The banquet hall was filled with the clinking of glasses and cheerful laughter.
The guests enjoyed the special food, speaking in low voices about topics that were never meant to be heard by outsiders.
On the stage, the female star had been singing for an unknown number of songs, her throat burning with pain.
No one had told her to stop, so she had to keep singing.
To her fans, she was a prestigious award-winning actress; here, she wasn't even considered a person.
She was nothing more than a living speaker.
The middle-aged man in a grey robe, sitting at the end of the long table, glanced toward the corner as if sensing something, but he found nothing.
He turned back and continued to savor the food in front of him.
Beside the plate, a sheep's head with wide-open eyes and a handsome face served as decoration—literally a feast for the eyes.
The middle-aged man moved slowly and elegantly, chewing every mouthful for a long time.
Then he suddenly stopped, his hand holding the knife and fork pausing slightly.
That strange feeling had returned. It was just like before, which was why he had instinctively glanced at the corner.
Now, he looked up, his gaze slowly sweeping across the entire hall. The chatting guests, the waiters weaving through them, and the woman on the stage with her forced smile all entered his vision.
Finally, his gaze landed once more on the shadows in the corner of the hall.
Still nothing.
There was only darkness.
The middle-aged man’s brow furrowed slightly.
“What is it?” someone beside him noticed his unusual behavior and asked with concern.
The middle-aged man withdrew his gaze and shook his head.
“It's nothing.”
He cut another piece of meat, put it in his mouth, and chewed slowly.
But his eyes couldn't help but wander around restlessly.
The banquet lasted for a long time.
The food was delicious, but to the guests present, it was nothing special; they could eat such things whenever they wanted.
Perhaps what they enjoyed more was the top-tier socializing and the pleasure of trampling upon their own kind.
Enjoying delicacies while watching a performance, and pretending to be mysterious while discussing obscure topics.
From the shadows in the corner, a pair of eyes watched them quietly.
Finally, the banquet drew to a close.
A host in a deep purple suit stepped onto the stage and signaled to the female star that she could stop.
She shut her mouth with a sense of relief, her throat burning so fiercely she could no longer speak.
The host scanned the room with a smile. “Distinguished guests, next is the special segment of this exchange festival: the Virtual Reality Deep Experience.”
“Guests who are interested may move to the entertainment hall to personally participate in the entertainment games we have meticulously prepared.”
“Of course, if you only wish to watch, that is perfectly fine. The spectator seats are equally exciting.”
Some of the guests below rose and headed out with great interest.
Others chose to remain, continuing to savor the special food while their gazes occasionally drifted toward the female star on the stage.
The female star stood at the edge of the stage, watching the well-dressed people leave the hall while laughing and talking.
She didn't know what they were going to do.
However, though no one had told her, she had overheard some of their conversations just now and could vaguely guess some of the truth.
The so-called games and deep experience were bound to be even darker and more cruel than anything she had just experienced.
As for herself, she was currently in no position to save herself.
She lowered her eyes and looked at her hands.
The hands that had been trembling just moments ago had now steadied.
It wasn't that she wasn't afraid.
She was simply a bit numb.
She had seen too many secrets today.
The strange food, the obscure conversations, and the topics mentioned only in the most secret circles.
These were things she shouldn't know.
Since she already knew them, it was impossible for her to walk away.
As expected.
After the banquet ended, several men in black walked up to her.
One of them held a black bag in his hand.
She did not resist; she even proactively lowered her head, cooperating as the bag was pulled over her head.
Her vision plunged into darkness once more.
Someone grabbed her arms and dragged her out.
She stumbled along, not knowing where she was going or what would happen next.
Just before being pushed into a car, a question suddenly occurred to her.
She was a popular star with countless fans.
If she suddenly vanished, wouldn't her fans notice? Wouldn't it cause suspicion and public outcry?
But soon, she understood.
What was a star in the face of true power?
Fans and public opinion were completely worthless.
Her disappearance would become a headline tomorrow stating she was “suspending work for personal reasons,” then be buried by some new gossip, gradually fading from the public's sight until she was forgotten by everyone.
No one would come looking for her, and no one would come to save her.
The sound of the car door closing shut out the last sliver of light.
She closed her eyes and leaned against the seat, allowing herself to sink into the darkness.
...
Yue Shi blended into the crowd of guests and walked out with them.
In the banquet hall, waiters moved back and forth, handling all the necessary cleanup.
Whether it was normal food or special food, everything was unified and destroyed by fire; no one dared to sneak a bite.
Even if they were paid to eat it, they might not be willing.
The middle-aged man in the grey robe walked out of the hall and got into a car.
Yue Shi’s gaze landed on that car.
The middle-aged man instinctively looked back again, scanning the area.
He still saw nothing, but his brow furrowed even tighter.
“What is it?” someone beside him asked.
He shook his head.
The car door closed, and the vehicle slowly drove away.
The snow leopard raised its head in Yue Shi’s arms and let out a yawn.
“Let’s go.”
In the next second, his figure vanished from the spot.
The vehicle wove through the streets.
The Deep Blue Route representative sat in the middle car, the windows tightly shut to block out all external sound.
He sat with his eyes closed against the seat as if resting.
However, his brow remained furrowed.
That strange feeling was still there.
An ethereal, inexplicable sense of crisis.
It had started in the banquet hall, as if something filthy was observing him from the shadows, surrounded by a subtle malice.
He opened his eyes and looked at the car window.
The glass reflected his face as the street scenes flashed past outside.
His strength was not weak, yet he could not detect the source of that sense of crisis.
However, he was not afraid.
Just by virtue of being from the Deep Blue Route, he didn't believe anyone would dare touch him!
Rate on N.U.
