Chapter 6

"Are you going out, right now?"

Wei Jiangyang, the dorm leader, had just finished watching a movie with his girlfriend. It was 9:45 PM when he floated back to the dorm, exuding the sour smell of love. He pushed open the door to see Zhang Heng, dressed in a tracksuit, squatting on the ground and tying his shoelaces.

"Yes, there's an event tonight."

"An event? Could it be a date?" Wei Jiangyang, projecting his own feelings, immediately wore a mysterious smile, as if he understood his brother.

Hearing this, Chen Huadong, who was drinking cola and watching a movie, was shocked. "What, Prince Zhang, isn't the one you like me?"

Ma Wei, the oldest in the dorm, put down his English book and couldn't help but speak up. "Zhang Heng, with your good conditions, it should be easy to find a girlfriend. You're still single, and if we weren't in the same dorm, I would have thought you were gay."

Ma Wei's sigh wasn't without reason. Among the four of them, his family was the poorest. His parents were simple farmers, and during high school, he had a crush on a girl in his class, but he kept it hidden in his heart.

It wasn't until the second semester of their freshman year, when the four of them celebrated his birthday outside, that he got drunk and told the story. Only then did Zhang Heng and the others learn that the girl had come to the same city for college. They all encouraged Ma Wei to confess, but he shook his head and refused.

The other three in the dorm knew about Ma Wei's situation. He had to rely on national scholarships to pay for his tuition and ease the burden on his family. He studied the hardest, spending his days in the library and working part-time as a tutor to earn money, leaving no time for dating.

However, there was little others could do to help. Ma Wei had a strong sense of self-respect. When they went out together, he always refused any offers to cover his expenses.

Zhang Heng patted Ma Wei on the shoulder and said helplessly, "Stop teasing me. It's not a date tonight, and I'm not gay. I just haven't met the right girl yet."

Chen Huadong raised his cola. "When you do, you must let us see her. We want to know what kind of enchantress can win over our dorm prince, Zhang Heng."

...

After finally dealing with the three gossips, it was already 10:05 PM when Zhang Heng walked out of the school gate.

If it weren't for the numbers he found on his right arm while showering, Zhang Heng might have thought that what happened in the maid café this afternoon was just a hallucination.

He had asked the cute maid with cat ears, and she was certain that he was the only one at that table from the moment he entered until he left.

The stylish and cool maid who mixed the drinks also confirmed that she only made one "Forbidden Love" during that time.

"Never doubt a bartender, because every drink is infused with love, and one cannot forget their love," she said coolly.

"..."

To the others in the café, the conversation a few minutes ago seemed to have never happened.

Come to think of it, the man in the Tang suit with a top hat and tie had mentioned that the meeting was forbidden, but he would take care of the problem.

So, Zhang Heng guessed this was likely his solution.

Was it a time loop?

Zhang Heng was becoming more and more curious about who this man was. All his abilities seemed to be related to time, but now wasn't the time to think about such things. He needed to deal with the upcoming game.

After leaving the school, he followed the navigation on Baidu, first taking the subway to an industrial area outside the Fifth Ring Road, then jogging to warm up.

At 10:45 PM, he arrived outside the bar called "Desire City."

The place was a bit remote. On the way, Zhang Heng saw several thugs smoking and eyeing him with ill intent, and a few drunk, scantily clad girls vomiting by the roadside.

Zhang Heng didn't want to cause trouble, so he pulled up his hood and kept a steady pace as he passed them.

The bar was busier than he expected.

"Desire City" was converted from an abandoned factory, covering a large area. The rusted factory walls were covered with bizarre graffiti, and the parking lot was filled with luxury cars and sports cars.

This was the busiest time for the bar, and young people from all over the city were flocking here.

Even before he entered, the deafening music from inside the factory seemed to tear apart one's soul. Zhang Heng frowned. The uninvited guest who had shared the drink with him had emphasized that he shouldn't reveal anything, and he would understand everything as the game progressed, but he had left some vague hints.

No matter what, the organization he was part of must be ancient and secretive. They weren't hosting this kind of game for the first time, yet the world had no idea they existed.

This meant their secrecy was well-maintained.

But now, there were at least 700 to 800 people in the place, with legs and buttocks everywhere, and cool laser lights pulsing with the DJ's beats. If the so-called dangerous game were to start here, Zhang Heng was sure that the next day, TikTok and YouTube would be flooded with videos.

So, was there a typo in the address?

This was a common mistake, especially considering the age of the person who gave it to him. It wasn't too surprising.

Just then, Zhang Heng noticed a shadow above to the right.

Strictly speaking, it wasn't a second floor, but a large container fixed to the west wall with steel structures. A metal ladder led up to it, and at the bottom stood two muscular men in suits and sunglasses.

A few drunk young men and women seemed to want to go up and play, but they were stopped by the two men.

One of the rich kids, who must have come from a wealthy family, threw a handful of cash at the men's faces. When the crowd saw that the young man had thrown hundred-dollar bills, they immediately became agitated and started scrambling for the money.

But the two men didn't react.

The rich kid, used to getting his way, splashed his drink on their faces and tried to charge up. The next moment, no one saw what happened, but his body suddenly flew backward, knocking over several people and a table, and he landed on the ground, bloodied and unconscious.

His companions, seeing this, sobered up instantly. A few of the men tried to say something tough, but they backed off when they saw one of the men calmly wiping his sunglasses. They quickly carried the unconscious rich kid to the parking lot.

After the commotion subsided, the others looked at the two men with a hint of fear and stayed away.

Zhang Heng waited another five minutes, making sure no one was paying attention, then took a deep breath and walked up.

The two men in suits looked at him expressionlessly through their sunglasses, their gaze cold. Zhang Heng felt like he was facing two lions ready to hunt on the savannah, but his composure held. He rolled up his sleeve and showed the numbers on his arm.

He was a bit worried, remembering the rich kid's fate. Although he had guessed that the numbers on his arm were the entry ticket for the game, he couldn't rule out other possibilities.

Fortunately, the worst didn't happen. He didn't end up like the rich kid, flying through the air like a human bowling ball.

After a moment, the two towering figures stepped aside, revealing the path behind them.

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