The platform game

"Hey, don't forget what you promised me," No. 015 reminded him again, still uneasy.

"Don't worry. I keep my word." Shen Yalong thumped his chest in assurance.

He stole a glance at Zhao Xun. Seeing no particular change in Zhao Xun's expression, he hurried out of Car 14.

He was as quick as a rat that had finally escaped its cage.

Watching Shen Yalong hurry away, Zhao Xun gave a meaningful smile.

He could more or less guess why Shen Yalong had chosen to join the platform game now.

That wasn't a bad thing for him.

A familiar pawn he could use was, of course, far easier to control than an unfamiliar enemy.

Perhaps Shen Yalong could provide him with some useful information during the platform game.

Just as he had last night and this morning.

Zhao Xun calmly returned to his seat.

One thing was now certain: breaking the train rules also cost points.

What remained unclear was whether each violation cost only five points, whether the deduction varied with the severity of the violation, or whether serious violations carried other penalties in addition to point deductions.

All of that still needed investigating.

Well, when I get the chance, I'll find someone else to test it on.

About half an hour later, the passengers began leaving their seats one after another. Some went to find an attendant's trolley to buy breakfast, while others left to complete their personal tasks.

Zhao Xun waited until the people around him had all left before taking his suitcase down from the luggage rack.

After taking out his food for the day, he put the suitcase into his storage slot.

Someone noticed that Zhao Xun's suitcase had suddenly vanished, but despite their curiosity, they didn't approach him to ask.

After what had happened last night, everyone could tell that Zhao Xun wasn't a pushover they could bully at will.

Casually asking about someone's private affairs could easily offend them.

And right now, no one wanted to offend someone they might not be able to handle.

During the day, Zhao Xun barely moved around except to use the restroom.

He spent most of his time resting with his eyes closed, as though he could never get enough sleep.

5:55 p.m.

A sweet electronic voice rang out over the train's speakers.

[The Endless Train will stop at the [Nairui Town] platform at precisely six o'clock. Passengers wishing to disembark, please prepare.]

As soon as the announcement ended, Zhao Xun opened his eyes.

His eyes were perfectly clear. Compared with the other passengers' weary faces, he looked exceptionally alert.

After two days of constant tension, most of the new players were tired.

They didn't dare spend too many points on food, so they couldn't eat their fill, and hunger only worsened their exhaustion.

On top of that, they could only sleep sitting up. Unable to sleep comfortably, they weren't getting proper rest either, leaving most of them in poor shape.

By contrast, Zhao Xun didn't need to complete tasks during the day and spent most of his time resting.

That was enough for him to get himself into reasonably good shape.

He had also done this to ensure he had enough energy to face whatever unknown trouble lay ahead.

After all, who knew how much time he would have to rest during the platform game?

The train slowly decelerated. Five minutes passed quickly, and it stopped at precisely six o'clock.

The announcement sounded again.

[The train will remain at this stop for three days and depart at precisely midnight on September 5.]

[All passengers disembarking must return to the train before midnight on September 5.]

Immediately afterward, the doors of every car opened.

Without hesitation, Zhao Xun stood up and walked out.

As long as he cleared the platform game, he would be able to explore the veteran players' area.

All his subsequent plans depended on this. He had to make this trip.

After stepping off the train, Zhao Xun saw nothing but vast swaths of white fog.

His view was blocked, making it impossible to see what lay ahead.

Even when he turned back, he couldn't see the train.

He had only taken two steps after getting off, so the train should have been right in front of him, yet the thick white fog obscured his vision.

Had the platform game already begun?

But the game rules haven't been announced yet...

Just as he was thinking this, Zhao Xun suddenly heard footsteps in the distance.

They weren't heading toward him, but farther ahead.

After a moment's thought, Zhao Xun also took a few steps forward.

He encountered no obstacles. The ground beneath his feet was flat and hard, just like an ordinary concrete road.

"Hey! Is anyone there?" Shen Yalong's slightly panicked voice came from nearby. "I can't see anything! What's going on? How has even the train disappeared?!"

The corners of Zhao Xun's lips lifted slightly, but he didn't answer Shen Yalong. He continued walking forward.

Shen Yalong called out several times, but no one responded, making him even more panicked.

However, he also heard footsteps, so he ran toward the sound, trying to find whoever was making it.

Finally, after a few minutes, he noticed that the thick white fog around him was gradually thinning.

Only then did his nerves settle a little.

He quickened his pace, running toward the source of the sound.

Half a minute later, he finally reached a place where the fog was thin enough for him to see his surroundings clearly.

It was an open stretch of grass, and the air was heavy with moisture.

He could vaguely make out some buildings in the distance, but they were too far away for him to see any details.

Shen Yalong excitedly looked at the other players standing there, only to discover that Zhao Xun was among them.

His excitement instantly plummeted, and he instinctively took two steps back.

He had never imagined that Zhao Xun would also join this platform game. At that moment, his mind went completely blank.

Only one thought remained: stay as far away from Zhao Xun as possible and have absolutely nothing to do with him.

Zhao Xun had naturally seen Shen Yalong too, but at this moment, he had no interest in him.

He was observing the other players.

Four people had arrived so far. Aside from Zhao Xun and Shen Yalong, there was a burly man two meters tall and a short-haired woman with masculine features.

The burly man looked utterly arrogant. He paid no attention to the others and couldn't even be bothered to spare them a glance.

The short-haired woman carried a distinctive hiking backpack, making it obvious at a glance that she was one of the five volunteers.

Before long, two more people approached.

One was a lean, middle-aged man with a sallow complexion and a thoroughly sleazy look in his eyes.

The other was a young girl who looked underage. Her face was full of bewilderment, and she nervously clutched the hem of her top.

After studying their expressions, Zhao Xun had already formed a rough guess.

The burly man and the sleazy man were most likely veteran players, while the rest were new players.

Few new players had joined the first platform game, which was only to be expected.

Most new players still hadn't figured out the situation, so naturally, they wanted to gather enough information before joining a platform game.

Apart from someone like Zhao Xun, who had joined to enter the veteran players' area as soon as possible, the other newcomers were probably like Shen Yalong: short on points and forced to rely on the platform game to turn things around.

=

(P.S. Instance games can be of any type; they aren't limited to a single genre.)

I've signed a contract! So happy~