Global Collapse-Chapter 646 - 614: Direct Method to Prevent Distortion_1
Speaking of preventing a promising youth from turning into a villain, there seemed to be another, more direct method.
Gu Mian suddenly withdrew his hand, reaching for the guitar case on his back.
Feeling the touch on her head disappear, 007 looked up, puzzled. The man in front of her was thoughtfully touching the guitar case on his back.
"What's wrong?" 007 asked.
Gu Mian's expression was serious, as if he were weighing a difficult decision. After several seconds, he seemed to make up his mind and replied, "It's nothing."
He pulled his hand back.
007 found Gu Mian's behavior odd, but now wasn't the time to ponder if the doctor was having some sort of mental breakdown. She glanced at the Lower Class People behind Gu Mian and said in a low voice, "Aren't you supposed to be in the fifth wave to go on stage? Why are you up here now?" He even cut the line!
"There's no one guarding, so who cares which wave I'm supposed to be in," Gu Mian answered, his gaze fixed on the Lower Class People currently playing the game. Three from the first group were already dead. The remaining two kept exchanging glances, each desperately hoping the other would be next to die.
There were three Lower Class People in front of 007, including the one with the snake-head mask. Gu Mian had cut in line behind 007, meaning they would go up together in the next wave.
After a moment's thought, he pulled 007 behind him. "Get behind me."
007 moved behind Gu Mian. "You've met the advanced NPC in this instance, haven't you? When I was on stage, I saw you two by the window, chatting quite happily."
Lu Yi's room was visible from the stage, but the Lower Class People performing were too nervous to look around, so they hadn't noticed anyone upstairs.
"Yeah," Gu Mian replied. "We did have a good chat. He even gave me a great treasure. I'll show you some big fireworks later."
Hearing this, 007 glanced up at the sky.
The fireworks set off a short while ago had just fizzled out. She had a feeling the "big fireworks" Gu Mian mentioned were something else entirely.
"He also told me…" Gu Mian paused, looking 007 up and down for a few moments.
007 was baffled by his scrutiny. Gu Mian finally stopped staring and continued, "He also told me you're a good person."
Good people need to be nurtured from a young age, Gu Mian mused. He decided he would start nurturing a good person right away.
007: "..."
Just as she was rendered speechless, a cheer erupted from below the stage.
It turned out the outcome of the previous game had just been decided—one Lower Class Person had landed on a square marked 'Highly Corrosive Liquid.' Green fluid poured down from above, drenching him from head to toe.
His screams were incessant.
He wouldn't die instantly but was doomed to suffer intense pain before finally succumbing.
The survivor of the first round stood on a safe square nearby. A few drops of the liquid had splashed onto his hands. He clutched them, his face a mask of pained ecstasy.
"Alright, the first round is over, and standing on stage is our first-round winner!" the host announced, clapping as he walked towards the survivor amidst cheers. "The winner of the first round can now step down. And now, let's see the five performers for our second round…"
As he spoke, his gaze swept towards them.
007 took a few small steps back, her scalp tingling under the host's stare.
The other Lower Class People reacted similarly, shrinking back. The corpses on stage hadn't been cleared away, creating a stark visual impact.
Only Gu Mian was seriously considering how to set this 'wayward youth' back on the right path, ignoring the host's gaze.
Spotting the troublemaker, the host's smile widened. "It seems one of our performers in the second round is quite confident, eh?"
At that, Gu Mian realized the host was praising his steely resolve and proudly puffed out his chest.
The host's breath hitched. He averted his gaze and announced, "Alright then, will our performers please proceed to the starting point and get ready?"
Gu Mian followed the others to the starting square of the 'Monopoly' game. The five of them stood in a row. The host walked past them holding a black box, flashing Gu Mian an eerie smile as he passed.
He stopped before the Lower Class Person on the far right and presented the black box. "Alright, let our first performer of the second round draw. Let's see what kind of luck this performer has!"
While the host was still speaking, the Lower Class Person had already reached into the black box and pulled out a slip of paper.
Gu Mian couldn't see the number on the slip, but he noticed that the Lower Class Person's body went rigid after drawing it.
He probably drew a death square, Gu Mian thought.
The host glanced at the paper, a cryptic smile playing on his lips. "Well then, let's begin."
Then the first performer began to move, his body stiff. He was visibly terrified but had no choice but to advance according to the number on the paper.
Sure enough, he stopped before the sixth square, then had to force himself to step onto the seventh.
The moment he stepped onto the seventh square, a sharp iron rod shot up from below, impaling him like squid on a skewer.
He had drawn the number 7.
The audience erupted into excited cheers once more.
To be honest, Gu Mian thought, if I drew such an unlucky number, I'd definitely kick the host over and flip out on the spot.
But these Lower Class People didn't even consider fleeing. Knowing it was a step towards certain death, they still didn't dare stop.
Of course, Gu Mian wasn't about to go hopping onto those squares himself.
He knew his luck was terrible. Even if I draw a safe number, there's a high chance something dangerous will happen when I pass the death squares. As I pass by, the iron rod under the ground might suddenly feel lonely and want to get up close and personal. The corrosive liquid overhead might think my clothes are dirty and need a rinse… Anyway, I'm not going to get myself killed on those squares. The most I'll do is draw a lot.
The second person was the man with the snake-head mask. His luck was good; he drew a 12 and landed on a safe square.
The third person wasn't so fortunate. He had an outrageous stroke of bad luck, drawing a 1. He'd barely taken a single step when a huge hammer descended from above, smashing him flat on the ground.
A few droplets of blood splattered onto Gu Mian's clothes.
"My, my," the host said, approaching Gu Mian amidst the audience's cheers. "This round is moving quickly, isn't it? Two dead right off the bat! Looks like this one will be over very soon."
007 was still mulling over Gu Mian's comment about "showing her some big fireworks." She had a feeling that not only would this round end quickly, but the entire carnival might soon follow.
The host came to a stop before Gu Mian, holding up the black box, and said with a hint of malice, "Your turn."
Gu Mian was just gearing up for his own performance when the host's voice yanked him back to reality. He looked at the host standing before him, annoyed.
You're blocking my camera angle!
Gu Mian reached out and nudged the host aside. Only when he could see the audience section that the host had been blocking did he nod, satisfied.
The host, who had been nudged aside, was caught completely off guard. His mouth fell slightly open, as if he couldn't believe what had just happened.
But before he could erupt in anger, Gu Mian had already thrust his hand into the box.
He plunged his hand into the box and fumbled around inside for quite a while. The host, struggling to suppress his fury, snapped, "Is this performer trying to stall for time?"
Mocking laughter immediately erupted from the audience below.
At that moment, Gu Mian abruptly raised his other hand and shouted to the audience, "Everyone, quiet down!"
007, standing nearby, felt the corner of her mouth twitch. Is he trying to take over the show?
Watching Gu Mian's confident figure, she had a strong feeling she'd be seeing those "big fireworks" very soon.
Sure enough, Gu Mian's next words were, "I'm going to perform a magic trick for all of you."
