The system's rules genuinely wanted He Yu dead.

The one who was supposed to die on the very first night...

Was He Yu.

But He Yu had used the Prophecy Card.

He had saved his own life.

Before going to sleep, he had already seen Annie coming to kill him.

That night, the people who wanted Annie dead weren't only Zhen Xing, Wanrenzhan, and the others.

He Yu himself did as well.

He Yu...

Had plenty of motive.

Qiong smiled coldly.

"How ruthless.

"They knew you were smart.

"Since they couldn't kill you directly...

"They used Chaos Night to kill you."

During Chaos Night, nobody knew anything.

If someone died then...

They would die in the most unjust way imaginable.

He Yu looked straight ahead.

"Exactly.

"If someone died purely because of the instance rules—for example, if Annie killed Ling Buchen because the instance established they were enemies...

"Would the audience object?

"But if I'm the killer, and Annie receives that information on the first night before choosing to kill me...

"Then everything becomes perfectly reasonable.

"And it also creates all the chaos that follows."

A mocking smile curved his lips.

"On the second night...

"Qu Wu may not have wanted to kill me because of the instance setting either.

"He may simply have received the killer information that night.

"If we stayed in this instance for a third night...

"Someone else would receive information about the killer tonight."

Since the "killer" identity existed...

The system naturally had to provide clues.

But this instance was different.

Instead of giving the information to the killer...

It randomly gave it to another contestant.

Even if Annie had learned who the killer was on the first night but decided not to kill He Yu...

The information itself would've been enough to throw the entire instance into chaos.

They would still turn on one another.

It created exciting drama...

And ensured they could never all advance together.

What a meticulous scheme.

No one knew how Qu Wu had died on the second night.

No one possessed any memory fragment showing Qu Wu's death.

Even He Yu himself wasn't certain whether he had killed Qu Wu.

But that didn't matter.

—Qu Wu had died because of the system.

—The rules themselves had killed Qu Wu!

He Yu smiled and joked,

"There's still one minute left.

"Maybe someone else will receive killer information tonight.

"Should we stay and confirm it?"

Zhen Xing's expression darkened.

He stared fixedly at He Yu.

"He Yu.

"I'm not joking.

"What are you going to do?"

Ling Buchen frowned deeply.

"We wouldn't have made it this far without you.

"Everything you've said is still just a deduction.

"Let's leave together.

"We'll gamble that there isn't a killer...

"Or that the killer is already dead."

Eugene slammed his chainsaw into the wall.

His face darkened as he cursed,

"Fuck you, system!"

Siya's eyes instantly reddened.

Duan Yuchen punched the wall.

Qiong stared fixedly at He Yu as though he were her last hope.

"You have a way...

"Right?"

At that moment...

They all shared the exact same thought—

Stay another night.

Figure something out.

【Bullet Screen: "I'm genuinely moved that after He Yu admitted he was the killer, none of them attacked him."】

【Bullet Screen: "They've truly become teammates. Looking out for each other. Helping each other."】

【Bullet Screen: "There's only one minute left, and nobody is leaving."】

【Bullet Screen: "I'm crying again. These garbage rules aren't even human!!"】

【Bullet Screen: "The rules were never human—they're beasts!!"】

He Yu smiled.

"I'm very happy that none of you chose to kill me immediately.

"But I've already said it before.

"I want to leave together with all of you."

He slowly looked around at everyone.

His smiling voice carried a hint of amusement.

"Why do you think I kept talking until there were only forty seconds left?"

Everyone froze.

They looked at him blankly.

He Yu raised his hand.

Two fingers swept casually past his temple.

His eyes curved into a smile.

"Because...

"I've been waiting for the votes."

"Everyone...

"I'll see you at the transfer station."

At that moment...

He was unbelievably cool.

Unbelievably dazzling.

The moment those words left his mouth...

His figure vanished from where he stood.

At the same instant...

The familiar announcement echoed beside everyone's ears—

【Congratulations to Blue Star Contestant No. 2333, He Yu, for advancing into the Top 100! Remaining slots: 51/100.】

Everyone: "......"

