Chapter 77

Chapter 77

The hot spring hotel was built on a mountain, and there weren’t many restaurants to choose from in the surrounding area.

So, Sang Chenhao and the others found a hotpot restaurant on the commercial street at the foot of the mountain.

When Xing Shi arrived, Feng Zifan and the others had only just gotten there shortly before him, and they were somewhat surprised to see him.

They had booked a private room, and the location of the hotpot restaurant along with the room number had all been sent in the WeChat group. It was easy for Xing Shi to find them. However, their hotpot gathering didn’t include the couple. Although Xing Shi was also in the group, he hadn’t participated in the discussion. They all assumed he was having dinner with Fu Xiuning.

Sang Chenhao glanced behind him, “Did the boss not come?”

Xing Shi closed the door of the private room, “He had work. He was afraid I’d get bored waiting alone, so he insisted on having his bodyguards send me to find you guys.”

Both Sang Chenhao and Li Yu had heard about the proposal from Feng Zifan, so they understood upon hearing this.

Having gone through a round of “heart-to-heart” talks at noon, they grew somewhat suspicious of the situation. But since the main system had issued an order, they were willing to see the outcome through.

Li Yu asked, “Have you eaten?”

Xing Shi pulled out a chair and sat down, “I’ve already eaten.”

He looked at the steaming hotpot in front of him and said, “But I can eat a little more.”

Feng Zifan smiled, “I’ll go get the dipping sauce; I’ll get a bowl for you too.”

When the dipping sauces were brought back and the dishes were all served, the four of them started to enjoy the hotpot.

Xing Shi casually ate a few dishes and used his energy to check if 99's block was active.

This program was set up by the main system. They were worried that in the private chat channel, they would be able to see if 99 had really activated the block. To be safe, they proactively entered the blackout room the first time they were summoned, to avoid giving anything away.

After enough time had passed, they could emerge. The first thing 99 did was check various messages and report to Xing Shi, “It still hasn’t mentioned what it plans to do tonight.”

Xing Shi responded with a “Hmm,” and instructed it to ask proactively.

After understanding the directive, 99 resurfaced.

Yan Kong Wan Sui: “Sorry, my host locked me in the blackout room [crying]”

The other two systems quickly responded.

All Are Concubines: “Is this over now?”

Gong Xi Fa Cai: “Did you make up?”

Yan Kong Wan Sui: “Not yet, just taking a breather... I'm still working on persuading him.”

All Are Concubines: “Ugh.”

Gong Xi Fa Cai: “Can you still manage to get here?”

Yan Kong Wan Sui: “I’ll try my best [sobbing]”

The main system watched coldly, thinking how useless it was.

Seeing that it wasn’t responding to him, 99 sent a private message, “His resolve is weakening; we should reach the hot spring hotel tonight. Do you need us to do anything?”

Main System: "We'll figure it out when you arrive."

99 repeated what the Main System said to Xing Shi.

Xing Shi stayed calm: "No need to rush, let's wait a little longer."

But even after they finished eating, there was still no activity in the group chat.

99 was confused: "He called us all here, but hasn’t given any instructions? Could it be that each person has a different task, and he’s contacting them privately?"

Xing Shi speculated: "Maybe not."

99 asked: "Then what is he going to do?"

Xing Shi: "We'll know soon."

They paid the bill and left the hotpot restaurant.

Both Sang Chenhao and Li Yu had driven to the location. The former asked, "Li, can you handle driving on the mountain road tonight?"

Li Yu replied calmly: "I can."

Sang Chenhao smiled and followed her: "Great, I can't. I'll hitch a ride in your car."

Before he could say more, Xing Shi signaled Feng Zifan to get into his car.

Feng Zifan immediately agreed.

After agreeing, he remembered the system in his mind and said, "Sorry, I forgot to ask for your opinion first. I agreed without thinking. It seems awkward to take it back now."

The Main System wasn’t bothered: "Just be more careful next time."

Feng Zifan breathed a sigh of relief: "Okay."

He got into Xing Shi's car.

Based on what happened earlier, Feng Zifan guessed that Xing Shi and Fu Xiuning had likely figured out who Sang Chenhao and the others were. Now that everyone had gathered, it was clear that Fu Xiuning's proposal wasn't going to be a simple affair.

He had hoped Xing Shi called him over to drop some hints, but after waiting, he saw no sign of that.

He asked: "Is the boss done with work?"

Xing Shi replied: "Yes, he sent me a message to meet him at the hotel."

He looked at Feng Zifan: "I have to take care of my brother. I won’t be able to keep an eye on you. You’ve been training all day, enjoy the hot springs. It’s a rare day off, make the most of it. In a few days, when we’re back for promotions, you won’t get this chance."

Feng Zifan wasn’t sure if this was a way to tell him not to worry, but he smiled and agreed.

Xing Shi understood Feng Zifan’s concerns but wasn’t intending to drop any hints.

He just needed to know that the Main System was with Feng Zifan, and everything else would proceed according to plan.

The reason he gathered everyone, just like showing up at the hotpot restaurant, was simply to act like an outsider. That way, they wouldn’t be too open and might avoid talking about the host.

After all, if Sang Chenhao and the others asked about 99's true host and received the answer "Yu Yi," they might recall the scene where Yu Yi had a breakdown and think of Yan Feng. If they got curious and asked a question, things could easily be exposed.

Even if the Shang Shang Qian can't be used to betray him, he still needs to be cautious about the carefully planted mole.

