041 Number Combination

I never told you about the matter with Carbon Head, nor did I mention it to Han Xue.

Time passed quickly, and the eighth round of the game arrived as scheduled. Once again, it wasn't an all-player event. A few of us gathered at the designated location—it was the rooftop where the last game had been played, now even more dilapidated, with all four corners collapsed and barely any space left to stand.

This time, the participants were me, Carbon Head, Lin Wan, Lu Ling, Han Xue, Chen Hao, Wen Lingyu, Wu Ziwei, Sun Cheng, Zhang Yisheng, Su Mu, Lin Xiayue, Hu Xing’er, and about twenty other ordinary people.

“Lin Zijian.”

A stranger suddenly approached me and said, “Let me join your group.”

Looking into his eyes, I was struck by a sense of déjà vu, and without much thought, I agreed.

At that moment, chaos erupted. A girl from Lin Xiayue’s faction suddenly seemed possessed and, losing all control, leapt from the rooftop.

“Caiyi!” Hu Xing’er, quick-eyed, tried to grab her but was a moment too late.

The girl named Caiyi fell to her death.

Lin Xiayue’s face turned grim as she glared fiercely at all of us.

“If you touch my people, I’ll make you pay the price!”

But then, above the rooftop, the blood-red rules of the game appeared once more.

“Number Combination.”

“Each person will have a specific number appear on their body; every thirty minutes a number command will be issued. If, within ten minutes, you fail to form the required number, you will be hunted by a ghost.”

Fortunately, the sudden announcement of the rules made Lin Xiayue instantly regain her composure.

Meanwhile, the boy had already come up to us.

He extended his hand to me and said, “Hello, I’m Shan Feng from the Law School.”

After introducing himself, Shan Feng deliberately waved the four of clubs in front of my eyes.

So he was the contract holder of the club ghost card. I hadn’t expected him to voluntarily join our team.

With the disappearance of the game rules, I sensed it was best for us to leave this place of trouble as quickly as possible.

I glanced at Lin Wan, who instantly activated the power of the six of spades in her hand.

We dashed off the rooftop at lightning speed.

Then we began checking the numbers that had appeared on our bodies. Han Xue and Wen Lingyu slipped into an empty classroom to check each other's numbers.

My number was easy to find—right on my chest.

“Seven?”

Then I saw the number fourteen emblazoned across Carbon Head's forehead.

“Carbon Head, stop looking. Yours is on your forehead—it's fourteen.”

Noticing he was still searching aimlessly, I quickly reminded him. Carbon Head gave an “oh” and stopped moving.

Chen Hao’s number was seven, Lin Wan’s was twenty-one, Lu Ling’s was twenty-one, Shan Feng’s was fourteen, and Sun Cheng’s was also twenty-one.

The two girls emerged from the classroom, with Han Xue embarrassedly saying, “Wen Lingyu and I both have seven.”

Judging by their demeanor, I guessed their numbers might be in rather private places.

For instance, Chen Hao’s number was actually on his backside.

We found a hiding spot near the main entrance of the building.

Soon after, I saw Su Mu and Zhang Yisheng emerging from inside together.

“They must have formed an alliance,” Lin Wan said, squeezing herself between me and Carbon Head.

Ever since Carbon Head had confided so much in me last time, he’d been rather unwilling to talk whenever I approached him. By contrast, Lin Wan had started getting closer to me. I didn’t know what had happened for the two of them to change so much.

“Since Zhang Yisheng has killed someone from Lin Xiayue’s side, there’s no way they’d form an alliance. So he can only cooperate with the lone wolf Su Mu.”

Lin Wan’s analysis made sense. Then Lin Xiayue and her group of girls came out of the building.

Half an hour passed quickly, and I noticed my phone ringing.

All the players participating in this round had automatically been added to a WeChat group.

The group was named Number Combination, and each member’s display name was automatically changed to their real name.

Then someone called “Game Host” spoke up.

“The first round number combination requirement is twenty-one. Please complete the combination within ten minutes!”

