemed to freshen, indicating that the exit was not far away.

Everything seemed to be moving in a positive direction, unlike what Jiang Bailu said. Perhaps they had just encountered a "Bermuda Triangle event" and were sent here by an unknown mysterious force. After all, there are so many abandoned tunnels in the underground world, and it's not uncommon to occasionally encounter such a "ghost wall".

When their concentration wavered even slightly, the students in the middle ranks immediately felt the stern command of their teammates' spiritual pressure.

Bailu had just reached the tunnel exit and grabbed the rescue rope behind her. She dared not say a word or make a sound.

A humid mountain breeze blows in from outside the crossing. Beside the cement and stone irrigation canal, there are many graffiti of unknown meaning. Towers stand in the distance. Using a sniper's Thumb distance measurement method to estimate the distance, there is an industrial facility on a low slope 400 meters away, and further away are the main towers of three thermal power plants. There are traces of human activity everywhere.

Looking out from the deep, dark tunnel, one could see cigarette butts, household garbage, and some used medical equipment in the irrigation canal.

These are nothing compared to what truly frightens Bailu: the shrapnel from bullets. On the wall outside the archway at the crossroads, there are graffiti depicting Cupid, the god of love, with little cherubs holding guns. The wall is riddled with bullet holes, clearly visible under the lights of the distant watchtower.

The railway tracks stretched onward, leading to a brightly lit market.

There are four roads on both sides of the railway. They have not been repaired by the ground leveling project. They are all hastily covered with a layer of ballast. Many green shoots are sprouting from the yellow soil. It seems that no engineers have come to maintain or repair them for several years.

Almost instantly, Bailu felt a shiver run through her body, and an immense fear enveloped her.

She immediately lay prone on the railway sleepers, ready for Uncle Qiang to pull her back at any moment.

--A Cybuzko long-eared dog emerged from the woods beside the railway, quite different from the Spanish hounds Bailu remembered. Its nose twitched, its breathing was heavy, and its blood-red eyes revealed a wary and cruel look. It pushed through the low bushes and followed the scent to this place.

Its fur was deep red, resembling a dirty rag in the dark, with only its blood-red eyes shining with a glimmer of light.

What terrifies Bailu is--

--It was enormous, almost the size of a fully grown cougar, and most importantly...

The large dog was surrounded by Madness Butterfly. Although it was more than fifty meters away, Bailu could see clearly that three blood butterflies were following the monstrous beast.

When Bailu peeked out of the tunnel, she left behind her body odor, which drifted on the wind to the outpost.

[Part ②: The Hunter's Carnival]

"Let me introduce you to Eureka's most exquisite audio-visual feast."

In the lavishly decorated theater hall, the leader of the Mercy of Eros introduced the local specialties of Zero Platform in Eureka to the distinguished guests.

At the very center of the stage, Kang Que Johnny, dressed in a magnificent costume, is the first announcer to appear when the opera begins.

At the Baroque Grand Theatre in the city center, a hundred or so audience members sat in the audience. They were gentlemen and ladies from the Area 51, from prominent families, business owners, and investors.

"Spanning 180 hectares, this is the wondrous space created by the magical powers of [KINGDOM], where we have built a theme park."

Mr. Kang Que's stunning good looks were like those of a delicate porcelain doll; under the stage lights, he truly seemed like an angel descended to earth. The large screen behind him began to display the entire internal structure of [KINGDOM].

"Each batch of survivors will enter this paradise to face various challenges and defeat the terrifying hunters in a brutal survival competition. Ladies and gentlemen, please look here--"

The drone's aerial view on the screen flew towards the artificial earthen slope and stopped at the tunnel entrance.

"--This batch of contestants comes from Galahad; they are young and sweet gems. Our hounds have already located them. Don't worry, these children won't die immediately, and I can't bear to let these vulnerable lives perish under the claws and teeth of wild beasts."

Most of the audience members were Mr. Kang Que's regular customers, but there were also new investors who came from other areas to see Eureka's entertainment projects.

Kang Que then switched to a previous deathmatch video.

"The Eureka Volcano City has three major ports and six trade routes leading to the Sea of Pompeii and Shambhala, supporting more than two million people—every household has a television and internet access. In such a crowded and busy life, people need entertainment, and they need more exciting and exotic entertainment."

"Our director is from the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts, and the props team is entirely in charge of our old friend, Mr. Shi Cun Tuozhen."

"Like this Magic Wand shop owner from Balason— "

Mr. Kang Que pointed to the bewildered, chubby boss on the screen.

"--Mr. Ishimura can also find opportunities for him to shine, allowing him to contribute his most valuable qualities to our television programs."

The videotape revealed the true cause of the fat boss's death. In a closed bathroom, the fat boss and another experienced hunter gradually awoke under the influence of chemical gases.

