"Of course, some resources have already been placed in the Little White Building, but I can tell you for sure that these resources are far from enough for all of you."
“Each of you has a transmitter in your pocket. If you want to quit, press it, but that will also mean you will lose your eligibility to join Crescent Bay—but at least you will be safe.”
"Alright, fellow prospective students, let's go."
Ruan Chen followed the crowd toward the five-story white building, where she saw many people already choosing their companions.
This was the first time in her life that she had left Cao De and the Ruan family, and it seemed that no one here could control her.
Just like the person who read out the rules said, here any means are allowed for survival.
Ruan Chen's lips curled up in a happy smile. She was genuinely happy. For the past twenty years, she had been bound by too many rules and all sorts of people. This was the first time in her life that someone had told her that she could do anything to survive.
Ruan Chen looked up at the bright sky—although she knew it was a false projection, she still felt as if she could fly away.
Yan Qian was somewhat surprised to see the pretty little mute girl grinning foolishly, and wondered if she had gone mad with fright.
Fu Jianzhi stood in the shade on the side of the small white building, watching Ruan Chen from afar.
Ruan Chen seemed to adapt quickly and remained calm. The people she had arranged were positioned to protect her from all sides, maintaining an appropriate distance—so that they wouldn't be judged as cheating by the examiners, and if Ruan Chen were ever in any danger, they could rush to her aid in time.
She was even smiling foolishly.
For some reason, Fu Jianzhi chuckled along with the others.
He thought Ruan Chen was doing well as she was. She still didn't seem to have recovered from that upheaval, but Fu Jianzhi could sense that something was about to break free from the depths of Ruan Chen's soul.
"Commander Fu, where's the little stray cat you picked up?"
A man with dark red eyes walked up to Fu Jianzhi, followed his gaze to the new students heading towards the small white building, and put his arm around Fu Jianzhi's shoulder.
Fu Jianzhi coldly shoved his arm away. "Qi Fei, don't call her that. She's nothing to me. I've told you her name is Ruan Chen. She has her own name."
Qi Fei shrugged. "But everyone in Crescent Bay knows she's your little wildcat."
Fu Jianzhi frowned slightly, his shoulder bumping stiffly against Qi Fei. "Let's go to class."
Qi Fei quickly followed Fu Jianzhi, "Hey Fu, what exactly are you planning to do with Crescent Bay? You've been here for four years now, haven't you? Even Su Ze, who received the same full training as you, only stayed for a year and a half."
"How would I know what those instructors are thinking?" Fu Jianzhi seemed unwilling to discuss his future plans further.
"You're Zhanlu's pilot, and there's less than a year until the next gate opens. Why hasn't Crescent Bay arranged for you to return to China yet? You and Zhanlu haven't been paired up for years. Before the gate opens, you and Zhanlu will have to train together for at least another six months. If you don't go back now, will you make it in time? But I'm guessing you're reluctant to leave Crescent Bay now, aren't you? After all, your little wildcat is here..."
Qi Fei kept rambling on and on, and Fu Jianzhi pinched his brow in annoyance, quickened his pace, and left the chatterbox behind.
"Commander Fu, wait for me! In a few days, we'll be selecting the remaining ten famous swords that don't yet have owners. Can you teach me how to get chosen? I heard you were chosen by Zhanlu yourself? I heard you were less than eight years old that year?"
Ruan Chen and his group entered the small white building. Before they could even see the interior, the only entrance was slammed shut with heavy iron doors, and the windows around the building were also lowered with metal sheets, plunging the small white building into complete darkness.
The moment Ruan Chen was plunged into darkness, her heart rate soared to 170.
She felt all her strength drain away, gripped by overwhelming fear. Ruan Chen opened her mouth to scream, but her vocal cords seemed to have lost control. She collapsed to the ground, powerless, hearing mocking laughter and angry curses in her ears.
She heard the sound of the whip whistling through the air, and her healed wounds seemed to be torn apart inch by inch again, causing her pain.
“Sister, I am very dissatisfied with your behavior.” In the darkness, Ruan Chen “saw” Ruan Yunhan holding a blood-stained whip and signaling the servants to lock her in a dark little house. “If you are not dead in three days, I will let you go to school.”
"Smack!"
Someone turned on the light.
Ruan Chen was helped up with a dazed look in her eyes; she didn't even have time to see who it was.
Then she fell into a soft embrace, her dark red hair brushing against the tip of her nose.
It's Yan Qian.
Yan Qian pulled her towards a room with one hand, saying, "Do you have claustrophobia? Look at your heart rate, it's about to explode! But the design here is really ridiculous, everyone is a bit confused when it gets dark."
Ruan Chen coughed and stood up straight, staggering as she followed Yan Qian into the rooms around the hall. In the process, she regained her senses and saw that the crowd that had been gathered in the hall had dispersed, and there were now three or four people lying in the hall, along with blood.
It seems that someone made a move the moment it went dark.
The instructor just said that supplies are replenished once a week, which means that the resources in this little white building are insufficient.
They want to fight, to rob, to... kill.
Ruan Chen coughed while covering her mouth, but her eyes scanned each room around the hall without missing a single one.
There are sixteen rooms in total, eleven of which are closed and five are open.
Of the five open rooms, three have empty beds, one has a faucet, and one has a heavy safe.
Furthermore, all sixteen rooms look exactly the same from the outside.
Yan Qian dragged Ruan Chen toward the room with the water tap. Her idea was simple: resources were limited here, so they had to secure the water resources first.
But Ruan Chen held her tightly and led her toward the room with the safe.
She was very strong. Yan Qian tried to pull her back to the room with the tap, but she couldn't manage to pull Ruan Chen over.
While the two were locked in a stalemate, the room with the water tap was occupied by someone else.
Yan Qian followed Ruan Chen into the room with the safe, looking annoyed. "It would be best if we could find something here. Didn't you see that room has water? If we can't get any food, at least we can survive a little longer with water."
"We can't hold out. Rather than being driven out later, we'd better be wise now and avoid getting into trouble."
Ruan Chen said quietly.
Yan Qian was silent for a moment, "Okay, I know you have a point, but I just wanted to think that if we could hold on... Hey, you're not mute?"
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