Chapter 23: Emergency Shelter

Returning to the dormitory building, he found it just as deserted as before. Many of the room doors stood wide open, as if the students had left in a desperate hurry.

He pulled out his phone and noticed a missed call from his roommate, "Number Two," which had rung for ten seconds. He tried calling back, but the response was that the user was temporarily unreachable. He dialed the other two roommates in turn, only to receive the same result.

Checking the campus official account, he saw a reposted news report about an earthquake warning for Wanghai City, with authorities urging citizens to evacuate to the nearest designated shelters.

He had already slain a Great Old One; what was there to fear from an earthquake?

He shook his head, ignored the evacuation sites mentioned in the news, and went straight back to Room 426. He drew the curtains, collapsed onto his bed, and fell asleep.

Somewhere between wakefulness and slumber, he vaguely heard a commotion outside. Not long after, the dorm door was kicked open, and several wailing voices erupted at once.

"Boss! You're back! Boss, wake up! You can't die on us, Boss!"

Shaken awake, Wu Chang sat up and grumbled, "What are you idiots howling about? Keep it up and none of you will get any sleep tonight!"

The one shaking his bed the hardest was He Wei, the youngest of the group—the "Fourth" in their room. Known as the "Emperor of Seeds," he was the group’s spiritual mentor for naive youth and a human database of adult imagery. He had a square face, a neat buzz cut, and a professional, composed aura that made him look like a model class representative. Only those who knew him well understood that appearances could be deceiving. The hidden folders on his computer were enough to make even a Great Old One curse; Wu Chang had relied on those very folders to keep his composure during his standoff with Leman.

"Boss, I don't know how you can sleep," said a bespectacled man standing 1.88 meters tall, with chest muscles like steel plates and arms as thick as thighs. "Things were a total mess out there. While you were gone, Number Two almost got beaten to death."

This was Gao Xuezhong, the "Third" in their room, a straight-A student and the top of his grade. He had just passed the preliminary exam for his postgraduate studies at Yan University. He was as skilled with his brain as he was with his brawn—a literal "Newton of Physics." During the period when Wu Chang was transforming his physique to vent the frustrations of a sports student, it was Gao Xuezhong who had guided him through his weightlifting routines.

Wu Chang frowned and looked toward the door. Fang Hui, the "Second," was standing there with a bandage wrapped around his forehead and his left arm in a sling, baring his teeth as he waved.

"What happened?"

Fang Hui sighed. "Man, I ran into a lunatic."

After hearing their brief account, Wu Chang finally understood what had transpired. Shortly after he had entered the Moonlight Sanitarium, Wanghai City issued the earthquake warning, and several universities began high-priority evacuations. The management of the evacuation was extremely strict; the moment the responsible departments arrived, mobile signals were jammed. Fang Hui had just managed to call Wu Chang when the connection was cut.

Along with the authorities, students from several universities and various company employees were sent to an underground shelter. Before today, many locals didn't even know such a facility existed beneath Wanghai City.

At first, things were calm, but the situation soon deteriorated. People began whispering—some claimed a massive earthquake was imminent, while others insisted it was a sign of the apocalypse, saying that those left behind were merely cannon fodder and the wealthy had already fled. Usually, people would have dismissed such absurd rumors as jokes, but under the prevailing atmosphere, many couldn't help but believe them.

Half an hour after the rumors began, people started getting agitated and demanding to leave. After being blocked by guards several times, some suffered mental breakdowns and began attacking everyone around them indiscriminately.

The unlucky Fang Hui had been a casualty of this when he went to the restroom. A madman dragged him into a stall and beat him mercilessly. If a policewoman hadn't happened to pass by, heard his screams, and rushed in to subdue the attacker, Fang Hui might well have been beaten to death.

In the past, Wu Chang wouldn't have thought much of it, but knowing about the Abyss Game now, he couldn't help but be suspicious. Though he had no proof, he had a gut feeling that Wanghai City's unnatural snowfall and the strange evacuation measures were inextricably linked to the Abyss Game. Given the player ID numbers, the number of players in the Abyss Game was certainly not small; there was no way the authorities weren't aware of its existence.

What kind of department were these officials, then? And what was their attitude toward Abyss Game players?

As Wu Chang pondered this, Fang Hui chimed in, "To celebrate my survival, I'm treating everyone to skewers at the North Gate!"