Twenty-one?

“Lu Ling, Sun Cheng, and I all have twenty-one, so we don’t need to do anything,” Lin Wan analyzed. “Chen Hao’s seven can combine with Carbon Head’s fourteen. You, Han Xue, and Wen Lingyu—three sevens—make twenty-one as well.”

Realizing that, I thought we were quite lucky this round.

But then I remembered we had an extra person in our group.

“What about Shan Feng?” Lin Wan asked. Before I could answer, Shan Feng had somehow appeared behind me.

“How about this,” I blurted out. “Let Han Xue team up with Shan Feng.”

“I’ll take Wen Lingyu over there and see if there’s an opportunity.”

I didn’t even know why I said that, but before I knew it, I was already pulling Wen Lingyu out of our group.

“Wen Lingyu, I…” Once we were away from our small group, I felt myself return to normal, unsure why I’d pulled her aside.

“Sorry, the words just slipped out. I couldn’t control myself,” I explained.

“It’s fine,” Wen Lingyu replied. “There’s always a solution.”

As I anxiously searched for another person with the number seven, two girls appeared in my line of sight.

It was Hu Xing’er, with her ponytail, and Wu Ziwei, who was always flirting with Sun Cheng—both from Lin Xiayue’s side.

Hu Xing’er didn’t avoid me; instead, she walked right over.

“Doesn’t this girl know I’m a contract holder?” I muttered to myself, but Wen Lingyu tensed up.

Wen Lingyu’s fear was understandable. After all, she still wasn’t a contract holder herself.

After so many ordeals, Wen Lingyu had gradually adapted to her surroundings, but she remained wary of everyone else.

She hid behind me, her gaze icy as she watched Hu Xing’er.

“Lin Zijian, what numbers do you two have?” Hu Xing’er asked directly, unbothered by formalities. Seeing I was reluctant to answer, she added, “Don’t be mad at our boss. She just wants to protect us.”

The “boss” she referred to was, of course, Lin Xiayue.

“Our boss has had it rough—she even killed her own boyfriend to protect us.”

As she spoke, Hu Xing’er looked genuinely aggrieved, as if on the verge of tears.

“Look what you’ve done, making Sister Xing’er cry,” Wu Ziwei chimed in, ever the troublemaker.

Not wanting to hear more, I quickly cut her off. “We’re both seven. Enough.”

Hu Xing’er immediately brightened. “Wonderful, I’m seven too! The three of us can make twenty-one!”

So Hu Xing’er was also seven? What a coincidence.

“Then what about Wu Ziwei?” I asked.

“Don’t worry about her; her number matches up just fine.”

“Oh, so you remembered me after all?” Wu Ziwei sidled up, smiling. “Just so you know, I’m seven too. Would you abandon this pretty lady beside you for me?”

She was referring to Wen Lingyu, and soon both girls had surrounded me, pushing Wen Lingyu aside.

“Zijian,” Wen Lingyu whispered, “time’s almost up.”

“I know.” I broke free from Hu Xing’er’s grasp, only to be seized again by Wu Ziwei.

“Let go of me, Wu Ziwei!” Just as I shoved her away, a burst of light flared behind me.

There was no time to think—time was running out. I quickly grabbed Hu Xing’er and Wu Ziwei by the hand.

Looking up, I saw it was Sun Cheng, with Lin Wan and Lu Ling brought along by his ability.

“Weiwei!”

“Chengcheng!”

Just then, Wu Ziwei was devoured by a ghost.

Sun Cheng watched helplessly as Wu Ziwei was eaten, collapsing to his knees, trembling.

“Weiwei!” Sun Cheng cried out, but there was no answer.

Lin Wan and Lu Ling exchanged awkward glances, at a loss for words.

Wen Lingyu patted my shoulder. “Zijian, it’s not your fault.”

But Hu Xing’er didn’t see it that way. “Well done, Lin Zijian,” she spat angrily. “Our boss won’t forgive you for this!”