Lu Jiuchuan also agreed with Xiao Lou's analysis. During his time undercover in the Hunter Organization, he had always suspected that Challenger might have infiltrated among these people. In previous Weekly Routine missions, the Hunter companions who worked with him were very familiar with how to use cards, which might have been taught to them by Challenger.
The appearance of the twin brothers Bai Jinyu now further confirms Lu Jiuchuan's speculation.
Lu Jiuchuan thought for a moment, then turned to Yu Hanjiang: "Why don't we just arrest these two brothers and interrogate them carefully? You've interrogated so many vicious criminals until they confessed obediently. If you interrogate them, I don't believe they won't say anything."
Yu Hanjiang disagreed with his brother's simplistic and crude approach: " Bai Jinyu discovered the surveillance footage, and he's now on guard. We have no idea about this person's background, and if we rashly arrest him, we might fall into his trap instead. I always feel that there might be a more powerful force behind Bai Jinyu than we imagine."
Xiao Lou added, "Ninth Brother, Hanjiang makes a good point. Bai Jinyu isn't directly opposing us yet, but it's unclear whether he's a Hunter or on the Challenger's side... It would be better to find out more before taking any action?"
Lu Jiuchuan chuckled and glanced at Yu Hanjiang: "Fine, you two are a perfect match anyway, I can't argue with you."
Long Sen was stunned for a moment: "Husband...husband what?"
Qu Wanyue nudged his arm and coughed, "Let's go back first, so everyone won't worry."
Long Sen was still pondering whether Ninth Brother's phrase "husband sings, husband follows" was a joke. Although his Chinese wasn't great, wasn't "one singing, one harmonizing" a more fitting description for two men? Isn't "husband sings, husband follows" a term used to describe married couples?
It seems that Ninth Brother's Chinese is even worse than his.
Long Sen came to a conclusion, and looking back, he saw that Xiao Lou's ears were slightly red. He wondered if it was because it was too hot, so Long Sen thoughtfully opened the window for Professor Xiao.
It was summer in Sun City at that time.
It was nearly six in the morning when the first rays of dawn broke through the clouds, gently illuminating the sea and turning the azure waters into a vibrant orange-red. Lu Jiuchuan drove along the wide coastal highway, lined with coconut palms, the sea breeze carrying the damp scent of the ocean.
Xiao Lou turned his head and looked around. The scenery of Sun City was very different from that of Moon City. It was a typical seaside city, and it was more beautiful than any seaside city he had ever been to in real life.
The seawater here is crystal clear, the blue sky looks like it's been painted, the sand is white and fine, and there are many beautiful seashells scattered around. The "whoosh" sound of the tide rising is like a pleasant melody. People live a relaxed and leisurely life, without the pressure of reality.
Along the endless coastline, there are many specially built vacation villas. I heard the prices are quite affordable; with Shao Qingge's current savings, each of them could easily buy a villa and settle down here…
No wonder some Challengers would want to stay in this world.
As Xiao Lou pondered, a sudden flash of inspiration struck him, as if some clue had surfaced. Then, a few words gradually became clearer in his mind, and he blurted out, " Eternal Kingdom?"
His teammates looked at him with confusion upon hearing this.
Yu Hanjiang asked in a low voice, "What are you thinking about?"
Xiao Lou snapped out of his reverie and said, " Eternal Kingdom, I remember Lao Mo mentioning that the members of this guild don't aim to complete the game and return to the real world, but rather to stay in Card World and continue to survive. Many of them have bought cars and houses in this world, and some have even married the native inhabitants of Card World?"
Yu Hanjiang pondered for a moment and said, "You mean, the Hunter Organization is very likely related to this guild?"
Xiao Lou nodded: " Eternal Kingdom, the ultimate goal of this Challenger organization is to stay in Card World. They are attracted by the beauty of Card World and have completely abandoned everything in reality, even their relatives. Therefore, they have no psychological barriers to disregarding the laws of the human world and indiscriminately killing innocent people."
Back when they arrived in Moon City, Lao Mo had already introduced them to the three major Challenger associations.
The Eternal Kingdom has indeed gathered a group of Challengers who want to stay in Card World.
Everyone has their own aspirations, and Xiao Lou cannot judge whether their choice to stay here is wrong. After all, he wants to return to reality because he still has attachments there. But what if some people are unhappy living in the real world?
For example, in reality, some people are too poor to afford a house, lack a decent job, have no close relatives or a lover worth cherishing, or have suffered too much torment in reality...
For these people, isn't Card World paradise?
Sometimes, heaven and hell are separated by only a single thought.
For those who are unhappy with their lives in reality, Card World is like giving them a chance to be reborn. They only need to clear the secret rooms, obtain powerful cards, and farm some coins in the plum blossom level to own their own house, car, and even find a boyfriend or girlfriend to date and get married in Card World.
They are much happier here than in reality, so why would they want to go back?
Lu Jiuchuan considered this possibility and said, " I've also heard of the Eternal Kingdom Challenger Association. They do indeed aim to settle down here. Most Eternal Kingdom Challengers get stuck around level eight. After passing level eight, they can get enough good cards to deal with the Weekly Routine."
