Chapter 2

On the other side.

The crowd had already recovered from their initial shock and no longer doubted what the man in sunglasses had said earlier.

This retinal projection technology without any external devices was far beyond the level of existing technology they knew.

Even if it were a prank by some high-tech organization, as unarmed ordinary people, they had no means to resist. It would be better to cooperate obediently to avoid unnecessary suffering.

"The right-side dialogue box is the mission bar, which generally indicates what you need to do next, and also serves as a prompt to return to the real world."

The man in sunglasses licked his lips; the dry air of the Gobi Desert made his throat very uncomfortable.

Upon hearing the word "return," everyone subconsciously held their breath, afraid to miss a single word from the man in sunglasses.

Luo Jie also glanced at the right-side dialogue box on the main panel.

—【Intruder in the Zombie Siege】 (Survival).

Below it was a countdown timer.

71:35:45.

Exactly the same as in his memory.

"You are very lucky to encounter the simplest survival mission on your first entry into the illusion. As long as you protect yourself within the specified time limit, you will naturally be able to leave here when the time comes."

The man in sunglasses seemed unwilling to explain further. After saying this, he threw the mini loudspeaker back to the young guide and walked straight along the road toward the city at the end of his line of sight.

Beside the road was a sign with peeling paint, the loose metal plates clattering in the wind.

Welcome_to_Fortune_City.

Welcome to Fortune City.

...

Fortune City.

It was more like a large entertainment and shopping center situated in the vast Gobi Desert than a city.

When the crowd, enduring the scorching midday sun, finally reached the outskirts of Fortune City, they found that it had already become a paradise for zombies.

Hundreds of zombies shuffled aimlessly on the vast square in front of the main gate, like ragged drunkards. Occasionally, a few were attracted by the sound of the wind and stumbled after the garbage, their rotten throats emitting low, resentful growls.

The terrifying scene that had previously only appeared in movies and TV shows was now vividly displayed before them. Everyone's faces changed dramatically, and a few timid women almost screamed, but were quickly silenced by their companions.

"Big Brother Sunglasses, what should we do now?"

The speaker was a young man with a decent appearance named Jia Shuai, who was said to be the student council president of a university, accompanied by other student council members from the same school.

Whether out of habit or some hidden motive, this person had been openly and covertly trying to win people's hearts and gain leadership of the entire group.

In fact, he later succeeded.

In his previous life, Jia Shuai not only became the leader of this group but also manipulated the others through threats or inducements, executing his so-called "plan" and using others' lives to gain his first pot of gold in the illusion.

"We?" Hearing Jia Shuai's question, the man in sunglasses turned to look at him, shaking his finger calmly and saying, "Young man, don't get it wrong. It's you, not us."

"What do you mean, Big Brother Sunglasses?" Jia Shuai was clearly taken aback, sensing the underlying meaning in the man's words.

"Everyone is smart, so let's not say things too directly and hurt each other's feelings."

The man in sunglasses leisurely lit a cigarette, and a series of light blue grids, like 3D models, appeared around his body, transforming him into a soldier in dark green jungle camouflage.

However, this soldier's equipment was rather poor. Apart from a bulletproof vest that looked decent, his only weapon was a half-meter-long black machete.

"Let me give you one more piece of advice—once you have accumulated 100 points, remember to upgrade your rank first. It will improve your physical attributes and increase your chances of survival."

"Good luck, poor rookies."

With that, the man in sunglasses threw away the cigarette butt, stood up from behind the cover, and walked toward the zombie crowd on the square, not forgetting to give them a thumbs-up as he turned his back.

"Damn!"

Jia Shuai angrily tore off the yellow sun hat with "XX Travel Agency" printed on it and threw it to the ground.

He had been trying to build a relationship with the man in sunglasses, hoping to use the other's strength to gain some benefits for himself, or at least seek some protection. He never expected that the man in sunglasses would simply abandon everyone, including himself.

Luo Jie couldn't help but sneer inwardly.

Experienced players were never kind-hearted. Not taking advantage of new players was already considered having a bottom line. Jia Shuai's attempt to use others for his own benefit was truly reckless.

"He... how could he just leave? What should we do now?"

Seeing the man in sunglasses charge into the main gate of Fortune City with just a machete, the crowd immediately panicked.

"Everyone, I have a plan."

It had to be said that Jia Shuai was a person with leadership skills. After a brief moment of panic, he quickly regained his composure and began to try to control the group's discourse, leveraging the influence he had built up.

