You said you would make games by yourself, but how did you become the richest man by doing nothing?

#561 - Execution of Chen Xiang

Gao Mei hugged her arms, her body trembling slightly. The moonlight outside the window shone on her pale face, reflecting a trace of unease: "...This kind of thing... can't be contacted at night, right?"

Wang Lina's gaze was like ice, and she gently uttered four words: "There are two wolves."

Gao Mei's pupils suddenly contracted, and a chill rushed up her spine: "..."

Her voice was almost inaudible: "...Could it be..."

Wang Lina slowly walked to the window, the moonlight outlining her slender figure. Her voice was filled with undeniable calmness: "For her only surviving son, even if she gets contaminated, Aunt Chen Xiang will slaughter all the remaining humans."

Gao Mei took a step back abruptly, her voice with a sob: "I, I'm also human!"

Wang Lina turned around, her eyes directly meeting hers: "If there's only one wolf and one human left, there won't be a vote. You won't be able to do anything then either."

Gao Mei turned to Qin Ming, who was standing in the corner, tears welling up in her eyes: "That's impossible, right, Brother..."

Granny Rong suddenly let out a cry of grief, breaking the silence in the room: "Xiao... Xiao Tai..." Her hunched figure looked particularly lonely in the candlelight.

Qin Ming lowered his head, his eyes covered by his bangs: "..."

His clenched fists trembled slightly: "...That's impossible."

He raised his head, his eyes flashing with pain and anger: "If Mom is a wolf, Qin Yi would never have died."

His voice was a little hoarse: "To keep him alive, Mom would even kill me, right?"

He laughed self-deprecatingly: "Rely on me? How could Mom listen to me? She likes Qin Yi more than me."

Gao Mei suddenly rushed to Wang Lina, her eyes red: "Sister Lina, that's too much!! How could Brother let Aunt Chen Xiang do that!!"

Wang Lina's expression remained calm, as if stating a simple fact: "I never said Qin Yi was killed. Maybe he was contaminated and died when he went out at night."

Her voice was like a sharp knife, cutting into everyone's hearts word by word: "Moreover, regardless of whether Aunt Chen Xiang is a wolf or not, as long as she knows her son is a wolf, she will definitely help, even if she gets contaminated, right?"

Gao Mei's voice trembled with anger: "This is just your subjective guess. Why do you have to paint Brother as a bad guy...!"

Tears streamed down her cheeks: "What exactly do you want to say, Sister Lina! Didn't you say you would protect us no matter what...!!"

Wang Lina was silent, the moonlight casting deep shadows on her face: "..."

Gao Mei suddenly realized something, her voice lowered: "...Because of him?"

Her eyes revealed a hurt look: "Because Tang Yin said so? Sister Lina, you've changed completely since you met him..."

The air in the assembly hall seemed to freeze. The candlelight cast swaying shadows on the walls, like countless wronged souls dancing. Qin Ming leaned against the wall, his eyes empty; Gao Mei stood in the center of the room, tears silently streaming down; Wang Lina still stood by the window, the moonlight plating her with a layer of cold silver. Granny Rong's sobbing echoed in the darkness, like an endless elegy.

Wang Lina raised her head, the moonlight dancing in her clear, cold eyes. Her voice was calm and firm: "...That's not the case. I'm just imitating his methods, thinking independently."

Her fingers unconsciously rubbed the corner of her clothes, and she continued: "Even if you don't want to believe it, you can't ignore the possibility that this is the truth."

Qin Ming suddenly turned around, his gaze like a sharp sword piercing Wang Lina: "--So you've decided to use this vote to sever our relationship?"

Wang Lina was taken aback by this sudden question, taking half a step back, a trace of panic flashing in her eyes, which then turned into anger: "--Because, because you're becoming less and less like the you I know...! And, are you threatening me, Qin Ming!!"

Her voice trembled slightly, as if talking to herself: "...It's like you've become another person..."

Gao Mei stood aside, biting her lip, silent: "..."

Qian Jin frowned, his eyes shifting back and forth between the two: "...Who exactly do you want to vote for?"

Wang Lina took a deep breath and straightened her back: "I will take responsibility for my words. I suspect Qin Ming. I vote for him."

Qian Jin nodded, his expression solemn: "I understand. One vote for Qin Ming."

Qin Ming's expression didn't change at all, as if the argument just now had never happened. He said in an almost businesslike tone: "...Let's continue voting in order, starting with Granny Rong. Granny Rong, what do you think?"

