Qing Li returned to her room and, after taking a hot bath, collapsed into bed and fell asleep.
Her life revolved around two major things: deceiving and swindling her way through food, drink, and entertainment, and the other was sleeping.
Lying on the soft, plush bed, Qing Li slept deeply and completely, so much so that even the sound of the system’s broadcast did not wake her.
“Task initiated, Player No. 90, please prepare yourself.”
During the time she slept, her ranking had changed once again.
“Task countdown…”
“10”
…
“3”
“2”
“1”
…
In a sealed white room, the six selected players scrutinized each other.
“It seems like no one else is coming,” a man with fox-like eyes spoke first. He had a handsome appearance and a deep, magnetic voice that immediately made him the center of attention among the group.
“You are…”
Zhou Ya’s gaze at the man shifted from shock to delight.
If she wasn’t mistaken, this man was Wen Yi, ranked 14th in the live-stream rankings.
“Hello, I am No. 14, Wen Yi. I’ve completed 13 tasks,” the man extended his hand, flashing a charming smile.
“Hello, I am Zhou Ya, No. 70. I’ve completed 4 tasks in total.”
Zhou Ya shook his hand in a daze, seemingly still unable to believe her luck at being grouped with someone from the top rankings.
Hearing the man’s self-introduction, the other players were equally stunned.
A man with a cast on his wrist introduced himself in a gruff voice: “I’m No. 43, Chen Dalei. I’ve completed 8 tasks.”
Behind him was a cute-looking girl, who spoke shyly, “I’m No. 66, Huang Lina. I’ve completed 5 tasks.”
“No. 87, Ma Yue. I’ve only completed one task—please carry me, bosses!” Ma Yue’s hair was dyed in a mix of colors, and in the real world, he was a flashy guy who made short videos and did trendy hand gestures. He never expected to be unlucky enough to be chosen for the horror live stream.
“No. 79, Wang Tingting. I’ve completed two tasks. Please take care of me, everyone,” the last girl introduced herself.
“Three men and three women—it seems like this task might require male and female players to pair up,” Wen Yi analyzed, tapping his chin thoughtfully while considering the gender and number of players.
Zhou Ya blushed and was about to suggest teaming up, but No. 66 player Huang Lina beat her to it. “Then can I team up with Brother Wen Yi? Don’t worry, I won’t drag you down.”
“Of course,” Wen Yi replied with a smile.
“Yay!” Huang Lina cheered, making a victory gesture.
Next to her, Zhou Ya’s expression turned ugly. She had been just about to speak, only for this green tea girl to beat her to it.
“Then can I team up with Brother Dalei?” Zhou Ya reluctantly shifted her attention to No. 43 Chen Dalei.
Although the man’s wrist was in a cast, he was still a strong player who had completed 8 tasks. No matter what, he was far better than that flashy guy with dyed hair.
However, Chen Dalei responded bluntly, “You’re too ugly. I’ll team up with No. 79.”
Zhou Ya’s already grim expression darkened further.
Wang Tingting said nothing but moved to stand behind Chen Dalei, silently accepting their partnership.
The only one left unpaired was Ma Yue. Grinning, he said, “Big sis, nobody wants you, and nobody wants me either. Looks like the two of us will have to make do together.”
Zhou Ya: “…”
The group temporarily finalized their teams and waited for the blood-red words to appear on the wall.
At that moment, however, a sudden flash of white light filled the enclosed room. When the light faded, the players were all stunned.
On the floor lay a woman sprawled out in an unflattering position. Her eyes were tightly shut, a thin trail of drool glistened at the corner of her lips, and her thin sleepwear clung to her skin, outlining her slender, delicate figure.
“Welcome, Player No. 90.”
The system’s deafening broadcast echoed in the room, yet the woman on the floor remained sound asleep, like a lifeless pig.
[Eh? What’s up with the little village girl? Why is she lying motionless on the floor?]
[After careful observation, plus applying the Pythagorean theorem, trigonometric functions, quantum differentiation, and a comprehensive analysis of which excavator brand is the best—the little village girl is asleep!]
[The commenter above will stop at nothing to pad their word count. Hah, tui (spits).]
[Little village girl, wake up! Someone’s stealing your money!]
[Little village girl, wake up! Someone’s giving you money!]
The live-stream chat exploded as viewers began their collective efforts to “wake her up.”
“It’s her?”
Chen Dalei, the man with the cast, recognized Qing Li the moment he saw her. His expression darkened.
This woman—this wretched woman who had broken his wrist—was here for the same task? A cruel smile crept onto his lips as he quietly approached Qing Li, his uninjured hand slowly balling into a fist.
“Hey, No. 90, wake up.”
To avoid unnecessary trouble, he cautiously called out first. If the wretched woman didn’t respond, he’d punch her head in and settle the score for the humiliation and broken wrist she had caused him.
“What do you want?”
Qing Li’s eyes suddenly snapped open, revealing a pair of pitch-black, hollow pupils that seemed like bottomless abysses. She stared at Chen Dalei with an eerie calmness.
Chen Dalei’s dark complexion turned a shade paler, beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead. Stammering, he muttered, “The… the floor is cold. Be careful… you’ll catch a… chill.”
[Little village girl, don’t trust him! This guy just clenched his fist—he was clearly planning to ambush you!]
[This man is no good. I’ve seen his live stream before—he’s always selling out his teammates. Total snake.]
[Judging by how scared he looks now, I’m pretty sure his broken wrist is the little village girl’s handiwork.]
The live-stream viewers were quick to piece together the truth.
Qing Li, of course, didn’t believe a word from Chen Dalei. Though she had been sleeping like a log, her instincts would immediately wake her if she sensed danger.
Noticing his guilty retreat, Qing Li didn’t hesitate. She swung a fist directly at his jaw.
“Boom—”
Chen Dalei flew through the air, crashing into the pristine white wall with a heavy thud.
“Wow, what a fierce woman,” exclaimed Ma Yue, the rainbow-haired guy. He shuddered in fear and immediately scurried far away.
“You-you-you… what right do you have to hit me?” Chen Dalei spat out the words, his front teeth knocked loose, eyes brimming with resentment as he coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Qing Li rubbed her sleepy eyes and smiled lazily. “You woke me up.”
Chen Dalei involuntarily shivered, his indignation caught in his throat. “…”
“No. 90, No. 43 was just trying to wake you up. How can you hit someone so casually?” Zhou Ya stepped forward, her tone carrying a slight reprimand as she looked at Qing Li.
“Whether it was well-intentioned or malicious, I don’t think you’re qualified to decide.” Qing Li’s eyes narrowed, her gaze falling on Chen Dalei like a sharp blade, exuding a palpable sense of threat.
Although Chen Dalei had survived eight live-stream missions, in front of Qing Li, he seemed utterly cowed, like a grandson before his grandmother. Shaking his head frantically, he stammered, “I-I wasn’t well-intentioned! I’m a scoundrel, a beast! Please, Granny, have mercy on me and let this slide!”
“See? Even he admitted it himself,” Qing Li said, folding her arms across her chest and raising an eyebrow.
Zhou Ya, who had been trying to stir up trouble, clenched her teeth in frustration but swallowed her words, unwillingly falling silent.