“This, this…” Chi Yao pointed at himself, who had reached a new low in ugliness, and was so angry he could barely speak.

The middle-aged Alpha glanced at him. “This is Player 38. He was a miner on a level-three mining planet for 20 years. He’s strong and has a bad temper. He ranks in the top three in terms of raw strength among this batch of players, so he’s a very valuable bet.”

Chi Yao raised his eyebrows and slowly nodded. “Twenty years… he’s a true veteran miner.”

How come he didn’t know he started mining at the age of five?

The middle-aged Alpha didn’t hear the sarcasm in his words and nodded earnestly. “Being able to stay in a dangerous place like a level-three mining planet for 20 years means his strength is not to be underestimated. Would you like to place a bet?”

A bet? He wanted to jump into the screen and beat someone up.

He casually switched to the next one to get it out of his sight.

The Alpha male on the screen was wearing heavy European-style makeup, with deep-set eyes, long eyelashes, and bright red lips. There was a large black mole at the corner of his mouth.

He was wearing an ill-fitting maid dress that exposed his bulging muscles. Under the dress, he had a pair of large gray shorts. At first glance, it looked like he was wearing fur pants, but on closer inspection, it was leg hair.

Damn it!

Chi Yao rubbed his eyes, almost blinded by the sight.

Li Yuan, if you’ve been kidnapped by Jing Xi, just blink.

The middle-aged Alpha thoughtfully offered an introduction at the right time. “This is a madam from a pleasure house. He’s an expert at socializing and is skilled in all kinds of arts. He has a high chance of winning in the game.”

“Expert at socializing,” my foot.

Chi Yao couldn’t bear to look at it a second time and quickly scrolled to the next one.

The middle-aged Alpha saw him being picky and unable to make a choice, and he became anxious.

How could the meat that was almost in his mouth run away?

“Do you have any special requirements for the players?” he asked.

Chi Yao scrolled to the bottom and lost interest, pulling his gaze back.

“That Alpha with the scar and eye patch has a good physique, but his appearance doesn’t fit my aesthetics.”

The middle-aged Alpha: “…”

Are you trying to pick a partner?

Chi Yao chuckled. “How about this? I’ve recently adopted two little slaves and want to bring them out to play. If they win, it’s my win. If they lose, I’ll compensate according to the set odds. What do you think?”

The middle-aged Alpha’s brows furrowed and then relaxed again. “The rules state that VIPs cannot bring players with them.”

“Rules are dead, but people are alive.” Chi Yao put down his wine glass and made to get up. “If not, I’ll just find another place to play. Cetus is so big, I’m sure I can find a place to spend my money.”

The middle-aged Alpha: “Please wait—”

The small room only had a bed and a simple bathroom. The head and foot of the bed were against two different walls.

Jing Xi leaned against the headboard, recalling the information he had gathered on the way.

After entering an inconspicuous pawn shop and giving the code, he received a pass to Private Tarmac 32 in the west district.

He boarded a spaceship there, and his terminal signal began to cut off. Everything that could be used for localization was no longer accessible.

Five hours later, he arrived at this place.

It was a giant amusement park with a very flashy architectural style. There were no other buildings to be seen.

The room he was in was on the first basement floor of the amusement park’s castle, divided into small rooms of about six square meters each, seemingly designed for “players” to stay in.

Tap, tap, tap.

A sound suddenly came from the wall.

Jing Xi came back to his senses. The room on his right belonged to Li Yuan.

“Tap… tap-tap… tap-tap…”

[Boss, are you sleeping?]

Jing Xi: “…”

He thought for a moment and lightly tapped the wall with his knuckles.

[No, I’m thinking about something.]

The room next door replied.

[This bed is damn small. It’s annoying that I can’t even turn over.]

Jing Xi: “…”

Was he trying to make small talk?

Jing Xi tapped a few more times.

[Don’t tap the wall for no reason. You’ll get caught.]

They tapped again.

[But it’s so boring.]

Jing Xi: “…”

Then why did you follow me?

Originally, he had only planned to come and check the situation himself, but Li Yuan insisted on following him.

