As soon as he heard the name of the game, Jing Xi immediately thought of the amusement park in Sector C of Extreme Shadow.

The second floor there also had a Sudoku game. He wondered what the difference was between the two.

He subtly scanned the crowd and then looked at Chi Yao, who was standing as still as a candle next to him.

If the game rules were the same as what Fang Liang had said before, at least half of the people here would die.

The players looked confused.

Playing a game while surrounded by so many spaceships? Who had ever seen such a grand spectacle?

“Sudoku? How do we play? Does the fastest one to fill it win?”

“Rich people are just different. They make such a big fuss over a game of Sudoku.”

“I thought it was some kind of high-class game. It’s so simple, it seems the prize money won’t be that hard to earn.”

“This game is great. It’s mentally stimulating and saves physical energy.”

A huge Sudoku board suddenly appeared on the white stone surface. Each square was one square meter, just enough for one person to stand in.

Just as they were curiously looking at the squares, the inorganic voice sounded again.

The rules of the game were very simple. As they could see, each person represented a number. If they could form a complete Sudoku grid, they would pass the round. Anyone who didn’t enter a square in time or couldn’t form a complete Sudoku grid would be eliminated.

“I’m 1! The other numbers, come here quickly!”

“We’re missing 2, 4, 5, 7, and 9 over here!”

“I’m 2! I’m 2! Who needs 2?!”

“One… two… three… twenty! There are twenty Sudoku grids here. It’s just enough. No need to fight over them!”

As soon as the game rules were announced, all the players started fighting over each other.

There were a total of 180 people, with numbers from 1 to 9 on them. But no one had counted whether the number of each digit was the same. The first to form a 1-to-9 grid would secure victory early.

The field was a mess. Only the four of them, like candles, stood there motionless.

Jing Xi: “Master, aren’t you going to form a team?”

Chi Yao stroked his beard and said in a calm and composed manner, “The countdown hasn’t started yet. No need to rush.”

Jing Xi looked up at the huge virtual screen hovering above the metal ball. The five-minute countdown hadn’t started yet.

In just one short minute, most of the 100-plus people had already formed teams. They each chose the closest Sudoku grid and waited for the time to go in.

The five remaining stragglers looked at each other, occasionally glancing at Chi Yao’s group and whispering.

After the teams were formed, the number distribution became clearer.

The number of each digit was the same.

In other words, no matter how they divided into groups, as long as they entered the squares at the designated time, they wouldn’t be eliminated.

The five people saw that Jing Xi looked fierce and unapproachable. Although Chi Yao was tall, he was known to be a charlatan and was probably a weakling who only knew how to con people. As for the other two muscular cross-dressers, they were so disgusting to look at.

“If they don’t want to be eliminated, they’ll come to us. No need to go and pull them in.”

“Yeah, I don’t believe they can stand still until the end.”

“Who isn’t here for that 100 million prize? Getting stupidly eliminated in the first round? Was it all just for that meal?”

As they talked, the five people laughed.

At this moment, numbers suddenly appeared in some of the squares, and the virtual screen began to count down.

Their faces turned pale in the middle of their laughter.

“The numbers on the ground are the same as the ones on me! What’s going on?!”

“W-why are there three numbers in our grid?!”

“1, 3, 4… you three get out!”

“4, 7, 9… kick them out!”

Three random numbers appeared in each Sudoku grid. This meant that each grid could only hold a maximum of seven people.

Just moments ago, they were desperately trying to recruit people. Now they were desperately trying to kick them out.

Some people who were kicked out saw that the people with the same numbers in other teams were weaker than them. They kicked them out and took their places.

Others followed suit, and the field immediately turned into a melee.

The game field was too big. Many people could only focus on the situation of two or three Sudoku grids nearby. They had no way of seeing all the grids in a short time.

Just defending against people with the same numbers was already exhausting all their energy and stamina.

The moment the countdown began, Chi Yao walked towards the closest Sudoku grid, his voice leisurely. “Come on, follow your big brother.”

Jing Xi glanced over. This Sudoku grid happened to be the only empty one on the field, so any number could enter.

He walked beside Chi Yao with his hands in his pockets and said casually, “Your ‘big brother’ is a bit old.”

Chi Yao: “An old brother is still a brother.”

Lu Meng and Li Yuan followed behind their respective bosses, their muscles tense, ready to fight at any moment.

Although he had never seen a game like this, Lu Meng wasn’t an idiot.

The huge prize money could drive people mad. To win, they would do anything.

There would definitely be casualties in this game.