"I observed that these zombies are only scary in appearance, but they move very slowly. If we select a few fast runners to temporarily lure them away, the rest can safely enter the city."

Everyone looked at each other, and in all fairness, it was a good idea. The problem was who would go to lure the zombies?

Seeing no one volunteer, Jia Shuai sighed as if in resignation and said, "Let's draw lots, excluding the elderly and children."

He then asked a few girls for some cotton swabs and marked five of them with a little red nail polish.

The results were soon out, with four men and one woman drawing the red swabs.

The high school girl immediately broke down, collapsing on the ground and sobbing.

The man in the million-dollar suit was also among them. Seeing the red swab in his hand, his face changed drastically, and he threw it to the ground, saying, "Damn! Who the hell do you think you are? Why should I be the cannon fodder while you all sit back and enjoy the benefits?"

Jia Shuai ignored the man's curses and looked at the others with a relieved expression, asking calmly, "Does anyone have any objections to the drawing results? Should we do it again?"

Everyone shook their heads.

No way, they had barely avoided being cannon fodder; who would want to do it again? What if they drew the red swab next time?

"You see, it's not that I'm not giving you this chance, but it's the collective decision."

Jia Shuai walked up to the man in the suit with a gentle smile, straightened his collar, and suddenly kicked him hard, sending him to the ground. He then grabbed the man's hair, lifting his head and said with a sinister look, "I hate people who break the rules the most. Since you don't want to be a hero, you can stay here and fend for yourself... Da Xiong, Miner, tie this trash up!"

Jia Shuai's sudden change in demeanor left the man in the suit completely stunned. By the time he realized what was happening and tried to beg for mercy, it was too late.

Two strong boys pounced on him, pinning him to the ground and tying his limbs behind his back with a climbing rope, and covering his mouth with several layers of transparent tape.

It had to be said that Jia Shuai's move was very clever.

By using the lottery to make most people beneficiaries, he could then use the so-called rules to punish those who refused to follow his orders. This way, most people would have to stand on his side to protect their interests, and he could establish his authority in the group by making an example of someone.

Luo Jie, in his previous life, only thought Jia Shuai was ruthless. It wasn't until a few years later, after experiencing more, that he gradually understood the deeper meaning behind Jia Shuai's actions.

"It's really a pity. The task that should have been done by five people now falls on you four... Any questions?"

Jia Shuai's smile was as gentle as ever, almost like a warm-hearted idol, but to the four selected, it was like seeing a demon baring its fangs.

"No... no questions." The four shook their heads, even the high school girl, who had been on the ground, got up in fear.

Going as bait still gave them a chance to survive, but being tied up and left in the scorching, dry desert would mean certain death within 24 hours.

They all had a clear understanding of their choices.

"Three... two... one!"

As the countdown ended, the four selected people clenched their teeth and rushed out of cover, scattering to their assigned areas according to the plan.

The zombies on the square, attracted by the scent of flesh and blood, let out hoarse growls and shuffled toward the four people.

"Run! Run fast! Lure them into the desert!"

To be honest, Jia Shuai's plan was not flawed, but he overestimated the psychological resilience of the four selected.

Faced with the surrounding zombies, the four were completely terrified and forgot Jia Shuai's instructions, only thinking of running for their lives, without considering how many zombies were following them.

The high school girl, in her panic, was cornered and quickly overwhelmed by the swarm of zombies, her screams of agony barely audible.

"Damn pigs!"

Jia Shuai's face also changed. He knew that cursing wouldn't solve anything and had to act decisively.

"We can't wait any longer. Everyone, follow me and charge in!"

While saying "follow me," Jia Shuai used the act of helping an elderly person to fall back a few steps from the front.

Luo Jie, who had only focused on escaping in his previous life, now observed every move Jia Shuai made.

No wonder Jia Shuai had climbed the player rankings and become the vice president of his guild in his previous life. Just this one move of being thick-skinned and ruthless was something Luo Jie knew he couldn't do.

Even if the crowd was foolish, they knew the original plan had failed. They immediately rushed out of cover, following the chaotic crowd and sprinting toward the main gate of Fortune City, a hundred meters away.

Such a large group of people could not avoid attracting the attention of the zombies. Apart from the small group that had been lured away, the hundreds of other zombies immediately turned and rushed toward the center of the square.