If it weren’t for no one to bring the Yinwei, even Fang Liang would have wanted to come.

There was a sudden sound from the corridor.

Jing Xi’s eyes changed. He casually looked up and met the gaze of the person outside.

The person outside had a dazzling head of long gray hair that was braided into a thick ponytail that reached his waist. He was wearing a long gown with a cloud pattern on a black background and a pair of traditional cloth shoes with layered soles.

Some strands of hair were scattered on his cheeks, blending in with his thick gray beard. He looked like an ape-man who hadn’t evolved properly.

Jing Xi: “…”

Damn it.

Chi Yao pretended to casually touch the big black mole, the corner of his lips slightly raised. He walked past the room, his eyes clearly full of provocation.

Jing Xi: “…………”

Childish.

Chi Yao was here too.

It seemed that the direction he was looking for was correct.

This place was probably also related to the mutated people.

They could mutate into wild beasts, with an attack power several or even dozens of times stronger than normal people. When they mutated to a certain extent, they seemed to lose their sanity. If such a dangerous group of people were exposed on a large scale, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Chi Yao said that the mutated people used to be normal. Then why did they become like this? Was it intentional or unintentional? What was their purpose? Was it just for viewing and entertainment, or was there a deeper purpose?

Currently, there was no news about the mutated people outside, not even in the military, or at least not on the surface.

As long as this matter was not exposed to the public, it was still within a controllable range.

Tap, tap.

A faint sound came from the left wall.

It was a different code from the one Li Yuan was using.

[Am I pretty?]

Jing Xi: “…”

Childish.

He tapped a few more times.

[My mole and yours make a perfect pair.]

Jing Xi: “…”

Shameless.

[If I tap too much and get caught, I’ll remove my disguise and let everyone see the stunning beauty of the Major General.]

Jing Xi secretly gritted his teeth. He moved his pillow to the foot of the bed, leaned against the side of the door, and lay down so that his head was just out of the camera’s view.

He raised his hand and lightly tapped the wall.

[Why is a star pirate like you learning Morse code?]

Chi Yao: [It’s trendy.]

Jing Xi: “…”

[The military’s private code. Where did you learn it?]

Chi Yao: [Three photos for this question.]

Jing Xi: [Why don’t you just take three selfies?]

Chi Yao: [I’m too beautiful to take a picture right now.]

Jing Xi: “…”

So you’re aware of your own taste?

He tapped back.

[Don’t disturb me.]

In the next room, Chi Yao was sleeping in the same position as Jing Xi.

The big beard always rubbed against his face, which was uncomfortable.

Hearing the response from next door, he snorted and tapped back.

[You’re using my body right now.]

Jing Xi: [The user experience is pretty good.]

Chi Yao: “…”

Did I ask for your user experience?

Chi Yao: [If you dare to mess around, I’ll do a yangge dance in front of the camera.]

It took a while for the other side to reply.

[You’re the only one who can do it? I can also do square dancing, belly dancing, and hula dancing.]

Chi Yao: “…”

You’re something else, kid.

You’re getting more and more rogue. I wonder who you learned it from.

Two hours later, the door suddenly opened automatically. An inorganic, robotic voice came from the broadcast.

[It’s time for lunch—it’s time for lunch—]

Chi Yao sat up, straightened his long gown, and walked out slowly.

As he reached the door, the person from the room next door also came out.

The two looked at each other and then immediately looked away.

It was so damn ugly.

“Sir, wait for me~” a rough yet feignedly shy voice came from the right.

Both of them looked over.

Li Yuan, the self-proclaimed madam, was wiggling his thick waist and walking over.

Chi Yao/Jing Xi: “…”

Compared to this, the rival’s outfit was still acceptable.

Li Yuan walked to Jing Xi’s side, lifted the wig on his shoulder, and casually glanced at Chi Yao. He was so shocked he took half a step back, forgetting to disguise his voice. “Holy shit! He’s so damn ugly!”

Chi Yao: “…”

You’re the last one who should be saying that.