A revolver and Magic Wand appear simultaneously in front of them, followed by a straightforward B-movie splatter sequence where the two engage in a life-or-death shootout.

"It's a pity this boss didn't make it past the first hurdle. A bad movie like this probably won't get many viewers in the midnight slot." Mr. Kang Que smiled and joked with the distinguished guests in the audience.

Outside the stage, awkward laughter emanated from the seats near the entrance. These were newcomers introduced by friends, people who had just received tickets to the Mercy Society roadshow and seemed unaware of what was happening in the recording.

Mr. Kang Que continued, "This might not be very appealing to new friends, but what if I told you that all of this is actually true?"

Suddenly, the hall fell silent.

--The old friends facing the stage remained calm and composed; it wasn't their first time hearing Mr. Kang Que tell stories.

The scene shifts to the backstage of [KINGDOM·], where the neat and clean operating room, skinning workshop, body decomposition and blood-letting diversion channels are spotless.

The fat boss's body was handled as if it had been placed in a food processing plant, using the highest level of epidemic prevention and sterilization methods. It was even cleaner than most meat processing plants in the mortal world.

"100% natural, unlike those low-end products like Blood Butterfly Loan Shark. We don't reuse a person's essence," Kang Que said. "From the sourcing of ingredients to every White Lady product, you can clearly know where these things come from. They come with their own DNA code; each string of numbers represents a vibrant life."

Kang Que Connor smiled politely and opened his arms to embrace the audience.

"At [KINGDOM], we have 144 professional butchers, all notorious fugitives who have reformed under our management and become elegant and obedient employees. We guarantee that every TV show featuring their chase and battles with their prey is real."

On the big screen, the fat boss's useless essence is sent away, leaving behind his most precious hematopoietic organs, as well as his brain and skin. These things enter the factory assembly line, and the outer packaging is stamped with steel stamps and strings.

The laser scan revealed a portrait of the portly boss, which remained below the label of White Lady's freeze-dried powder.

"From ancient Roman times, nobles would enter the arena to watch gladiatorial games and admire the heroic figures of warriors fighting wild beasts."

Mr. Kang Que emphasized, "Focus on the key points."

"We kept this part, and it's more impactful than a fake movie; the real, gory stuff is far more moving. In that moment of life's passing, you can feel a strange beauty. It's the artistic aesthetic of 'Madness Butterfly,' where everything returns to oneness."

The camera switched back to the live stream, and the hunting dogs were no longer visible at the tunnel entrance.

"Students like Galahad's must not be treated using the Magic Wand shop owner's preparation methods—different ingredients require different cooking methods."

Mr. Kang Que's slow and deliberate tone was like that of a saleswoman talking to investors about an advanced business model.

"We will preserve the skin intact and never use bullets to ruin its beauty. These Armadillo Hunters are experienced and skilled at using hypnotic gas or other methods to subdue these little ones."

"Their teeth will be turned into jewelry, and their beautiful hair can be sent to our medical aesthetic clinic. Ladies can experience our hair transplant technology, which is guaranteed to be painless and scarless."

"If, by some unfortunate coincidence, the hunters underperform and can't even handle these children, we'll send fully armed elite soldiers into [KINGDOM]. Everything is under our control. The factories and power plants are built to wartime defense standards, so there will be no production accidents."

As he said this, the big screen switched to a list of elite soldiers.

"These elite soldiers were members of the Guangling Zhixi assault team that we captured earlier. They were also prey at first, but they fought their way out with their extraordinary skills. When food ran out, they ate their comrades and enemies. Many viewers were impressed by their heroic performance and sent a lot of money to us—and they even asked us to send them food and equipment."

"They were all excellent soldiers who later joined our judging panel as the ultimate weapon."

Kang Que remained calm and composed when discussing these matters.

"We have a professional team to manage their live-streaming accounts. Everyone is very touched every time a new friend joins the judging panel."

At this point, Mr. Kang Que's expression became complicated, as if he had touched upon a painful memory.

"Can you imagine, ladies and gentlemen, that when we finally escaped from hell and faced an enemy that was too heavily armed to defeat, there were so many people—so many people who were actually watching us?"

"Struggling and striving to survive is meaningful."

"Eating your comrades, killing your enemies, and surviving is also meaningful."

"The fact that it didn't turn into canned goods, freeze-dried powder, or Universal Elixir means that all the hard work was meaningful."

"Throughout this journey, my friends watching on TV have been silently cheering me on. They've been holding their breath, just wanting to see me leave this place alive."

Kang Que Johnny pursed his lips, almost bursting into tears.

"I finally succeeded. We've finally become partners. We no longer have to live in fear, no longer have to struggle and tumble within [KINGDOM]. We've gone from prey to hunter—from an object to a living, breathing person."

