Chapter 8: Puppets

"Hmm? Blocked again?"

Wei Futong took his phone and swiped a few times, but the post had indeed vanished without a trace, as if it had sunk into the abyss.

"Why do you say 'again'?" Chu Cheng asked.

"Because I've heard that similar things have been happening more than once recently. I read it on the forum. People say there have been cases of someone drowning in a place with no water, or someone getting stuck halfway in a wall. And whenever someone posts something similar, it gets blocked quickly."

"Have there been such posts before?" Chu Cheng asked.

In this age of information where a story's credibility depends on how well it's fabricated, a few sentences from internet users don't really prove anything.

No, to be precise, the blame shouldn't fall on the internet. Even before the widespread use of the web, various newspapers and magazines were filled with supernatural stories. But with the proliferation of mobile phone cameras, ghosts no longer appear, UFOs no longer roam, and water monsters no longer surface. Sometimes, things in this world are just inexplicable.

"Yes, of course there were," Wei Futong said, "but those kinds of posts weren't blocked before."

Chu Cheng thought about it and agreed. In the past, stories about ghosts, aliens, and such flew around the internet without any interference. Now, seeing related posts being censored before his own eyes, it had a taste of "no smoke without fire."

If it were someone else just enjoying the spectacle, it would be fine, but Chu Cheng was different. After all, the image of the Klein Group building in the forum post was identical to what he had seen in the game last night. Even the details of the message matched the game's content. To call it a mere coincidence would be too far-fetched.

Something was definitely amiss.

Finally enduring until the end of class, even though there was still another session afterward, Chu Cheng had no mood to attend. He immediately wanted to rush home and investigate any hidden tricks in that game.

When the bell rang signaling the end of class, Chu Cheng quickly told his good friend Wei Futong to help him mark his attendance for the next session. He then got up and squeezed through the crowd, heading towards the exit.

As soon as he stepped out of the classroom building and took a few steps, his attention was captivated by a scene on the plaza outside the door.

A large crowd had gathered, forming several layers around the center, resembling monkeys watching a spectacle. The sound of heated arguments could be heard from within.

Chu Cheng approached and, taking advantage of his nearly 1.8-meter height, peered inside to quickly understand what was happening.

In the middle were a young man and a young woman, both appearing to be students, currently engaged in a passionate dispute.

"I've already said it a hundred times! That guy is just a rideshare driver, and I don't even know him! Can't you understand human language!?" The girl's sweet voice carried a hint of frustration.

"Stop spewing bullshit! Are you telling me that rideshare drivers nowadays are directly invited to spend the night at people's homes? If that's the case, why don't you arrange the same for me too?" The boy was also aggressive in his words.

"Don't you dare badmouth me here! You hang out with that group of sketchy people all the time, claiming they're your close friends. Do you think I'm a fool who doesn't understand what's going on?"

"Let me tell you something, I haven't exposed you just to save face. With your abilities, you're as fragile as a toothpick, and you boast like you're something special. In bed, you're done within a minute, and if it lasts two minutes, that's considered an exceptional performance. I don't even know how this person has the audacity to act this way."

"How do I have the audacity? It's quite interesting, isn't it? Some cars have mileage that could go around the Earth, and yet they act all innocent, pretending to be naive. What a bunch of bullshit!"

Silence followed.

In just a few sentences, Chu Cheng roughly understood the situation.

In short, it seemed like a clash between a seafood merchant and a steel wire ball merchant, and they couldn't handle it anymore, right?

This kind of plot was nothing new and nothing surprising. When the Sea King confronts the Steel Master, lives hang in the balance. Either play without hesitation or don't play at all. Those who understand, understand.

If it were an ordinary day, Chu Cheng might have been interested in observing how it would end. However, he had something on his mind today and was eager to get back to playing the game. So, he glanced at the scene briefly, lost interest, and prepared to leave.

But what happened next caught him completely off guard.

*Smack.*

A loud, crisp sound echoed through the air as the girl's slap landed on the boy's cheek.

That single sound was like the bell signaling the start of a fight in a combat arena, announcing the beginning of an unrestricted battle in the teaching building.

The girl took the initiative, but the boy's reaction was not slow either. He immediately countered with a punch, but it seemed to have little effect. The girl tried to grab the boy's hair with her other hand, but the seemingly unwashed hair, oily and slippery, eluded her grip.

Oh, beautifully executed! In the midst of the stalemate, she delivered a deadly strike akin to a chicken attack, with remarkable effectiveness. The onlookers could almost hear something cracking.

By now, Chu Cheng had realized that something was off.

He pondered that if he were to receive such a blow, he would undoubtedly be momentarily immobilized. Even just watching it from the sidelines, one couldn't help but instinctively feel that there was a type of pain in this world that could be felt just by witnessing it.

However, the boy in the center of the altercation took the blow squarely and immediately launched a counterattack, as if nothing had happened. It was hard not to wonder if he had practiced some kind of invincible technique like the Golden Bell Cover or stood as solid as Mount Tai.

The boy landed a punch on the girl's face, showing no mercy. Half of her once fair cheek immediately swelled up, and she even spat out a mouthful of blood.

Yet, she remained unfazed. With a swift motion, she left deep bloody marks on the boy's face, tearing away flesh and skin.

Chu Cheng was stunned.

Suddenly, it felt as if this argument had escalated into a fight to the death. The two young individuals fought each other like frenzied beasts, as if the person before them was their mortal enemy.

What was even more eerie was that as the scene grew bloodier and increasingly out of control, the onlookers remained indifferent.

No one stepped forward to intervene, no one called for help, and there were no gasps or attempts to record the incident on their phones.

It was as if this was some ancient gladiatorial arena, and these spectators were cold-hearted judges.

As Chu Cheng observed the impassive faces, he suddenly remembered seeing similar expressions before.

It was on the faces of those men in the meeting room during last night's game.

The horrifying faces in the meeting room from last night overlapped with the expressions of the onlookers, sending a chill through Chu Cheng's entire body once again.

He had a strong premonition that if he stayed here any longer, he might also become abnormal.

Chu Cheng felt an urgent need to leave.

He immediately withdrew from the crowd, no longer looking at the two individuals fighting in the center, and turned to exit the circle of onlookers, preparing to leave.

He had to get away from this place and perhaps call for help. Maybe he should contact the school security office or even the local authorities, although this situation might be beyond their jurisdiction.

But before he could fully process these thoughts, they barely had time to flash through his mind.

Just as Chu Cheng took a couple of steps away, he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

He turned around, only to find that the commotion behind him had stopped without him noticing.

The seafood merchant and the steel wire ball merchant had abruptly ceased their fight, and the students who had been watching them from every angle also suddenly stopped.

They resembled puppets on a stage, with their strings being pulled by an unseen puppeteer who had just made a slight adjustment backstage.

As a result, all the puppets turned their heads simultaneously and looked directly at Chu Cheng.