Qu Wanyue said, "So, they'll stop after passing the eighth level? After that, they only need to complete the Weekly Routine once a week on Saturdays. If the team is strong, the Weekly Routine shouldn't be too difficult for them, right?"
"Yes, most members of Eternal Kingdom have cards that can save their lives. Their combat strength may not be strong, but their ability to escape is definitely excellent. They should have no problem getting through the Weekly Routine."
Lu Jiuchuan glanced at Xiao Lou in the rearview mirror and said, " Professor Xiao suspects that this guild is related to Hunter. Do you think there are additional conditions attached to their staying in Card World?"
Xiao Lou said, "I'm just making a bold guess. Let's assume the real world and Card World are two different spaces. If we Challengers want to survive in this alternate dimension long-term, there must be some restrictions, right? Just like we need a green card to settle abroad. If Card World has 'green cards,' how do we obtain permanent residency?"
Qu Wanyue's expression changed: "For example, killing a Challenger to get a green card for a year?"
Long Sen's eyes widened: "If that's the case, then it makes sense that some Challengers defected to the Hunter Organization and went on to slaughter their own kind. They wanted to stay here forever, so they killed their own kind in exchange for more time?"
Xiao Lou's face was a little pale: "These are all my guesses. I just think that our understanding of Card World may be too one-sided, because we are all eager to go back, and we subjectively think that this world is cruel and not worth staying for—but for some people, perhaps this world is paradise."
A moment of silence fell over the car.
Xiao Lou's bold speculation does have a certain probability and can reasonably explain many issues.
If that's the case, the Hunter Organization will only grow larger and larger.
Lu Jiuchuan knew very well that during the long process of clearing the dungeons, facing increasingly difficult rooms, the Challengers would become tired and frustrated. If their teammates died in front of them, their will to go back would gradually waver.
When Lu Jiuchuan witnessed his teammates being dismembered at Plum Blossom J, he wavered. He thought it would be better to just die there. Although the thought only flashed through his mind, if someone as fearless as Lu Jiuchuan almost gave up, how could someone with a weak mind possibly persevere and complete the S-rank level?
As time goes on and people become unable to complete the game, they naturally become numb and start thinking, "It's better to stay in this world."
Perhaps in the end, those who persist in completing the game will become the odd ones out in Challenger.
No one spoke for the rest of the journey, and the car soon arrived at the hotel.
Tang Ci and his group were still awake; after all, their teammates had gone on an adventure, so they couldn't sleep soundly.
Actually, on the way, Xiao Lou had already informed Ye Qi of the results of everyone's reconnaissance through the " Telepathic Connection ". Their Telepathic Connection in the maze has been running for 24 hours and has not been interrupted yet.
Ye Qi then relayed Xiao Lou's speculation to everyone.
So when Xiao Lou and his group of five went upstairs, Tang Ci and the others already knew the outcome.
Tang Ci got straight to the point: " I don't have much information about Eternal Kingdom. This association is the most mysterious Challenger organization. Nobody knows who the president is, not even their own people."
Old Mo said, "I've only heard that the president of Eternal Kingdom is quite capable. He completes the Weekly Routine missions like it's a weekend game. Their association has very strict internal checks, and there are also experts who provide members with a lot of Weekly Routine walkthroughs..."
Gui Yuanzhang frowned and said, "White Fox, Bai Jinyu, could he be a high-ranking member of this Eternal Kingdom?"
Tang Ci opened the Challenger internal forum and displayed all the posts that White Fox had made: "He has posted a lot of walkthroughs for escape rooms below A level on the forum, and his identity is Challenger. These two points do fit the style of Eternal Kingdom... As for whether he is a high-ranking member of Eternal Kingdom, and whether Eternal Kingdom is related to or cooperating with Hunter Organization, I will continue to have informants keep an eye on him. We still need to slowly collect clues."
Chu Huaying said, "No rush. We'll deal with whatever comes our way. Even if the Hunter Organization is monstrous, they're still human. Humans have weaknesses. If they dare to hunt us down, we can find a way to fight back."
Ye Qi looked at her admiringly: " Sister Ying is right!"
Tang Ci looked at Xiao Lou: "You've been working hard all night, go and rest."
Xiao Lou said, "Then everyone should take a nap first, have lunch to replenish our energy, and then discuss the next challenge."
After several hours in the maze, plus a nighttime visit to a bar, everyone was truly exhausted.
There were two presidential suites next to Tang Ci's, which happened to be vacant. Shao Qingge paid for the rooms and everyone rested separately in different bedrooms for a few hours.
Xiao Lou had a nightmare in a daze.
In his dream, he stood on a wide platform, much like a personal space, except that it was pitch black all around, with only a beam of light shining down from the very center, like a spotlight on a grand stage.
Wearing sunglasses, Ace of Spades pressed a gun against Yu Hanjiang's forehead, tossed another gun to Xiao Lou, and said coldly, "If you want Yu Hanjiang to live, you must kill Ye Qi."