Granny Rong hunched over, not speaking for a long time: "..."

Her trembling fingers pinched the corner of her clothes: "I vote for Chen Xiang. I think Miss Hua Lu isn't a wolf."

Qin Ming nodded slightly: "It's your turn, Mr. Qian Jin."

Qian Jin sneered: "Still using honorifics... I still have the same answer, and Wang Lina's words just now have made me even more certain."

His gaze sharply swept over everyone present: "Qin Ming, to be honest, based on your attitude just now, I don't think you're a wolf, but the possibility of your mother being a wolf is very high."

"I vote for Chen Xiang." Qian Jin's voice was decisive.

The candlelight cast swaying shadows on the wall, and Qian Jin continued: "It's your turn, Qin Ming."

Qin Ming's voice remained calm, like a pool of stagnant water: "...I also have the same answer, voting for Hua Lu."

Gao Mei immediately followed up, her voice filled with determination: "I also vote for Hua Lu!"

Qian Jin looked at this stubborn girl and shook his head helplessly: "This child..."

A timid voice came from the corner, "Meh..."

Qian Jin sighed: "Abstain then..."

Wang Lina suddenly turned to Xiao Mei, her eyes burning with a frightening heat: "Wait! Xiao Mei, think carefully. Maybe this vote of yours is the vote that decides the victory or defeat of humanity!"

Qin Ming suddenly stood up, anger burning in his eyes: "Sister Lina! Is it necessary!? Do you want to use such a small child's voting rights!?"

Wang Lina's voice was tinged with hysteria: "Is there any other way!? Xiao Mei! Don't you want Sister Hua Lu to disappear, right!?"

The atmosphere in the assembly hall dropped to freezing point. The candlelight cast flickering shadows on everyone's faces, reflecting their distorted expressions. Qin Ming and Wang Lina confronted each other, their former friendship now turned into sharp blades.

Gao Mei stood helplessly aside, tears welling up in her eyes. Qian Jin hugged his arms and leaned against the wall, his eyes filled with indescribable complexity. Granny Rong lowered her head, as if trying to shrink herself into a ball. And Xiao Mei, this young child, was enduring pressure far beyond her age, wandering at the crossroads of life and death.

Tears flickered in Xiao Mei's eyes, her voice with a sob: "!D-don't want!"

A hint of anticipation flashed in Wang Lina's eyes, and she was about to speak: "Then..."

Qin Ming abruptly interrupted her, his voice hoarse and desperate: "It's useless! Even if she votes for me, it'll still be a three-way tie!"

Xiao Mei hugged her knees and shrank in the corner, her voice as thin as a mosquito's hum: "...Choose the person who is not needed?"

Wang Lina's expression instantly became serious, and she nodded lightly: "--Yes."

The candlelight cast swaying shadows on Xiao Mei's childish face, and she hesitated to speak: "...That..."

Suddenly, a terrible memory flashed in her mind, causing her to tremble involuntarily: "Auntie... so scary..."

Qian Jin frowned slightly, tentatively asking: "...Are you talking about the auntie who cooks in the cafeteria?"

Xiao Mei nodded vigorously, tears welling up in her eyes: "Yes..."

Qian Jin took a deep breath, his eyes firm: "It's decided then."

Qin Ming's face instantly lost its color, and he staggered back a few steps: "...Im-impossible..."

His voice was somewhat hysterical: "Don't joke around. Just because, because of such a ridiculous reason, you're going to put Mom..."

Qian Jin punched the wall, interrupting him: "This is the vote!"

Qin Ming opened his mouth, eventually only letting out a weak gasp: "--"

Gao Mei gently tugged on Qin Ming's sleeve, her voice with a sob: "Brother."

Wang Lina lowered her head, her voice tinged with relief: "...It's over."

The night deepened, and the moonlight shone through the window, covering the entire assembly hall with a layer of silvery gauze.

The most ⊥ new ⊥ small ⊥ say ⊥ in ⊥ six ⊥ 9 ⊥⊥ book ⊥⊥ bar ⊥⊥ first ⊥ hair!

At the same time, in a room not far away, Tang Yin stood in front of the door, his expression grave. Behind him came intermittent vague shouts and sobs—the sounds of Chen Xiang, whose limbs were tied and mouth stuffed.

Tang Yin held a rough wooden stick in his hand, carefully propping up the door. Every few minutes, he would check the situation inside through the crack in the door. Through the dim light, he could only see Chen Xiang's figure lying on the ground. This made him feel a little relieved, but he couldn't help but reveal a self-deprecating smile.

