That was right-Shen Ru was bluffing Mo Yu.
He had no idea who was behind the camera. He just wanted to see how the other man would handle the situation.
The system hadn't mentioned a traitor or any other factions in this instance, so the man's role in the game was probably an NPC.
"Do you enjoy watching people's every move, President Mo?"
With that, Shen Ru casually undid the buttons at his collar, leaving his pale collarbones fully exposed.
A low chuckle came from the other end of the monitor, followed by suggestive words transmitted through the electronic equipment:
"I only enjoy watching you."
In the livestream chat:
[Holy shit holy shit holy shit! What did you two do behind my back after the last instance???]
[New Year's came out of nowhere for us shippers...]
[What??? They're already together????]
[Fuck, you really aren't treating us like outsiders, huh? Just saying anything you want? I love it!! Keep talking!!]
Shen Ru had no idea the esteemed viewers in his livestream were already naming their children. All he felt upon hearing that last remark was a chill of revulsion.
Last time, Mo Yu had said he liked obedient puppies, and the two of them had parted on bad terms.
Now he was watching Shen Ru's every move through a monitor. How was that any different from installing cameras at home to check on a pet anytime, anywhere?
There was no difference. Mo Yu just wanted to be his owner.
What a coincidence. He wanted to be Mo Yu's goddamn daddy.
Fuck.
Mo Yu didn't care whether he received a response. With a brief chuckle, the frozen air began moving again.
The instant the other man released his stasis talent, Shen Ru activated his own talent again and shot forward two steps. With a piercing roar and eerie hissing behind him, he fled madly in the opposite direction.
As he passed the room from earlier, Shen Ru's teasing voice bounced with his running strides. "If you don't run now, you can sit there and wait to die!"
Cursing soon rang out from inside the room, followed by a blur shooting through the doorway.
Fuck, fuck, fuck! What goddamn rotten luck!
Meng Yizhi couldn't understand it. Was this guy out of his mind?
He'd been hiding perfectly well inside his room. How had he gotten dragged into this mess???
That huge octopus could slap this scrawny little thing to death with one swipe, yet he'd gone and provoked the monster himself!
Still, Meng Yizhi was farther from the room at the end of the hall, and he had plenty of lifesaving items on hand, so he felt fairly confident.
Unlike the young man's frantic, desperate flight, he even had the leisure to glance behind him.
That single glance showed him the terrifying fangs a relatively docile blue-ringed octopus bared when it grew furious and secreted venom.
A dense mass of pythons raced out of the room at the end of the hall, scrambling over one another. Their eerie hissing instantly filled the corridor. Several had already coiled around the octopus's body and tentacles, squeezing one another in a deadly tangle.
Meng Yizhi: "..."
Who let these living nightmares out...?
How many fucking items would it take to survive this???
Meng Yizhi whipped his head back around and fled forward with every ounce of strength he had.
In the livestream chat:
[Hahahaha, I can't breathe. My darling's whole philosophy is: if I'm going down, you're not getting off easy either.]
[That player looked back so confidently, then his face went white the second he turned around again, hahahaha.]
[Help, I'm dying laughing. Things are already absolutely critical, so why does this feel like peak comedy!?]
After Shen Ru left, Ruan Ping also realized something was wrong with the room. He could distinctly feel something behind him gradually drawing closer to his neck.
The sound was far too close-so close that he felt the thing would merge with him in the next second.
Fear of the unknown pressed down on him until he couldn't breathe. Ruan Ping gritted his teeth and spun around.
Better to get it over with than drag out the pain.
Here goes nothing.
The moment Ruan Ping met those malicious golden vertical pupils, his own pupils contracted sharply. He felt a chill shoot from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head, and cold sweat instantly soaked his clothes.
Even his breathing slowed. For a moment, neither side moved.
Under the light, the giant python's outline was clearly cast onto the floor. Its dark shadow writhed constantly, leaving Ruan Ping's heart suspended in dread.
"What is a third-floor nurse doing up here?"
The giant python reared up and looked down at him, as though an impassable gulf separated the third and fourth floors.
Hearing that, Ruan Ping's heart finally settled. It seemed the Name Badge really could change his identity. Perhaps the giant python saw him as a human body with a pig's head.
He took a deep breath and explained, "A patient on the third floor was in critical condition. I brought him up for treatment."
The giant python flicked its tongue and circled Ruan Ping several times before asking, "Where is the patient?"
"The patient was..."
Before Ruan Ping could finish, an unsettling commotion came from outside the door.
Footsteps, curses, and even the same hissing he'd just heard from the giant python flicking its tongue.
Ruan Ping's first thought was that something had happened to Shen Ru. For a moment, he couldn't even tell whether he was afraid. Taking advantage of the giant python's distraction, he darted out the door and pulled it firmly shut behind him.
The instant he got out, he ran toward the sounds, only to see a horrifying sight he would never forget for the rest of his life.
Shen Ru was charging toward him at the head of the pack, followed by a pink-haired guy whose mouth hung wide open in terror. More importantly, behind them was a dense mass of...
Fuck.
Pythons???
And the blue-ringed octopus that had just left.
This had to be a dream. Ruan Ping slapped his own face hard.
Shen Ru had only been gone for two minutes. This couldn't have been his doing...
Ruan Ping's advancing steps grew inexplicably heavy. For a moment, he didn't know what to do.
Then a sudden crash came from behind him as the giant python smashed through the door.
Right. There was another giant python behind him...
While Ruan Ping hesitated, he heard Shen Ru shout at him from ahead:
"What are you standing there for? Run to the elevator! Hurry!"
His body always acted faster than his brain. Before Ruan Ping could even think, he took off, sprinting toward the elevator.
At that moment, the giant python behind him finally shattered the battered door. Its furious roar echoed throughout the corridor.
In the livestream chat:
[...I'd say the situation is pretty chaotic.]
[I honestly don't know who to blame for how this turned out...]
[Anyone else can be wrong, but my darling is always right!!!]
[Someone drag this blind fan out of here!!!]
Fortunately, Ruan Ping ran fast enough to open the elevator doors ahead of the others.
Shen Ru and Meng Yizhi arrived one after the other and hurriedly pressed the close button, barely shutting the monsters outside as the elevator safely began rising toward the fifth floor.
The three of them had made it into the elevator after a close call.
"Phew-"
Sitting on the elevator floor, Meng Yizhi let out a long breath. He looked at the young man, ready to let him have it.
But when he raised his head, his gaze met those unmistakable red eyes.
Meng Yizhi shakily pointed at the young man before him. His mouth worked for a long time before he finally managed a few words:
"You... y-you're Shen Ru?"
The young man didn't look remotely guilty. Instead, his lips curled, a trace of interest flashed through his dark red eyes, and he answered with a smile:
"Yep!"
Meng Yizhi sucked in a sharp breath, looking utterly aggrieved. "Then, back there..."
"I did it on purpose. It's more fun that way! Doesn't that wild adrenaline rush feel amazing?"
The young man said it as though it were perfectly reasonable. Anyone could see the barely contained excitement in his eyes and his burning passion for the instance.
Meng Yizhi: ...I'd messed with the wrong guy.
Pale-faced and dazed, Ruan Ping watched the two of them.
So being a big shot's lackey meant risking your life...
Before you continue