The four walls were covered with screens, each displaying players trapped in a dungeon, with countless red dots flashing on and off in the room.
In the center of the room stood a solitary gaming chair, facing the largest main screen.
Several people cautiously stepped inside. Cheng Zhiwei looked up at the wall covered with screens, her lips trembling slightly. "Is this Tianquan's main control center? What exactly is the meaning of this final hurdle?"
No one answered her.
The lights suddenly went out, and in the darkness, only the screens on the walls were still glowing red, casting a dark red light on everyone's faces, and even their breathing could be heard.
Then they heard footsteps, the soles of shoes clicking on the metal floor, one step at a time, coming from behind them, unhurried and steady.
Cheng Zhiwei turned her head and saw a figure in the darkness walking around everyone towards the center of the room.
No one expected this usually timid person to suddenly go crazy, and she reached out to grab him.
He walked straight past everyone, stood in front of the gaming chair, turned around, sat down, crossed his legs, and leaned back in the chair.
The red light from the screen shone from behind, shading his profile in half-light and half-shadow. He tilted his head and smiled.
"Welcome to the final stage. Your ultimate opponent is me."
After a long silence, the biggest, fattest guy in the group couldn't hold back any longer and yelled, "This isn't the time to show off! Get down here right now, you're going to get us all killed!"
Qu Lingzhou leaned back in his chair, chuckled softly, and looked up at the fat man with an innocent yet curious gaze. "It seems you don't fully understand your current situation."
Lu Ci gripped the hilt of his knife tightly, the veins on the back of his hand standing out prominently, his voice barely containing his barely suppressed rage. "Why do you do this?"
Qu Lingzhou closed his eyes, as if he was seriously considering the question.
Several seconds later he opened his eyes, his eyes full of childlike innocence. "Of course it's fun!"
"Have you had enough fun? Let's go back to the real world!"
Qu Lingzhou shook his head regretfully and said, "No, let's play a game instead." He looked up at everyone, "Do you remember the rules of the game?"
The fat man paused for a moment, then subconsciously replied, "The last survivor wins control of Tianquan and all the assets in the virtual world."
Qu Lingzhou snapped his fingers, "Correct, but unfortunately, there's no reward." He withdrew his hand, his smile deepening. "The final winner, of course, can only leave alone, don't you agree?"
The fat man's eyes widened. "What do you mean? There was no mention of a limit on the number of people!"
Qu Lingzhou lightly tapped the floor with her toes, causing the chair to swivel halfway around. "The decision is entirely mine. I say one, and that's it."
The fat man rushed forward to grab him by the collar, but Lu Ci abruptly stopped him, his gaze fixed on the boy in the chair. "What do you mean by that?"
Qu Lingzhou looked up at Lu Ci, her tone still nonchalant. "Literally, out of eight people, only one can survive."
The group looked at each other in bewilderment, and then almost simultaneously erupted in anger.
Some people started cursing, while others pointed at him and shouted.
"What the hell are you, you lackey of Tianquan?!"
Qu Lingzhou sighed dejectedly, "It's not good to swear."
The next second, the fat man's head exploded.
Blood mist drifted in the dim red light, and the fat man's body fell straight backward, hitting the ground with a dull thud.
Everyone froze in place as if struck by lightning, and the entire room fell silent.
Qu Lingzhou withdrew the hand that had just snapped its fingers. He looked at Lu Ci again, his voice light and curious. " Lu Ci, you keep saying that all you want is to find your sister, that emotions outweigh everything else? Aren't you really tempted by power and money? Do you think these people will give up all of that just because you saved them?"
Lu Ci answered without hesitation, "I only want my sister; these things are incomparable to her."
Qu Lingzhou stood up and clapped his hands twice.
"Let the show begin."
The next second, the rest of the people disappeared from the room. Lu Ci subconsciously reached out to grab them, but only grasped at thin air.
They were locked in a space where it was pitch black.
A girl's trembling voice echoed in the darkness, "Is everyone here?"
Cheng Zhiwei's voice came from not far away. "Hey, what's wrong now...?"
Before she could finish speaking, a scream rang out, followed by a muffled thud from where the girl had just been speaking.
Everyone knew what it was, but no one dared to speak up and confirm it.
Movement began in the darkness; some held their breath, others gripped their weapons tightly, probing and hunting each other.
Qu Lingzhou sat in front of the largest screen, watching the people betray and fight in the darkness.
His fingers unconsciously traced the faded braided rope on his left wrist. He stopped smiling and lowered his eyes.
"Did you leave me here for this reason?"
On the big screen, Lu Ci had already been stabbed several times, but he gritted his teeth and stubbornly refused to fall. His sister was still waiting for him; he couldn't just die like that.
In the end, only two people remain in the scene: Lu Ci and Cheng Zhiwei.
Qu Lingzhou's voice echoed throughout the room, coming from all directions. "There's only one left. The winner will be one of you."
Cheng Zhiwei picked up the dagger from the ground and stabbed Lu Ci in the back.
Lu Ci whirled around to block him. " Cheng Zhiwei! You!"
Cheng Zhiwei gritted her teeth, her eyes red-rimmed. "Brother Lu, I have to leave. You saved me back then, but I have reasons why I have to leave!"
"Just for that money? I misjudged you!"
Cheng Zhiwei knew that no matter how she explained, it would be useless.
The two began to fight, the sound of their blades clashing was particularly jarring in the darkness, until Lu Ci's knife pierced Cheng Zhiwei's heart.
Clang, the sound of a dagger falling to the ground.
The next second, the space lit up, revealing a cozy pink bedroom with a pink princess bed, pink curtains, and several photos and a crystal ball music box on the desk.
The people who had just died were all gone, leaving only Lu Ci and Cheng Zhiwei lying in front of him.
Qu Lingzhou appeared before them, sitting on the edge of the pink princess bed, curiously touching the tassels of the bed curtains.
Lu Ci raised his head, his eyes bloodshot. "Don't touch my sister's bed with your filthy hands!"
Qu Lingzhou withdrew his hand and placed it on his knees, unusually obedient for once.
Looking at Cheng Zhiwei was gradually losing warmth in Lu Ci's arms, he said happily, "Congratulations on winning first place! You've won control of Tianquan and these billions in assets. Are you happy?"
Lu Ci stood up, gritting his teeth, and said, "I don't care who you are or what you want, I just want my sister Lu Wei back."
Qu Lingzhou gave a cold laugh. All that childlike innocence, naivety, and curiosity vanished in that instant, revealing the weariness in his eyes.
"My sister," he stood up, looking at the man covered in wounds, "Wasn't she always by your side?"
After he finished speaking, his body shattered from his toes into countless pixelated points of light, like ashes scattered by the wind, disappearing in front of the pink princess bed.
Server-wide announcement: The ultimate winner has been chosen – Lu Ci.