As he was speaking, the person from the room to Chi Yao’s left also came out.

Jing Xi looked over, and his expression froze.

This person was about the same height and build as Li Yuan. He was wearing a tight floral skirt and high-heeled knee-high boots. On top of his crew cut, there was a pink “love” sprayed on.

Jing Xi subtly took a step back.

This was not his forward unit commander. Absolutely not.

Lu Meng didn’t wiggle his waist, but his rough posture combined with this outfit was a destructive blow to aesthetics.

Seeing his boss talking to the person next door, Lu Meng looked over. His attention was immediately caught by the seductive and cheap-looking Li Yuan.

Li Yuan also happened to look over.

Their eyes met across the air, and the two rough men simultaneously retched.

Li Yuan/Lu Meng: “Blegh—!”

Jing Xi/Chi Yao: “…”

I told you not to overdo it, but you just wouldn’t listen.

People of all kinds came out of their rooms. They looked at each other, their eyes full of vigilance.

Nearly 200 people walked along the metal corridor, but none of them said a word.

The muffled sound of footsteps made the entire space feel suffocating.

They reached the first floor of the castle, and their vision became bright and spacious.

The space was thousands of square meters, decorated with balloons, lilies, and pink and white roses everywhere. It was both childlike and romantic. The long tables were already filled with all kinds of food, like a luxurious buffet banquet.

“So much delicious food!”

“Damn it! I want to eat roasted suckling pig!”

“Is this for us to eat? Did they make a mistake?”

Chi Yao heard a lot of people in the crowd swallowing.

Among this group, many people had old and thin clothes. Their faces were all pale and sallow, with sunken cheeks. They looked like they hadn’t had a full meal in a long time.

The robot at the door extended its mechanical arm and made a right-turn gesture.

[Please go to the changing room to change your clothes first, then enter the dining hall in order.]

The crowd erupted in discussion again.

“We have to change clothes just to eat? How pretentious!”

“Are they afraid we’ll get their tables and chairs dirty?”

“Wow! New clothes too?! Where?!”

They followed the instructions and walked to the right side of the main door. They quickly saw several changing rooms. The signs on the doors indicated the gender symbols, and they were divided into three large rooms according to the three ABO genders.

Each room was then divided into two rows based on the primary gender, with each row having several identical small cubicles.

“There are no names written here. Which one is mine?”

“They all look the same. Just go in wherever.”

“What if we go to the wrong one?!”

Some people who were in a hurry to eat rushed into the small cubicles to change. When others saw that they were fine, they also followed suit.

Lu Meng and Li Yuan looked at the male and female sides and then at their own outfits. They decisively wiggled their waists and went to the female side.

Chi Yao/Jing Xi: “…”

You guys are really getting into character.

Chi Yao glanced around, casually picked one, and went in. He opened the small cabinet inside. Inside, a set of white sportswear, white sneakers, and a sensor were hanging.

Jing Xi saw him go in and followed him into the small cubicle next door.

“You look familiar with this place,” he said in a low voice while changing.

Chi Yao quickly changed his clothes, smoothed his messy beard, and didn’t deliberately lower his voice. “To be honest, I’ve already calculated that I would be changing clothes here.”

Jing Xi: “…”

He walked out of the cubicle and no longer deliberately lowered his voice. “Then did you calculate what the rules are for eating next?”

Jing Xi’s question attracted the attention of the people around him.

Chi Yao put his hands behind his back and stroked his beard. “That… is a secret that cannot be revealed.”

“Tch—”

The people around them scattered.

When they returned to the entrance of the hall, the robots no longer stopped them.

The aroma of food filled the entire space, and many people subconsciously sped up.

[Please take a tray and get your food.]

A row of trays was placed on the table after the entrance.

Jing Xi glanced at them. There were 20 stacks, with nine trays in each stack, just enough for the 180 people.

Everyone’s attention was on the luxurious food. When they heard the prompt, they just grabbed a tray and left.

By the time it was their turn to get a tray, there was no one left behind them.

Chi Yao casually picked up the one closest to him.

Jing Xi glanced at him and picked up the one next to his.

