Chapter 1081: After Ten O'Clock
"Would a sudden turn of face backfire?" You Xuewen said with concern. "They have too many people and are familiar with the area. Besides players, there might be traps."
"That Mr. Kang is probably a B-level player," Uncle Guan added.
The situation was clear. Even if Xu Huo on their side was capable, the rest couldn't take on six opponents alone, especially when they were still heavily injured, not to mention they had three children with them.
"I unconditionally support Old Xu," Chi Minghong said. "They already know we've only been here two days and can't leave for at least seven. Are we really supposed to wait until our supplies run out? Besides, we're starving now. We can endure it today, but who knows what it'll be like in two days."
"Rather than waiting for forty of them to come kill us, it's better for us to take a few out first to lighten the pressure." She said optimistically, "Maybe they'll think twice if they see we're a tough nut to crack."
That reasoning wasn't necessarily wrong, but Uncle Guan had more considerations. "An arrow shot has no return. Everyone needs to think clearly. For fairness, let's vote."
"Hey," Chi Minghong interrupted him, "There are five of you from the Holy Sword Society. Wouldn't that be a bit unfair?"
"Holy Sword Society members don't have to listen to me on everything, especially at a life-or-death moment like this. Personal intuition is important." Uncle Guan said the last sentence to his members, then turned back to Xu Huo. "What do you think?"
"I don't care," Xu Huo said. The voting result wouldn't change his decision.
"Alright then. Those in favor of staying in the room come to my side, otherwise go to Mr. Xu's side." Uncle Guan looked around at everyone.
Chi Minghong naturally stood with Xu Huo. Ruan Qiyan hesitated for a moment before silently moving behind Xu Huo. Lin Qiao also changed her stance.
"I think it's an opportunity," Ruan Qiyan explained his actions.
Lin Qiao hadn't been particularly friendly toward Xu Huo and Chi Minghong throughout the journey, but she also believed Xu Huo's judgment was correct. "The longer we wait, the weaker we might become."
Four against three, Uncle Guan no longer opposed and began actively formulating a plan.
Their primary goal was to understand the internal situation of Xiaohe City—how many players there were, the specific scope of the space restrictions, and besides the xenomorphs, whether this high-risk instance had other dangers.
Only then would they cut down their opponents.
"This commercial building is divided into front and back sections," Uncle Guan said. "The front and back are two separate semicircles connected by three skybridges. Our activity area is in the front, and most of Xiaohe City's players are also in the front. However, after dinner, some players went to the back, which should be where they rest."
"So the ones staying in the front at night should be patrol players. With luck, there won't be too many. If we can deal with this group smoothly, we'll have seized the initiative."
As for the specific assignments of their seven members, each person chose their own. The final result was Xu Huo and Chi Minghong going to the fifth floor, You Xuewen, Lin Qiao, and Zhou Yuanzhu handling the fourth and third floors, while Uncle Guan and Ruan Qiyan stayed on the second floor.
"First, get a grasp of the front half of the building. After we finish here, we'll decide whether to go to the back," Uncle Guan instructed.
After deciding, they rested in the room. At nine o'clock in the evening, Sun Jing and Miss Ma came to greet them. Seeing the children asleep on the beds, Miss Ma smiled. "So many people in one room, aren't you feeling cramped?"
She didn't dwell on the topic and said, "After the ten o'clock night bell rings, the building will turn off the lights and cut the power. Just giving you a heads-up so you won't be inconvenienced."
"It's best not to wander around after lights out," Sun Jing added. "Sometimes xenomorphs take advantage of the darkness to sneak in and attack. Staying in the room is safest. The room walls are all metal, safer than places like the dining hall or bathhouse."
"What kind of xenomorph can get in here?" Chi Minghong asked curiously. "Haven't you even reinforced the floors with metal?"
"The world is full of wonders," Sun Jing said. "To be honest, we haven't seen what that xenomorph looks like so far. We don't know what species it evolved from, but it appears every so often, and every time it shows up, someone here goes missing under mysterious circumstances."
"The only way to stay safe is to stay in the room, especially at night," Miss Ma continued. "You came at just the right time—it should be around these few days."
Sun Jing checked the time. "We need to get back. You should rest early too. By tomorrow morning, everything will be fine."
After they left, Zhou Yuanzhu closed the door and turned around. "I don't buy it. What xenomorph could make so many players helpless? They're probably just scaring us to keep us in our rooms!"
"Maybe the opposite," Xu Huo said. "Perhaps they want us to go out."
But whatever these people were trying to do, they'd find out by going out to see.
An hour later, music started playing in the commercial building. During the thirty seconds of music, closing doors could be heard from upstairs and downstairs. When the music ended, all sounds of activity outside vanished, and the building plunged into darkness.
"Could it be real?" The decisive way people retreated made Chi Minghong and the others hesitate.
"Be careful. If something's wrong, fall back," Uncle Guan said.
One by one, they left the room. They had expected to move stealthily, but there wasn't a single person outside, so they simply went straight up the stairs.
It wasn't just the players in the building—even the ordinary people who had been lingering nearby had all disappeared.
The dark, silent environment could infinitely amplify one's imagination. Chi Minghong walked behind Xu Huo and couldn't help saying, "Could there really be such a bizarre xenomorph?"
"Maybe," Xu Huo said. "We don't know much about this place either."
As he said this, he opened the door to the fifth floor.
On the fifth floor, besides the dining hall, none of the other rooms were occupied. Only two rooms seemed to be set up as temporary rest areas, containing some entertainment items.
Xu Huo casually found a place to sit down, picked up a deck of cards on the table, and said to Chi Minghong, "Want to play a couple rounds?"
Chi Minghong looked at him with an expression that said, "Did you slip up, or are my ears broken?" "Are you serious?"
"Let's play," Xu Huo said, looking up at the ceiling above. He smiled and added, "They should have separated each floor with metal partitions."
Chi Minghong didn't understand what he meant, but she was still limping on one leg and wasn't in a position to act alone, so she sat down.
Upstairs from them, Sun Jing and Miss Ma were lying half-naked on the bed resting. Sun Jing said, "Those idiots probably think we're trying to harm them."
Miss Ma took the cigarette from his mouth and took a drag herself. "Isn't that perfect? Saves us the trouble of making a move."
(Chapter End)