“Forget it — never mind him. Let’s talk about you all.” Bai Youwei said, “Does Yan Qingwen have a plan yet? Is he close to getting eight people together for the next battle?”

Zhu Shu’s brow furrowed slightly. She looked down. “No… after the Tomorrow Hotel game ended, the Inspector asked him to choose his next battle, and he chose Battle 1.”

Bai Youwei was stunned. “Battle… 1?”

“Yes.” Zhu Shu nodded and said softly, “I think it’s probably because he doesn’t want to drag us into it…”

Bai Youwei understood.

Yan Qingwen had cleared Battle 5, which left only Battle 1, Battle 10, and Battle 20 available to him. Among these battle games, Battle 1 was the only one that permitted a solo participant.

Bai Youwei said, “But… participating in Battle 10 doesn’t mean he’d definitely lose.”

Yan Qingwen didn’t strike her as someone who lacked confidence. So why had he given up so completely?

“He’s worried about encountering a game format like Tomorrow Hotel,” Zhu Shu sighed, explaining to Bai Youwei. “Willard’s teammates were destined by the rules to become the hunted. No matter how hard they prepared, casualties were inevitable. Yan Qingwen is afraid we’d end up in the same position — that no matter how hard we tried to clear it, sacrifices would be unavoidable. So he’d rather just not have us subjects participate at all.”

The “Willard” Zhu Shu referred to was Willard.

In Tomorrow Hotel, Willard’s team had been Robert’s target. No matter how on guard they’d been, deaths were unavoidable.

Yan Qingwen had always placed great importance on his teammates. When you looked at it from the perspective of life and death, giving up the battle did fit his character.

“Even if he participates in Battle 1 this time — what about next time?” Bai Youwei didn’t understand. “For Battle 10 and Battle 20, he’ll still need people.”

Zhu Shu pressed her lips together. “Maybe… he never intended to participate in those last two battles at all.”

Bai Youwei was somewhat taken aback. After a moment’s thought, she gently patted Zhu Shu’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. Yan Qingwen, that crafty old fox — whatever he’s considered, he’s thought it through far more carefully than we have. Since he’s made up his mind, he must have his reasons. Let’s just wait patiently for his good news.”

Zhu Shu understood all of this perfectly well, yet she worried aloud, “Weiwei — sometimes I’m truly frightened. Without us beside him, if he runs into trouble in Battle 1 alone, we won’t even be able to find out what happened.”

Bai Youwei didn’t know what to say.

Even she and Shen Mo were frequently teetering on the edge of life and death inside the games.

“Unless someone becomes a commoner…” she murmured. “Have him use the surrender right, then have an opposing King demote all of you to commoner status. Otherwise — as long as you’re tied to the battle games, the danger never goes away.”

“He’s set his heart on avenging Lu Ang…” Zhu Shu couldn’t help biting her lower lip, her expression deeply pained.

Bai Youwei fell silent as well.

Yan Qingwen’s decision had stirred something in her. As the war progressed, the number of casualties would only grow. Should she also… reconsider things?

For the next battle — did she really want her closest companions to risk their lives?

It was a decision with no good answer.

Those she didn’t know well — she couldn’t fully trust them in a game.

Those she knew too well — she couldn’t bear to send them to risk their lives.

At that moment, the clear, bright sound of a glass being tapped rang through the cafeteria —

“Excuse me, everyone — if I could have a moment of your time…”

It was Chu Huaijin who had spoken.

Everyone turned to look — including Bai Youwei and Zhu Shu.

Chu Huaijin walked toward the LCD screen in the cafeteria and faced the assembled crowd. “I’m sure everyone is aware that Professor Song and I have been dedicated to the work of urban reconstruction, and our research into the game system has never stopped. Recently, Professor Song has made some new discoveries. As it happens, our Kings have all successfully cleared the first battle, so I’d like to take this opportunity for Professor Song to share the latest findings with everyone —”