Xiao Lou was sweating profusely, his fingers trembling so much he could barely hold the gun. Xiao Ye was pale and looked at him with pleading eyes. Shao Qingge stood to the side and raised his gun to him.
The four people faced off in the dark, empty environment... The oppressive feeling made Xiao Lou almost unable to breathe.
My chest felt heavy, as if a huge rock was pressing down on it.
Suddenly, gunshots rang out.
I don't know who pressed the trigger first.
The trigger jolted Xiao Lou awake from his nightmare. When he woke, it was already midday, bright daylight outside. Yu Hanjiang sat by the bed and asked him softly, "What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"
Yu Hanjiang was sleeping next door when he heard Xiao Lou's voice. He went to check on him and found that Xiao Lou had suddenly woken up.
Looking at the familiar man in front of him, Xiao Lou's heart was pounding wildly. The scene in his dream was so vivid that he couldn't even distinguish between dream and reality.
Yu Hanjiang noticed that Xiao Lou's clothes were soaked with cold sweat. He gently touched Xiao Lou's sweat-drenched hair and said softly, "Is it because you've been thinking about it during the day that you're dreaming about it at night? Did you dream that your teammates were killed last night?"
Xiao Lou was somewhat surprised: "How did you know?"
Yu Hanjiang said, "If something can make you feel this bad, it must not be a good dream."
The familiar scent of the man reassured Xiao Lou a lot; it was just a dream. He had indeed been too nervous.
Xiao Lou took a deep breath to calm himself, released Yu Hanjiang, looked at him and asked, "If one day, Guardian or Hunter uses me to blackmail you, forcing you to kill a teammate so that I can live, what would you do?"
Yu Hanjiang looked at Xiao Lou in surprise, meeting his clear and gentle eyes.
Perhaps Xiao Lou's nightmare is facing such a cruel choice.
This is a difficult question to answer.
He was silent for a moment, then slightly raised the corners of his mouth and said, "If it were you, what would you do?"
Xiao Lou paused for a moment: "Don't pass the question back to me, you go first."
"It doesn't matter who says it, because I believe our answer is the same." Yu Hanjiang stretched out his arms and hugged Xiao Lou tightly, whispering in his ear, "If that day ever comes and I'm not able to save you, and they take you hostage to force me to kill others, I will choose to kill you with my own hands and then die with you."
Xiao Lou: "......"
Just as expected, that's what he thought too.
In an instant, all the depression and discomfort in Xiao Lou's heart dissipated, replaced by a sense of ease.
It was just a dream. Yesterday, he deduced how a Challenger would change their stance and become a Hunter, which is why he dreamt of this dilemma. Perhaps some people become Hunters not voluntarily, but are forced into it. But even if one day he faces such a forced predicament, Xiao Lou knows that Yu Hanjiang will not forget his original aspirations.
If the right to live is obtained by indiscriminately killing innocent people, what is the point of living?
Death is not scary.
What's terrifying is losing your soul and becoming a walking demon.
He heard Yu Hanjiang say, "I know you disdain living such a shameful life, and so do I."
Xiao Lou smiled, gave a soft "hmm," and reached out to hug him back.
Yu Hanjiang pressed a kiss to his forehead, tightened his embrace, and said in an extremely gentle voice, " Xiao Lou, don't think too much. The Hunter we're facing has long lost its humanity, but we still know what we should and shouldn't do. I always remember what you said a long time ago—'This world has gone mad, but we haven't.'"
Xiao Lou nodded in his arms.
There's really nothing to worry about. Even the worst outcome is just mutual destruction. Even if we fail, we'll die together in this world... With you by my side on the road to the underworld, I won't be alone.
The two hugged for a while. Xiao Lou had completely let go of the nightmare. He broke free from Yu Hanjiang's embrace and suddenly asked, "By the way, does Ninth Brother know about us?"
Yu Hanjiang remained calm: "Mm."
Xiao Lou's ears burned: "You told him?"
Yu Hanjiang said, "Don't be nervous, he admires you. Rest assured, he already considers you one of his own."
Xiao Lou paused for a moment, then asked nervously, "Then, after we go back, would you be willing to come with me to meet my parents? They are both very nice people with gentle personalities."
Yu Hanjiang was slightly taken aback, then a surge of joy welled up inside him. He hugged Xiao Lou tightly again and whispered in her ear, "I'm more than happy that you're willing to admit our relationship in front of your elders. I also want your parents' approval, to let them know that you have a boyfriend, and that person is Yu Hanjiang."
Xiao Lou: "......"
Xiao Lou, who had been feeling terrible about the nightmare, now felt a little sweet inside. Yu Hanjiang told his brother about their relationship, and his brother wanted to bring Yu Hanjiang home to introduce her to their parents. This showed that both of them were serious about their relationship and wanted their loved ones to be accepted by their families.
Instead of dwelling on the bad things, let's be more optimistic and think about our plans for when we get back.
Just then, a notification popped up on my phone. It was a message from Tang Ci in the group chat: "Everyone, go downstairs for lunch. Just use your room cards to eat the buffet lunch. After lunch, let's discuss where to go next."
Having rested and recharged, they are about to face new challenges.