Chapter 1 Jing Yan is Dumbfounded

Jing Yan was dumbfounded.

Could things really be like this?!

Were they all in cahoots?

When a禦jie (an attractive and mature woman), looking like she hadn't slept, yawning, and holding a freshly brewed coffee, came to visit him, Jing Yan didn't know how to react.

He was timid, afraid of being taken out…

"So, you're the one who reported Tengli Group for releasing a death game?"

"I, I'm mentally ill. It's all my imagination. Tengli Group has done nothing wrong!"

"Stop pretending. The surveillance data from their side has been sent over. Oh… your IP address also accessed a picture of a game death case."

"…"

Jing Yan opened his mouth wide, his heart sinking, feeling a deep sense of powerlessness.

In the face of the massive [Internet Association], an official organization, his personal strength was too insignificant, too trivial.

"Will… will I die?" Jing Yan asked, his eyes red, grabbing the iron bars of the prison, his voice hoarse.

"Die? You're a legal citizen. Why would we kill you?"

"I won't be silenced??"

The hope of survival brought Jing Yan back from hell to heaven in an instant.

As long as he could live, he vowed, there would never be a next time, never again would he be curious.

"That depends on how cooperative you are. In any case, we'll keep you locked up for two months for observation."

"Ah? I promise I won't say anything, sister, let me out?"

"Oh? Then call me Sister Ying and let me hear it." Sister Ying elegantly took a sip of coffee.

"Sister Ying! Sister Ying, Sister Ying! Let me out!"

"Not sweet enough, no emotion, not letting you out."

Just then, someone outside shouted, "Sister Ying, time for work! Qiu Dugu, that workaholic, patrolled all night again! The chairman is blaming us for being too lazy!"

As soon as the words fell, Jing Yan saw Sister Ying's face darken, and she angrily poured the coffee into her mouth, about to walk out.

Only then did Jing Yan notice that Sister Ying… had no tongue.

Her coffee went straight into her throat and down into her stomach.

"Wait, wait!! Sister Ying, I'll be obedient, I'll be obedient, I'll listen to everything you say, let me out!"

Tap tap.

Sister Ying stopped and looked back at Jing Yan.

"I'm rushing to work, almost forgot to tell you. Here, food, clothing, shelter, and transportation are all arranged for you, just like being in prison. The only thing you're allowed to do is play the game. But you're absolutely forbidden to mention these things to anyone else, otherwise you wouldn't want… a 'boom' to happen, right?"

Jing Yan's face turned pale, his body trembling.

Of course, he knew what Sister Ying meant by "boom."

But, but…

"But I died in the game…"

"That's right, so you should cherish this little life and become strong enough."

Sister Ying started walking out again, leaving behind a meaningful sentence.

"This world has become so dangerous that it can't take care of everyone's safety anymore. So, good luck, smart young man."

Good luck…

Jing Yan was a little dazed.

He looked at the game watch in his hand.

All his other belongings, except for this game watch, had been taken away, including his phone.

But Jing Yan felt a deep fear about whether to play the game or not.

Just looking at the game watch, he would recall the scene of the yellow-haired man he was video chatting with exploding, repeating endlessly in his mind like a death loop.

Jing Yan observed the prison: a bed, a wardrobe, a toilet, with a showerhead above it.

Opening the wardrobe, it was full of prisoner uniforms, all in standard sizes, some with bloodstains, looking rather unclean.

Emptying his mind, Jing Yan sat on the bed, motionless, feeling like he was dreaming.

Just a day ago, he was sitting in one of the most well-known studios in the game *Blue Sea*, with a happy life and a promising future.

As a result, only a day later, he was locked up in prison, with nothing to do, only allowed to play that death game.

Jing Yan felt that it was a miracle that he hadn't collapsed yet.

"I must persevere! I must persevere! Someone will definitely look for me, whether it's the studio or my family, someone will definitely come looking for me!"

"If they find out…"

Jing Yan's hopeful mood suddenly plummeted.

Because the one imprisoning him was an official organization, someone from the [Internet Association]. Although Jing Yan didn't know them, they should be from the [Internet Association]!

And if an official organization did such a thing, he didn't dare to think about what would happen to those who investigated for him, following his trail here.

At that moment, he prayed that his friends and family would not come looking for him, would not follow his path here.

In this complex mood, a day and a night passed quickly.

During this time, except for someone dressed like a cleaner who put a bowl of rice in front of him, no one else came at all.

Jing Yan resolutely refused to eat. He thought that since the other party was from an official organization, they should at least have some humanity and wouldn't let him starve to death.

He could use this as a condition to negotiate, maybe there would be a turning point.

But soon, the next night, the cleaning aunt came again. Seeing the leftover rice from yesterday on the ground, she turned around and left without hesitation, not even replacing it with fresh rice.

Jing Yan was stunned and endured it, finding that it was still the same.

This time, he quickly shouted, "I'll eat! I'll eat! Don't go! I'm starving!"

Only then did the cleaning aunt have a moment of kindness, giving him a look of disdain as if he were an idiot, not very lethal, but extremely insulting, placing the new rice on the ground.

"Eat."

After saying that, she turned to leave.

Jing Yan became anxious: "Wait! I know you won't let me out, at least improve my meals? Although I often call myself a rice bucket, if you really let me eat just rice, I... I, I'm a bit..."

The cleaning aunt understood Jing Yan's meaning, fumbled on her body, took out a card, and threw it over.

Jing Yan picked it up in confusion and looked at it.

"Houtian (Acquired) Third-Rate Realm: One bowl of rice (medium) + one bowl of vegetables."

"Houtian Second-Rate Realm: One bowl of rice (large) + one bowl of vegetables + one bowl of soup (random)."

"Houtian First-Rate Realm: One bowl of rice (large) + one bowl of meat + one bowl of vegetables + one bowl of soup."

"Xiantian (Innate) Third-Rate Realm: Can see the leader."

"Note 1: Anyone who reaches the Houtian Realm gets one extra chance to add rice every day."

"Note 2: Rice buckets, rice souls, rice is the best, keep it up!"

"Note 3: Upon reaching the Houtian Realm, you can get a customized phone, view the customized tasks of the [United Association], and completing the tasks has extra rewards, such as 1 day of release, requesting external phone calls, going to scenic spots to relax..."

Jing Yan: …

Good heavens!

I'm directly good heavens!