Chapter 229 Chen Xi’s Proposal

Chapter 229 Chen Xi's Proposal

"Bang!"

Hearing the wooden door suddenly slam shut behind her, Big Sister Meng Zhi was startled. She immediately turned around and tried to open it, but no matter how hard she twisted the doorknob or pushed, the reception room door remained unyielding, as if locked from the outside.

"The orientation session will last three hours. Please remain patiently and harmoniously inside the reception room." The same voice from the intercom echoed from beyond the door, followed by the creaking sound of a wooden chair being dragged across the floor.

All signs indicated that both the earlier intercom voice and whatever had locked the reception room door were likely the security guard from the security booth.

Realizing that no one could leave the reception room for the time being, the gathered players grew visibly anxious. However, this was the Nightmare Game, so such a "game within a game" was hardly surprising. Rather than useless anxiety, they needed to focus on how to safely pass the three hours and uncover more clues related to the game.

Once inside, Su Bai ignored everything else. After glancing at Sang Sang, who was already seated on a single-seater sofa, and Yao Qing and Yue Zhengqing sitting opposite each other on a longer sofa, he leaned against the wall and made his way back to the single-seater he had occupied earlier, curling up in the most comfortable position.

Though his feeble appearance seemed odd, he was too affected by the debilitating side effects to care.

Yue Zhengqing and the others didn’t pay Su Bai any mind, but Sang Sang, seated across from him, looked thoughtfully in his direction.

"Quite lacking in manners," remarked Chen Xi, who had come downstairs earlier than the others. She took a seat next to Yao Qing on the sofa. "It seems those sitting on the sofas are either veterans on the seniority ranking or their family members. A newcomer with no seniority sitting here must feel quite uneasy, right?"

Chen Xi wasn’t wrong. Before Su Bai sat down, only Sang Sang, Yue Zhengqing, and the others occupied the sofa area. Though Yao Qing’s precognitive dream ability wasn’t strong, on the surface, he had experienced more Nightmare Games than the others.

Even if Chen Xi’s brother was the leader of a prominent organization, by seniority, she was still just an ordinary newcomer. It wasn’t until Su Bai took a seat that she moved from the corner to sit down.

However, Chen Xi’s tone wasn’t meant to advise or mock Su Bai; her snide remarks seemed directed at the veteran players putting on airs in the reception room.

"We’re all neighbors living harmoniously. There’s no need for so many rules," Sang Sang said with a light laugh. "There are only ten of us playing the game. Must we really divide into a rigid hierarchy?"

"Though you say that, Miss Sang, you gave that 'brother' a strange look when he sat down," Chen Xi gestured toward Su Bai, clearly referring to Boss Su, who was suffering from side effects. "Wasn’t it because he sat down without permission while only veterans were seated? Weren’t you thinking, ‘Does he have some trump card that allows him to sit as an equal with the veterans?’"

"Does Leader Chen Hai’s sister enjoy speculating about others’ thoughts?" Sang Sang retorted, seemingly reminding Chen Xi that she had also invoked her brother’s status during her introduction.

"By deliberately bringing up how I mentioned my brother’s name in my introduction, are you admitting that you’re just like me, throwing your weight around?" Chen Xi looked amused. "I throw my weight around because of my full-blooded brother's influence. But if you all are really throwing your weight around, what are you relying on? That forum's seniority rankings?"

"Miss Chen, you’re exaggerating," Yue Zhengqing said, holding Xiao Xiaodie close. Watching the two women—both of whom he couldn’t afford to offend—suddenly clash, or rather, Chen Xi picking a fight, he quickly intervened before the conflict spread. "We’re not throwing our weight around. We just arrived at the reception room earlier than others."

"Did I say you were throwing your weight around? I said ‘if,’ didn’t I?" Chen Xi shrugged innocently.

"Miss Chen, are you affected by that earlier force?" Yao Qing, sitting upright, turned to Chen Xi with a people-pleaser's expression. "Whenever that force appears, strange thoughts flood my mind too. For example, I just bought a matrimonial home in the real world and am still paying the mortgage, yet I’m about to be laid off. Even with my precognitive dream ability, it doesn’t tell me the next lottery numbers. It’s just awful."

"I thought I was fine, but after that force appeared, I started resenting my boss who wants to fire me, my colleagues who mock me as useless... even my father-in-law and mother-in-law who pressured me into buying a home beyond my means... Haha, this might sound strange, but when affected by that force, terrifying thoughts uncontrollably fill my mind."

"Uncle, have you considered that those thoughts might not have much to do with that force?" Chen Xi continued bluntly. "Maybe those thoughts were already in your head?"

"Don’t worry, I’m not a good person by nature, and ability-wise, I’m just a novice affected by that oppressive force. But my mind isn’t filled with such messy thoughts," Chen Xi adjusted her slightly rumpled black-and-white Lolita-style dress. "The secret might be that I say whatever I want, unlike boring adults who keep everything bottled up, thinking it’s maturity, only to turn into devils filled with resentment because of that force."

"Some even shift blame for their own inherent dark thoughts onto that force? That’s not what mature adults do," Chen Xi muttered, glancing at the ceiling. But judging by Yao Qing’s pained expression beside her, the well-meaning office worker had been deeply hurt.

"What are you trying to say?" Sang Sang cut off Chen Xi’s tirade, frowning. "You’re making everyone’s relationships run counter to the game’s rules."

"I’m just leading by example," Chen Xi said with a smile. "And suggesting we start a second round of introductions. After all, we have three hours to kill, don’t we?"

"Second introductions?" The other players looked puzzled.

"Hiding separately in our apartments will stall the game. Gathering everyone together stirs up dark thoughts with that strange force. So why not just voice those dark thoughts aloud? Who better to confide in than strangers we’ve just met? We’ll either die together here or leave the game and go our separate ways with each other’s secrets—perfect confidants."

Chen Xi’s expression turned serious.

"As I said, I haven’t experienced the violent, dark thoughts you describe, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have them. It’s just that whether it’s throwing my weight around or other dark thoughts, I prefer to put them into action directly rather than let them fester in my mind."

"So, while we have time, why not voice those dangerous thoughts?" Chen Xi turned to Sang Sang. "Miss Sang, does my proposal run counter to the game’s rules?"

Sang Sang, seated quietly, fell into thought.

Because Chen Xi’s proposal indeed was feasible.