Eugene stood there dumbfounded.

"He actually reached eight million votes?!

"Eight million?!"

A brilliant smile spread across Zhen Xing's face.

"He Yu has never spent his votes before.

"This was the first time...

"And also the last."

There would be no audience voting during the semifinals.

This was the first time He Yu had used votes.

It was also the last.

He hadn't used them for himself.

He had used them...

For them.

—The votes were spent at the single most crucial moment.

—And preserved the greatest number of lives.

Qiong nodded.

"And when he closed the laboratory door just now...

"He must've asked the audience for votes."

Ling Buchen's figure flashed forward.

He charged toward the exit while leaving behind a single sentence—

"Five seconds left.

"Are we really still talking?"

As soon as he finished speaking...

Everyone sprinted toward the door.

They moved like bolts of lightning.

Every single face wore a brilliant smile.

At this moment...

Every one of them was happy.

Everyone was alive.

How wonderful.

Time rewound...

To just after Blue Eyes disappeared.

Inside the laboratory...

He Yu stepped over Lan Ersi's body and walked toward the exit.

Halfway there...

He suddenly stopped.

The audience looked confused.

"What's wrong?"

"Does He Shen not want to leave Blue Eyes?"

"Waaah... I don't want to leave him either! Damn it, my heart hurts."

"What exactly did He Yu say to Blue Eyes in the end?! I desperately want to know!"

"He closed the door just to hug Blue Eyes?

"I don't get it."

...

He Yu adjusted his glasses.

Looking straight ahead into empty space...

He revealed a flawless smile.

"To all Federation viewers...

"I closed the door because I have something I want to say to you."

Neither he nor Li Zhan had actually needed privacy.

Closing the door...

Had served another purpose entirely.

The audience was stunned.

He Yu straightened his clothes.

His bearing remained calm and composed.

"My objective has never been simply surviving into the next round.

"That has no meaning.

"I'm the kind of person who dislikes being controlled by rules more than anything.

"Compared to slaughtering one another...

"I prefer breaking the rules.

"Turning the system upside down."

"This instance is no exception.

"No matter what rules it establishes...

"I want to survive.

"And I want them to survive too."

"I couldn't interfere with Chaos Night.

"So Annie and Qu Wu died.

"But among the eight people still alive...

"I don't want a single one of them to die.

"I want every one of us...

"To advance."

There seemed to be light within He Yu's eyes.

He smiled toward the empty air.

"I know my supporters will definitely vote for me.

"Thank you.

"But what I'm about to say...

"Is directed to the supporters of Zhen Xing, Eugene, Wanrenzhan, Duan Yuchen, Siya, Qiong, and Ling Buchen."

"This is your final opportunity to vote.

"It is also your final opportunity to help us.

"I hope...

"You'll give your votes to me."

"I'm going to gather the votes.

"Give them to me...

"And I'll take them into the next round."

Once the semifinals began...

The audience would no longer possess votes.

Contestants could never again rely upon audience voting to advance.

Everything afterward...

Would depend entirely upon themselves.

This...

Was both the contestants' final opportunity...

And the audience's final chance to lend them a hand.

By this point...

He Yu had already confirmed he was the killer.

"I'm not going to hide my identity just to advance.

"And I'm not willing to be eliminated either.

"I want them...

"To advance together with me."

He Yu extended his hand toward the audience.

The corners of his lips lifted.

"I need your cooperation.

"This time...

"We can achieve a complete victory.

"Trust me.

"I look forward to working with you."

He wasn't the first contestant to ask the audience for votes.

But he was the first to ask with such elegance...

And in a way that filled the audience with excitement.

—Eight people advancing together!

He wouldn't hide his killer identity.

He would leave by consuming votes.

Meanwhile...

Zhen Xing and the others would leave through the exit.

All eight would advance.

That...

Was the cooperation request he extended to the supporters of the other seven.

The hand he reached out...

Represented "cooperation."

