Biodata
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Xue Ziyi (薛子义) |
| Gender | Male |
| Age | 38 28 |
| Affiliation | Stairway to Heaven survival game 28 |
| Occupation/Role | Livestreaming player; experienced newcomer on his third instance 27 |
| Status | Alive at his last documented appearance, when Qian Lai beats him into submission 44 |
| First Appearance | First named appearance in the provided context: Chapter 27 27 |
Rankings
Xue’s recorded rankings decline rather than show a power-level advancement 28.
| Ranking update | Newcomer Rich List | Overall Rich List | Worthless Streamer List | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Previous update | 1st | 100th | Not stated | He was the only newcomer on the Overall Rich List at that update 28. |
| Chapter 28 update | 2nd | No rank announced | 31st | Yu Qing takes first place among newcomers and reaches 87th overall; the announcement gives Xue no other ranking information 28. |
Appearance
Xue has a naturally pretty, seductive face that he deliberately displays to his livestream audience 28.
- Eyes and lips: Fans particularly praise his “dreamy eyes” and thin lips 28.
- Clothing: Wears a garish suit during the ninth-floor exploration incident 27.
- Presentation: Smooths his hair, adjusts his clothes, and adopts flirtatious expressions for the camera 27 28.
Personality
Xue expects recognition and deference from less experienced players. When approaching Yu Qing for clues, he opens with “Do you know who I am?” He plans to let Zhang Yi pressure Yu Qing, then intervene as a seemingly generous veteran—securing the information for free while increasing Zhang Yi’s admiration 28.
His treatment of followers depends on how useful their admiration feels. Zhang Yi’s flattery initially pleases him, but the frightened man’s dependence soon becomes irritating; Xue throws him to the floor before promising protection. His confidence collapses when the director deceives him, leaving him trembling and afraid to challenge the NPC 27 42.
Abilities & Skills
Instance-Rule Knowledge
Xue is on his third instance and knows more about survival rules than complete beginners. He still qualifies as a newcomer under the system’s fewer-than-five-instances rule 27.
- Knows that, below level five, obeying the rules prevents NPCs from killing players indiscriminately 27.
- Claims to have been sleepwalking when the director confronts the ninth-floor intruders, then withdraws with Zhang Yi 27.
- His experience does not translate into superiority over Yu Qing in either points or ability 32.
Audience Manipulation
Xue earns points by cultivating admirers through his looks and suggestive gestures. His audience skews much older than his own age, including married women and elderly women 28.
- Uses flirtatious camera poses to provoke enthusiastic responses and donations 28.
- Fans enter Yu Qing’s livestream to defend Xue and insult his rival 28.
- A viewer alleges that his best financial result came from swindling three elderly women out of their lifetime savings; this account is presented as livestream commentary 28.
Equipment / Items
- Director’s keycard — Received in exchange for passing information to the director. It does not work, leaving Xue without the escape route he expected 42.
Relationships
- Zhang Yi — Dependent follower whose praise feeds Xue’s ego. Xue promises to keep him alive but also physically mistreats him. Zhang Yi’s later death removes that support 27 30 32.
- Yu Qing — Rival turned temporary leader. Yu Qing refuses Xue’s entitled request for clues and overtakes him in wealth rankings. After Zhang Yi dies, Xue becomes largely obedient to Yu Qing, though he occasionally argues 28 32.
- Qian Lai — Fellow survivor in the attempted keycard escape. Later beats Xue repeatedly until he kneels and begs for mercy 32 44.
- Sanatorium director — Recipient of Xue’s information and supposed source of an escape route. The director fulfills the bargain with a useless keycard rather than a workable exit 42.
- Unnamed backer — Xue invokes his “boss” when promising Zhang Yi protection; Zhang Yi also claims that a powerful figure supports him. The backer’s identity and actual influence are not established 27 28.
Story Role / Major Arcs
Ninth-Floor Exploration
After retreating from the director, Xue returns to the ninth floor as the exploration deadline approaches. He and Zhang Yi seek Yu Qing’s discoveries instead of finding their own. Yu Qing refuses because of their tone, and the rankings update publicly undermines Xue’s claim to newcomer supremacy 27 28.
Failed Escape Attempt
Following Zhang Yi’s death, Xue accompanies Yu Qing and Qian Lai in planning an escape through the sanatorium entrance. During a ten-minute pause in NPC activity, the three test the director’s keycards. A card finally works as the correction ends, but the director catches them; Xue appears to be captured alongside Qian Lai 31 32.
Informant Bargain and Reprisal
Xue secretly passes information to the director in exchange for instructions on leaving. After Yu Qing and Qian Lai enter the void, the director restores the breached wall and its talismans, while Xue discovers that his promised keycard is useless. Viewers condemn his interference 42.
When Yu Qing and Qian Lai return, Qian Lai grabs Xue by the collar and punches him repeatedly. Xue ends the encounter kneeling, kowtowing, and pleading for mercy 44.