An old tungsten filament bulb hung by a black wire in the center of the room, flickering with dim light.
But the atmosphere inside the room was no longer tranquil.
As the clock in the center of the table ticked away, the nine people around the round table slowly opened their eyes.
Except for Lawyer Zhang and Tiantian, everyone’s eyes were different from last time.
Qiao Jiajin looked around with some worry. Only after seeing familiar face after familiar face did he finally relax.
Qi Xia also raised his head and looked at his “comrades.”
Except for Xiao Ran, not one was missing.
It seemed Qiao Jiajin hadn’t broken any rules. He hadn’t actively provoked “Xuanwu.” That was for the best.
Qi Xia looked at each person in turn. First, he and Qiao Jiajin nodded to each other in acknowledgment, then he exchanged glances with Officer Li and Lin Qin.
Finally, he looked at Doctor Zhao and Han Yimo.
Everyone was here. Somehow, that brought a sense of relief.
But now there were three problem individuals in the room. First were Lawyer Zhang and Tiantian—they had no “Echo” and were still in their newly arrived state.
Then there was the former tenth person, now the ninth person.
That young man whose skull had been shattered twice.
All the “Echo” users slowly looked toward that person. Except for Qi Xia and Doctor Zhao, no one knew where Xiao Ran had gone. They only knew that the room now truly had “nine people,” so would this young man still die?
That young man, just like the previous two times, still displayed that eerily desperate smile, staring blankly at Qi Xia.
The Man-Goat standing to the side also had different eyes from last time.
Those yellowed eyes, amidst decay and despair, actually contained a trace of joy.
According to the contract, he needed to make all the people in the room disappear and persist for three cycles.
Now someone had already begun to disappear. This was a good sign.
“Clang!!”
Another bell sound rang out.
Qi Xia frowned. Was “Scapegoat” being activated?
But… in the current situation, was it necessary to activate it?
“Good morning, nine people. I think it’s still necessary for me to explain the situation to you.” The Man-Goat slowly began to speak. “I am Man-Goat…”
Before he could finish his first sentence, the Man-Goat froze.
He began to tremble, unable to control his fear.
A white-clothed figure had appeared in the room at some unknown time. She wasn’t sitting at the round table, nor was her movement restricted. She was currently standing in a dark corner, curiously looking around.
“Huh?” She made a puzzled sound. “This… where is this?”
Hearing this voice, everyone turned their heads in confusion to look.
That figure also emerged from the dark corner. “Why are there so many people?”
The moment they saw her, Qi Xia felt the strings in his mind snap at that instant.
The final straw had ultimately come in such an unreasonable way.
But the straw that breaks the camel’s back is never just the last one.
It’s every single one.
“Xia, you’re here too?” Yu Nian’an asked with a smile. “Wasn’t I just walking on the street? How did I end up here when I turned around…”
“An…”
Lin Qin’s eyes slowly widened at this moment.
This girl was… the Yu Nian’an that Qi Xia constantly mentioned?
How was this possible?!
Even if she truly was in the Land of the End, how could she possibly appear in the interview room where no one could move?!
Everyone’s expressions became complicated. The current situation was far too bizarre.
“Xia, who are these people?” Yu Nian’an came to Qi Xia’s side and asked, supporting his shoulder. “What are you all sitting here doing?”
Lin Qin turned to look at Qi Xia, thinking this was bad.
Qi Xia’s eyes weren’t right.
He was doubting himself. He was about to break down.
“An… you… you’re really here?”
Qi Xia felt his mind was extremely chaotic.
He clearly hadn’t used “Echo,” yet Yu Nian’an had appeared.
Then…