Once he was completely silent, Xiao Cheng bent down to pick up the keychain, picked up the corner of the man's clothes on the ground, wiped the blood off with a look of disgust, and then put it back in her pocket with satisfaction.

Looking up again, she saw a blood-soaked figure standing on the stairs. The person was stung by her gaze and unconsciously took a half step back, looking somewhat frightened.

Xiao Cheng: "..."

She nervously slung the iron bar behind her back and said, "Well, I know he's not you. I smashed number 6."

Fang He looked at the split head and felt a phantom throbbing in the back of his head: "Yeah, I know."

"Other digital people?"

“I knocked him unconscious and locked him in room 404, but I don’t think he can stay locked up for long.” Fang He walked down, kicked the silent No. 6 on the ground, and reached out to check his carotid artery. “Still alive. Give me the iron rod.”

Xiao Cheng handed over the iron rod with a bewildered look, and then watched as he slammed the rod down, smashing Number 6's head into a comminuted fracture.

"Phew, he's dead now." Fang He breathed a heavy sigh of relief. The iron rod clattered to the ground, rolled twice, and landed right at Xiao Cheng's feet.

Xiao Cheng: "..."

She picked up the iron rod with a look of lingering fear and respectfully offered it with both hands: "Please come in, sir. There are six more digital people waiting for you upstairs."

Fang He didn't take it, but glanced at her with an amused look: "Those few are different."

Xiao Cheng's expression froze, and her voice became so strained that it trembled slightly: "What's different? You actually have this kind of hobby?!"

Fang He: "..." He was wrong, he was wrong to have chimed in.

So he simply skipped the topic and reached out to Xiao Cheng, saying, "Give me the key, I'll go lock the door."

"Okay, boss, take care, boss." Xiao Cheng carefully placed the key in his palm.

Fang He walked from the sixth floor to the first floor, locking all the iron doors in each stairwell firmly, and then returned to the lobby on the first floor to meet up with Xiao Cheng.

"Let's rest for a while. Once the digital humans wake up, the iron gate won't be able to hold them in for long." Fang He sat down on the ground, looking somewhat tired. "And that dog, it still hasn't shown up."

"Aren't you going to the guardhouse?" Xiao Cheng sat down next to him.

“No, this place is too small and we can’t move around much. It’s actually safer here.” Fang He shook his head and glanced at the digital clock on the wall of the hall. “It’s 3:17. We still have almost 21 hours to go.”

Xiao Cheng gasped: "Boss, let's just get rid of those digital humans cleanly and efficiently."

“No.” Fang He gave her a half-smile. “Rule number two: no killing each other. Unlike the gatekeepers, those digital figures are NPCs with player identities. Or in other words, they are playing the roles of players.”

"But numbers 6 and 8..."

"That's why I say they're different. They share our identity, but only I can kill number 6, and only you can kill number 8. That's the real rule two."

Xiao Cheng broke out in a cold sweat. If she had hit harder, she would have really killed Number 6 with that stick... It's like she was almost dancing on a grave!

Fang He looked at her with satisfaction: "You left No. 6 alive just now, did you guess something?"

Xiao Cheng's lips twitched. He had no idea. It was just that his ancestors were blessing him; number 6 was lucky.

"Do we really have to stay up until midnight?" Xiao Cheng asked repeatedly, unwilling to give up. "Isn't there any other way? Can't we end the debriefing of the plot earlier?"

"Guess why it's a survival-type copy."

Xiao Cheng was on the verge of tears: "This must be the most unforgettable day of my life."

"Don't worry, you'll have many more days like this in the future," Fang He said to her earnestly, speaking as someone who had been through it all.

Xiao Cheng: "..." Thank you, I feel comforted.

The dungeon wouldn't let them relax for long, as expected. Soon, the digital man's ferocious roar and the sound of banging on the iron door echoed in the stairwell.

"How long do you think the iron gate can hold out?" Xiao Cheng looked at Fang He with little hope.

"No more than fifteen points..."

An iron railing rolled down from upstairs and slammed against the large iron gate on the first floor with a series of thuds.

Fang He changed his words expressionlessly: "No more than five minutes, get ready."

In fact, it really didn't take more than five minutes.

The digital figures stormed down from upstairs, and upon seeing the two people in the lobby, they instantly became even more agitated. Xiao Cheng watched as Number 1 hugged Number 5, and Number 5 hugged the large iron gate, breaking two iron bars in succession.

Xiao Cheng: "..." How should I put it? It has a kind of beauty that Lin Daiyu has when she uproots a willow tree.

"What are you standing there for? Run!" Fang He shoved Xiao Cheng away, grabbed an iron bar, and as the digital figures emerged from the gap in the railing, he struck them on the head, knocking them into a daze.

There was nowhere to hide in the lobby on the first floor. Xiao Cheng looked around, gritted her teeth, picked up the iron railing that No. 5 had broken off, and helped Fang He play whack-a-mole: "I'll go with you!"

But the digital humans quickly realized what was happening. They backed away, no longer insisting on coming out through the gap, and instead tried to pry open the lock on the iron door, deforming it in just a couple of moves.

"Hehe." Brother Number 7 let out a hearty laugh. "I'm here."

"Damn it!" Fang He rarely swore. "They're getting stronger! Find the key! Find the key to open the gate!"

key……

Key, key, key...

Xiao Cheng's mind raced. She had only seen that key in dreams and hallucinations. What was the trigger? What was the reason she needed to enter the hallucination again?

The lock was pried off, and the iron gate creaked open. The digital figures chuckled and chanted in unison, "We're here."

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!