Halfway through the countdown, the people who were kicked out were gradually replaced by those who were skinny and weak.

They gradually moved to the sides.

A middle-aged Beta woman stood in front of Jing Xi, panting as she looked him up and down.

She couldn’t beat the others, so this was the only one left.

She suddenly fell to her knees and cried hysterically.

“Please, please let me have the square! I need the prize money to treat my son’s illness. He’s waiting for this money to live, wuwuwu—Please, please!”

As she cried, she began to kowtow.

Jing Xi frowned slightly.

The woman was sallow and emaciated, with dull eyes. She looked like she was suffering from extreme malnutrition.

“Okay,” Jing Xi said.

“Sir—customer~” Li Yuan called out anxiously. “You’ll be eliminated if you leave!”

Chi Yao expressionlessly watched the situation on the side, subconsciously reaching for the ring on his middle finger, but he didn’t feel anything.

The Beta woman on her knees was stunned. She didn’t expect him to agree so easily. She was even a little disbelieving.

“You’re really going to give it to me?”

Jing Xi nodded expressionlessly and stepped out of the square.

The Beta woman’s eyes lit up, and a triumphant smile appeared on the corner of her lips. She quickly got up from the ground and rushed into the square without stopping.

But as soon as she stepped in, she hit a wall.

Because she was rushing, she stumbled backward and fell out of the square.

Jing Xi, who had just said he would give it to her, stood there motionless.

“If you had used the money you spent on K3180 to save your son, he would be alive and kicking right now.”

The low voice and the unhurried tone were pleasant to the ear, but what he said made the Beta woman fall into despair.

K3180 was a new type of illegal stimulant. It was cheap and had a low barrier to entry, but it was highly addictive and hard to quit once you started.

People who used this drug for a long time would have permanently damaged glands. They would gradually lose control, and their pheromones would have a foul, sour smell. Even if they used a fragrance to cover it up, you could still smell it up close.

She looked up in disbelief and shouted, “I, I didn’t!”

Jing Xi brushed off his clothes where the Beta woman had bumped into him and said in a slow and deliberate manner, “This hairy-faced master can’t stand the sour smell. It will affect his magic. It’s a shame my spot can’t be given to you. Look for someone else.”

Hairy-faced master?

Chi Yao snorted but couldn’t help the corners of his mouth from turning up.

The Beta woman’s hope was shattered. She saw that there was only one minute left in the countdown. She got up from the ground and used all her strength to crash into Jing Xi.

But before she could touch him, a hand suddenly extended and blocked her.

Chi Yao looked at the people on the field fighting over spots and said leisurely, “If I told you this scarred miner needs the prize money to save a sick family member, would you still want to take his spot?”

“What does him saving someone have to do with me?!” The Beta woman yelled hysterically, desperately trying to pull Chi Yao’s hand away. “You useless old man, don’t get in my way!”

Feeling Chi Yao’s murderous intent, Jing Xi pulled his hand away. “Master, don’t get involved. You might hurt your back.”

As soon as Chi Yao let go, the Beta woman charged at Jing Xi.

“Ahhh—!”

Before she could touch him, Jing Xi touched her forehead with his index finger. No matter how she thrashed, she couldn’t hit him.

She tried to grab the hand on her forehead, but as soon as she reached for it, the hand was gone. When she tried to charge again, the hand touched her forehead again.

After more than a dozen times, she went completely insane.

Chi Yao, who was watching Jing Xi mess with the woman with an expressionless face: “…”

It looked like a lot of fun.

Li Yuan: “…”

Why was the boss always taking the crooked path? Let him try too!

Lu Meng: “…”

Although he didn’t know who he was, he was very punchable.

The others in the Sudoku grid: “…”

How despicable.

[Countdown… five… four… three…]

Hearing the inorganic prompt, the field fell into a greater state of chaos.

When the last prompt sounded, the monitor on the metal ball captured everyone’s positions and recorded them on their sensors.

“I won! I won! Hahahaha—”

The players inside the squares cheered with joy. The players who fell outside the squares shivered in fear.

“You ungrateful things, kill them!”

Someone in the crowd yelled, and the atmosphere on the field changed abruptly.

Chi Yao’s gaze swept over the crowd, locking onto the person who had just spoken.

This person was a male Alpha with a goatee, prominent cheekbones, and small, narrow eyes. He also looked a bit like a goat.

“Is that the person?” he heard “his own” voice next to his ear.

Chi Yao retracted his gaze. “Which person?”

Jing Xi watched as the stone surface on the edge opened up, and platforms with 180 golden eggs on them rose up.