He Yu wanted more than cooperation from contestants.

He wanted cooperation...

From the audience as well.

【Bullet Screen: "AHHHHH! So this was He Shen's plan all along!!"】

【Bullet Screen: "Of course we trust you! Hurry and repost this in the other livestreams! Spread it across the discussion plaza!"】

【Bullet Screen: "He Yu, beautifully done!!"】

【Bullet Screen: "Waaah... He's always beyond everyone's expectations, yet he always gives us another surprise."】

【Bullet Screen: "He Yu... my final Top Talent Show vote belongs to you."】

One person's supporters couldn't gather eight million votes.

But what about eight contestants?

Eight immensely popular contestants?

During the previous instance, Siya spending five million votes had already been considered a miracle.

This time...

Everyone originally believed nobody would leave by spending votes.

After all...

Eight million was an astronomical number.

Only ten million votes had been distributed this round.

How could they possibly all end up concentrated in one person?

Everyone assumed nobody would advance using votes.

So...

Most viewers had kept their votes.

This was the very last vote in Top Talent Show.

They intended to save it for the most critical moment.

—And this...

Was exactly that moment.

No one doubted He Yu anymore.

If He Yu only wanted to advance...

He merely needed to hide his identity.

He could've remained silent.

Escaped alongside everyone else.

Advanced successfully...

While every other contestant was eliminated.

He Yu didn't want that ending.

Instead...

He told the audience—

Give me your votes.

I'll give you...

A perfect ending.

Only after saying that...

Did He Yu finally open the door and leave.

By then...

His speech had already spread to every livestream.

The supporters of Zhen Xing and the others had already been worrying themselves sick.

They each clutched their single precious vote...

Powerless to protect the contestant they supported.

Zhen Xing's livestream.

"He Shen is asking for votes! Everyone, give them to He Yu! He'll take—"

"AHHH! That's amazing! Give them to him! Right now!"

"??? I wasn't even finished!"

"You trusted him that quickly?"

"If Zhen Xing trusts He Yu, why wouldn't we?"

"Thank you, He Shen!! Long live the XingHe pairing!"

...

Eugene's livestream.

"He Shen is asking for votes! Eugene's supporters, can you give your votes to He Yu? He Yu said to trust him. Everyone will advance. If you give him your votes, Eugene definitely won't be eliminated."

"Holy shit! Amazing! I'm doing it right now!"

"AHHH! Thank you, He Shen!"

"Damn! Finally my vote has a purpose."

...

Duan Yuchen's livestream.

"He Shen said—"

"Don't bother explaining. I already saw the announcement in the discussion plaza. Damn... I'm so touched. I don't have a vote, but my sister still has one. She was too scared to watch because she couldn't bear a bad ending. She got the news and logged in while crying."

"...You're not afraid He Shen might run off by himself?"

"What nonsense.

"If all he wanted was to advance, he only had to hide his identity.

"He's doing this to save everyone else."

"Besides...

"I support Duan Yuchen because I'm from District Five.

"But I like He Shen too!!"

...

Siya's livestream.

By the time He Yu's supporters arrived...

The Bullet Screen was already overflowing.

"What a perfect ending. This is wonderful."

"Waaah... Thank you, He Shen, for sparing her. All my votes are yours!"

"I never imagined my final vote could matter this much.

"This feels incredibly meaningful."

...

Ling Buchen's livestream.

"He Shen's supporters are visiting every livestream.

"Why aren't they coming here?"

"The Lucky Guy has supporters too!!"

"He Shen's supporters already said they don't need to.

"Ling Buchen's votes belong to He Yu by default."

"Holy fu—...

"That's... actually correct."

...

Qiong's livestream.

"Where is everyone?"

"Everyone's watching He Shen's stream.

"And voting."

"Understood. Thank you."

"No need to thank us.

"Thank He Shen for carrying everyone.

"Chaos Planet's votes all go to He Yu."

...

Wanrenzhan's livestream.

"Everyone...

"...Forget it.

"The guy himself is still unconscious.