However, simply preventing them from talking isn't enough to guarantee safety.

The main system delegated the punishment mechanism to the system and gave the host the authority to use the system's energy, to create a balance of power. But the main system itself would not limit itself and would freely use the network.

Its perception outside the world is limited, but inside it can use the network. If it discovers the time of death for Yu Shu and Yan Feng, and compares it with the offline time of the Shang Shang Qian and the later arrival, it could see something is off.

Though it arrogantly regards the system and hosts as worker ants and wouldn't waste energy on such trivial matters, nothing is certain. If they are unlucky, the main system might discover the truth as soon as it arrives.

In that case, the Shang Shang Qian would definitely try to struggle; it just depends on how long they can hold out.

On their side, as soon as they learn the main system has entered the fray, they will immediately lure it into a trap. Everything is about racing against time.

The two cars entered the mountain road, one after the other.

The hot spring hotel was halfway up the mountain, not far from here.

Sang Chenhao peered ahead at the dim road and asked, "Is Li Yu a native?"

Li Yu replied, "Yes, and you?"

Sang Chenhao said, "I'm not, but my previous world was quite similar to this one, with comparable technology levels."

Li Yu, having learned about the situation of the transported hosts from the system, was somewhat surprised. "You can remember?"

Sang Chenhao said, "A little."

Li Yu asked, "What did you do before?"

Sang Chenhao recalled, "I was also a star, and I enjoyed gaming. I had a teammate who played well."

Li Yu commented, "Then your skills are relevant."

Sang Chenhao smiled. "Yes."

He softly reflected, "Tonight might finally bring an end to my journey in this alternate world. I wonder what the main system is planning. To be honest, the tasks it assigned a few days ago were really dangerous. I was worried Xing Shi would be taken out. If it were me, I definitely wouldn't have been able to avoid it."

Li Yu, recalling the videos Xing Shi had uploaded, responded with a soft "Hmm."

Sang Chenhao asked curiously, "Why do you think the driver is still alive?"

Li Yu offered the system's explanation. "I'm not sure, maybe he signed a deal with the main system."

Sang Chenhao said, "If there was a deal, why did he come forward to expose it?"

Li Yu said, "Maybe he forgot?"

Sang Chenhao laughed in agreement. "Right, just like how I signed a deal with the main system to come to this world and complete tasks, I don't remember the details either."

Li Yu finally couldn't help but glance at him. "Is that so?"

Sang Chenhao said, "Yes, but most hosts who are transported don't have memories. I'm lucky to be able to recall a few things."

The car slowly drove into the hotel's parking lot.

Sang Chenhao observed, "There are quite a few cars. Looks like people really enjoy soaking in hot springs during winter."

He unbuckled his seatbelt. "With so many people, it's easy for things to get chaotic. Li Yu, your fame is higher than ours, so it's probably best not to go out tonight."

Li Yu's heart skipped a beat as she glanced at him.

Sang Chenhao gave her a slight smile and opened the door to get out of the car.

The hotel was in a traditional Chinese courtyard style and covered a large area, complete with all sorts of ponds.

This area, including the nearby resort villas, belonged to the Fu family. The villa zone had only recently been developed, so there were few residents.

The main draw here was its seamless integration with nature. The standalone villas were spaced far apart, with little human presence, emphasizing tranquility.

Xing Shi bid farewell to Sang Chenhao and the others, saying he needed to find a place to wait for Fu Xiuning.

Ten minutes later, Feng Zifan received a call from Fu Xiuning, who asked him to come over to help with something. He immediately agreed and got into the bodyguards' car.

Meanwhile, Xing Shi took an internal route to quickly meet up with Fu Xiuning.

He asked 99 and found out there was still no activity in the group chat. He relayed this information to Fu Xiuning.

Fu Xiuning exchanged a glance with him, and both guessed the main system's plan.

The world had its own rules of operation, and the main system couldn't do too much here. Otherwise, they wouldn't have tried to force it out.

Its current limit was using energy to control humans, temporarily boosting their speed and strength—this was bound to be a one-time use.

Since hosts have varying personalities and abilities, immediate coordination often led to errors.

So now, it didn't give orders in the group chat. If it wasn't through private messages, it didn't expect them to do anything. The only reason it called them over was probably to use them as backup vessels.

Fu Xiuning squeezed his hand. "It'll only be for a moment."

Xing Shi nodded.

Feng Zifan stepped out of the car and surveyed the villa ahead.

Though unclear about Fu Xiuning's plan, knowing the enemy was a system made him feel compelled to gather intel. He asked in his mind, "Can I ask a question?"

The main system replied, "Proceed."

Feng Zifan said, "What do you plan to do with Xing Shi and the others? I know there are things you can't tell me, but Xing Shi is my friend. If you don't harm him, I'm willing to help you voluntarily."

The main system said, "You've already helped."

Feng Zifan's steps halted. "...What?"

Before he could finish his sentence, everything around him suddenly went dark.

A massive surge of energy surged into his body, instantly dulling his senses and perception.

The world around him darkened.

The main system easily took over his body, snorting coldly, "Trying to outsmart me."

Drawing on the data gathered throughout the day, it swiftly adopted Feng Zifan's expression and sifted through his memories for any useful information as it kept moving.

A few seconds later, it suddenly saw the gas cloud that exploded when Yu Shu died, sensing something was off. The energy instantly connected to the network and then withdrew.

Beyond this world, Shang Shang Qian and another entity were pinpointed by the main system's energy and simultaneously heard a cold voice: "Come here."