Fang Hui’s family was involved in business, making him a minor "second-generation" heir. It was the end of the month, and with everyone else living on a tight budget, they weren't about to turn down a free meal from a wealthy friend.

Wu Chang: "All expenses tonight are on Young Master Fang!"

Gao Xuezhong shouted, "Young Master Fang is generous!"

He Wei: "Oh, foster father, please accept this kowtow from your child!"

Fang Hui gestured with his hands, "Rise, my loyal subjects."

At 8:00 PM, at the North Gate skewer stall, the group ate and drank until 2:00 AM. They had all had a bit to drink, and He Wei, having the lowest tolerance, was the first to surrender, now being carried on Gao Xuezhong’s back. Fang Hui’s tolerance was slightly better but limited, so Wu Chang helped him walk.

Tipsy, Fang Hui became talkative. He looked up at the sky and slurred, "Boss, honestly, when that lunatic had me cornered in the bathroom, I saw my life flashing before my eyes. While I was struggling not to get shoved into the toilet, I started thinking about the meaning of life. In that daze, I saw someone."

Wu Chang raised an eyebrow. "You took a liking to that policewoman?"

Room 426 was full of surprises. Besides being wealthy, Fang Hui was famous for his romantic luck—though it was always disastrous. Over his four years of college, Fang Hui had dated over a dozen girlfriends, each one possessing some "special talent." Stalkers and obsessive, unstable types were the norm. In the second semester of his junior year, he had dated a foreign-born Chinese woman and was even discussing marriage abroad, only for her to suddenly vanish. It was only later, when the authorities showed up, that he learned she was an international fugitive. Every time Fang Hui found a new girlfriend, Wu Chang and the others would exclaim, "There's always a bigger fish!" After all that, the fact that Fang Hui hadn't lost hope in love made him a "romantic saint" in their eyes.

Fang Hui continued, "We only exchanged contact information; nothing’s set in stone yet. I was talking about my late uncle. He said something to me that made me suddenly realize the truth."

"Life is short, and it could end at any moment. I want to spend my youth doing what I truly want, so that when I'm old and lying in a hospital bed, I won't regret wasting my youth."

"What did your uncle say to you?" Wu Chang asked curiously.

"He told me: 'What you love is your life.'"

Wu Chang: "..."

"Is your uncle... a normal person?"

As they strolled through the streets, still feeling the effects of the alcohol, they passed by White Water Bay near the school. He Wei, who had been riding on Gao Xuezhong’s back, suddenly straightened up and pointed into the distance.

"Look, is that some idiot running around naked over there?"

Wu Chang and the others looked over and saw a bald, muscular man on the beach of White Water Bay, wearing nothing but his underwear, jogging in the -14°C cold.

"Looks like it. This guy is even more hyped than Hui is. Maybe he just survived a brush with death too?"

"Maybe he's just a winter swimming enthusiast."

"Where's my phone? I'll film this and post a short video; it’ll probably go viral."

The bald man overheard their chatter and picked up his pace, disappearing from their sight with speed comparable to Usain Bolt before they could even pull out their phones.

The next morning, Wu Chang was woken up by his phone ringing. He squinted at the screen: Saturday, 9:15 AM. The contact name read "HR."

"Mr. Wu, there was an incident yesterday that caused the interview to be canceled. We are very sorry. Would you be able to..."

He hung up before the HR representative could finish. They had just gone through a city-wide evacuation yesterday, and they were already resuming interviews today? Were people really this oblivious, or were they just not afraid at all?

But that wasn't the point. The point was, they had promised a two-day weekend, so why was someone working on a Saturday? Was the evacuation considered a "shift adjustment"?

Get lost!

If Fang Hui could gain a new perspective on life after a single assault, what about him, having just survived a nine-deaths-in-one-life ordeal in the dungeon?

The Abyss Game concerned the future of humanity and the entire Blue Star. As long as he could become a veteran player, he would have everything he needed. Why bother being a nuclear-powered workhorse for someone else?

He climbed out of bed, washed up, left the dorm, and found a quiet corner on campus. After a night of rest, he had fully shaken off the tension from the Moonlight Sanitarium.

Now, as an official player, it was time to see what the true Abyss Game had in store.

He looked at the Official Player Pass that had appeared in his attribute panel and selected "Enter Crimson Courtyard."