"I doubt anyone's even here."

"......"

The final vote in Top Talent Show proved far more valuable than anyone had imagined.

Several instances ago...

Nobody would've trusted He Yu.

Even if they had...

They might not have been willing to give him their votes.

But now...

Not only did they trust his character...

They trusted his ability as well.

While listening to everyone analyze the situation...

He Yu had actually been waiting for the votes.

When only a tiny amount remained...

He already knew—

He'd succeeded.

He already possessed three million votes.

The supporters of all eight contestants then gathered nearly another five million for him.

His plan...

Succeeded.

That was why...

He stopped Ling Buchen.

That was why...

He openly admitted he might be the killer.

Before eleven o'clock...

His vote total finally surpassed eight million.

At that moment...

He could only see the number climbing frantically.

But he knew...

Behind those votes stood countless people's effort...

And trust.

Votes weren't earned only by pleasing the audience.

If what you did truly had meaning...

People would vote for you.

The phrase...

"The Final Vote"

Instantly became a trending topic across every social platform.

Top Talent Show had distributed fewer votes than before.

The required amount had become higher.

Everyone assumed those final votes were useless.

Yet everything suddenly changed.

That single vote...

Became enormously valuable.

It represented...

The lives of eight people.

It was also another moment where the system's carefully laid plans failed.

The cooperation of eight contestants.

The cooperation inside...

And outside...

The Top Talent Show system.

Eight million votes.

Ensuring...

Not a single person was left behind.

As Zhen Xing and the others stepped through the exit...

The announcement sounded—

【Congratulations to Ling Buchen, Zhen Xing, Eugene, Qiong, Duan Yuchen, Siya, and Wanrenzhan for advancing into the Top 100! Remaining slots: 44/100.】

【Congratulations to all contestants for clearing the second Slaughter Match instance, Kill the Prisoners. Mission complete. Advanced equipment rewards granted.】

【Until the next instance begins, contestants may not attack or kill one another.】

The instant the announcement ended...

The Bullet Screen exploded.

"AHHHH! Just as expected!! He Shen is incredible!"

"Damn! Those final votes were actually that useful! I'm crying!"

"Speaking as a Zhen Xing supporter: Thank you, Daddy He Shen, for carrying Xing Xing into the next round. Long live the XingHe pairing!"

"Speaking as an Eugene supporter: We finally got to help Eugene too. Thank you, He Shen."

"Speaking as a Duan Yuchen supporter: I'm crying. I hope everyone survives."

"Qiong's supporters send their congratulations."

"Hahaha! I'm so happy! Really so happy!"

...

Standing outside the exit...

Listening to the announcements...

Zhen Xing and the others smiled brightly.

Duan Yuchen suddenly said,

"He Yu really is something.

"He'd already figured out a solution...

"But didn't tell us anything.

"He scared us half to death for nothing."

Though he sounded as if he were complaining...

His smile bloomed like a **.

His eyes had become moist.

—The feeling of all eight advancing together...

Was fucking amazing.

Zhen Xing was smiling as well.

"The final Slaughter Match...

"Not bad."

The process had been unbearably tense.

The instance had been unimaginably dangerous.

Yet...

The ending wasn't bad at all.

Ling Buchen reached up and touched his own face.

"Hurry and teleport us already.

"I really want to see He Yu."

Siya laughed.

"He Yu really is a charming person.

"He'd make the perfect husband—"

Before she finished speaking...

Everyone simultaneously turned to look at her.

Especially Zhen Xing...

Eugene...

And Ling Buchen.

Their expressions were remarkably unfriendly.

Siya immediately corrected herself.

"...Perfect boss."

Only then did the three of them look away.

Just then...

Another voice sounded.

It was hoarse.

Confused.

"Where am I?

"What happened?"

Everyone simultaneously looked downward.

They met Wanrenzhan's freshly opened sleepy eyes...

Along with an utterly bewildered expression.

Everyone: "......"

Eugene, who was still carrying him: "......"

—He had literally slept his way to victory.

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