"Eureka Volcano is located in an earthquake zone. People live under immense pressure, both mentally and physically, every day in pursuit of wealth and the realization of personal value—I think Mr. Ishimura's spirit is the most powerful and awe-inspiring earthquake in the world."

"He brought us this TV show, and we want to thank every member of the production team who worked behind the scenes."

Kang Que Johnny bowed deeply to the audience and smiled as he rose.

"Thank you to all the investors and everyone who created this miracle. Without your help, [KINGDOM] would have remained just a naive fantasy. Now, we'll hand it over to our product team to introduce the other products in this park, as well as the new projects for the third quarter."

Thunderous applause erupted from the audience, and Mr. Kang Que kept bowing, somewhat embarrassed.

"New friends, these images may make some people uncomfortable, and I am very sorry, truly sorry. But I really can't think of a tactful way to introduce our industry. Please forgive any shortcomings in our hospitality—you may have heard from old friends about our return on investment."

The backstage host then pulled the president of the Mercy Society away, smiling as he came on stage to warm up the atmosphere.

"Ladies and gentlemen, our president acts and behaves like a young lady, almost too honest, which makes one feel an urge to protect her!"

Just backstage, Kang Que wiped the sweat from his forehead and bumped into the clumsy Shi Cun Tuozhen.

Mr. Ishimura said, "Thank you, thank you so much."

Kang Que: "You're welcome. I only did what I could. I should be thanking you."

Mr. Ishimura was deeply moved, tears welling in his eyes. "I don't know what to say, Kang Que."

Kang Que: "Just do your job well and do your best. I was so nervous just now, I was really worried that I wouldn't do a good job."

"No! Absolutely not!" Shi Cun Tuozhen laughed. "You've always been like this, too modest."

Kang Que waved his hand, pulled Shi Cun into the dressing room, and talked to the cadres about his path to wealth.

"I believe that the most important thing in doing business is sincerity. I only have this little bit of strength, so I will never be arrogant or overbearing. What they want is very simple, really very simple. Mr. Ishimura, my achievements today are due to the help of many, many people. It is definitely not something I could have accomplished with just words. I am really ashamed. It is truly wonderful that you can trust me and continue to work for me."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries--

--Mr. Ishimura talks about the events in [KINGDOM·].

He took out an aerial photograph, which showed Jiang Bailu just as she walked out of the tunnel.

"The prey has appeared. I've had the hunters put the dogs back in their cages. When are we going to make our move?"

When Kang Que saw Bailu's face clearly, his expression changed drastically.

"--Is this girl also someone Mr. Linden specifically ordered to be eliminated?"

Mr. Ishimura nodded. "Yes, the others don't have to die, but this girl must die."

Kang Que covered his forehead, hesitated for a moment, and his expression became melancholy and deep.

Why didn't you tell me beforehand?

Seeing the chairman's troubled expression, Mr. Ishimura guessed he had encountered a problem. "You didn't ask me anything. You just told me to do my best."

Kang Que Connor spoke softly, trying to remain calm. "Do you know who she is?"

Mr. Ishimura: "The gunsmith's sister."

Kang Que Johnny: "Linden can help us make money, that's true, but..."

The president stopped talking abruptly halfway through his sentence.

--Ishimura could sense intense fear and anger emanating from the little angel. It lasted only a moment before these pheromones disappeared.

Kang Que quickly regained her composure and took her phone from a private compartment in the dressing room.

"Ishimura, I hope you can handle this well. I will send some people to help you. It's my fault. I didn't think it through and just let you do it. It's my mistake."

Shi Cun Tuozhen started to panic. "President, did I cause trouble?"

Kang Que opened his phone and pointed to a list on the screen.

"This is a wanted poster issued by the Abyssal Railway System. I'm looking for talent here, specifically the Red Flash Butterfly, whom the BOSS desperately wants to eliminate—their most vicious, wicked, and powerful members. They committed sixteen bombings, killed fifty-one people with their Soul Power, and injured over three hundred."

He slid his finger down--

"--To put it simply, the combined crimes committed by the top ten most wanted individuals, the economic losses and casualties caused, are not even comparable to a single mission by the gunsmith."

Shi Cun Tuozhen's mouth opened slightly, as if he didn't quite understand.

Kang Que Johnny spoke gently and was kind.

"That's why I said it's my fault; I didn't carefully consider Linden Van Persie's request. I need you to immediately inform the hunters in [KINGDOM] that anyone can die, but Jiang Bailu cannot. And you must inform the students related to the gunsmith."

"Chairman!" Shi Cun Tuozhen said anxiously, "The menus have already been given to the guests! There's no reason not to serve the food!"

Kang Que Connor slowly raised his hand--

--He slapped Ishimura hard across the face.

"Lawrence Madison is already a piece of roast meat. Think carefully before you say that to me."

Ishimura covered his face, and it took him about ten seconds to come to his senses.

"President Kang Que, could you hit me again? Give me another reward?"