Lu Meng and Li Yuan didn’t like each other, so they pushed and shoved to get the last two trays.

There was more than enough food here, so no one fought over it. After a few bites, they started to let loose. Some even made exclamations from time to time.

“This is so damn delicious!”

“If the food here is always this good, I’d be happy to live here!”

“I have food and a place to live. I don’t even need a bonus~”

The four of them sat at a table for four in the corner. The two cross-dressers were eating with gusto.

Lu Meng brought a plate of pickles to Chi Yao.

“Master, this is great for the appetite!”

Chi Yao was eating just fine, but as soon as he smelled the sourness, he felt sick.

“Take it away. Cucumbers affect my magic.”

Lu Meng: “?”

Jing Xi: “…”

He casually moved the pickles toward himself and picked up a piece, putting it in his mouth.

It was sour, sweet, and crunchy.

Chi Yao heard the crunching sounds and saw Jing Xi’s enjoying expression. It seemed very delicious.

He paused, then paused again, and quietly reached for the pickles with his chopsticks.

One piece should be fine.

Maybe it really was delicious?

Before he could grab it, Jing Xi’s chopsticks slapped his away. He heard Jing Xi’s cold voice next to his ear.

“Since you’re so good at divination, Master, can you predict if a person who seeks death can be saved?”

Chi Yao: “…”

How did eating one piece of cucumber become seeking death?

How could he, the leader of Extreme Shadow, not be able to eat a cucumber?

Chi Yao snorted, put down his chopsticks, and said seriously, “A little self-destruction adds spice to life.”

Jing Xi: “…”

I wonder who was running to the toilet to vomit.

An hour later, everyone was full.

After all, the occasion was special, and everyone was on guard.

When they saw some people finish the food they had taken, others also learned to clean their plates, even licking the sauce clean, afraid that there were some hidden rules.

After eating their fill, some people wanted to go back and rest, but they were stopped by the robots at the door.

“I’m full. I want to go back.”

“Are we going to be stuck here all afternoon?”

“When can we leave?”

Robot: [Please be patient.]

Seeing that they couldn’t leave, some people started to panic. The hall instantly became quiet, and the atmosphere changed abruptly.

People started to return to their seats, each of them looking at the others with vigilance.

Suddenly, a cheerful piano sound rang out. The ceiling of the hall cracked open in the middle, and a basketball-sized metal ball descended.

The metal ball hovered over the dining table, rotating slowly.

Some people were startled and screamed, pressing themselves against the wall.

Fear spread through the crowd.

The robot at the door moved to the middle of the hall.

[Please take your trays and check the number at the bottom.]

Jing Xi casually flipped his over. There was a blue “7.”

He had noticed when he came in that there was no such number.

It must be a heat-sensitive paint.

“Mine is 5,” Lu Meng said.

Li Yuan: “Mine is 3.”

Jing Xi looked at Chi Yao, who was sitting across from him. The number on the bottom of his tray was “9.”

As they saw the numbers, the metal ball’s built-in all-angle camera scanned everyone’s numbers and recorded them on their sensors.

Soon, a red number, identical to the one on the tray, appeared on the back of everyone’s clothes.

“What does this mean? Is it my number?”

“No, mine is 8, and his is also 8.”

“It seems no one’s number is above 10!”

[The first round of the game officially begins—]

The inorganic voice came through the metal ball, creating a strange and bland sense of horror.

They were led to an open space the size of a football field. The ground was a white stone surface with the texture of mutton-fat jade.

The area was surrounded by a circle of cartoon character sculptures, all in a state of cheering and excitement.

Chi Yao looked up, his eyes slightly narrowed.

Jing Xi, who had been paying attention to him, noticed and also looked up. His expression changed.

Hundreds of small spaceships were arranged in a circle, hovering above the field.

The people sitting inside them now were probably the so-called “VIPs,” just like in the underwater coliseum.

When everyone was standing in the middle of the field, the metal ball spoke again.

[Welcome to the Sky Amusement Park. The first round of the game begins now—Happy Sudoku.]