He looked in the direction of the assembly hall, thinking: The banquet is almost over, right.

I wonder what kind of decision they will make.

Tang Yin's thoughts began to drift away: The so-called lynching of hanging or execution should have been used to eliminate wolves, but so far, it has never been successful even once.

If it continues to fail today, considering the remaining days and the number of people, the hope for human survival will be almost cut off.

If the person executed today is Chen Xiang or Hua Lu...

He didn't dare to continue thinking: Then there's really no hope.

Suddenly, the door of the assembly hall was pushed open, and a group of people walked out. Tang Yin understood everything with just one glance at them.

"...It's over," he said softly.

Their eyes were very calm, as if they had finally been relieved after a long period of torment. In the moonlight, their figures slowly moved, not in the direction of Tang Yin, but towards the cafeteria. Each step was like stepping on the tip of a knife, heavy and firm.

The moonlight was like water. Tang Yin looked at the crowd walking out of the assembly hall, his throat rolling, his voice a little dry: "You chose Madam Chen Xiang?"

This sentence seemed to have exhausted all his strength. The night wind blew, bringing a gust of coolness, but it couldn't dispel the suffocating weight in the air.

He quickly stepped forward and grabbed the sleeve of Qian Jin, who was walking in the front. Qian Jin's figure paused, his profile in the moonlight looking particularly pale.

"Let go." Qian Jin didn't look directly into Tang Yin's eyes, nor did he answer his question.

At this moment, Qian Jin was completely different from his usual self. That arrogant aura was gone, replaced by an inexplicable weakness. His eyes flickered, as if trying to escape something, clearly understanding how dangerous the decision they were about to make was.

Tang Yin's eyes eagerly searched through the crowd, his voice with a bit of pleading: "Qin Ming!"

Qin Ming lowered his head, his voice hoarse and almost inaudible: "I lost."

"Xiao Mei!" Tang Yin called out, unwilling to give up.

Gao Mei's eyes were red and swollen, the tear stains still wet: "I opposed it!"

"Granny Rong!" Tang Yin's voice began to tremble.

Granny Rong clasped the Buddhist beads in her hand, her voice with piety and determination: "This is the will of the Thousand Bright God."

"...Wang Lina!" The last hope was also fading.

Wang Lina hesitated, her eyes falling on the little girl beside her: "Tang Yin, this child..."

Xiao Mei lowered her head, not saying a word.

Tang Yin watched this little girl slowly walk to his side, her eyes empty and dazed, as if she had lost her soul. He couldn't help but take a step back, a feeling of unspeakable chill rising in his heart.

The crowd silently walked into the cafeteria, the moonlight shining through the windows onto them, casting long shadows on the ground. Before long, they dragged Chen Xiang out from inside. Qian Jin and Wang Lina walked in the front, holding ropes in their hands, as if leading something terrible.

Granny Rong held a bamboo broom, urging Chen Xiang, who was stumbling forward, the sound of the Buddhist beads colliding being particularly clear in the silent night.

"Don't!" Tang Yin's shout echoed in the night sky.

Qin Ming held his younger sister Gao Mei's hand tightly, following behind his mother, who was constantly sobbing. Gao Mei's tears fell like broken pearls, one after another. Qin Ming's shoulders trembled violently, no longer able to control the grief in his heart, his entire face distorted by crying.

"Stop it." Tang Yin's voice became weaker and weaker.

"--Is there anyone..." His cries dissipated in the night wind.

The figures of the crowd gradually moved away in the moonlight. Suddenly, a piercing laughter broke the silence of the night sky. It was Chen Xiang's voice, the rag stuffed in her mouth having fallen out at some point.

"Hee, hee, hee hee hee hee!"

There was no trace of rationality in that laughter, only pure fear, or rather, utter madness. The laughter echoed in the silent night, sounding chilling.

Ah, is there anyone?

Please.

Help!

But, until the last moment, no one called for help.

Including Tang Yin himself, who did not attend that banquet—that banquet forced to choose life under the rule of another world.

Xiao Mei: "Meh..."

Tang Yin: "Don't look."

Tang Yin hugged Xiao Mei and turned her head away, covering her ears, but that way, he couldn't cover his own ears.

Parent-like dedication—strange thought.

They were walking farther and farther away in the dense fog, but the screams and crazy laughter seemed to be getting clearer and clearer...