“The person with the number carved on their arm.”

Chi Yao lightly hummed and didn’t answer him.

“Is that our reward?!” someone asked, pointing at the golden eggs.

“There are 180 of them. The number is wrong! Can the eliminated people also get them?”

“Can we get money from them?”

“Are we going to have to fight over them again?”

As the eliminated players grew more and more nervous, the metal ball slowly descended above the golden eggs.

[Failed players, please pick one golden egg.]

“P-pick a golden egg? Is there a chance to turn things around?”

“Aren’t we already eliminated?”

“What’s inside?!”

The only answer they got was the metal ball’s repeating prompt.

The Beta woman who had attacked Jing Xi just now was constantly scratching the skin on her arm. Her breathing was getting heavier and heavier.

Because of the large amount of exercise and emotional turmoil, her addiction was acting up again.

She was waiting for this money to pay off her debts and buy medicine. She couldn’t take it anymore.

“I’ll go first!” Seeing that no one dared to go up, the Beta woman was the first to walk to the platform. She pointed at one at random. “This one.”

The golden egg cracked open in response. Two words appeared on the enlarged virtual screen—Eliminated.

Just as everyone saw the two words, they suddenly heard a gunshot.

The Beta woman was shot in the forehead and fell to the ground.

“Ah—!”

The players outside the squares screamed and backed away.

“I’m not picking one! Can I just not pick one?!” A young Beta male yelled in despair.

Metal ball: [Are you sure you forfeit?]

The young Beta male nodded blankly. “I forfeit.”

Bang!

A bullet pierced his forehead, leaving a crimson bloodstain on the white stone surface.

In the top-level cabins of the various spaceships, the VIPs were toasting to this scene.

“Their expressions are great.”

“I like those two cross-dressers. They’re strong and sassy enough. I bet three billion on them.”

“Then you’re probably going to lose everything. Those two look strong but are all bark and no bite. They’re just for show.”

“I bet on that gray-haired charlatan. His face isn’t much, but his butt is nice and perky.”

Inside the field, Chi Yao saw it all, his eyes unblinking.

“You’re not going to stop them?”

Jing Xi listened to the gunshots. “I’m just an ordinary miner.”

These people signed the contracts voluntarily. He could save them today, but not tomorrow.

To put an end to this situation, he had to find out who was behind it as soon as possible and uproot them completely.

“It’s not elimination! Mine says ‘challenge’!”

A young Alpha cried with joy, his hands on the platform, feeling a little weak.

Chi Yao looked over. The sensor on the person’s chest showed the number “9.”

Metal ball: [Please choose a player with the same number to challenge.]

All the number 9s inside the squares felt their scalps tingle.

This meant that if this person succeeded in the challenge, he could replace them?!

Realizing this, everyone’s face turned black. They tried their best to look strong.

Only Chi Yao, with his fake beard, stood there with a blank face. He also had long hair, which made him look easy to bully.

The young Alpha looked around several times and finally pointed at Chi Yao. “I want to challenge him.”

Chi Yao: “…”

Lu Meng turned his face away: “…”

You’re really looking for death.

After the selection, another window appeared on the virtual screen projected from the golden egg.

The young Alpha looked down. “History… Geography… Humanities… Science… Physics… Gender and Sexuality…”

He was confused and read it again from the beginning. He blushed and said, “I, I choose Gender and Sexuality, hehe.”

Another window popped up on the virtual screen. It was a question.

[The challenged player will answer. If you answer correctly, you successfully defend your position. If you answer incorrectly, you fail.]

Chi Yao casually glanced at the screen, and his expression became blank.

[An Alpha and Omega couple are eating at a restaurant. The Alpha really likes passion fruit tea, but the Omega insists he doesn’t order it. The two part ways unhappily. In the evening, the Alpha decides to talk to his partner. What do you think would be the most appropriate thing for him to say? A: I can give up my principles for you. Passion fruit means nothing. B: You won’t let me order what I like, so next time I won’t let you order what you like either. C: If you apologize to me, I’ll reluctantly not be mad. D: You dare to tell me what I can eat? Who do you think you are!]

Lu Meng, who was in the square next to him, looked up. His expression changed.

Oh no, this was his boss’s blind spot!

Jing Xi glanced at it and moved his gaze away, uninterested.

For a seasoned player in the dating scene like Chi Yao, this was a freebie question.

Just as he thought this, he heard a low whisper next to him.

“It’s impossible to give up my principles. Rule out A first.”

Jing Xi: “…………”

Something didn’t seem right.